Richard Maltby Jr.

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Richard Maltby Jr. is an American theatre director, producer, lyricist and screenwriter, born on 6 October 1937 in Ripon, Wisconsin. His father Richard Maltby Sr. was a well-known bandleader. At Yale he began working with the composer David Shire. Their first Broadway credit was in 1968, when their song The Girl of the Minute was used in the revue New Faces of 1968.

Music and breakthrough

He conceived and directed the only two musical revues that won the Tony Award for best musical: Ain't Misbehavin' in 1978 and Fosse in 1999. With Shire he wrote, among other things, Baby in 1983, Closer Than Ever in 1989 and Big in 1996. In 1977 the Manhattan Theatre Club turned their earlier songs into the revue Starting Here, Starting Now. For Miss Saigon he wrote the lyrics together with others, which earned him a Tony nomination for best score in 1991. He also directed Song and Dance with Bernadette Peters in 1986, conceived Ring of Fire, a musical about Johnny Cash, in 2006 and co-wrote The Pirate Queen. In 2025 About Time premiered, the sequel to his earlier revues with Shire.

Influence

In addition, since 1976 he has set the monthly cryptic crossword for Harper's Magazine. Maltby is an example of a lyricist who shapes musical theatre, not only with his songs but also as a director.

Listening

Discography

Studio albums

• 2008Take Flight (original Cast Recording)
• 2023Baby (soundtrack)

In School of Rock

The chapters, maps and magazine stories of School of Rock are currently available in Dutch only.

• The Dream Factory: Film Reel 2^NL Reader