Joe Masteroff

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Joe Masteroff (December 11, 1919 – September 28, 2018)[1][2] was an American playwright.

Early life

Masteroff was born in

Kishinev, now Moldova.[4] He graduated from Temple University before enlisting during World War II.[5]

Career

Masteroff served with the United States Army Air Forces during World War II.[5]

He studied with the American Theatre Wing[5] from 1949 to 1951 and began his career as an actor, making his Broadway debut in The Prescott Proposals in 1953.

Following a national tour, Masteroff's first play, The Warm Peninsula, opened on Broadway at the

Julie Harris, June Havoc, Farley Granger, and Larry Hagman in the lead roles.[6]

In 1963, he wrote the book for the

Hal Prince, ran on Broadway for 301 performances.[7]

Three years later, when Hal Prince gained control of the rights to John Van Druten's play I Am a Camera and The Berlin Stories by Christopher Isherwood, he discarded the book for a musical adaptation already written by Sandy Wilson and hired Masteroff to fashion his own.[8] With lyrics and music by Kander and Ebb, Cabaret opened on Broadway in November 1966 and ran for 1,165 regular performances, winning the Tony Award for Best Musical.[9]

Masteroff's next and final Broadway project, 70, Girls, 70 was less successful, closing one month after it opened in April 1971. The music and lyrics were by Kander and Ebb.[10]

Masteroff wrote the libretto for an operatic adaptation of Eugene O'Neill's Desire Under the Elms. He wrote the book and lyrics for the musicals Six Wives (Off-Broadway, 1992)[11] and Paramour, the latter based on Jean Anouilh's The Waltz of the Toreadors (Old Globe Theater, San Diego, 1998).[12][8]

References

  1. ^ Simonson, Robert. "Joe Masteroff, Librettist of Cabaret, Dies at 98" Playbill, September 28, 2018
  2. ^ "Joe Masteroff, Playwright of 'Cabaret' Fame, Is Dead at 98 - The New York Times".
  3. ^ "R. Masteroff, 102, Russian Immigrant - tribunedigital-sunsentinel". Archived from the original on 2018-09-30.
  4. ^ "Joseph E Masteroff in the 1940 Census | Ancestry®".
  5. ^ a b c "Interview with Librettist, Joe Masteroff" broadwayworld.com, March 13, 2014
  6. ^ The Warm Peninsula Playbill, retrieved September 28, 2018
  7. ^ She Loves Me Playbill, retrieved September 28, 2018
  8. ^ a b Breslauer, Jan. "A Veteran Returns to the Ring" [dead link] Los Angeles Times, September 27, 1998
  9. ^ Cabaret Playbill, retrieved September 29, 2018
  10. ^ 70, Girls, 70 Playbill, retrieved September 29, 2018
  11. ^ Gans, Andrew. "Judy Kaye, Alexander Gemignani, Nick Wyman, Claybourne Elder, Alexandra Silber Cast in 'Six Wives' Concert at the York; Evening Will Be Recorded" Playbill, October 10, 2013
  12. ^ Staff. "Review. Paramour " Variety, October 2, 1998

External links