George Abbott

A Broadway actor, director, playwright and producer, George Abbott (1887-1995) wrote and starred in his first comedy, Perfectly Harmless, while attending Harvard. In the 20's/30's, his plays were mostly comedies, including Twentieth Century, Three Men on a Horse and Room Service. In the 30's he also collaborated on his first musicals — Jumbo, On Your Toes and The Boys from Syracuse. Over the next three decades musical projects included Pal Joey, On the Town, The Pajama Game, Damn Yankees and Fiorello! From the 70's onward, he directed several revivals of his own shows, including 1987's Broadway, as well as new projects, such as a musical version of Twelfth Night. Among Mr. Abbott's many awards are six Tonys (including one for lifetime achievement) and the 1959 Pulitzer Prize for directing and co-authoring Fiorello!.