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Claude-Michel Schönberg (born 6 July 1944, inVannes) is a French record producer, actor, singer, songwriter, and musical theatre composer, best known for his collaborations with lyricistAlain Boublil. Major works includeLa Révolution Française (1973),Les Misérables (1980),Miss Saigon (1989),Martin Guerre (1996),The Pirate Queen (2006), andMarguerite (2008).
Schönberg began his career as a record producer and a singer. He wrote most of the music for the French musical androck operaLa Révolution Française, France's first rock opera, in 1973. He played the role of KingLouis XVI in the show's production that year.
In 1974 he wrote the music and the lyrics of the song "Le Premier Pas", which became the number one hit in France that year, selling over one million copies. "Le Premier Pas" was produced byFranck Pourcel. That year he also wrote a French version of theABBA song "Waterloo", which was recorded by the group.[1]
Schönberg then made an album in which he sang his own compositions. In 1978 he dedicated his attention to musicals when he andAlain Boublil conceived the idea for a stage musical version ofVictor Hugo'sLes Misérables. The original production was staged at the Palais de Sports in Paris in 1980. In 1985 and 1987 respectively, the musical opened in London and on Broadway, to acclaim in each instance. The Broadway production was nominated for twelveTony Awards in 1987 and won eight, including Best Musical and Best Original Score.
In 1989, Schönberg and Boublil produced the London showing of the musicalMiss Saigon, which starredLea Salonga andJonathan Pryce. In its transition to Broadway, the show broke advance-ticket sales, earning $24 million before its premiere on 11 April 1991.[2] The show was nominated for ten Tony awards, including Best Musical and Best Original Score.
In 1997 Schönberg and Boublil premiered a new musical,Martin Guerre, at thePrince Edward Theatre in London. The musical won the 1997Olivier Award and went on to tour the UK and the United States.
In 2001, Schönberg composed his first ballet score,Wuthering Heights. This production was performed by the United Kingdom'sNorthern Ballet Theatre Company in September 2002.[3]
Schönberg's next project with Boublil wasThe Pirate Queen, a musical about the 16th-century Irishpirate, chieftain and adventuressGrace O'Malley.The Pirate Queen completed its eight-week pre-Broadway tryout at Chicago'sCadillac Palace Theatre on 26 November 2006, and underwent further development in preparation for Broadway at the Hilton Theater in March 2007. The Broadway opening date was 5 April 2007.Miss Saigon co-lyricistRichard Maltby Jr. worked with Boublil on revisions to thebook and lyrics, andGraciela Daniele worked on the musical staging.
Following a critical savaging and poor ticket sales,The Pirate Queen closed on 17 June 2007 after 85 performances and 32 previews, resulting in a loss of almost $18 million, ranking it among the largest commercial flops in Broadway history.[citation needed]
Les Misérables celebrated its twentieth anniversary in London on 8 October 2005. The Broadway production closed on 18 May 2003, making it the third-longest-running Broadway musical, followingCats andThe Phantom of the Opera. Schönberg oversaw the production ofLes Misérables that returned to Broadway for an intended six-month engagement at theBroadhurst Theatre on 9 November 2006, although it later extended its run.
Schönberg'sMarguerite includes music byMichel Legrand and lyrics byHerbert Kretzmer. Set during World War II in occupied Paris, and inspired by the romantic novelLa Dame aux camélias byAlexandre Dumas, fils,Marguerite is about the mistress of a high-ranking German officer who attracts the love of a musician half her age.[4]
In 2011, Schönberg created the musical score for the balletCleopatra for the Northern Ballet, based in Leeds. Choreography is by the Ballet's artistic director David Nixon. The show toured the UK throughout 2011.
Schönberg was nominated forBest Original Song at the70th Golden Globe Awards and in thesame category at the85th Academy Awards for the song "Suddenly" from the 2012 film version ofLes Miserables.[5]
Schönberg was born inVannes, France, to Hungarian Jewish parents.[6] His father was an organ repairer and his mother was a piano tuner.[7] He was formerly married to eveningnews anchorBéatrice Schönberg, with whom he has two children.[7] In 2003, he married Charlotte Talbot, an English ballerina, with whom he has a daughter.
