Neil Berg
(Composer/Lyricist/Producer)

Short Bio:

Neil Berg is the composer/co-lyricist of the HENRY award-winning, Broadway-bound musical THE 12, written with Pulitzer Prize/Tony-winning playwright, Robert Schenkkan, which premiered at The Denver Center. He also composed Grumpy Old Men: The Musical, which opened to rave reviews for its U.S. Premieres at The Ogunquit Playhouse in Maine, and La Mirada Theatre in LA, and can now be seen all across the country. His other musicals include the hit Off-Broadway musical The Prince and the Pauper, Tim and Scrooge, which ran at the Westchester Broadway Theatre in NY, Never Grimm, and The Man Who Would Be King. Neil is the creator/co-producer of the #1 Broadway touring concert in America, Neil Berg's 100 Years of Broadway, as well as Neil Berg's 50 Years of Rock & Roll and Neil Berg's Pianomen. He is the co-producer of the Off-Broadway Alliance Award-Winning revival of Closer Than Ever.

Full Bio:

COMPOSER

Neil Berg is currently the composer/co-lyricist, along with book writer/Pulitzer Prize/TONY winning playwright Robert Schenkkan, of the Broadway bound Award-winning new musical The Twelve, which opened at The Denver Center to unanimous rave reviews, won the HENRY Award for best new play or musical.

Neil is also currently the composer for the musical version of Grumpy Old Men: The Musical, based on the Warner Brothers movie classic starring Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau, which opened to rave reviews at The Ogunquit Playhouse in Maine in its U.S. premiere last summer. The LA premiere opens September 2019 at La Mirada Theater in Los Angeles, starring Hal Linden, Cathy Rigby and Ken Page. A national tour is in the works for 2020. Past developmental readings/productions have featured Academy Award-winning actor F. Murray Abraham, TONY Award winner George Hearn, Len Cariou, Marilu Henner, Carole Kane, Didi Cohn and Sally Struthers. Licensed by TRW (Theater Rights Worldwide).

Neil is also the composer/lyricist of the hit Off-Broadway musical The Prince and the Pauper, which ran for two years at the Lambs Theater in New York City. The New York Times raved Prince and the Pauper "[soars] on wings of theatrical fun." The original cast CD is released internationally on Jay Records, sheet music published by Hal Leonard, and licensing by Samuel French Inc. Songs from this show are also featured with many other classic songs in the official Off-Broadway Songbook, published by Hal Leonard.

Neil is also currently working with writer Jonathan Feldman (Swing Kids movie) and Producer Mark Gordon (Grey's Anatomy, Saving Private Ryan), on a new contemporary musical called Never Grimm, helmed by TONY-nominated director, Leigh Silverman (Sweet Charity).

Other musicals include Tim and Scrooge (book and lyrics by Nick Meglin), The Man Who Would Be King (book/lyrics by DJ Salisbury), Heidi (book by Julia Jordan), Hexed in the City, Percy Penguin, Threads, and False Profits.

As a film composer: "Once upon a Time in Brooklyn," starring Armand Assante, Ice-T, William DeMeo, and Cathy Moriarity, and "Searching For Bobby D" both directed by Paul Borghese.

Neil was recipient of the 1995 Bistro Award for Best Musical for his show Asylum in the Night, a revue of Neil's theater music. Neil had an evening dedicated to his music at Joe's Pub, produced by BrodwayWorld.com, and returned to Feinstein's for a two-week engagement in July 2011 after a sold-out performance in 2010.

Neil is proud alumnus of Binghamton University, and studied musical composition/piano with Sue Peters, Walter Ponce, Robert Printz and is a product of The BMI Musical Writer's Workshop, mentored by Maury Yeston and Skip Kennon.

PRODUCER

As a Producer, Neil is the creator and co-producer, along with producing partner Adam Friedson, of Neil Berg's 100 Years of Broadway and Neil Berg's 50 Years of Rock and Roll, one of the most successful Broadway touring concerts in the United States for the past decade, playing over 100 venues a year on national tour. Other concerts include Neil Berg's Piano Men (the songs of Elton John and Billy Joel), Neil Berg's The Beatles, and Neil Berg's Songs of The '60s & '70s.

Neil was producer and driving force of the Award winning 2013 Off-Broadway revival of Maltby and Shire's Closer Than Ever at The York Theater (Off-Broadway Alliance Award for Best Musical Revival).

As owner of Leftfield Productions, Inc., an entertainment company based in Nyack, NY, Neil has produced over a thousand Broadway concerts worldwide with such legends as Michael Crawford, Bernadette Peters, Ben Vereen, Audra McDonald, Betty Buckley, Rita Moreno, Donna McKechnie, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Jeremy Jordan, Norm Lewis, Liz Callaway, Alice Ripley, Stephanie Block, Mark Kudisch, Capathia Jenkins and many others.

Neil also produced concert versions of the musicals The Secret Garden, in association with its composer, Lucy Simon, The Mystery of Edwin Drood (NYC), Chess (John Houseman Theater), and Jesus Christ Superstar.

Neil was the Producing Artistic Director of The Broadway Series at the world-famous China Club in NYC. Over the past 25 years, Neil has been the musical director/entertainment coordinator for such great organizations as Covenant House and The Leukemia Society of America. He has produced countless corporate events all across the world for Goldman Sachs, UBS/Paine Webber, Deloitte Touche, John Hancock, Marriott Corporation, IBM, The United Hospice Organization, The American Red Cross, and many others.

Neil was awarded the Ellis Island Medal of Honor for his artistry and dedication to community service, including helping to raise over $25 million dollars for the homeless youth at Covenant House with his Broadway Concerts. Neil was also honored with the Distinguished Citizen's Award, along with Academy Award-winning actress Ellen Burstyn, by The Rockland Family Shelter for his efforts on behalf of abused women. Neil was also honored in 2001 as The American Red Cross Man of the Year and was honored again in 2003 by The United Hospice Foundation. In 2008, Neil was awarded Artist of the Year by the Arts Council of Rockland County.

Neil also toured the U.S. with the rock band Joe D'Urso & Stone Caravan and played on their past seven CDs as well as performed with them on the recent "100 Year Anniversary Tour" for Harley Davidson.

Neil is the co-founder of the SJR Theater Workshop, a theater camp for students in Montvale, NJ, which instructs over 200 young actors/singers a year. This program is now run year-round.

Neil is a proud member of the Dramatists Guild and can be reached at www.neilberg.com.

Neil is married to actress Rita Harvey, and dedicates everything to their son, Lucas David Berg.