MICHAEL COOPER is an Outer Critics Circle and MAC Award nominated songwriter, 2017 Fred Ebb Award finalist, and recipient of the 2005 Jonathan Larson, Daryl Roth, and the TRU Daniel Marshall Multicultural Awards. His lyrics were sung on Broadway at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre in It Shoulda Been You, starring Tyne Daly and directed by David Hyde Pierce (previously seen at the George Street Playhouse and Village Theatre, book by Brian Hargrove, music by Barbara Anselmi). Off-Broadway: City Of (Original Song with Anton Dudley), Marguerite (Music, with book and lyrics by Anton Dudley), starring Tony Award Winner Cady Huffman at Astoria Performing Arts Center. Regional: Love, Always (Music and Lyrics, with book by Bill Connington), Love & Other Destinations (Lyrics, music by Brad Ross), Marguerite (Second To Nun) and Remembering Tomorrow: The Lives of Edgar Cayce (Music, with book and lyrics by Anton Dudley) at Zeiders American Dream Theater in Virginia Beach. BA in Theatre from Williams College; MFA from NYU Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program. His musical, Sunfish, which he co-wrote book and lyrics and produced (co-book and music by Hyeyoung Kim), was awarded the top jury honor (Best New American Musical) at the Daegu International Music Theatre Festival, South Korea in June 2013. Sunfish received its regional premiere at Stoneham Theatre, MA (Broadwayworld Award Best Musical) and was showcased at the 2010 ASCAP Workshop with Stephen Schwartz, the 2006 NAMT Festival of New Musicals, the TRU Reading Series, and was a finalist in Alliance Theatre’s Kendeda Playwriting Competition. Other credits include: Rites of Passage, Museum Pieces, The Dome, and News To Me! (Prospect Theater Company); Unframed (Music, with book and lyrics by Anton Dudley) (Gund Gallery, Kenyon College) The Strange Affair of Dr. Crippen (Book and Lyrics, music by David Mallamud) Stages Festival, Theatrebuilding Chicago; Lizardman! (Libretto, music by David Mallamud) Audience Favorite, Short Attention Span Festival and recorded by The Albany Symphony's Dogs of Desire, The Wild And Whimsical World Of David Mallamud on Broadway Records; Luna Park (Lyrics and additional material, with music and additional material by Hyeyoung Kim, book by Gina Femia), commissioned by SUNY Cortland and selected for Aria Entertainment's From Page To Stage Festival in London. Michael's work has been performed internationally from the stages of 54 Below in NYC, to cabarets in Paris, featured in The York Theatre’s NEO5 Concert series, the ASCAP Johnny Mercer Songwriting Project, 4x15 at The Musical Theater Factory, New York Theatre Barn's New Work Series (Timelines) and NYTB The Choreography Lab, and the Johnny Mercer Writers Grove at Goodspeed Musicals. Member of ASCAP and the Dramatists Guild. Michael served on the artistic advisory board of Astoria Performing Arts Center and is the president of Three Hundred Bags of Rice, Inc. a theatrical production company.
PHOTO BY KEN PAO