Michael Mayer
The Metropolitan Opera Reveals 2026–27 Season - LINCOLN IN THE BARDO, MACBETH and More (Feb 19, 2026)
West End FUNNY GIRL Starring Sheridan Smith Comes to Cinemas for 10th Anniversary (Feb 19, 2026)
Regine Sophia Shares Backstage Scoop From CHESS (Feb 18, 2026)
BIO
Recent work includes: Chess (Kennedy Center), WarholCapote (ART), Michael Moore's The Terms of My Surrender (Belasco), and the world premiere of Nico Muhly's opera Marnie at London's ENO. Broadway Credits include: Hedwig and the Angry Inch (Tony Award, best musical revival, also National Tour), Spring Awakening (Tony Award/Best Musical and Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards for Best Director; also London, National Tour, Vienna, Tokyo, and Seoul productions); American Idiot (also co-author, Drama Desk Award for Best Director; also US, UK and Asia tours); Thoroughly Modern Millie (Tony Award/Best Musical also London and National Tour), Side Man (Tony Award/Best Play also London and Kennedy Center Productions), A View from the Bridge (Tony Award/Best Revival), Everyday Rapture, You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, and Triumph of Love. Off-Broadway credits include: Love, Love, Love (Roundabout), Brooklynite (Also co-author, Vineyard), Whorl Inside A Loop (with Dick Scanlan, Second Stage), 10 Million Miles (Atlantic). National Tour: Angels in America. London: a record-breaking West End run of Funny Girl and UK tour. Tokyo: As You Like It (Toho Theatre). Film: The Seagull, A Home at the End of the World, and Flicka. Television: Smash (Director/Producer, Season One) and two seasons of Alpha House for Amazon. Opera: a celebrated production of Rigoletto (Met). He serves on the Board of New York Stage and Film. @MichaelMayerDIR. This one is for Beatrice Terry.
Photos
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Productions
Writing
Awards and Nominations
Michael Mayer, Funny Girl
winner
Michael Mayer, Little Shop of Horrors
Michael Mayer, Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Michael Mayer, Hedwig and the Angry Inch
winner
Michael Mayer, American Idiot
winner
Michael Mayer, American Idiot
winner
Michael Mayer, Spring Awakening
winner
Michael Mayer
winner
Michael Mayer, Spring Awakening
Michael Mayer, Spring Awakening
winner
Michael Mayer, Spring Awakening
winner
Michael Mayer, Spring Awakening
Michael Mayer, Thoroughly Modern Millie
Michael Mayer, Thoroughly Modern Millie
winner
Michael Mayer, Uncle Vanya
winner
Michael Mayer, A View from the Bridge
Michael Mayer, You're a Good Man
Michael Mayer, You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown
winner
Michael Mayer, A View from the Bridge / Side Man
Michael Mayer, A View From the Bridge
winner
Michael Mayer, A View from the Bridge
Michael Mayer, America Dreaming
Videos
Video: Aaron Tveit, Lea Michele & Nicholas Christopher Perform From CHESS on TODAY
by Josh Sharpe - 2025-12-15 17:48:37
Notes on a Script: Danny Strong on Making the Book to CHESS Work
by Joey Mervis - 2025-11-20 12:40:04
Video: Aaron Tveit & CHESS Cast Launch the 'One Night In Bangkok Challenge'
by Michael Major - 2025-11-14 10:18:09
Video: Aaron Tveit, Lea Michele & Nicholas Christopher Talk CHESS, Share Vocal Warmups on THE TONIGHT SHOW
by Josh Sharpe - 2025-11-11 10:41:15
Video: Watch Madeline Brewer & Major Attaway Sing 'Sominex' in LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS
by Michael Major - 2025-10-27 12:26:44
Exclusive: Go Inside the First Preview of CHESS With New Footage
by Michael Major - 2025-10-17 10:00:20
Video: Liz Gillies Sings 'Somewhere That's Green' in LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS
by Michael Major - 2025-06-17 11:16:42
Video: Milo Manheim and Liz Gillies Talk LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, Favorite Musicals, & More in Puppy Interview
by Josh Sharpe - 2025-03-24 14:58:28
Video: Watch Christina Nilsson Sing 'O patria mia' From Michael Mayer's AIDA
by Michael Major - 2025-03-20 09:42:08
Video: Sherie Rene Scott Belts Out 'My Strongest Suit' During Birthday Party
by Michael Major - 2025-02-10 14:01:38
Video: Michael Mayer Is Digging Into a New Kind of AIDA at the Met
by Joey Mervis - 2025-01-23 11:32:48
SWEPT AWAY Original Broadway Cast Recording Will Be Released in February
by Stephi Wild - 2024-12-03 09:13:45
Video: The Avett Brothers Perform During SWEPT AWAY Opening Night Curtain Call
by Stephi Wild - 2024-11-20 07:44:29
News
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Feb 19, 2026
The Metropolitan Opera has revealed its 2026–27 season, featuring five new and 12 repertory productions, a special 60th-anniversary gala, and performances of Mahler’s Eighth Symphony conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin.
by Stephi Wild - Feb 19, 2026
To mark the production's West End anniversary, Liberator Film is bringing the film of this award-winning production to cinemas across the UK and Ireland for a limited run starting on 30 April.
by Stephi Wild - Feb 18, 2026
In this edition of Words From the Wings, we catch up with Regine Sophia who is in the Ensemble of Chess Broadway. She takes us backstage at the Imperial Theatre to share some of her favorite backstage moments, must-haves, and more!
by Gillian Blum - Feb 16, 2026
Producers Paul Dainty and TEG Dainty, Ken Davenport and Bob Gaudio announced the Australian cast of the smash-hit musical A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical.
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Feb 10, 2026
Producers Amanda Lipitz, Henry Tisch and Jordan Roth announced today that Galileo, the new musical inspired by the life of Galileo Galilei, will begin preview performances on November 10 at the Shubert Theatre. Opening night is set for Sunday evening, December 6.
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Feb 4, 2026
The Blank Theatre is now seeking submissions from playwrights 19 years of age and younger for its 34th Annual Young Playwrights Festival. The festival is a nationwide competition that produces the work of 12 young writers each year.
by Michael Major - Jan 29, 2026
Andrew Durand has revealed his final performance in Little Shop of Horrors. Following the announcement that he would be playing 'Brad' in the upcoming Rocky Horror Show revival, he will be playing his last show as Dr. Orin Scrivello D.D.S..
by Herbert Paine - Jan 29, 2026
Titled after Neil Diamond’s 1976 album of the same name, A BEAUTIFUL NOISE: THE NEIL DIAMOND MUSICAL aims for something more intimate and riskier than the average jukebox musical. Rather than simply charting a performer’s rise to fame, it presents a man in conversation with his past where he’s both haunted and sustained by the songs he wrote to survive it. The structure is unorthodox and quietly daring.
by Nicole Rosky - Jan 22, 2026
xProducers Tom Hulce, Robert Ahrens and The Shubert Organization along with Creative Partners Productions have just announced that Chess will record a Broadway cast album on Monday, January 26, 2026. A release date will be announced shortly.
by Tyler Hinton - Jan 22, 2026
A BEAUTIFUL NOISE: THE NEIL DIAMOND MUSICAL, currently playing at the Eccles Theater in Salt Lake City, is dually rousing and intimate.
by Stephi Wild - Jan 20, 2026
A new block of tickets is now on sale for the first-ever Broadway revival CHESS for performances through Sunday, June 14, 2026. Learn more about the show and get tickets here!
by Robert Diamond - Jan 17, 2026
In this second part of our in-depth conversation (read Part 1), Jeffrey and Wendy look back on their over three decade career on Broadway and shares stories about some of their favorite shows.
by A.A. Cristi - Jan 16, 2026
New production photos have been released for the national tour of A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical. The tour stars Nick Fradiani and is currently playing in Seattle, with additional cities scheduled nationwide.
by Sidney Paterra - Jan 4, 2026
Check out a full list of what's to come on Broadway in 2026 including plays, musicals, revivals, new shows and of course - stars! Be sure to check back for updates. We have all of the details!
by Josh Sharpe - Dec 15, 2025
Chess stars Lea Michele, Aaron Tveit, and Nicholas Christopher joined TODAY's Citi Concert Series, treating Studio 1A to several performances from the ongoing revival of the musical. Check them out now.
by Elliot Lanes - Dec 11, 2025
Today’s subject Julie Benko is currently living her theatre life onstage at Shakespeare Theatre Company (STC) playing the iconic musical theatre role of Sarah Brown in Guys and Dolls. The show runs through January 8th, but Ms. Benko will be departing the show on December 28th. Read on to see what her next project is.
by Josh Sharpe - Dec 11, 2025
On Thursday, Lea Michele, Aaron Tveit, and Nicholas Christopher joined TODAY with Jenna & Friends to chat about the revival of Chess, now running Broadway's Imperial Theatre. Watch the full interview, where Tveit shared how Michele helped teach him a unique method for memorizing lines.
by Gillian Blum - Dec 8, 2025
Due to overwhelming demand, producers Paul Dainty and TEG Dainty, Ken Davenport and Bob Gaudio are announced a new release of tickets for the smash-hit Broadway musical A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical.
by Joey Mervis - Nov 20, 2025
What went in to making the book to Chess 'work'? The Chess revival's book writer Danny Strong shared his process into rewriting the book to the musical, now playing on Broadway.
by A.A. Cristi - Nov 20, 2025
A BEAUTIFUL NOISE: THE NEIL DIAMOND MUSICAL has returned to Broadway In Chicago’s Cadillac Palace Theatre for a limited engagement through November 30.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Michael Mayer has written 2 shows including The Flamingo Kid (Bookwriter), American Idiot (Bookwriter).
Outstanding Direction of a Musical (Drama League Awards) for Funny Girl, Outstanding Director of a Musical (Outer Critics Circle Awards) for Little Shop of Horrors, Outstanding Director of a Musical (Drama Desk Awards) for Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Best Direction of a Musical (Tony Awards) for Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Best Direction of a Musical (BroadwayWorld Awards) for American Idiot, Outstanding Director of a Musical (Drama Desk Awards) for American Idiot, Best Direction of a Musical (BroadwayWorld Awards) for Spring Awakening, Founders Award for Excellence in Directing (Drama League Awards), Outstanding Director of a Musical (Outer Critics Circle Awards) for Spring Awakening, Outstanding Director (The Lortels) for Spring Awakening, Best Direction of a Musical (Tony Awards) for Spring Awakening, Outstanding Director of a Play (Drama Desk Awards) for Spring Awakening, Outstanding Director of a Musical (Outer Critics Circle Awards) for Thoroughly Modern Millie , Best Direction of a Musical (Tony Awards) for Thoroughly Modern Millie, Outstanding Director - Play (Drama Desk Awards) for Uncle Vanya, Outstanding Director - Play (Drama Desk Awards) for A View from the Bridge, Outstanding Director of a Musical (Outer Critics Circle Awards) for You're a Good Man, Best Direction of a Musical (Tony Awards) for You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, Best Director - Play (Outer Critics Circle Awards) for A View from the Bridge / Side Man, Best Direction of a Play (Tony Awards) for A View From the Bridge, Outstanding Director - Play (Drama Desk Awards) for A View from the Bridge and Outstanding Director - Musical (Drama Desk Awards) for America Dreaming.
Michael Mayer has received numerous awards for his directing work. He won the Outstanding Director of a Musical at the Outer Critics Circle Awards for Little Shop of Horrors. He received the Best Direction of a Musical from BroadwayWorld Awards for both American Idiot and Spring Awakening. Mayer also earned the Outstanding Director of a Musical award at the Drama Desk Awards for American Idiot. He was honored with the Founders Award for Excellence in Directing from the Drama League Awards. Additionally, he won Outstanding Director of a Musical at the Outer Critics Circle Awards for Spring Awakening and the Best Direction of a Musical at the Tony Awards for the same production. Mayer's directing achievements in plays include Outstanding Director of a Play at the Drama Desk Awards for Spring Awakening, Uncle Vanya, and A View from the Bridge. He also received Best Director - Play from the Outer Critics Circle Awards for A View from the Bridge and Side Man.
Videos