Leslie Arden | |
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| Born | Leslie Arden Jenkins Beverly Hills, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Canadian musical theatre composer, lyricist and librettist |
| Language | English |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Alma mater | studied with Stephen Sondheim at Oxford University |
| Notable works | The House of Martin Guerre (co-book by Anna Theresa Cascio) |
| Relatives | parents Cleone Duncan and Paul Howard Jenkins |
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| lesliearden | |
Leslie Arden is aCanadianmusical theatrecomposer,lyricist andlibrettist.[1] She is best known for her workThe House of Martin Guerre (co-book by Anna Theresa Cascio) produced by Theatre Plus (1993), theGoodman Theatre (1996) in Chicago and the Canadian Stage Company (1997).
She was born Leslie Arden Jenkins inBeverly Hills, California to Canadian singer Cleone Duncan and her American performer husband, Paul Howard Jenkins. Her parents moved to Toronto and divorced when she was 6 years old.
Her mother, Cleone Duncan, was a theatre actress who performed many years in the Canadian musical hitAnne of Green Gables – The Musical.[2]
Early in her career she took classes withLehman Engel, who had been a musical director for over 100 Broadway productions, in Toronto.[3] In 1990, she was chosen along with 12 other participants to study with musical theatre composer and lyricistStephen Sondheim at Oxford University. The sessions were organized by theatre producerCameron Mackintosh.[4]
Her musicalThe Boys are Coming Home was part of theAmerican Music Theatre Project at North Western University and was showcased by the National Alliance of Musical Theatre in New York City. Theatre critic Richard Ouzanian says she is "the creator of some of the most sophisticated work on our stages".[5] TheToronto Star has commented that her work is "beautifully crafted" andUSA Today states she is a "major talent".[3] She also wrote theChalmers Award-winningThe Happy Prince. She collaborated with Canadian playwrightNorm Foster for the musicalsThe Last Resort andNed Durango.[6]
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