Christopher Massimine

Christopher Massimine is an award-winning theatrical producer,[1] general manager,[2] television and film producer,[3] entertainment executive, playwright,[4] composer,[5] and a leading voice in arts advocacy.[6] Massimine was the recipient of the National Performing Arts Association's 2019 Humanitarian of the Year Award.[7] He co-founded the Immigrant Arts Coalition,[8] served as a special advisor to the New York City and New York State administrations,[9] was an executive trustee and a past development chair of the Alliance of Resident Theatres/New York,[10] and the former chief executive officer of the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene,[11] the longest consecutively producing performing arts institution in the United States, and the world's oldest-operating Yiddish Theatre.[12] He is current managing director of Pioneer Theatre Company and a senior administrator at the University of Utah.[13]

Christopher Massimine
Christopher Massimine and Nia Franklin at the 2019 United Nations Civil Society Conference
OccupationManaging Director of Pioneer Theatre Company, former CEO of the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene, Co-Founder and former Chair of the Immigrant Arts Coalition, Entertainment Executive, Activist
Board member ofImmigrant Arts Coalition, Petra Diamonds, Development Chair Emeritus at Alliance of Resident Theatres/New York

Biography

In 2013, at age 27, Massimine made news as the youngest theater executive to oversee the activities of a professional multi-million dollar performing arts institution, when appointed producing director and chief executive officer of the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene.[14] Previous to his appointment, Massimine earned a Tony Award nomination for his work as a producer on American Idiot (musical)[15] produced concerts for major label artists,[16] and developed high-impact promotional campaigns in recorded music, retail,[17] and video gaming.[18]

Massimine was the executive producer of the 2015 KulturfestNYC,[19] the first International Jewish Performing Arts Festival, which included thousands of entertainers from over 30 countries, incorporating dance, cabaret, theater, film, education and music programming.[20] Later that year, following the sudden passing of Folksbiene friend, collaborator, and lifetime achievement award recipient Theodore Bikel, Massimine honored the memory of the beloved icon of film and stage, by conceiving and producing the official multi-media tribute concert.[21] In 2016, Massimine produced Mandy Patinkin: In Concert at Jazz at Lincoln Center.[22]

Massimine earned his second Tony Award nomination with the Broadway production of Indecent (play).[23] In the summer of 2017, Massimine conceived New York's first Immigration Arts Summit to create an ongoing dialogue among multi-cultural artists and arts organizations,[24] with actor, author, and comedian John Leguizamo as keynote speaker and journalist Ann Curry as distinguished moderator.[25] In November 2017, Massimine and artistic director Zalmen Mlotek assembled an Artistic Council, composed of renowned theater artists and producers, to collaborate and advise on the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene programming initiatives.[26] Members of the Artistic Council include producer Margot Astrachan; producer and general manager Emanuel Azenberg; composer, lyricist, and playwright Jason Robert Brown; playwright and lyricist Joe DiPietro; actress Tovah Feldshuh; playwright and lyricist Sheldon Harnick; playwright Jon Marans; actor Mandy Patinkin; producer and actor Jana Robbins; producer Daryl Roth; producer and general manager Lawrence S. Toppall; and director Jerry Zaks.[27]

In December 2017, Massimine announced that he and the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene would produce the United States Premiere of Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish, Fidler Afn Dakh, starting summer of 2018, at the Museum of Jewish Heritage.[28] In a March 2018 issue of Forbes Magazine it was announced that Academy Award and Tony Award winner Joel Grey would direct the production.[29] In a subsequent radio interview with 90.7FM WFUV Massimine commented on Grey's involvement.[30] In April 2018, as part of Immigrant Heritage Week, Massimine and Immigrant Arts Coalition President, journalist and social justice activist Marlena Fitzpatrick Garcia partnered with New York City Mayor's office,[31] The New York Times Company,[32] and Dramatists Guild of America[33] to host a series of panel discussions on immigrant rights and diversity in the arts. Later that month, Massimine, Zalmen Mlotek and the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene were nominated for a 2018 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical Revival for the Off Broadway production of Amerike- The Golden Land.[34]

On February 25, 2019, Massimine announced his appointment as the incoming managing director of Pioneer Theatre Company in Salt Lake City, Utah. [35] The news was made public following a 10-month national search by Pioneer Theatre Company and the University of Utah. [36] At the close of Massimine's tenure with the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene he oversaw Fidler Afn Dakh's sold-out six month run at the Museum and Jewish Heritage,[37] its uptown commercial transfer to Stage 42,[38] and partnered with Time Life Music and record producer Robert Sher on Fidler Afn Dakh's forthcoming cast album. [39] Following retiring managing director Chris Lino's service of 28 years, Massimine is the third managing director in Pioneer Theatre Company's history.[40]

On March 1, 2019, Pioneer Theatre Company artistic director Karen Azenberg and Massimine announced Massimine's inaugural season, which includes the first pre-Broadway production of the biographical musical Cagney, the world premiere of Ass, a new play authored by screenwriter Ellen Simon, daughter of Neil Simon, and regional premieres composed of recent Award-winning Broadway plays and musicals. [41]

On May 6, 2019, the New York Drama Critics Circle announced a special award citation for Massimine's production of Fidler Afn Dakh.[42] On May 15, 2019, Fidler Afn Dakh won an Outer Critics Circle Award for outstanding musical revival.[43] On May 22, 2019, the Off Broadway Alliance announced that Fidler Afn Dakh won their best musical revival award.[44] On June 2, 2019, Fidler Afn Dakh took home the Drama Desk Award in the category of musical revival.[45]

Following the passing of Massimine's mentor Harold Prince, on July 31, 2019, Massimine publicly opened up about their longstanding friendship, and of Prince serving as the inspiration for Massimine to pursue his career in producing.[46]

At the 2019 United Nations Civil Society Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, Massimine was the keynote representative for the performing arts on sustainability. On October 16, 2019 it was announced he was selected by the NPAA as Humanitarian of the Year[47].

gollark: Why does it not count?
gollark: It only works if you also have GCC installed.
gollark: That's the compiler.
gollark: Yep!
gollark: ```python#!/usr/bin/env python3import argparseimport subprocessparser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description="Compile a WHY program")parser.add_argument("input", help="File containing WHY source code")parser.add_argument("-o", "--output", help="Filename of the output executable to make", default="./a.why")parser.add_argument("-O", "--optimize", help="Optimization level", type=int, default="0")args = parser.parse_args()def build_C(args): template = """#define QUITELONG long long intconst QUITELONG max = @max@;int main() { QUITELONG i = 0; while (i < max) { i++; } @code@} """ for k, v in args.items(): template = template.replace(f"@{k}@", str(v)) return templateinput = args.inputoutput = args.outputtemp = "ignore-this-please"with open(input, "r") as f: contents = f.read() looplen = max(1000, (2 ** -args.optimize) * 1000000000) code = build_C({ "code": contents, "max": looplen }) with open(temp, "w") as out: out.write(code)subprocess.run(["gcc", "-x", "c", "-o", output, temp])```

References
  1. "If I Were a Rothschild". Jewish Standard. Retrieved 2018-02-27.
  2. "General Managers". The Off Broadway League. Archived from the original on 2018-03-05. Retrieved 2018-03-04.
  3. "National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene & Immigrant Arts Coalition". lite FM. Retrieved 2018-03-11.
  4. "The Playwrights Database". Doollee. Archived from the original on 2018-03-05. Retrieved 2018-03-04.
  5. "Reviews, Lovers". Theatre Is Easy. Retrieved 2018-02-19.
  6. "A Dialogue with the Immigrant Arts Coalition". SAG-AFTRA Foundation. Retrieved 2018-02-19.
  7. "Department of Theatre, University of Utah College of Fine Arts - PTC's Managing Director, Christopher Massimine is the 2019 Humanitarian of the Year Award Recipient". theatre.utah.edu. Retrieved 2019-10-24.
  8. "Launch Event At The Museum of Jewish Heritage Announces Immigrant Arts Coalition". Downtown Magazine. Retrieved 2018-02-19.
  9. Howell, Blair. "BWW Feature: PTC's Chris Massimine Named National Performing Arts Action Association Humanitarian". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2019-10-24.
  10. "Staff and Board". A.R.T./New York. Retrieved 2018-02-19.
  11. "Meet Christopher Massimine". Daily Beast. Retrieved 2018-04-05.
  12. "History | NYTF – Folksbiene". nytf.org. Retrieved 2018-02-19.
  13. "University of Utah". Retrieved 2019-02-28.
  14. "Christopher Massimine Named New Producing Director and Chief Executive Officer of National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved 2018-02-19.
  15. "Christopher Massimine". About the Artists. Retrieved 2018-02-19.
  16. Editors, American Theatre (2019-07-26). "Pioneer Theatre Company Names Chris Massimine Managing Director". AMERICAN THEATRE. Retrieved 2019-10-24.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)
  17. "Yiddish Theatre And Swimsuits Join Forces - Oy Bay!". NBC News. Retrieved 2018-02-27.
  18. "Christopher Massimine Named New Producing Director of National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved 2018-02-19.
  19. "Jewish performing arts festival, Kulturfest, will highlight importance and vitality of Yiddish culture". NY Daily News. Retrieved 2018-02-27.
  20. "KulturfestNYC, the very-inclusive first-ever international Jewish performing arts festival, begins June 11th". Downtown Magazine. Retrieved 2018-02-27.
  21. "Broadway Will Celebrate Theodore Bikel with Tribute Concert". Playbill. Retrieved 2018-02-27.
  22. "Mandy Patinkin: In Concert Comes to Jazz at Lincoln Center". TheaterMania. Retrieved 2018-02-27.
  23. "Indecent". Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved 2018-02-19.
  24. "Yiddish Theater Plans an Immigration Arts Summit". The New York Times. Retrieved 2018-02-19.
  25. "Immigration Arts Summit Leads to New Coalition". TheaterMania. Retrieved 2018-02-19.
  26. "National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene Announces New Artistic Council". TheaterMania. Retrieved 2018-04-05.
  27. "Board | NYTF – Folksbiene". nytf.org. Retrieved 2018-04-05.
  28. "Yiddish-Language 'Fiddler on the Roof' Is Coming to New York". The New York Times. Retrieved 2018-02-19.
  29. "Joel Grey To Direct US Premiere Of 'Fiddler On The Roof' In Yiddish In New York This Summer". Forbes Magazine. Retrieved 2018-03-28.
  30. "An ALL-Yiddish Fiddler". WFUV. Retrieved 2018-06-06.
  31. "Events". Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs. Retrieved 2018-04-27.
  32. "Immigrant Artists, Politics and the American Dream". Voices of NY. Retrieved 2018-04-27.
  33. "Pulitzer Winner Martyna Majok, Come From Away's Irene Sankoff and David Hein to Participate in Staging Our Stories". Playbill. Retrieved 2018-04-27.
  34. "'Carousel,' 'SpongeBob SquarePants' Lead 2018 Drama Desk Nominations". Variety. Retrieved 2018-04-27.
  35. "Christopher Massimine to Leave National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene". TheaterMania. Retrieved 2019-02-25.
  36. "Tony-nominated producer Christopher Massimine picked as new managing director of Utah's Pioneer Theatre Company". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved 2019-02-25.
  37. "We Need a Little Yiddish, Right This Very Minute". The Clyde Fitch Report. Retrieved 2018-11-15.
  38. "Joel Grey's Yiddish-language 'Fiddler on the Roof' is proudly, unapologetically Jewish in a time when it's safer not to be". NY Daily News. Retrieved 2018-12-17.
  39. "Off-Broadway-Bound, Yiddish-Language Fiddler on the Roof to Release Cast Recording". Playbill. Retrieved 2018-11-29.
  40. "'I have fallen in love with Utah': Pioneer Theatre Company announces new managing director". Deseret News. Retrieved 2019-02-25.
  41. "Broadway-Aimed Cagney to Open Pioneer Theatre Company's 2019 Season". Playbill. Retrieved 2019-02-25.
  42. "'Ferryman,' 'Constitution,' 'Tootsie' Take New York Drama Critics Circle Honors". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2019-05-06.
  43. "'Hadestown' Tops 2019 Outer Critics Circle Awards". American Theatre. Retrieved 2019-05-15.
  44. "What the Constitution Means to Me, Yiddish Fiddler & More Win Off-Broadway Alliance Awards". Broadway.com. Retrieved 2019-05-22.
  45. "Drama Desk Awards Winners List: 'The Ferryman', 'The Prom' Among Top Honorees". Deadline. Retrieved 2019-06-02.
  46. "TDF Stages: How Hal Prince Changed My Life as an Audience Member and an Artist". www.tdf.org. Retrieved 2019-10-24.
  47. Desk, BWW News. "National Performing Arts Association Names Christopher Massimine 2019 Humanitarian of the Year". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2019-10-24.


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