Press and Media

Composer/Producer Neil Berg and collaborator DJ Salisbury continue their weekly Tuesday giveaway of original tracks from their original musical: The Man Who Would Be King, a story of epic adventure, with an equally epic score. Today, you can now download "Wounded Wings," which is performed by Mandy Gonzalez and Judy McLane, by visiting tinyurl.com/woundedwings.  [Apr. 14, 2020]

For the next several Tuesdays, Composer/Producer Neil Berg and collaborator DJ Salisbury will be releasing free downloads from the Original Concept Cast Recording of THE MAN WHO WOULD BE KING, featuring Brian d'Arcy James and Marc Kudisch performing "UP THERE." [Mar. 31, 2020]

At turns hilarious, while at others startlingly affecting, many of the best lines or crucial plot-twists delightfully take you off guard, making their impact lingering and lasting... it's unconventional but sincerely sweet, ensuring that by the curtain calls, odds are you'll be challenged to elicit a smile large enough for what you've just experienced! [Sep. 26, 2019]

LA MIRADA THEATRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS & McCOY RIGBY ENTERTAINMENT are thrilled to present the West Coast Premiere of GRUMPY OLD MEN: THE MUSICAL, book by Dan Remmes, music by Neil Berg, lyrics by Nick Meglin, (Adapted from the Warner Bros. motion picture written by Mark Steven Johnson), additional orchestrations by Phil Reno, choreography by Michele Lynch, musical direction by Benet Braun and direction by Matt Lenz. [Sep. 24, 2019]

In the early 90's, the little town of Wabasha, Minnesota was "put on the map" thanks to the movie "Grumpy Old Men," giving the area quite a boom in the ice fishing industry and a terrific boost of tourism in the frozen surroundings of the Minnesota Tundra. The popular comedy was about two lifelong neighbors who let pride and ego interfere with their better judgment, and starred Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau and Ann-Margret. Rather than adhering to the "let bygones be bygones" philosophy, they spent the majority of their time at each other's throats. The musical by the same name, which mirrors the movie, had its U.S. premiere at the Ogunquit Playhouse last summer. [Sep. 24, 2019]

The place: Wabasha, Minnesota. The time: the present, during winter months. Grumpy Old Men The Musical follows many old-fashioned musical storylines like The Fantasticks, White Christmas and others that deal with a community of family and friends who live in a small town ... where everyone knows everyone else's business. Now in its West Coast premiere at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, Grumpy Old Men is a fun night out, with a splendid cast headed by special guest star Hal Linden and featuring audience favorite Cathy Rigby. [Sep. 23, 2019]

Wow! No matter your mood upon arrival, expect to exit the La Mirada Theatre For The Performing Arts with the broadest of smiles on your face when you see the feel-good musical that's been made from the Jack Lemmon-Walter Matthau movie smash Grumpy Old Men. [Sep. 21, 2019]

Cast Members John Battagliese, Neil Starkenberg and April Nixon take you backstage during rehearsals of the West Coast Premiere of TV legend & Tony winner Hal Linden, the beloved Cathy Rigby and Broadway's Ken Page starring in GRUMPY OLD MEN: THE MUSICAL! Go inside rehearsals in their second vlog in this new video! [Sep. 18, 2019]

Magic was in the air at Sarasota's "purple palace", the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, when Neil Berg and friends took the stage and took our hearts with a celebration of some of Broadways biggest tunes, scored to his lush compositions. Actually I don't know if composition is a good enough term to use, perhaps choreography might describe his arrangements best because the way he tickles the ivories, those notes were dancing. [Feb. 1, 2019]

Sally Stuthers & Hal Linden star in this performance of Grumpy Old Men at Ogunquit Playhouse. [Aug. 20, 2018]

Attention grumpy Mainers (including those from away): Heat got you down? Neighbors acting out? Family's aggravating you? Holding a grudge from high school years? Lonely at love? Feeling the need to move? Ogunquit Playhouse has the antidote for all of the above with the U.S. premiere of their new show, "Grumpy Old Men: The Musical." [Aug. 14, 2018]

With a quaint confidence and abundance of charm, "Grumpy Old Men" shoulders its way into the 86th season at the Ogunquit Playhouse with a story both intimate and universal. The small tale in a big landscape can't help but move the onlookers who see parts of themselves in both the leading men and their family and friends. Based on the 1993 film that famously reunited iconic "The Odd Couple" duo of Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau, "Grumpy Old Men The Musical" doesn't so much divert from the original source material as it does layer it with song and dance, enlivening an already enlivened comedy to appeal to the live theater-attending crowd. [Aug. 14, 2018]

This delightfully funny and very sweet musical based on the classic 1992 Warner Brothers film starring Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau and Ann-Margret is an entertaining inspiration for anyone over 50 or anyone who will eventually reach that landmark age, despite every hope and good intention to remain somewhere comfortably between age 20 and 40. [Aug. 14, 2018]

The United States premiere of Grumpy Old Men: The Musical, based on the 1993 movie, is now playing at the Ogunquit Playhouse, and it is a show filled with lively music, funny lines, great scenery, as well as a touching story. In short, this is a play not to be missed. The music written by Neil Berg with lyrics by Nick Meglin is memorable, and Dan Remmes has done an excellent job of adapting the movie for the stage. [Aug. 13, 2018]

Based on a film starring Jack Lemmon, Walther Matthau and Ann-Margret that hit movie theaters 25 years ago, Grumpy Old Men the Musical is currently playing at the Ogunquit Playhouse in what is touted as the US premiere of the production. [Aug. 13, 2018]

Never mind the dry summer and the widely scattered showers. It's raining buckets every day in Brunswick, where Maine State Music Theatre wraps up its 2018 season with "Singin' in the Rain." And it's snowing a few miles down the coast, where Ogunquit Playhouse continues its 2018 season with "Grumpy Old Men," a warm-hearted musical that's set in wintertime Minnesota. The summer-long Ocean Park Music Festival wraps up this Sunday evening with the Downeasters Chorus of Yarmouth. [Aug. 13, 2018]

Casting has been announced for the Ogunquit Playhouse's U.S. premiere of Grumpy Old Men the Musical, which will play the Maine venue August 8-September 1. Mark Jacoby Photo by Aubrey Reuben Based on the hit film that starred Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, and Ann-Margret, the new musical was penned by Dan Remmes, with music by Neil Berg and lyrics by Nick Meglin. Matt Lenz directs a cast that features Ed Dixon as Max, Mark Jacoby as John, Tony winner Hal Linden as Grandpa Gustafson, Sally Struthers as Punky, Leslie Stevens as Ariel, Brenda Braxton as Sandra, Doug Eskew as Chuck Barrels, Kevin Massey as Jacob Goldman, and Laura Woyasz as Melanie Norton. [Jul. 25, 2018]

Fasten your seat belt, it's going to be a grumpy ride! The Ogunquit Playhouse is proud to produce the U.S. premiere of the new musical-comedy, Grumpy Old Men the Musical on stage from August 8 to September 1 - just in time to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the hit film that starred Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau and Ann-Margret. This hilarious new show was penned by Dan Remmes, with music by Neil Berg and lyrics by Nick Meglin. Director for the Ogunquit production of Grumpy Old Men the Musical is Matt Lenz. [Jul. 25, 2018]

Composer, musician and producer Neil Berg has given us "Neil Berg's 100 Years of Broadway." His new show is "Neil Berg's 50 Years of Rock and Roll." But that doesn't mean Berg is now serving up half-measures. "I'm very passionate about this," he said of "Neil Berg's 50 Years of Rock and Roll," which comes to The Hanover Theatre for the Performance Arts at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 20. [Jan. 17, 2018]

Even an attack of weird weather couldn't keep Broadway stars from shinning at Stepping Out for College of the Desert - Neil Berg's "100 Years of Broadway." Supporters of student success filled the McCallum Theatre as COD Foundation interim executive director Peter Sturgeon, in his signature bow tie, took to the stage. He welcomed attendees and said, "This year we will serve 15,000 students and our college is the fastest growing among the 130 community colleges in California." He thanked donors for empowering student dreams and for helping to create a great local workforce for tomorrow. Sturgeon also acknowledged presenting sponsors Arlene and Jordan Schnitzer for their commitment, thanked COD Foundation president Mark Nickerson for his leadership and introduced a large screen video inspired by the Broadway musical "Hamilton." The video highlighted success stories from a variety of students and concluded with Gershowitz urging everyone to "enjoy the show!" [Apr. 15, 2017]

It's 5pm on a steaming hot July 23rd, 2016 evening in Ocean Grove, NJ. Just beyond the boardwalk, beachgoers relax under their umbrellas, enjoying the breeze coming off the water as parasailers view the scene from above. Just a few blocks away, on Main, people stop at the corner sandwich shop for a bite, some preferring the 19th-century ambience indoors while others sit outside in the shade enjoying old-fashioned char-broiled delights. Unbeknownst to many in town, around the corner at the historic Great Auditorium, the cast of Neil Berg's 100 Years of Broadway is already hard at work rehearsing for their 8pm performance this evening. [Jul. 28, 2016]

With Neil Berg's 100 Years of Broadway, you NEVER get anything less than genuine, authentic Broadway. Neil Berg is an award-winning composer, lyricist and producer. Talk about multi-hyphenates! His high school batting average is pretty damn good, too! You find these facts not only on his website, but you learn these and more in between acts that he hosts in his 100 Years of Broadway. The concept is pure genius. Mr. Berg rallies his Broadway "buddies," all top Broadway talent (including his wife Rita Harvey), and then introduces the performer and next song always with amusing and insightful anecdotes. Each show may be a bit different depending on venue, audience, and performer availability, but all of the acts are top-notch talents and Broadway veterans who will NOT disappoint. [Mar. 16, 2016]

This holiday season, Westchester Broadway Theatre has a winner on its hands. "Tim and Scrooge" is a delightfully whimsical sequel to Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" with boundless melodies penned by composer Neil Berg (Off-Broadway's "The Prince and the Pauper" and the new musical "The Twelve") and witty, clever, appropriately "Victorian-period" lyrics by lyricist-librettist Nick Meglin (longtime editor of Mad Magazine). [Dec. 10, 2015]

Denver Center Theatre Company, housed within the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, won 11 awards at the Colorado Theatre Guild�s 10th annual Henry Awards on Monday night, July 20. It was the most honored company of the evening. The awards were presented at the Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities. [Jul. 22, 2015]

It's the best world premiere of a musical The Denver Center for the Performing Arts Theatre Company has produced. "The 12" is the musical that has evaded them through all the birthing pains of such wannabe musicals as "Sense and Sensibility," and the recent transmogrification of Meredith Willson's "The Unsinkable Molly Brown." [Apr. 18, 2015]

What is it about "Neil Berg's 100 Years of Broadway" show that has made it a touring mainstay for 10 years? The great songs from Broadway blockbusters are part of it. But everyone does Broadway songs. What elevates "100 Years," according Neil Berg himself, is that it captures the songs in the context of the show that spawned them, with all of their power, meaning and expressiveness intact. [Apr. 16, 2015]

Something visceral and vivid is taking place at the Denver Center, where the musical "The 12" is receiving its world premiere. Robert Schenkkan wrote the book and Neil Berg the music. The two share credit for the lyrics of this boldly compassionate work that imagines the disciples' very human angst in the hours after their teacher was executed.  [Apr. 9, 2015]

The Denver Center for Performing Arts closed out its Theatre Company's 2014/15 season with a world premiere of a rock musical The 12 that opened April 3 at The Stage Theatre. The 12 is an original contemporary telling of what might have happened with the 12 disciples of Jesus during the three days following his death and the time of his resurrection. Imagine you had left your life and career to dedicate yourself to a cause. To follow a charismatic leader who you loved and trusted. To believe together you could effect change for the greater good. And then your leader was captured, tortured and executed. You would be sad, confused, angry, volatile, tense and certainly afraid for your own life. [Apr. 8, 2015]

The Denver Center for the Performing Arts has announced the full casting for the Theatre Company's world premiere of The 12, a brand new rock musical with book and lyrics by Tony Award winner Robert Schenkkan (All The Way) and music and lyrics by Neil Berg (Grumpy Old Men). [Feb. 17, 2015]

The Denver Center for the Performing Arts is proud to announce the Theatre Company's world premiere of The 12, a brand new rock musical with book and lyrics by Tony Award winner Robert Schenkkan and music and lyrics by Neil Berg. Thrilling, heart-pounding music and one of the most influential stories of all time unite in The 12, for what Broadwayworld.com calls "a powerful rock and roll experience that rises up from where Jesus Christ Superstar ends." The 12 enacts the ultimate test of faith faced by the disciples in the wake of their leader's unthinkable death with an original, authentic classic rock music score. [Aug. 14, 2014]

The Denver Center Theatre Company has unveiled the final show of its 2014-2015 season. The world premiere of "The 12" - Robert Schenkkan and Neil Berg's musical about Jesus' disciples - is slated for March 27 through April 26 at the Stage Theatre. [Aug. 14, 2014]

San Jose Rep, the flagship theatre of San Jose, has just announced its full 2014-15 season, which is set to include two world premieres - Wuthering Heights and The 12. They write: "Our 2014-2015 season is an extraordinary journey around the world and across centuries featuring two world premieres, larger than life characters with sizzling international flair and spectacularly diverse music - brought to life by daring and award-winning actors, directors and designers." [Feb. 20, 2014]

Neil Berg's vivacious hosting at the piano coupled with featured vocal artists Carter Calvert, Roosevelt Credit, Rob Evan, Rita Harvey (an Indy native) and Danny Zolli, percussionist Roger Cohen and bassist Abe Saenz made the evening exceptional. [Oct. 9, 2013]

The Off Broadway Alliance - the organization of Off-Broadway producers, theatres, general managers, press agents and marketing professionals - has announced the winners of the 3rd Annual Off Broadway Alliance Awards, honoring commercial and not-for-profit productions that opened Off-Broadway during the 2012-13 season. [May. 21, 2013]

[Five Stars] Neil Berg was a great narrator weaving stories about artists, musicals, and the history of the Broadway Musical throughout his 101 Years of Broadway last night at The Music Center at Strathmore. Berg has produced over 1,000 Broadway concert shows worldwide with his company Leftfield Productions. He has arranged, composed, and written lyrics for several musicals on and off Broadway. Neil is also a skilled and energetic piano player as well. He had his moment to really shine when he performed his original composition �The Stream� during the first set. It was just Berg at a piano � dedicating the number to his Dad who had recently passed away. [Mar. 25, 2013]

Highlights from Grumpy Old Men: The Musical will be seen and heard Sept. 17 in a midtown Manhattan industry reading aimed at venue operators interested in booking the show on its upcoming national tour. The 6 PM presentation features Susan Anton, Conrad John Schuck and John Rubinstein, who starred in the Canadian world premiere in 2011. [Sep. 17, 2012]

It's billed as a concert of Broadway classics from hit shows like Les Miserables and Jesus Christ Superstar. 100 Years of Broadway opened Tuesday night and will be at the downtown Tulsa PAC through Sunday. [Aug. 22, 2012]

It's polished, witty, tuneful and, if you've hit middle age, unsettling. In the 23 years since it debuted at off-Broadway's Cherry Lane Theatre, "Closer Than Ever," Richard Maltby Jr. and David Shire's revue about adulthood and its baggage, has become a pocket-size classic of the American musical theater. [Jul. 5, 2012]

Homeless youth working towards brighter futures will get a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to perform with Broadway stars at Covenant House's A Night of Broadway Stars gala on Tuesday, June 12 on the stage of Frederick P. Rose Hall, Home of Jazz at Lincoln Center. [Jun. 4, 2012]

The professional vocal lineup put together by producer Neil Berg for his seventh-annual production of "100 Years of Broadway" was guaranteed, must-see theater at City Bank Auditorium, 2720 Drive of Champions. [Mar. 25, 2012]

The professional vocal lineup put together by producer Neil Berg for his seventh annual production of "100 Years of Broadway" is thrilling, must-see theater at City Bank Auditorium, 2720 Drive of Champions. [Mar. 24, 2012]

The world premiere of the musical Grumpy Old Men, based on the 1993 film comedy, will star Conrad John Schuck and Tony Award winner John Rubinstein in roles created by Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon, respectively, director Bill Castellino told Playbill.com. Susan Anton will play Ariel, the woman who comes between them. [Aug. 18, 2011]

"Broadway & Berg: Broadway Show Stoppers and the Theater Songs of Neil Berg" - yes, it may be a cumbersome title for a show, but it is descriptive. To be even more precise, this revue gives us eleven selections by Neil Berg and five from Broadway - a ratio that suits me just fine, for I have been a fan of Berg's songwriting since 1994 when I saw Asylum in the Night, the Bistro Award-winning revue of his work. As I commented then, "few people on the current scene are writing songs that are as passionate, melodic, and unabashedly romantic." What's more, his writing possesses a theatrical flair and sensibility. And the inclusion of Broadway showstoppers is not merely a commercially motivated device; rather, Berg can claim the right to do so, for he is the creator and co-producer of Neil Berg's "100 Years of Broadway," reportedly the country's number one touring Broadway concert, playing over 120 cities in 2010/2011. [Jul. 18, 2011]

Neil Berg has enjoyed a two-pronged career. He's the creator of the touring revue "100 Years of Broadway," a traveling concert of musical theater's greatest hits. He's also the composer of original shows, the best-known being the off- Broadway "Prince and the Pauper" and "The Twelve," which will make is premiere at B.B. King's Aug. 9. At Feinstein's, Mr. Berg features five singers alternating between showstopper standards and his own numbers, which, to their credit, work without any explanatory set-up. In selecting his own tunes, he consistently favors interior monologues that are well suited to the intimate space of a cabaret. All these soul-searching soliloquies can be overwhelming after an hour, leaving one longing for a comedy number or a love duet. Even so, highlights abound, and it's a fascinating look at the Broadway musical from a different angle. [Jul. 8, 2011]

Berg has a nice aura about him and the evening came off a low-key, friendly with lots of remarkable singing talent, worth the price of admission. [Jul. 7, 2011]

Nyack composer-lyricist Neil Berg is an acolyte of the Great White Way whose "100 Years of Broadway" revue spreads the word - from Niagara Falls to Amarillo and in between - about the wonders of musical theater. For two weeks this month, Berg and his theatrical road warriors can put their suitcases away as Berg holds court at Feinstein's at Loews Regency, one of Manhattan's swankiest cabaret addresses. [Jul. 6, 2011]

Neil Berg's long resume makes it obvious he knows a thing or two about Broadway musicals. So when he decided to compile his touring dynamo '100 Years of Broadway,' he didn't just want great songs � he wanted the singers who made them great. That meant getting stars like Ron Bohmer ('The Phantom of the Opera'), Carter Calvert ('Jekyll & Hyde'), Robert Dusold ('Les Miserables') and his wife Rita Harvey ('The Prince and the Pauper'). It meant sacrificing some obvious, overdone tunes for something more unique. It also meant a leap of faith that the audience would get it. Result? The number one touring Broadway show in the U.S. And now it's ready for Canada. [Jul. 5, 2011]

Five fabulous performers dazzled audience members and had them standing for ovation after ovation as Neil Berg�s 100 Years of Broadway made its stop at the Walton Arts Center Tuesday night. Berg, co-producer with Adam Friedson, was also the musical director and host of the show. His vibrant personality and supernaturally soothing skills on the eighty-eights diffused throughout the theatre and guided the crowd through timeless Broadway hits from the likes of Leonard Bernstein and Rogers & Hammerstein. [Mar. 29, 2011]

Nyack's music man Neil Berg made Mark Twain's characters sing in "The Prince and the Pauper" and turned the apostles into rockers in "The Twelve." [Jan. 12, 2011]

Creator/musical director/producer/accompanist Neil Berg has assembled a rich garland of Broadway and movie showstoppers that, whether you call them old chestnuts or evergreens, are reliable crowd-pleasers. [Dec. 21, 2010]

"An entertaining yuletide attraction, graced by the talents of five veteran Broadway performers ...a tasty holiday treat." [Dec. 21, 2010]

"Neil Berg's Broadway Holiday is a tasty treat for the holiday season." [Dec. 21, 2010]

"Five Broadway stalwarts belting out hit show tunes (plus a few Yuletide faves). It was all very relaxed, smoothly flowing and entertaining -- just as Berg promised." [Dec. 21, 2010]

"Broadway Holiday is a welcome addition to the holiday season..." [Dec. 19, 2010]

From the opening bars of The Four Seasons' "Oh What A Night," it's clear that the Geffen Playhouse's December offering isn't going to be your traditional Christmas revue. In fact, Broadway Holiday splits its songs almost equally between the two words of its title, its cast of five Great White Way vets serenading their Westwood audience with a baker's dozen of Broadway's Greatest Hits and about as many holiday favorites. [Dec. 17, 2010]

Although my friend and I might have been two of the five youngest people in the theater, we thoroughly enjoyed Neil Berg's 100 years of Broadway. We found ourselves cheering out loud for the performers and leaping to our feet for the standing ovation. It was a non-stop showcase of some of the most talented people alive, and I wanted all my friends to be there with me.  [Oct. 29, 2010]

Closer Than Ever, the Richard Maltby, Jr. and David Shire revue, would not claim that 20 years don't exert a toll. Dealing as it does with both the deaths of marriages, ideals, and dreams that characterize the dark side of middle age and the joys and accomplishments that accumulate then as they can't earlier in life, it knows that time is never on our side. But you would never know that from the spectacular production the show is receiving at the Queens Theatre in the Park, which doesn't just defy time, but practically reverses it. [Apr. 17, 2010]

On Sunday, January 10 at the China Club Pulitzer Prize winning playwright, Robert Schenkkan, and composer/lyricist Neil Berg presented an industry showcase of their new musical THE 12. Produced by Adam Friedson and Left Feild Productions, this musical showcase is a preview to its premiere production at the Broward Center this upcoming spring. The showcase, part of the Association of Performing Arts Presenters conference, was directed by Richard Seyd. [Jan. 11, 2010]

One of the busiest guys in showbiz just might be Neil Berg. A lyricist, composer, accompanist, producer - Berg is coming to Meadow Brook Music Festival July 18 with his popular musical revue, 100 Years of Broadway. Berg recently talked with EncoreMichigan.com about his career, the criteria he used in deciding which shows to include (and exclude) from the show, and how fate intervened to prevent one less lawyer from coming into the world. [Jul. 21, 2009]

Neil Berg, a composer and entertainment producer, is a personable bundle of nervous energy, piano virtuosity and showbiz dish. His love for his work - profusely professed - was obvious as he offered anecdotal intros to the performers and the numbers they were to perform. [Apr. 18, 2008]

"The Twelve begins where Jesus Christ Superstar leaves off. In this high-energy rock show, each one of Christ's apostles is represented with a tribute to a different classic-rock icon such as: David Bowie, Led Zeppelin, U2, Tom Waits, Bruce Springsteen, Pink Floyd, Eric Clapton, Aretha Franklin, and Janis Joplin," explain press notes. [Jan. 15, 2008]

Clearly the most heart-warming, as well as heart-tugging, highlight of the evening was a chance to hear the personal stories of two former Covenant House members who rendered the crowd speechless and tearful with their bittersweet stories of neglect, abuse, rescue and redemption back into the world and a life that so many of us take for granted. [Apr. 1, 2007]

The performers were all top-rate professionals. The band was second to none. And Neil Berg is a tremendous piano player and host. The way in which he spoke to the audience and presented the forthcoming entertainment brought out his warmth and sincerity, his style and his eagerness to be a success and put forth the best show he could possibly deliver. [Jan. 27, 2007]