Alex Timbers | |
|---|---|
 Timbers at the 2022Gaithersburg Book Festival | |
| Born | (1978-08-07)August 7, 1978 (age 47) New York City, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Playwright, director, producer |
| Years active | 2009–present |
Alex Timbers (born August 7, 1978) is an American writer and director best known for his work on stage and television. He has received numerous accolades including twoTony Awards, aGolden Globe Award, aDrama Desk Award, as well as nominations for aPrimetime Emmy Award and aGrammy Award. Timbers received the Drama League Founder's Award for Excellence in Directing and the Jerome Robbins Award for Directing.[1]
Timbers received aTony Award for Best Direction of a Musical forMoulin Rouge! and aSpecial Tony Award forDavid Byrne'sAmerican Utopia both at the74th Tony Awards. He was nominated for two further Tony Awards forBloody Bloody Andrew Jackson andPeter and the Starcatcher. Other Broadway credits includeThe Pee-wee Herman Show,Beetlejuice ,Gutenberg! The Musical!,Here Lies Love, andOh Hello! on Broadway, written by and starring comediansNick Kroll andJohn Mulaney.
On television, he co-created theAmazon Prime Video seriesMozart in the Jungle which won the 2016Golden Globe Award.[2] Timbers collaborated with comedianJohn Mulaney directing hisNetflix specialsOh, Hello! (2017),John Mulaney: Kid Gorgeous at Radio City (2018) andJohn Mulaney: Baby J (2023), the later of which earned him aPrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded) nomination.
Timbers grew up in New York City. When he was 15, he moved to Illinois and attended Lake Forest High School. He then went toYale University[3] where he graduated magna cum laude. While at Yale, he was a member of the improvisational comedy group The Viola Question and president of theYale Dramatic Association.[4]
Between 2003 and 2015, Timbers served as the Artistic Director of the award-winning, experimental theater companyLes Freres Corbusier.[5] Les Freres productions includedBoozy: The Life, Death, and Subsequent Vilification of Le Corbusier and, More Importantly, Robert Moses,Dance Dance Revolution,Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson,Hell House,Heddatron, andHoover Comes Alive!.[6] ForHell House, Timbers was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Theatrical Experience.
In 2003, Timbers conceived and directed the Les Freres showA Very Merry Unauthorized Children's Scientology Pageant, for which he and writerKyle Jarrow won an Obie Award. Timbers also won two Garland Awards for the subsequent Los Angeles production, and his 2006 revival was heralded byThe New York Times as the "Best Revival of the Year."[7][8]
Timbers served as the second assistant director on the Broadway premiere ofJersey Boys in 2005.[9]
For the Off-Broadway production ofGutenberg! The Musical!, Timbers was nominated for a 2007 Drama Desk Award for Best Director of a Musical.[10] His production ofDixie's Tupperware Party was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Solo Performance in 2008.[11]
In 2010,Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson opened at thePublic Theater to rave reviews with Timbers directing.[12] The show was written by Timbers with music and lyrics byMichael Friedman. It returned to the Public the following year, extended three times, and became the second highest-grossing show in the institution's history.[13] It transferred to theBernard B. Jacobs Theatre on Broadway on September 20, 2010.[14] The show won theLucille Lortel Award and theOuter Critics Circle Award for Best Musical. Timbers won aDrama Desk Award for Outstanding Book of a Musical and was nominated for aTony Award for Best Book of a Musical.[15]
In Fall 2010, Timbers directedThe Pee-wee Herman Show on Broadway, which was subsequently filmed for HBO.
In March 2011, Timbers co-directed withRoger ReesPeter and the Starcatcher for Disney atNew York Theatre Workshop.[16] The show opened to a positive review fromBen Brantley inThe New York Times, and Timbers won the 2011Obie Award for Direction.[17][18] The production was the fastest-selling show in New York Theatre Workshop's history and extended three times.[19] In March 2012, Timbers and Rees again co-directedPeter and the Starcatcher on Broadway. It was subsequently nominated for nine Tony Awards and won five.[20] The show spawned two national tours and a year-long return engagement Off-Broadway.[21]
In August 2013, Timbers andBloody Bloody Andrew Jackson composerMichael Friedman reunited for a musical version of the playLove's Labour's Lost that appeared as part ofShakespeare in the Park at theDelacorte Theatre.[22] It was nominated for a 2014Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical.[23]
In 2013 and again in 2014, Timbers directedHere Lies Love Off-Broadway at thePublic Theater in New York City, an immersive club musical aboutImelda Marcos featuring the music ofDavid Byrne andFatboy Slim, for which he won theLucille Lortel Award for Best Director.[24] The show was extended at thePublic Theater three times, and made numerous year-end Best Of lists includingThe New York Times,The New York Post,The New York Daily News,Time,The Hollywood Reporter,Time Out,New York Magazine, andVogue.[25] He was also nominated for Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards for Best Director.
In 2014, Timbers directedHere Lies Love at the National Theatre in London. Timbers, Byrne, and Fatboy Slim won the London Evening Standard Beyond Theatre Award "for pushing the boundaries of musicals."[26]
Also in 2014, Timbers directed the musicalRocky, based on theOscar-winning film, on Broadway at theWinter Garden Theatre, for which he was nominated forDrama Desk Award andOuter Critics Circle Award for Best Director.[27] Two years earlier, he directed a pilot production of the show in Germany, which ran for five years in Hamburg and Stuttgart.
In 2016, Timbers directed an Off-Broadway revival ofThe Robber Bridegroom for Roundabout Theater Company, which won the 2016 Lucille Lortel Award for Best Revival.[28][29]
In 2016, Timbers directed the comedyOh Hello! on Broadway, written by and starring comediansNick Kroll andJohn Mulaney. The show opened to positive reviews, recouped its capitalization, and was filmed forNetflix.[30]
In 2018, Timbers directed the out-of-town tryout ofBeetlejuice at the National Theater in Washington DC. The next year, he directed the Broadway transfer ofBeetlejuice at the Winter Garden Theater. The show was nominated for eight 2019 Tony Awards, including Best Musical.[21]
Also in 2018, Timbers directed the out-of-town tryout ofMoulin Rouge! The Musical, based on the Oscar-winning film, at the Emerson Colonial Theater in Boston. In July 2019, the show transferred to Broadway at the Al Hirschfeld Theater.[21] The following year, the production was nominated for 14 Tony Awards including Best Musical. For his work on the production, Timbers was nominated for Best Director of a Musical and, for his work on the cast album, he was nominated for a 2020 Grammy Award.[31] The show also won Best Musical at the 2020 Outer Critics Circle Awards and the 2020 Drama League Awards, and Timbers won the 2020 Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Director of a Musical.[32]
In September 2019, Timbers served as Production Consultant on David Byrne'sAmerican Utopia at the Emerson Colonial Theater in Boston. The next month, the show opened on Broadway at the Hudson Theater.[21]American Utopia was called "the best live show of all time" by NME Magazine.[33] The show recouped and was named to many critics' year-end top ten lists.[34] The show was filmed for HBO and was nominated for six Emmy Awards.[35]
In Summer 2021,Beetlejuice made its international debut in South Korea at the Sejong Arts Center, staged and designed by the original Broadway creative team, in July 2021. It was nominated for 10 Korea Musical Awards, including Best Musical.[36]
In September 2021,Moulin Rouge! The Musical re-opened on Broadway and won 10 Tony Awards, including Best Musical. For his work on the production, Timbers won a 2021 Tony Award for Best Director of a Musical.[31]
That same month,American Utopia also re-opened on Broadway and received a 2021 Special Tony Award.[31]
On November 12, 2021,Moulin Rouge! The Musical began performances simultaneously in Melbourne at the Regent Theatre and in London's West End at thePiccadilly Theatre.[37] In May 2022, the Australian production opened in Sydney.[38] In April 2022, Timbers directed the first national tour ofMoulin Rouge! The Musical, which opened in Chicago at the James M. Nederlander Theatre.[39][40] In October 2022, the German production ofMoulin Rouge! The Musical opened in Cologne and in December 2022 the Korean production opened in Seoul, both directed by Timbers.[41] A Japanese production began performances in Tokyo in 2023[42] An eighth production in the Netherlands premieres in 2024.[43]
In April 2022,Beetlejuice re-opened on Broadway, now at the Marquis Theater.[44] In November 2022, Timbers directed the first national tour ofBeetlejuice, which premiered at San Francisco's Golden Gate Theater.[45] The tour has consistently been among the top-grossing Broadway tours in various markets and recouped its investment in September 2023.[46] An additional production aboard Norwegian Cruise Lines began in 2023.[47]
In 2023, Timbers returned to Broadway with three shows:Here Lies Love at the Broadway Theater,Gutenberg! The Musical! at the James Earl Jones Theater, and he served as Creative Consultant forAlex Edelman: Just For Us at the Hudson Theater, which Timbers then subsequently directed as a special for HBO.[48]
His debut picture book,Broadway Bird, was published byFeiwel and Friends, an imprint ofMacmillan, on May 24, 2022.[49]
In the 2024 Tony award season, Alex Timbers directed “All in” which was a play/reading of the same piece every night but most of the time by different actors.
Currently in late July of 2025, Alex is working on the revival of “Batboy” at the nyc center!
Timbers directed and executive produced the television specialsJohn Mulaney: Kid Gorgeous at Radio City (2018),Ben Platt Live from Radio City Music Hall (2020), andJohn Mulaney: Baby J (2023), all for Netflix.John Mulaney: Baby J won theCritics' Choice Television Award for Best Comedy Special,[50] and for his work on the special as an executive producer, Timbers was nominated for thePrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded).[51]
He is a co-creator withJason Schwartzman,Roman Coppola, andPaul Weitz of theAmazon Studios seriesMozart in the Jungle, which won the 2016 Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series - Musical or Comedy.[2] He served as Co-Executive Producer on all episodes.
Sardi's Restaurant honored Timbers by unveiling a portrait of him for their famed wall of caricatures on July 20, 2022.[52]
| Year | Project | Credit | Venue | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Jersey Boys | Second Assistant Director | August Wilson Theatre | [53] |
| 2010 | Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson | Director / Bookwriter | Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre | [3] |
| 2010 | The Pee-wee Herman Show | Director | Stephen Sondheim Theatre | [54] |
| 2012 | Peter and the Starcatcher | Director | Brooks Atkinson Theatre | [55] |
| 2014 | Rocky | Director | Winter Garden Theatre | [56] |
| 2016 | Oh Hello! On Broadway | Director | Lyceum Theatre | [57] |
| 2019 | Beetlejuice | Director | Winter Garden Theatre | [58] |
| Moulin Rouge! The Musical | Director | Al Hirschfeld Theatre | [59] | |
| David Byrne's American Utopia | Creative Consultant | Hudson Theatre | [60] | |
| 2021 | Moulin Rouge! The Musical | Director | Al Hirschfeld Theatre | [59] |
| David Byrne's American Utopia | Creative Consultant | St. James Theater | [60] | |
| 2022 | Beetlejuice | Director | Marquis Theatre | [58] |
| 2023 | Just For Us | Creative Consultant | Hudson Theatre | [61] |
| Here Lies Love | Director | Broadway Theatre | [62] | |
| Gutenberg! The Musical! | Director | James Earl Jones Theatre | [63] | |
| 2024 | All In: Comedy About Love | Director | Hudson Theater | |
| 2025 | Just in Time | Director | Circle in the Square |
| Year | Project | Credit | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | The Pee-Wee Herman Show on Broadway | Staging Director | HBO special | [64] |
| 2014–2018 | Mozart in the Jungle | Co-creator / Co-Executive Producer / Writer | Amazon series; 40 episodes | [65] |
| 2017 | Oh, Hello On Broadway | Staging Director / Executive Producer | Netflix comedy special | [66] |
| 2018 | John Mulaney: Kid Gorgeous at Radio City | Director / Executive Producer | Netflix comedy special | [67] |
| 2020 | Ben Platt Live from Radio City Music Hall | Director / Executive Producer | Netflix music special | [68] |
| 2023 | John Mulaney: Baby J | Director / Executive Producer | Netflix comedy special | [69] |
| 2024 | Alex Edelman: Just For Us | Director / Executive Producer | HBO comedy special | [48] |
Timbers' debut picture book,Broadway Bird, set in an all-animal version of Broadway, was published byFeiwel and Friends, an imprint ofMacmillan, on May 24, 2022.[49]
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