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Adam Gwon

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Adam Gwon
EducationNYU Tisch School of the Arts
Occupations
  • Composer
  • lyricist
Notable workOrdinary Days
Websiteadamgwon.com

Adam Gwon is an American composer and lyricist living in New York City.[1]

Personal life

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Gwon was born in Boston, and spent his childhood in Baltimore before attending New York University Tisch School of the Arts.[2][3] While studying acting at NYU, Gwon was encouraged to pursue writing by a teacher, David Bucknam, and was later mentored by the musical theater writing team of Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty.[4] Gwon is of Chinese-American and Jewish descent.[5]

Professional life

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Gwon made his off-Broadway debut in 2009 with Ordinary Days, the first musical production in Roundabout Theatre Company's black box space, Roundabout Underground.[6] In 2011, Signature Theatre in Arlington, Virginia, premiered Gwon's musical The Boy Detective Fails, based on the novel by Joe Meno, as part of their American Musical Voices Project.[7] South Coast Repertory commissioned and premiered his musical Cloudlands, written with Octavio Solis, in 2012.[5][8]

In 2015, Gwon had two simultaneous world premieres, both co-written with Julia Jordan: Bernice Bobs Her Hair, adapted from the F. Scott Fitzgerald short story, at the Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma, and Cake Off at Signature Theatre in Arlington, Virginia.[9] Cake Off received a Helen Hayes Award nomination for Outstanding Original Play or Musical Adaptation.[10]

Village Theatre in Issaquah, Washington, produced the world premiere of Gwon's musical String, with a book by Sarah Hammond, in 2018.[11]

Gwon's Ordinary Days was preserved on a cast album and has been produced in London's West End and around the world from Paris to Rio de Janeiro.[12][13][14] A 2018 revival by the Keen Company was nominated for a Drama League Award for Best Revival of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Musical.[15]

Gwon's song "I'll Be Here" was recorded by Audra McDonald on her album Go Back Home.[16] McDonald has performed the song in concert, including at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center.[17][18] It aired on PBS's Live from Lincoln Center in 2013.[19]

He served a three-year term on the Tony Awards Nominating Committee, beginning in 2015.[20]

Gwon's musical Scotland, PA, with book by Michael Mitnick, adapted from the cult 2001 film, premiered at Roundabout Theatre Company's Laura Pels Theatre in 2019.[14]

Honors

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In 2008, Gwon was the fourth annual recipient of the Fred Ebb Foundation Award, presented to aspiring composer/lyricists.[21]

In 2011, Gwon received the Kleban Prize for most promising musical theater lyricist. The award included a $100,000 cash prize.[22]

Musicals

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Year[23] Title Music Lyrics Book Notes Ref.
2009 Ordinary Days Adam Gwon [24]
2011 The Boy Detective Fails Adam Gwon Joe Meno based on the novel by Joe Meno [25]
2012 Cloudlands Adam Gwon Adam Gwon & Octavio Solis Octavio Solis [26]
2015 Bernice Bobs Her Hair Adam Gwon Adam Gwon & Julia Jordan Julia Jordan based on the short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald [27]
2015 Cake Off Adam Gwon Adam Gwon & Julia Jordan Julia Jordan & Sheri Wilner based on the play Bake Off by Sheri Wilner [28]
2018 String Adam Gwon Sarah Hammond [29]
2019 Scotland, PA Adam Gwon Michael Mitnick based on the film by Billy Morrissette [30]
2022 Witnesses Jordan Beck & Gerald Sternback, Carmel Dean & Mindi Dickstein, Matt Gould, Adam Gwon, and Anna K. Jacobs Robert L. Freedman [31]
2025 All the World's a Stage Adam Gwon [32]

Discography

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References

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  1. ^ Lee, Felicia R. (13 May 2011). "Adam Gwon and Michelle Elliott Win Musical-Theater Writing Prizes". The New York Times. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  2. ^ Saccoccia, Susan (28 September 2011). "McDonald's 'Songs We Love Tour' stops in Hub". The Bay State Banner. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  3. ^ Rule, Doug (6 October 2011). "A Musical Mystery". Metro Weekly. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  4. ^ Evans, Suzy (4 January 2017). "Where Do You Learn to Write Musicals?". AMERICAN THEATRE. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  5. ^ a b Wada, Karen (1 May 2011). "'Cloudlands': Singing — and tragedy". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  6. ^ Jones, Kenneth (19 August 2009). "Hunter Foster Is One of Four in NYC Premiere of Musical Ordinary Days". Playbill. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  7. ^ Jones, Kenneth (5 April 2011). "DC's Signature Plans Four New Musicals; Writers Include Adam Gwon, Hunter Foster and More". Playbill. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  8. ^ Foley, F. Kathleen (23 April 2012). "Review: An extraordinary 'Cloudlands' has world premiere". The Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on June 1, 2019. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  9. ^ Levitt, Hayley (October 14, 2015). "Adam Gwon and Julia Jordan: So Many World Premieres — So Little Time". TheaterMania. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  10. ^ "2016 Helen Hayes Award nominations". The Washington Post. February 1, 2016. Archived from the original on February 3, 2016.
  11. ^ "Village Theatre Announces 2017–2018 Season". BroadwayWorld. March 2, 2017. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  12. ^ a b Gans, Andrew (16 September 2010). "Cast Recording of Ordinary Days Due Sept. 21; R&H Theatricals Acquires Performance Rights". Playbill. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  13. ^ Shenton, Mark (30 December 2010). "Daniel Boys and Julie Atherton to Star in Adam Gwon's Ordinary Days at Trafalgar Studios". Playbill. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  14. ^ a b Lefkowitz, Andy (May 9, 2019). "Adam Gwon's Scotland, PA Musical Sets World Premiere with Roundabout". Broadway.com. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  15. ^ Evans, Greg (17 April 2019). "Bryan Cranston, Adam Driver, Jeff Daniels & Laurie Metcalf Among Broadway's Drama League Award Nominees – Complete List". Deadline. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  16. ^ a b Lunden, Jeff (May 18, 2013). "Audra McDonald, A Broadway Star Gone Roaming, Comes Home". www.wbur.org. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  17. ^ Holden, Stephen (23 October 2011). "Audra McDonald at Carnegie Hall – Review". The New York Times. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  18. ^ Holden, Stephen (10 May 2013). "Not Just the Standards, but Storytelling, Too". The New York Times. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  19. ^ Hetrick, Adam (24 May 2013). "Audra McDonald's Go Back Home Concert Broadcast on 'Live from Lincoln Center' May 24". Playbill. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  20. ^ Gans, Andrew (26 May 2015). "Tom Kitt, Adam Gwon Among Those Tapped for 2015–16 Tony Nominating Committee". Playbill. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  21. ^ "Fourth Annual Fred Ebb Award Winner: Adam Gwon". Fred Ebb Foundation. Retrieved 2021-03-22.
  22. ^ Lee, Felicia R. (May 13, 2011). "Adam Gwon and Michelle Elliott Win Musical-Theater Writing Prizes".
  23. ^ "Adam Gwon | Musical Theater Composer | adamgwon.com". Adam Gwon | Musical Theater Composer | adamgwon.com. 2016-07-29. Retrieved 2025-04-23.
  24. ^ "Bahorek, Gertner and Horowitz Cast in New Musical Ordinary Days". Playbill. Archived from the original on 2024-12-07. Retrieved 2025-04-23.
  25. ^ etheme.com. "The Boy Detective Fails". NewMusicalTheatre. Retrieved 2025-04-23.
  26. ^ etheme.com. "Cloudlands". NewMusicalTheatre. Retrieved 2025-04-23.
  27. ^ Gwon, BookJulia JordanLyricsAdam; Gwon, Julia JordanMusicAdam. "Bernice Bobs Her Hair". NAMT. Retrieved 2025-04-23.
  28. ^ "Signature's New Baking Musical Cake Off Begins Tonight". Playbill. Archived from the original on 2025-02-21. Retrieved 2025-04-23.
  29. ^ HammondLyrics, BookSarah; Gwon, MusicAdam. "String". NAMT. Retrieved 2025-04-23.
  30. ^ "Adam Gwon Musical String, a Modern-Day Twist on the Greek Fates, Wins Richard Rodgers Award | Playbill". Playbill. Archived from the original on 2020-10-28. Retrieved 2025-04-23.
  31. ^ "Witnesses". Anna K. Jacobs. 2023-04-22. Retrieved 2025-04-23.
  32. ^ "Adam Gwon Musical All the World's a Stage Sets World Premiere With Off-Broadway's Keen Company". Playbill. Archived from the original on 2024-10-06. Retrieved 2025-04-23.
  33. ^ Viagas, Robert (9 November 2015). "Listen to Heartbreaking Exclusive Sondheim Track From Liz Callaway's New 'Essential' Album". Playbill. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  34. ^ Graham, Trey (13 February 2015). "'Because' – Tracy Lynn Olivera's CD – reviewed". DC Theatre Scene. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  35. ^ "Australian Discovery Orchestra to Hold Vocal Competition to Record New Music". BroadwayWorld. January 31, 2019. Retrieved 2021-03-26.
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