For the past nearly 20 years, Jeff has served as the Staff Associate Director & Director of Concerts & Special Events for Disney Theatrical Productions in New York City. As Associate Director to Bob Crowley, he mounted the Broadway production of TARZAN, then directing the re-imagined productions in Holland and Germany. Jeff was the original Associate Director to Julie Taymor on Disney’s Broadway production of THE LION KING. Following the mounting of the Broadway production, he directed companies of the show in Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, and Nagoya, Japan; London; Toronto; Los Angeles; Chicago; two U.S. Touring Companies; Hamburg, Germany; and Sydney, Australia. He continues to work in Creative Development at DTP, directing many of their Readings for new projects in development as well as staging many of their special concert projects.
On behalf of DTP, Jeff served as the Associate Producer on a newly mounted production of THE LITTLE MERMAID, working very closely with primary producer and long-time partner of DTP, Stage Entertainment. Multiple productions of THE LITTLE MERMAID then opened in Holland, Moscow, & Tokyo. Their incredible success has them booked well into 2020 with sold-out performances.
Prior to joining Disney, Jeff was Associate Director for Broadway’s CATS and for the one-woman play, SHIRLEY VALENTINE. While supervising the U.S. Companies of CATS, he directed productions of the show in Mexico City and Buenos Aires, Argentina. For SHIRLEY VALENTINE, he directed multiple productions around the U.S. & Canada starring such names as Ellen Burstyn, Loretta Swit, Millicent Martin, and Helen Reddy.
Jeff served as Artistic Director of The North Carolina Theatre in Raleigh, N.C., directing their highly-acclaimed productions of JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, THE KING & I, MAN OF LA MANCHA, and A CHORUS LINE, while artistically over-seeing productions of CHICAGO, GEORGE M, and GREASE.
He continues to sit on the Artistic Advisory Board of the National Conservatory of Dramatic Arts in Washington, D.C. where for many years he maintained a regular directorial schedule for their repertory company, mounting productions of John Steinbeck’s THE GRAPES OF WRATH, Harold Pinter’s MOUNTAIN LANGUAGE, as well as several British and French farces.
Jeff’s freelance career has provided him the opportunity to direct several new plays - the world premiere of the contemporary farce, TRANSFERENCE, at the Mercury Theatre in Chicago, Illinois; PANIC and FINAL CURTAIN for Zev Bufman’s International Mystery Writer’s Festival at the RiverPark Center in Kentucky; and Thomas P. Carr’s, GETTING TO KNOW YOU, which opened at the Human Race Theatre in Dayton, Ohio, 2004. In that same year, he directed the critically acclaimed 25th Anniversary production of BLEACHER BUMS at the Royal George Theatre in Chicago. While at the International Mystery Writer’s Festival for PANIC and FINAL CURTAIN, Jeff directed their first annual Angie Awards Ceremony that was taped for a later broadcast on PBS.
Jeff’s productions of SHIRLEY VALENTINE, CATS, JOSPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT, EVITA, OLIVER, A CHORUS LINE, SWEET CHARITY, OKLAHOMA, LOVE JULIE, have played the U.S. and Canada, and his arena spectacular, MORTAL KOMBAT, extended beyond North America to South America, Europe, Australia, and the Orient.
With co-producer, Karen Berry (L&L Prods.), Jeff produced, directed & introduced THE SONG OF SINGAPORE to the off-loop Chicago theatre market, building a new 350-seat theatre, restaurant, and bar. Also in cooperation with Karen Berry, and new partner Todd Lacy, Jeff formed lonesome road productions. Among other optioned properties, lrp has produced both the critically acclaimed Chicago & Denver productions of THE DOYLE & DEBBIE SHOW. In addition to several new U.S. companies of D&D pending, productions of this wonderful 3-character comedy musical are in the planning stages for London & Australia for 2014.
Jeff has also worked extensively in television, video, and film as a writer, director, and producer. His company, JL | P, continues to conceive and develop entertainment product for theatre, concerts, film, & television. Current, immediate projects include a revival of SHIRLEY VALENTINE for Broadway; a 2-character comedy for the West End, & a new musical, HAVANA with Frank Wildhorn.
Beginning his education at the University of Wyoming, Jeff continued his studies at the Lee Strasberg Institute in New York. He has served as an Adjunct Professor in the Graduate Departments of the Yale School of Drama and the Columbia University School of Arts - Theatre Division. As time allows, Jeff continues to lecture and conduct seminars in professional theatre at select universities and arts schools around the U.S.
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