EDWARD GALLARDO
Contact: Bernard Liebhaber
212/631-7561
352 Seventh Avenue - 7th Floor - New York, NY 10001
· Theatre
· Email Me
· Playwriting & Screenwriting - City College of New York, BA Theatre Arts 1973
· Puerto Rican Traveling Theatre - Playwright's Unit - 1979 & 1980
· Actor's Studio - Playwright's Unit - (Guest Auditor) - 1970- 1971
· Intar - Playwright's in Residence Laboratory - 1980
· Westside Repertory Theatre - Plawright in Residence - 1980
CASANOVA RETURNS - (Current Project)
A new Musical based on the Opera Casanova’s Homecoming by Dominick
Argento. Casanova, one of the most recognizable characters
who ever lived, was a far more complex figure than legend suggests. An irresistible lover, he attracted
women with his seductive charm and generosity. A highly intelligent and educated man he
was a writer, diplomat, gambler, trickster, and spy. Living on his charm and
luck, he was often in trouble with the authorities, but his cunning and wit always
saved him.
Book by Edward
Gallardo, Lyrics by Sarah Schlesinger, Music by Grammy award winner, Mike
Reid. Arthur Masella, Director.
Winner
of The Global Search for New Musicals, Casanova Returns was showcased as a work in
progress at the 2006 Cardiff International Festival of Musical Theatre, Sally
Rapier, Artistic Director. In September
of 2008 it was presented as a staged reading in New York. The phenomenal cast
was headed by Sierra Boggess (Broadway’s The Little Mermaid), Brent
Barrett (current Phantom in Las
Vegas, having performed the role on Broadway where he also starred opposite
Reba McIntyre in the hit revival of Annie
Get Your Gun, Joyce Castle, Broadway and Opera veteran, and a
wonderful cast of Broadway and Opera stars (Please click here for full cast list).
MAGPIE
Magpie, a contemporary new musical with Latin overtones set in the fast-paced world of NYC bicycle messengers
Book by Steven M. Jacobson, Lyrics by Edward Gallardo, Music by Gary
William Friedman.
Workshop
Production at The Player’s Theatre, directed by Rajendra Ramoon Maharaj,
produced by AMAS Musical Theatre, Donna Trinkoff (Producing Artistic Director),
Rosetta LeNoire (Founder).
SELENA FOREVER
A Musical based
on the life of slain Tejano superstar Selena Quintanilla-Perez, whose
brilliance still shines today as her work and life continue to be an
inspiration to Latinos and young people worldwide.
Book and Original
Lyrics by Edward Gallardo, Original Music by Fernando Rivas, and featuring
additional songs by Selena Quintanilla-Pérez.
Directed by
William Alejandro Virchis, Choreographed by Kevin Patterson, Produced by Selena
Forever LP, Tom Quinn, Jerry Frankel, Michel Vega and Peter Fitzgerald. Forbes Candlish, Executive Producer. Casting by Stephen DeAngelis. Starring Veronica Vasquez, Daniel
Valdez, Margo Reymundo, David Cassanova, Liza Ybarra, Maxx, and Denise Stefanie
Gonzalez. Also starring Rebecca
Valadez, Mike Gomez and Lorissa Chappa at selected performances.
Opened at the San
Antonio Municipal Theater, March 23, 2000, it subsequently toured cities in
Texas, culminating at the Rosemont Theater in Chicago.
‘Selena
Forever’ tells star’s story with energy, flair … Enthusiastic
audience turned musical’s local premiere into a sing-along, dance-along
fun time
Ricardo Baca - Corpus Christi Caller-Times - Thursday,
April 6, 2000
Doses
of realism enhance musical about life of Selena. -- Deborah Martin – San Antonio Express
New Songs Bolster
Selena - Ramiro Burr – San Antonio
Express - 'Selena Forever'
Recommended - In a theater season
that has brought us a bloated Disney spectacle straight out of "Beverly
Hills 90210," "Selena Forever" serves as a tonic for the
artificiality that passes as stagecraft these days.
Make
no mistake, however, this new musical bears the stamp of the Great White Way.
… But in adapting the saga of the slain Tejano star for the stage,
creators Edward Gallardo (book and lyrics), Fernando Rivas (original music) and
William Alejandro Virchis (direction) have hit upon a fresh variation of the
usual Broadway formula.
By
rearranging the details of Selena's legacy - her hits, her life experience,
even her persona - the musical's creative team has turned her into a universal
figure. Representing the American dream, Selena serves as every immigrant's
story. No matter what nationality, anyone can identify with her triumph and
ultimate tragedy …
As
Selena, Veronica Vazquez nails the part completely. (The role is so taxing that
another actress, Rebecca Valadez, takes the matinee performances). Of course,
it helps that Vazquez eerily looks like the real Selena, right down to her
broad hips. But also she's a born performer, who happens to have been schooled
as an R&B singer. That training shines through her renditions of Selena's
hits, "Amor Prohibido" and "Baila Esta Cumbia."
"Selena
Forever" gives voice to the Latino experience; you have to go back to
"Zoot Suit" (from the 70's) to recall anything close. That fact alone
makes it worth seeing.
Linda Emerick - Chicago Sun-Times
JAMMIN’ IN THE SLAM ZONE
Henry Street Settlement/Abrons Arts Center. Experimental lab workshop directed by David Becker, 1998. Jonathan Ward, Henry Street Settlement Playhouse, Producer. Starring Richard Vasquez, Tessa Martin and Martin Revere.
Resurrecting Levin
Denver Center Theatre Company. Donovan Marley, Artistic Director. Bruce Sevy, Director of New Plays Project. Fully rehearsed staged reading directed by Arthur Mesalla as part of their 1998 U S West TheatreFest. Written in collaboration with John Flaxman. Starring Rocco Sisto and Jacqueline Antaramian and the Denver Center Theatre Company.
The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz
Lyrics by Edward Gallardo, Music by Gary William Friedman. Dramaturg, Edward Gallardo. Based on the novel and screenplay by Mordechai Richler. Directed by Bryna Wasserman. Saidye Bronfman Center for the Arts. Montreal, Quebec, Canada. 1997
The Petrified Prince
Bookwriter. Music and lyrics by Michael John LaChiusa. New York Shakespeare Festival, George C. Wolfe, Producer. Directed by Harold Prince. Rob Marshall, Choreographer. 1994. Based on the screenplay "The Petrified Prince" by Ingmar Bergman. Starring Candy Buckley (Drama Desk nominee) & Alexander (Gaberman) Chaplin (SPIN CITY). Workshop and readings starred Christine Baranski, Lucie Arnaz, Judy Kaye, Tony Goldwyn.
Carmen Libre
Book and lyrics. Music by George Bizet. A new musical based on the opera CARMEN, set in Cuba sometime in the near future. Commissioned and Co-produced in Concert by the Coconut Grove Playhouse and the Greater Miami Opera. Arnold Mittelman, director. Joseph Elick, musical director. 1992.
Women Without Men
· Public Theatre - Joseph Papp and the New York Shakespeare Festival production. Santiago Garcia, director - 1985. Starring Giilda Miros, Socorro Santiago (All My Children) and Wanda DeJesus (Santa Barbara).
· Puerto Rico - Teatro Bellas Artes - Virazon, producer. Vicente Castro, director - 1988
· Mexico - Instituto Nacional de Beflas Artes, producer. Vicente Castro, director - 1988
· Los Angeles - Bilingual Foundation For the Arts - Carmen Zapata, Producer. Charles Bazaldua, director 1991.
· Texas - The Elenco Experimental - University of Texas at El Paso. Roberto Pomo, director 1992.
· California - Produced as a benefit for Indian and Latin women, 1994.
· Texas - King's Country Proteus Employees, July 1994. Benefit for educational scholarships for children of migrant and seasonal farm workers.
· * Published by Arte Publico Press
Fantasma
A Street Opera - Music by Marc Affen Trujillo
· Public Theater - Staged Reading - Joseph Papp and the New York Shakespeare; Festival Producer. Biff Castellino, director - August 1989
· Southwestern College - (San Diego) Bill Virchis, director - 1990
Simpson Street
National productions:
· Puerto Rican Traveling Theatre (New York City), Miriam Colon, director - First Production - '79; Subsequent Revival Productions in '80, '85 and 1995. Originally starring Antonia Rey. Subsequently starring Miriam Colón.
· Nosotros Theatre - (Los Angeles) - 1991;
· Public Theater - Festival Latino - Joseph Papp and the New York Shakespeare Festival - 1980
· Puerto Rican Cultural Center (Springfield, Massachusettes) 1980
· San Juan Center, Inc. (Hartford, Connecticut) 1980
· Pennsylvania Council on the Arts (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania) 1980
· Bonfils Theatre - Artes Chicanos, Inc. (Denver, Colorado) 1980
· Adelante Estudiantes Latinos - Buffalo, New York) 1980
· Cornell University - (Ithaca, New York) - 1985
Interational productions:
· Spain - 17 City Tour including Madrid, Sevilla & Valencia 1981. Starring Carmen Rosario and Richard Adan.
· Puerto Rico - Teatro Beflas Artes - 1983. Starring Miriam Colón and Edwin Sanchez
· Colombia - Festival de Manizales - 1984. Starring Miriam Colón and Edwin Sanchez
· Mexico - Festival Cervantino (Mexico City & Guanajuato) - 1984
· * Pubhshed by Arte Publico Press
Celebrando la Diferencia
Participated along with such notables as Edward James Olmos and Ruben Blades in CELEBRANDO LA DIFERENCIA, a weekly theatrical series promoting literacy to Latino youth, Co-Produced and Directed by Elizabeth Peña and the Met Theater in Los Angeles. My children's story ESPERANZA was read by Brooke Adams as the action was performed in dance.
Hard Times, Hard Choices
A Play for Latino Teenagers about AIDS. Commissioned by La Nueva Raza. Toured Streets, Communities & Health Centers in Queens. Ismael Batancourt, Producer. Melia Bensussen, director. - 1990
Fragile Lady
Performance piece - Music by Bruce J. Taub, Christ & St. Stephen Church -NYC- North/South Consonance-'84; University of Kansas (Lawrence) - 1988; Memphis State University - 1990
A Little Spice... And Things Not So Nice Cabaret
Concept and lyrics by Edward Gallardo. Music by Paul Radelat. Center For Inter-American Relations - (NYC) - Commissioned and produced by Alberto Minero. Maria Norman, director - 1980
Bernie
· New York Theatre Ensemble - 1969, 1970
· Paris Theatre Market - (Paris and Amsterdam) - 1971
· Westbeth Theatre Center - (New York City) - 1979
· Westside Repertory Theatre - (New York City) - 1984
· Trocadero Cafe - kontrol-issuez theatre ensemble (New York City) - 1996
Waltz On A Merry-Go-Round
Incidental Music by Bruce J. Taub
· Little Theatre - (New York City) - 1975
· Nosotros Theatre - (Los Angeles, California) - Peter Del Vafle, director. - 1979
· * Published by Arte Publico Press
Aryeto De Pescadores
Written Collectively with Pregones
· Public Theater - Festival Latino - Joseph Papp and the New York Shakespeare Festival prodcuction. - 1982
The Mugger
· West Side Repertory Theatre - (New York City) - 1980
· Toured NYC Schools & Arts Centers through the Association of Hispanic Arts and CETA program - 1980
The World of Muddy Waters
Children's play
· Pregones - (New York City) - 1982
· Puerto Rico - Festival de Pescadores, Vieques - 1982
· Toured NYC Schools & Arts Centers through the Association of Hispanic Arts and CETA program - 1980
Maria
A play in One Act
· Westside Repertory Theater, 1980
In Another Part of the City
· New York Theatre Ensemble - 1970
Nobody Ever Says Goodbye
· New York Theatre Ensemble - 1970
Cordella
· Little Theatre - (New York City) - 1976
· GHOSTWRITER - "Over a Barrel." 4 Episodes.
· Children's Television Workshop. Carin Greenberg Baker and Kermit Frazier, Headwriters. Miranda Barry, Producer. - 1992
· THE SILK PURSE - "El Piano" - Ortiz/Simon Productions, Boston. Pilot script for proposed PB S Series. 1991.
· THE PALACE - Redwood Productions - Co-authored with John Flaxman, 1990.
· THE NEW VOICE - "Sandy" - WGBH (Boston) Robert Glover and Frank Marerro, producers. Pablo Cabrera, director - 1980
· POPI - Synopsis and treatment for CBS series starring Hector Elizondo, ITP, Herbert Leonard, producer - 1974
· SAVIOR, SAVIOR, HOLD MY HAND - Third World Cinema - (Co-authored with Piri Thomas and Yolanda Gailardo) - 1973
· Coconut Grove Playhouse - commissioned to write "Carmen Libre," a new musical based on Bizet's opera CARMEN, 1992.
· La Nueva Raza - Commission to write HARD TIMES, HARD CHOICES - to educate Latino teenagers about AIDS - 1990
· New York Shakespeare Festival - Joseph Papp's Festival Latino's National Contest for Latino Plays - First Place for WOMEN WITHOUT MEN - 1985
· Group Theatre - American Minority Playwrights Festival - Seattle, Washington - Semi-finalist for BALLAD OF A SILENT MAN 1985
· Center For Inter-American Relations - Comission to write the cabaret A LITTLE SPICE... And Things Not So Nice - 1980
· Betances Award - Best Playwright - Committee for Arts & Culture, Puerto Rican Day Parade - 1983
· Roberto Clemente Humanitarian Award - 1979
· CAPS - (New York City grant to Artists) - 1979
Alphabetical Index of Plays...
· A Little Spice... And Things Not So Nice Cabaret
· The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz
· Aryeto De Pescadores. In collaboration with Pregones
· Bernie
· Carmen Libre
· Everybody Knows My Business. Co-authored with Yolanda Gallardo
· Fantasma
· Fragile Lady
· Hard Times, Hard Choices
· In Another Part of the City
· Maria
· The Mugger
· Nobody Ever Says Goodbye
· The Petrified Prince
· Resurrecting Levin. In collaboration with John Flaxman
· Simpson Street
· Waltz On A Merry-Go-Round
· Women Without Men
· The World of Muddy Waters
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