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Production List Click on Program Cover or
Title To See |
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(Princeton, NJ) "This is an evening that soars from the first moments... sensitive direction… it has the size and feel of the best Broadway family musicals."
"Where, I asked myself, does Unger hide his magic wand? He must have one. Every year, what he brings to his grateful audiences of all ages is another memorable occasion. "
"Once again, the annual production is warmer than a thick-logged fireplace in a happy home. …excellent special effects.. sensitive direction… "
"When is some other regional theater in the area going to discover the magic that Unger exudes?" See the McCarter Trailer here: http://www.mccarter.org/Trailers/viewtrailer.aspx?page_id=96 |
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By Christopher Curtis & New York Musical Theatre Festival OPENING SOON AT LA JOLLA PLAYOUSE!!!
Michael Unger directs this ambitious, full-length show with some bold choices and it fills the eye, the mind and the heart.
There are times when a show begins and you just know that you are in for something extraordinarily special – this is such a show.
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Crimes of the Heart By Beth Henley Theatre Aspen July/August, 2008 |
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My Sister in This House “… a striking new production... Director, Michael Unger and his cast create a rich world of ritual… intensely erotic symbiosis… This may be the most embodied production I’ve ever seen in L.A. “My Sister” is an absorbing, often oppressive study of class and codependency. “ - LA Times
"Handsomely staged." - LA Weekly | |
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A View From the Bridge (Opera) By William Bolcom based on the play by Arthur Miller Veritcal Player Repertory - Thrilling theatre. Extraordinary, vivid direction.- Opera Today |
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L'Amico Fritz By Pietro Mascagni and P. Saurdon Sarasota Opera To put it bluntly, this three-act opera, directed with strength and understanding. This production is terrific. (Longboat Observer) | |
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The Happy Time By John Kander, Fred Ebb and N. Richard Nash
a
little charmer… effervescent. (
a fresh and earnest revival, staged by Michael
Unger with ultimate intimacy in Signature's tiny Ark Theater. Unger keeps the kid-filled cast in perpetual motion… (Variety)
“A
picture-perfect production.” (Washingtonian)
a fresh look at an
overlooked jewel of a show. a spectacular cast, Mr.
Unger has masterfully utilized the tiny space with a simple concept and
beautifully paced staging. Wondrous staging and technical craft… one of the most dazzling jewels of the season. (BroadwayWorld.com)
Signature Theatre's
illustrious Kander & Ebb Celebration might end up being most remembered for reviving The Happy
Time Director
Michael Unger, aided by composer John Kander, has stripped away the Broadway
trappings to reveal a quaint but emotionally intense chamber musical. (TheatreMania.com) |
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La rondine By Gioccomo Puccini and Giuseppi Adami
Stage Director Michael Unger kept the
lovers' tumultuous emotions in tight focus.” (
breathtakingly
beautiful from the creative, innovative staging by Michael Unger that one can’t
help but sigh with the romance of it all. (Longboat
Observer)
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The Rink (revised version) (starring Leslie Uggams and Janet Metz) By John Kander, Fred Ebb and Terrence McNally
"...if there's any fairness in the world, this show will eventually find its way back to Broadway."
"Director Michael Unger has delivered a musical with quirky, captivating charm that is reminiscent of the debut of ``The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" at Barrington Stage two summers ago, which he also helmed. That offbeat phenomenon quickly found a home on Broadway. This show has the potential to make a comparable leap."
"It takes considerable legerdemain to balance a story of family dysfunction with the periodic upbeat numbers that a musical needs to stay afloat. Fortunately, director Michael Unger never lets the pace flag or the tone go maudlin. The show's "sour" quality reads today as refreshingly astringent..." |
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(Sarasota, FL) "Superb stage direction by Michael Unger included physical comedy and pratfalls executed cleanly with great effect. The cast managed to keep pace with both the musical and acting demands brilliantly. From start to finish, the Sarasota Opera has produced a winner.."
"Unger is gloriously surefooted. His direction draws out an honesty of feeling that’s often lacking in broad comedies."
"A finer production is hard to imagine" |
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Pippin By Stephen Schwartz and Roger O. Hirson Depot Theatre
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By Ed McNamee & Donya Lane Harold Clurman Theatre |
The Lambs Theatre (Off-Broadway) "Provocative and unrelenting... surprisingly gripping and dynamic performances." | |
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(Sheffield, MA) "richly inventive and insightful collaborative work" Chosen "Best Director" and "Best Production" by The Berkshire Eagle
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An Ancient Glam Rock Epic By Eric Svejcar Showcase production in the New York Music Theatre Festival "It rocks... Michael Unger, the director, keeps it all balanced on several tightropes at once..." |
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By Tom Stoppard The Babcock Theatre at the University of Utah (in the Pioneer Theatre building) "Michael Unger's stylish and inventive direction... is simply out to entertain, and it succeeds admirably." |
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By Eric Bogosian, William Finn, John Guare, Tony Kushner, Marsha Norman, Wendy Wasserstein FSU/Asolo Conservatory (Sarasota, FL) "The production is beautifully staged by guest director Michael Unger, who brings out the best performances we've seen this season from the second-year students." Chosen Top Ten Pick by Sarasota's Weekly Planet |
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New Harmony Theatre (Evansville, IN) CLICK HERE TO SEE DESIGN PROCESS "A frothy, frenzied, often breathlessly funny evening of folly." |
Weston Playhouse (Weston, VT) CLICK HERE TO SEE DESIGN PROCESS
"A superb production... Director Michael Unger has produced an amazingly clear-sighted realization of the play. " | ||
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The Depot Theatre (Westport, NY) "Staged with color and elegance." |
Weston Playhouse (Weston, VT) | ||
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Gindy Auditorium (Los Angeles, CA) |
I'll Be Seeing You The Kimmel Center -- Innovation Space (Philadelphia, PA) | ||
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MUNY (St. Louis, MO) "A totally wonderful show for the entire family." |
Barrington Stage - BRAVO Award (Great Barrington, MA) "Michael Unger has artfully walked the dangerously thin line between broad comedy and philosophical observations." | ||
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Sanford Meisner Theatre (Studio Dramatique, NYC) |
Generation Productions (Chicago, IL) "An engrossing world premiere in a disturbing and driven production tightly directed by Michael Unger..." | ||
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Freed Center for the Arts (Ohio Northern University) |
Blowing Rock Stage (Blowing Rock, NC) | ||
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American Academy of Dramatic Arts |
Dancing At Lughnasa American Academy of Dramatic Arts | ||
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In Perpetuity Throughout the Universe The Juilliard School |
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The Complex (L.A., CA) "Finely tuned and well-trimmed adaptation." | |
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The Limelight (L.A., CA) "Michael Unger’s fluid direction is first-rate staging." |
McCarter Theatre (Princeton University's Triangle Club) "Michael Unger, keeps the show rolling at a fast, smooth, upbeat and engaging pace, with consistently high production values..." | |
| UPCOMING PROJECTS | |||
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A Christmas Carol (Annual Production) By Charles Dickens Adapted by David Thompson McCarter Theatre, Princeton, NJ November/December, 2010 |
The Crucible (Opera) By Robert Ward based on the play by Arthur Miller
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By Paul Aleman Currently in development Reading at Manhatta Theatre Club June 26, 2008 |
Behind The Limelight By Christopher Curtis La Jolla Playhouse September 7th, 2010 - October 17th, 2010 | ||
| READINGS | |
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Dillinger By Paul Aleman New 42nd Street Studios |
Ug By Jim Goeghan, Rick Rhodes, Vivian Rhodes |
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Liberty Smith Book by Eric Cohen and Mark Madneck Lyrics by Adam Abraham, Music by Michael Weiner The Lambs Theatre, Studio |
The Mystery Of The Dancing Princesses By Alan Zachary and Michael Weiner National Alliance for Musical Theatre Festival '01 |
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Christina Alberta's Father By Polly Penn (Based on the novel by H.G. Wells) National Music Theatre Network Broadway USA Series |
The Real McCoy By Joan Ross Sorkin and David Loud Reading and Workshop at CAP-21 |
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Water From The Moon By Rosemary Loar and Robert Atwood Education Alliance Jefferson St. and East Broadway |
Yes, Virginia, There Is A Santa Claus By David Krishenbaum and Miles McDonnell The York Theatre |
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Dance on the Rooftops By Allan Knee, Jon Marans and Dan Levine The York Theatre |
Pandora's Box By Glen Roven and Maria Schlatter With Laura Benanti, Jeff McCarthy, Donna McKechnie, Marcy Harriel, Jordan Leeds, Sandy Richter, Tina Johnson, Mark Chmiel, Michael Minarek and Desmond Confoy January, 2005 |