About Me
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Michael Bitterman Loves and writes Musicals.
Discovering the cast album of West Side Story in 1957, when he was seven, his life forever changed.
Acting wise -at Camp Tarigo he played the roles of Will Parker, Alfred P Doolittle and Harold Hill. For the Woodstock Youth Theatres production of West Side Story, he was Doc.
In Passion Place's debut play THE ROAD TO NIRVANA, he was Jerry.
Michael wrote many musicals and revues which have been performed in regional theaters. His songs have been performed in many New York clubs including Ted Hooks ON STAGE, The Bottom Line, RENO SWEENEY & on a Gabe Kaplan ABC TV special.
He has written radio jingles, music for films & videos, worked as a rehearsal pianist for Alan Klein (Beatles' manager), was a staff songwriter for Albert Grossman (manager for Bob Dylan, THE BAND, Janis Joplin, etc) and has been published by Chappel. As a synthesizer programmer & musican he has worked on sessions with Barry Manilow & Janis Ian. He had his own show on WBAI called Mike Bitterman's Musical Murders. He was the dramaturg for the River Arts Rep Company in Woodstock, NY under the direction of Larry Sacharow.
As a composer, he likes to shift styles and become the characters he is writing for. His love for melody, as well staying with character and style, is evident.
Beth Blickers, top agent from Abrams Artists in NY, had this to say about him:
"You actually have a much more commercial voice than I was expecting. And I swear I don't mean that in a perjorative way! There is a real tunefulness to your music whether you are working with someone else's lyrics or your own. I think you have managed to walk that fine line of finding your own voice as a composer while still giving producers the tune 'audiences can walk out humming."
He released his own album, WHOSE FANTASY IS THIS? in 1985-an autobiographical account of his life at that time.
As a composer and collobrator with Dennis Drogseth, he has written music for RASPUTIN and The DEMIGOD OF E. 78th St
As a composer and colloborator with James Corey Kaufman, he wrote the music for DISCOVERING MAGENTA
As a composer/lyricist he wrote the music & lyrics for the off Broadway musical, FIVE AFTER EIGHT, which played at the Cubiculo Theatre in New York in 1979 breaking all existing house records for that theater. The cast album was released by Original Cast Records in 1980 and rereleased and mastered on CD in 1993.
He recently completed the score for FORLORN HOPE-THE DONNER PARTY MUSICAL, (no it's not a satire-sorry) with book by TG Harpter. It is a true sincere account told from the journals of 12 year old Virginia Reed-whose father, James, was one of the leaders of the famed Donner Party.
He also wrote book, music and lyrics to THE CELLAR-A psycho-drama musical about sexual fetishes -(sorry again, it's not a silly parody)
As a Producer and Engineer he has produced several Woodstock compilation albums as well as albums with John Holt, Tom Pacheco, Priscilla Herdman, Jean Redpath, Denise Jordan Finley, Anna Cheek, John Sebastian, NRBQ, Graham Parker, Allan Shadow, Richard Shulman, Dennis Yerry, John Hall, Abby Newton, and many others.
Some of the artists who have recorded at his recording studio in Saugerties, NY have included Dave Matthews Band, NRBQ, The Band, John Sebastian, Alfred Drake-(yes), The Fugs, Richard McGraw, Jules Shear, John Hall and many many others.
Visit Midnight Mod at midnightmod.com
CHECK OUT MY MYSPACE PAGES FOR DISCOVERING MAGENTA, DEMIGOD OF E. 78th St., FORLORN HOPE-THE DONNER PARTY MUSICAL
