George Abbott

George Abbott was certainly the most gifted Broadway producer who ever lived! He was exceptionally versatile and produced so many hits that I happened to see. Drama Desk Award Outstanding Director (1983) Pulitzer Prize for Drama (1960) Tony Award Best Direction (1960, 1963) Tony Award Best Musical (1955, 1956, 1960) Special Tony Award (1987) National Medal of Arts (1990) In 1965, the 54th Street Theatre has been rechristened the George Abbott Theatre in his honor. The building was demolished in 1970. New York City's George Abbott Way, the section of West 45th Street northwest of Times Square, is also named after him. He received the Kennedy Centre Honors in 1982. Stage Source: Playbill 1935: Jumbo (director) 1936: On Your Toes (book) 1937: Room Service (director, producer) 1937: Brown Sugar (director, producer) 1938: The Boys from Syracuse (book, director, producer) 1939: Too Many Girls (director, producer) 1940: Pal Joey (director, producer) 1940: The Unconquered (producer, director) 1941: Best Foot Forward (producer, director) 1943: Kiss and Tell (play) (producer, director) 1944: A Highland Fling (play) (producer, director) 1944: On the Town (director) 1945: Billion Dollar Baby (musical) (director) 1947: High Button Shoes (director) 1948: Where's Charley? (book, director) 1949: Mrs. Gibbons' Boys (producer, director) 1950: Call Me Madam (director) 1951: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (book, director, producer) 1953: Wonderful Town (director) Me and Juliet (director) 1954: The Pajama Game (book, director) 1955: Damn Yankees (book, director) 1957: New Girl in Town (book, director) 1959: Once Upon a Mattress (director) 1959: Fiorello! (book, director) 1960: Tenderloin (book, director) 1961: Take Her, She's Mine (director) 1962: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (director) 1962: Never Too Late (director) 1964: Fade Out – Fade In (director) 1965: Flora, The Red Menace (book, director) 1965: Anya (book, director) 1967: How Now, Dow Jones (director) 1969: The Fig Leaves Are Falling (director) 1970: Norman, Is That You? (director) 1987: Broadway (revival, book, director) 1994: Damn Yankees (revival, book, consultant, script revisions) 1939 On Your Toes Playwright 1940 Too Many Girls Director 1940 The Boys from Syracuse Playwright, director 1941 Highway West Playwright, Heat Lightning 1942 Broadway Playwright 1947 Beat the Band Playwright 1957 The Pajama Game Writer, Director, Producer 1958 Damn Yankees Writer, director, producer with Jerry Lewis. Awards and nominations Source: Playbill Awards 1955 Tony Award for Best Musical – The Pajama Game 1956 Tony Award for Best Musical – Damn Yankees 1960 Pulitzer Prize for Drama – Fiorello! 1960 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical – Fiorello! 1960 Tony Award for Best Musical – Fiorello! Abbott was also a writer and his credits are listed under PROFESSIONS.