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Jay Michaels

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Jay Michaels BIO

JAY MICHAELS (DIRECTOR) Before becoming a live event and film producer with a specialty in marketing & promotion, Jay worked as a stage & film actor & director. He came to prominence for directing a series of wildly successful stage and film adaptations of Shakespeare plays sporting unique production schemes. His work in musical theatre is also notable, as director of New York and world premieres of Sandcastles (the story of the Beach Boys), Common Ground (about Lincoln and Douglas), Jayson (based on the ground-breaking comic strip), All of a Kind and Sicilian & Female (both based on autobiographies) and most recently, the world premiere of A Symphony for Portland, schedule to run off Broadway in late 2023; and producer of the premiere of Relapse (about a group in a psych ward) at Playwrights Horizons; not to mention helming classic musicals like Guys & Dolls, Fiddler on the Roof, Sweeney Todd, Children of Eden, and Applause. Acclaimed for direction of straight plays as well, Jay helmed premieres of MUSE (performances in New York and the United Kingdom), Teatime (winner, Samuel French New Works Series), Dark of the Moon (TheatreWorld Award) at the Pearl Theater; A Doll’s House for Queensborough Performing Arts Center, and direction of the final company of the original LINE (its 50th year) at 13th Street Playhouse; Promotional executive credentials include Broadway Guys & Dolls (1992), Damn Yankees (1994); The Vagina Monologues (2004), and Beginnings (2017) as well as countless off-Broadway productions and events at venues like Lincoln Center, Madison Square Garden, Javits Center, Pace, Fordham, and Kingsborough universities, the Wild Project, Theatre Row, Abrons Arts Center, the HBO Summer Stage, and CAMI and Carnegie Halls. He was also on the production team for The Joyce Theater’s American Theater Series, which won a 1986 Drama Desk Award. Today, his claim to fame is associate producer and on-air commentator for stage and screen on Spectrum Cable’s Hi Drama, and Impresario – a program spotlighting the business end of theatre & film. This recent career move allowed Jay to create JMC: Channel I – a network of multimedia programs and platforms promoting independent artists and their work. A noted horror film historian, Jay is also associate producer and on-air/live event personality for a series of horror, sci-fi, and fantasy programs and events. Credits here include Terror TV & Horror-Storian – both programs dedicated to genre filmmakers – plus numerous appearances at conventions and film festivals including NYComicCon, Phantasm-Con, Boston Sci-Fi, Drac-Fest, HorrorHound, and Phoenix FearCon. Now, he is thrilled to be host of “In the Dark with Jay Michaels” on FearCon’s ROKU Streaming Network, continuing his series of interviews on genre artists and their work.   Jay was part of the original off-off Broadway movement and appeared at Lincoln Center’s tribute to the movement and Caffe Cino. He also lectures as a professor of communications & media culture.

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[Off-Broadway, 1998]
Director

Jay Michaels News


PLEASE DO NOT TOUCH THE 'INDIANS' Presentation Set For October

A special presentation of PLEASE DO NOT TOUCH THE “INDIANS”, a play written by Joseph A. Dandurand, will be performed as a fundraising event. Learn more about the production here!

IFTNetwork, Inc. and Jay Michaels Global Communications Launch The Independent Theatre Coalition

IFTNetwork, Inc. in association with Jay Michaels Global Communications announces the launch of a new coalition of independent theatrical companies with the purpose of creating visibility for underrepresented voices in the arts.

IFT Network to Host International Film & Theater Festival in NYC

IFT Network - a leader in independent film development and distribution will host its first International Film &Theater Festival. Visit FILMFREEWAY for further details includiong rules and deadlines.

Theatre Producer Jay Michaels Joins New Streaming Network, YOUR ENTERTAINMENT NETWORK

Discover the exciting partnership between theatre producer Jay Michaels and YOUR ENTERTAINMENT NETWORK (YEN). Get ready to explore a diverse range of arts, entertainment, and original content on this upcoming free streaming platform. Fall 2023 is the projected launch of this new and innovative channel.

JMGC and IFT Network Form Partnership

Jay Michaels Global Communications, a worldwide service creating visibility for all forms of independent artists has formed a partnership with IFT Network, Inc. an integrated community of programs and professionals whose purpose is the development, marketing, and distribution of independent film and the creation of opportunities for independent theater, and live events.

Photos: Playwright Doug Devita Celebrates The Release of FABLE At The Drama Book Shop and Sardi's

The Drama Book Shop served as host for a special celebration of the publishing of Doug DeVita’s latest play, FABLE, concerning the backstory that went on during the creation of arguably one of the most celebrated musicals of the golden age, GYPSY.

Jay Michaels to Speak At TheatreMakers Studio This Week

Jay Michaels, a producer/executive with a specialty in communications and promotion, will host a free webinar discussing the do's and don't of theatrical production - primarily the don'ts.

OUR LITTLE SECRET to Premiere At Playwrights Horizons in June

Play and screenwriter Rollin Jewett will return to the Downtown Urban Arts Festival with a dark comedy involving breaking and entering. Lydia Kalmen & Thamer Jendoubi in OUR LITTLE SECRET with Vincent Ticali as Lt. Banks. Production directed by Jay Michaels.

Doug DeVita To Speak At The Drama Book Shop in June

The Drama Book Shop will serve as host for a special night with celebrated New York playwright, Doug DeVita, Tuesday, June 6 @ 7:30 p.m.

TRANSFORMATION: The Christine Jorgensen Show Comes to the Fresh Fruit Festival

The musical play follows Bronx-born Christine Jorgensen as she returns from Denmark following her headline-grabbing transformation from an ex-GI into a blonde beauty with the help of a down-on-his-luck nightclub entertainer determined to turn the new “her” into a cabaret chanteuse – despite her lack of experience and overwhelming stage fright.

Donand Olson's TRANSFORMATION: The Christine Jorgensen Show to Open at the Fresh Fruit Festival

A Featured Event of the Fresh Fruit Festival this year is the premiere of Donald Steven Olson's new musical play, TRANSFORMATION: The Christine Jorgensen Show in April.

Broadway's James D. Gish Heads A Distinguished Cast In BON JOUR, THE MUSICAL

Richard Hackley's new musical, 'Bonjour Mon Amour the Musical,' scheduled for two special showings at CAM Studios in New York City.

Winners Announced For The 2022 BroadwayWorld Off/Off-Off Broadway Awards

The winners have been announced for the 2022 BroadwayWorld Off-Broadway Awards, honoring the best in off-Broadway shows which had their first performance between October 1, 2021 through September 30, 2022.

Richard Hackley to Return To NYC With BONJOUR MON AMOUR THE MUSICAL in February

Richard Hackley will return to the NY scene with 'Bonjour Mon Amour the Musical' Two special presentations - 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. - on Thursday, February 16 at CAM Studios.

Milky Way Theatre Company to Present First Annual New Works Festival Featuring Three New Works

Milky Way Theatre Company is opening a festival of three new works in staged reading format starting January 12.

Milky Way Theatre To Premiere ELLIPSES, A Sci-fi Musical This Month

A Sci-Fi Family Musical culminating with a BIG BANG! Milky Way Theatre Company's inaugural play festival finale is a musical adventure written by an astrophysicist. David Quang Pham's ELLIPSES.

Final Standings Announced For The 2022 BroadwayWorld Off-Broadway Awards

The final standings have been announced as of Tuesday, December 27th for the 2022 BroadwayWorld Off-Broadway Awards! Don't miss out on making sure that your favorite theatres, stars, and shows get the recognition they deserve!

Latest Standings Released For The 2022 BroadwayWorld Off-Broadway Awards

The latest standings as of Monday, December 5th, have been released for the 2022 BroadwayWorld Off-Broadway Awards! Nominations were reader-submitted and now our readers get to vote for their favorites.

Latest Standings Released For The 2022 BroadwayWorld Off-Broadway Awards

The latest standings as of Monday, December 5th, have been released for the 2022 BroadwayWorld Off-Broadway Awards! Nominations were reader-submitted and now our readers get to vote for their favorites.

FRESH FRUIT FESTIVAL Now Accepting Submissions For LGBTQ-Themed Works

ALL OUT ARTS, the producer of FRESH FRUIT FESTIVAL, one of NY's premier LGBTQ arts festivals for more than two decades, is accepting submissions from NYC authors of LGBTQ-themed short works and full plays in three multi-media categories this year.

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