David Holcenberg is an American musical director, orchestrator, musical arranger, conductor, composer, and keyboardist. He is best known for his musical direction of Broadway works such as Seussical, Mamma Mia!, Ghost, Bye Bye Birdie, The Story of My Life, Good Vibrations, Titanic, Rocky, Show Boat, Matilda the Musical, Groundhog Day, and MJ the Musical.
Holcenberg wrote music and lyrics for Bingo! The Winning Musical alongside Michael Heitzman and Ilene Reid. Bingo first premiered in 2001 at the Hermosa Beach Playhouse. Following a production at the Ordway Center of the Performing Arts the same year and at the Adirondack Theatre Festival in 2003, Bingo premiered off-broadway at St. Luke's Theater on November 7, 2005. Bingo! The Winning Musical is available for licensing by Concord Theatricals.
Holcenberg was nominated for a Tony Award and won a Drama Desk Award in 2022 for orchestrations for MJ the Musical. He was also nominated for a Grammy in 2023 for Best Musical Theater Album for MJ The Musical.
Holcenberg was the music director for Bartram and Hill's adaptation of Timothy Findley's 1984 novel Not Wanted on the Voyage, staged at Northwestern University in 2010 as part of the American Music Theatre Project.
Stage credits YearTitleRoleVenueRef.1994Show BoatAssociate Conductor, PianoBroadway, Gershwin Theatre1997TitanicMusic DirectorBroadway, Lunt-Fontanne Theatre2000SeussicalMusical Director, ConductorBroadway, Richard Rodgers Theatre2001Mamma Mia!Broadway, Broadhurst TheatreBingo! The Winning MusicalMusic, LyricsRegional, Hermosa Beach Playhouse Regional, Ordway Center of the Performing ArtsRegional, Adirondack Theatre Festival2005Good VibrationsMusical SupervisorBroadway, Eugene O'Neill TheatreBingo! The Winning MusicalMusic, LyricsOff-Broadway, St. Luke's Theatre 2009The Story of My LifeMusic Director, ConductorBroadway, Booth TheatreBye Bye BirdieBroadway, Henry Miller's Theatre2010Not Wanted on the VoyageMusic DirectorUniversity, Northwestern University2012Ghost The MusicalMusic Director, ConductorBroadway, Lunt-Fontanne Theatre2014RockyMusic SupervisorBroadway, Winter Garden Theatre2015MatildaMusical Director, ConductorBroadway, Shubert Theatre2017Groundhog DayBroadway, August Wilson Theatre2022MJMusic Supervision, OrchestrationsBroadway, Neil Simon Theatre2025Mamma Mia!Associate Music DirectorBroadway, Winter Garden Theatre
Awards and nominations YearAwardCategoryWorkResultRef.2022Tony AwardBest OrchestrationsMJDrama Desk AwardOutstanding OrchestrationsOuter Critics Circle AwardOutstanding Orchestrations2023Grammy AwardBest Musical Theater Album
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