Jeffrey Richards (producer)

Jeffrey Richards (born March 16, 1947)[1] is an American Broadway theatre producer who has presented both new and revived works for the Broadway stage. His most notable productions include Spring Awakening, August: Osage County, Will Ferrell's You're Welcome America, and Porgy and Bess, as well as numerous premieres by Tracy Letts and David Mamet. He is the recipient of eight Tony Awards.

Jeffrey Richards
BornMarch16, 1947
New York City, U.S.
OccupationTheatrical producer
Known forBroadway plays and musicals
Parent(s)Helen Stern Richards

Richards was nominated for a 2020 Primetime Emmy Award[2] as one of four executive producers of the dramatic film American Son, an adaptation of the 2018 Broadway play of the same title. The film premiered in 2019 at the Toronto International Film Festival,[3] debuted in November 2019 as a television drama, and was nominated for the 2020 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Television Movie.[4]

Early life

Born and raised in New York City,[5] Richards' mother, Helen Stern Richards, worked as a press agent and manager of many Broadway shows, a long list of which included notable musicals such as West Side Story and Shenandoah.[6]

He attended Wesleyan University and Columbia Journalism School with the intention of becoming a journalist but changed direction, and chose instead to work a public relations job which led to his working on the revival of The Pajama Game (1973).

Career

Richards initially worked as a press agent on and off Broadway for nearly two decades, and in 1995, ventured into theatrical production with the initial Off-Broadway production of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged).[6][7]

In 2000, Richards presented his first production on Broadway with a revival of Gore Vidal's The Best Man. He has since produced over 50 shows on Broadway (many in partnership with producer Jerry Frankel), receiving Tony Awards for his productions of David Mamet's Glengarry Glen Ross (2005); The Pajama Game (2006), Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater's Spring Awakening (2007), Tracy Letts's August: Osage County (2008), Hair (2009), Porgy and Bess (2012), Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf (2013), and Robert Schenkkan's All The Way (2014). He has been nominated for an additional 14 Tony Awards.[8]

Richards was one of four executive producers who presented the 2019 American dramatic film, American Son, along with Rebecca Gold, and Kerry Washington and Pilar Savone under their Simpson Street banner. The film is an adaptation of the 2018 Broadway play of the same title, written by Christopher Demos-Brown.[9][10][11] The movie premiered in 2019 at the Toronto International Film Festival, and made its television debut on Netflix in November 2019 as a "Netflix Television Event".[3] Despite the film's critical reception,[12][13][14] it was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Television Movie.[4]

Broadway stage
Broadway productions and awards
Year Production Awards Nominations
2000The Best ManDrama Desk Award for Outstanding Revival of a Play
2001A Thousand Clowns
2003Enchanted April
2005Glengarry Glen RossTony Award for Best Revival of a PlayDrama Desk Award for Outstanding Revival of a Play
2006Spring AwakeningTony Award for Best Musical, Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical
2006The Caine Mutiny Court MartialDrama Desk Award for Outstanding Revival of a Play
2006The Pajama GameTony Award for Best Revival of a Musical
2007August: Osage CountyTony Award for Best Play, Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play
2007Radio GolfTony Award for Best Play, Drama Desk Award for Best Play
2007Talk RadioTony Award for Best Revival of a Play, Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Revival of a Play
2007The HomecomingTony Award for Best Revival of a Play
2008November
2008Speed-the-Plow
2009Blithe SpiritDrama Desk Award for Outstanding Revival of a Play
2009Desire Under the Elms
2009HairTony Award for Best Revival of a Musical, Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Revival of a Musical
2009Race
2009Reasons To Be PrettyTony Award for Best Play, Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play
2009Superior Donuts
2009You're Welcome AmericaTony Award for Best Special Theatrical Event
2010A Life in the Theatre
2010All About Me
2010Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
2010Enron
2010The Merchant of VeniceTony Award for Best Revival of a Play, Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Revival of a Play
2011Bonnie and ClydeDrama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical
2011ChinglishDrama Desk Award for Outstanding Play
2012Glengarry Glen Ross
2012Porgy and BessTony Award for Best Revival of a MusicalDrama Desk Award for Outstanding Revival of a Musical
2012The Anarchist
2012The Best ManTony Award for Best Revival of a Play, Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Revival of a Play
2012Who's Afraid of Virginia WoolfTony Award for Best Revival of a Play, Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Revival of a Play
2013The Glass MenagerieTony Award for Best Revival of a Play
2014All The WayTony Award for Best Play, Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play
2014Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill
2014The Bridges of Madison CountyDrama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical
2014The Realistic Joneses
2014You Can't Take It with YouTony Award for Best Revival of a Play
2015China Doll
2015Fiddler On The RoofTony Award for Best Revival of a Musical, Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Revival of a Musical
2015Sylvia
2015The Heidi Chronicles
2016American Psycho
2017Significant Other
2017Sunday In The Park With George
2018American Son
2018The Lifespan of a Fact
2019BeetlejuiceTony Award for Best Musical
2019The Great Society
2019The Sound Inside
2020American Buffalo
2020The Minutes

References
  1. "Jeffrey Richards – Broadway Cast & Staff | IBDB". www.ibdb.com. Retrieved 2020-12-15.
  2. "Jeffrey Richards". Television Academy. Retrieved 2020-08-13.
  3. "Kerry Washington in 'American Son': Netflix Releases Trailer During Emmys". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2020-08-13.
  4. Keveney, Bill (2020-07-28). "Emmys 2020: The nominations list". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2020-08-13.
  5. https://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/16/theater/16richards.html
  6. Rothstein, Mervyn (2007-12-21). "A Life in the Theatre: Jeffrey Richards". Playbill. Retrieved 2018-11-25.
  7. https://www.playbill.com/article/complete-works-to-close-off-broadway-may-26-com-105790
  8. https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/jeffrey-richards-72831#Awards
  9. "Review: 'American Son' Puts Kerry Washington in a Maternal Nightmare". The New York Times. 2018-11-05. Retrieved 2020-08-13.
  10. "'American Son' Review: Kerry Washington Stars on Broadway in New Play". Variety. Retrieved 2020-08-13.
  11. Robinson, Jacob (2019-10-16). "American Son: Netflix Release Date, Plot, Cast & Trailer". What's on Netflix. Retrieved 2020-08-13.
  12. "Netflix's 'American Son' Adaptation Exposes The Play's Flaws". NPR.org. 2019-10-31. Retrieved 2020-08-13.
  13. Defoe, John (2019-09-05). "'American Son': Film Review - TIFF 2019". Retrieved 2020-08-13.
  14. Wilkinson, Alissa (2019-11-01). "With American Son, Netflix brings Broadway to the screen in an intriguing new way". Vox. Retrieved 2020-08-13.
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