Biography of Timothy A McDonald

Timothy A. McDonald was born in a small lumber town in northern California and is a respected playwright, and director. In 1997 Tim was recruited by MTI CEO Freddie Gershon to create and develop the first educational division in a major musical theatre licensing firm. For ten years Tim supervised, adapted or developed every show - over 30 titles - in MTI's educational division. He worked side-by-side with theatrical greats (including Cameron Mackintosh, Stephen Sondheim, Arthur Laurents, Stephen Flaherty, Lynn Ahrens, Stephen Schwartz and Sheldon Harnick) to create age-appropriate versions of classic musicals such as Les Misérables, Annie, Meredith Willson's The Music Man and Into the Woods for students to perform, along with corresponding educational materials. While at MTI, Tim also teamed with Disney Theatricals to adapt eight beloved Disney animation titles - including Aladdin, The Jungle Book, Cinderella and Mulan - for the stage, virtually creating the "direct to licensing" musical theatre market. Tim further solidified his reputation as a playwright through his work on the musical Roald Dahl's Willy Wonka, co-writing the book with Leslie Bricusse and adapting the score from the film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley. The premiere production set attendance records at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and went on a three-year national tour, which included a special command performance for the President and First Lady at the White House. Tim was invited back to the Kennedy Center to direct The Phantom Tollbooth in the fall of 2007; the production enjoyed rave reviews and sold-out shows and a subsequent national tour. Tim is continuing to define the educational theater market by creating new musicals for children. He wrote the books for The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley the new show Frankly Ben, and The Ant and the Elephant with Tony award winner Lisa Lambert. Tim also served as playwright for Jim Henson's Emmet Otter that opened at Goodspeed Musicals in 2008. Tim is currently serving as playwright for Roald Dahl's James and the Giant Peach, with composer and lyricist Benj Pasek and Justin Paul.