John Rando is an American stage director who won the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical for Urinetown the Musical in 2002. He received his 2nd nomination in the same category in 2015 for the 2014 Broadway revival of On the Town.
Early life Rando grew up in Houston, Texas and attended the University of Texas in Austin, studying theatre. He received a Fulbright Program fellowship and studied theatre in Germany and Italy and then studied directing at the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television, graduating in 1988. He next worked as an assistant director at the Old Globe Theatre (San Diego).Breslauer, Jan. "Theater. Funny How Things Happen" Los Angeles Times, July 4, 1999
Career Rando has directed Off-Broadway, on Broadway and in regional theatre. His first Off-Broadway play was Fortune's Fools, by Frederick Stroppel, at the Cherry Lane Theatre in 1995.Brantley, Ben. "Theater Review. The Love That Leads To a Ball And Chain" The New York Times, May 27, 1995 He directed the musical The Toxic Avenger, which opened Off-Broadway in 2009, after it premiered at the George Street Playhouse (New Brunswick, New Jersey)."Goodbye, Goo! Off-Broadway's 'Toxic Avenger' Will Close Jan. 3, 2010" playbill.com, November 10, 2009
Rando has directed several plays by David Ives Off-Broadway, including: a revival of Ancient History in May 1996 at Primary Stages,Brantley, Ben. "Theater Review. A Simply Charming Couple Headed for a Dead End" "The New York Times", May 22, 1996 as part of a double bill with his play English Made Simple,Listing English Made Simple Internet Off-Broadway Database, accessed February 8, 2014 Mere Mortals at Primary Stages in 1997,Lefkowitz, David. "Mortality To Strike Ives' Mere Mortals', Jan. 4" playbill.com, December 16, 1997 and Polish Joke at the Manhattan Theatre Club in 2003.Sommer, Elyse. "A CurtainUp Review. 'Polish Joke'" curtainup.com, accessed February 5, 2014 In February 2013 he directed a revival of Ives' All in the Timing at Primary Stages,Hetrick, Adam. "Primary Stages Revival of David Ives' Short Play Collection, 'All in the Timing', Opens Feb. 12" playbill.com, February 12, 2013 and received a 2013 Obie Award for Direction. He also directed Ives' play Lives of the Saints in a Philadelphia Theatre Company production in 1999 Ridley, Clifford A. "Ives' 'Lives Of The Saints' Soars - And Dips" articles.philly.com, January 29, 1999 and Berkshire Theatre Festival. Rando directed a revival of Ives' Lives of the Saints at Primary Stages in 2015.
On Broadway he made his debut in 1994 as the Assistant Director for the Arthur Miller play Broken Glass." Broken Glass, 1994" ibdb.com, accessed February 5, 2014 He next directed on Broadway in 2000, with the play The Dinner Party by Neil Simon.Brantley, Ben. "Theater Review. A Fine Meal: Please Pass The Vitriol" The New York Times, October 20, 2000 Rando directed the musical Urinetown, which opened in 2001 and closed in 2004,Simonson, Robert. " 'Urinetown' Packs Up, Lockstock and Barrel, at Final Broadway Performance" playbill.com, January 19, 2004 and won the 2002 Tony Award for Direction of a Musical.Staff. 2002 "TONY AWARD: Direction of a Musical, John Rando, 'Urinetown'" playbill.com, June 2, 2002
He is directing a new musical The Honeymooners, based on the television comedy The Honeymooners, which was created and starred Jackie Gleason. The musical has music by Stephen Weiner, lyrics by Peter Mills and the book by Dusty Kay and Bill Nuss. The musical premiered at the Paper Mill Playhouse, Milburn, New Jersey on September 28, 2017, and stars Michael McGrath as Ralph Kramden, Michael Mastro as Ed Norton, Leslie Kritzer as Alice Kramden, and Laura Bell Bundy as Trixie Norton.McPhee, Ryan. "Watch Footage of Leslie Kritzer, Laura Bell Bundy, and More in 'The Honeymooners' " Playbill, October 3, 2017
Rando directed several staged concerts of musicals for New York City Center's Encores!: Strike Up the Band (1998),Ku, Andrew and Lefkowitz, David. "NY 'Encores!' '98 Series Starts With Kuhn in 'Strike Up the Band' Feb. 12-15" playbill.com, February 12, 1998 Do Re Mi (1999)Brantley, Ben."Theater Review. A Singing Nathan Lane Adds Ham to the Fizz" The New York Times, May 8, 1999 The Pajama Game (2002),Finkle, David. "Review. 'The Pajama Game' " theatermania.com, May 3, 2002 On the Town (2008),Gans, Andrew. "A Helluva Town: Encores! Launches New Season with 'On the Town'" playbill.com, November 19, 2008 Damn Yankees (2008),Isherwood, Charles. "Theater Review. 'Damn Yankees'" The New York Times, July 11, 2008 Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (2012),Lipton, Brian Scott. "Review. 'Gentlemen Prefer Blondes'" theatermania.com, May 9, 2012 It's a Bird...It's a Plane...It's Superman (2013),Gans, Andrew. " 'You've Got Possibilities': Encores! 'It's a Bird…It's a Plane…It's Superman' Begins Limited Run March 20" playbill.com, March 20, 2013 Little Me (2014)Gans, Andrew. "Christian Borle Stars in Encores! 'Little Me', Beginning Feb. 5" playbill.com, February 5, 2014 and The New Yorkers (2017). "Take a Sneak Peek at 'The New Yorkers' Revival" Playbill, March 15, 2017
Stage productions (select) 1994 Broken Glass (Assistant Director) (Broadway) 2000 The Dinner Party (Broadway) 2001 A Thousand Clowns (Broadway) 2001 Urinetown (Broadway) 2002 Dance of the Vampires (Broadway) 2005 Escape: 6 Ways to Get Away (Miami) 2006 The Wedding Singer (Broadway) 2009 The Toxic Avenger Musical (Off-Broadway) 2009 The Toxic Avenger Musical (Toronto) 2012 A Christmas Story: The Musical (Broadway) 2014 Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead (Off-Broadway) 2014 On the Town (Broadway) 2015 Penn & Teller on Broadway (Broadway) 2016 The Secret on Broadway (Broadway) 2018 Jerry Springer - The Opera (Off-Broadway) 2018 The Royal Family of Broadway (Barrington Stage Company)The Royal Family of Broadway barringtonstageco.org, retrieved June 4, 2018 2021, 2023, 2026 Back to the Future: The Musical (London, Broadway, Hamburg)
Awards and nominations Year Title Award Category Result 2002Urinetown the MusicalTony Award Best Direction of a Musical Drama Desk Award Outstanding Direction of a Musical Outer Critics Circle Award Outstanding Director of a Musical 2015On the TownTony Award Best Direction of a Musical
Notes
References
External links
John Rando, Off-Broadway Database