MICHAEL COLBY is the librettist/lyricist of such musicals as CHARLOTTE SWEET (Drama Desk Award nomination), TALES OF TINSELTOWN, NORTH ATLANTIC (Show Business Award), SLAY IT WITH MUSIC (off-Broadway & London), MRS. McTHING, THEY CHOSE ME!, and LUDLOW LADD. He was chief writer for the Drama Desk Award-winning New Amsterdam Theatre Company and has been a writer for The NY Festival of Song and Theatre By the Blind.
He is the author of the well-received autobiographical book “The Algonquin Kid: Adventures Growing Up at New York’s Legendary Hotel.” Jay Records has released CDs of TALES OF TINSELTOWN, CHARLOTTE SWEET (the complete show), and LUDLOW LADD. DANGEROUS, a musical he co-wrote, has recently been optioned for Broadway.
Michael wrote continuity for two benefits at the 92nd Street Y: STANDING OVATIONS (starring Carol Channing, Nell Carter, Elaine Stritch, Leslie Uggams, and other great ladies of the theatre) and THE LONGEST RUNNING SHOW ON BROADWAY (a tribute to Maurice Levine, hosted by Angela Lansbury). He also wrote STEPHEN SCHWARTZ: A MUSICAL CELEBRATION, a benefit for the Directors Company, starring Betty Buckley, Paul Shaffer, Kathy Najimi, et al.
He created special material for ANIMAL CRACKERS (Paper Mill Playhouse/Goodspeed), lyrics for MEESTER AMERIKA (The Garage Theatre, NJ) and THE HUMAN HEART (at Marymount Manhattan College), and the narration for THE MAYOR MUSICALS, a benefit for Musicals In Concert hosted by Sheldon Harnick. Among the personalities for whom Mr. Colby has written material are Linda Lavin, Tony Randall, Tovah Feldshuh, Andrea McArdle, Robert Cuccioli, Savion Glover, Dina Merrill, Susan Stroman, Michael Feinstein, Natalie Douglas, Jack Gilford, Sharon McNight, Tom Wopat, Tony Yazbeck, Kristin Chenoweth, Bruce Adler, Lainie Kazan, Jane Powell, Julie Wilson, Alison Fraser, Donna McKechnie, & Cicely Tyson.
Michael’s movie credits include writing the title song for the film HEART OF THE BEHOLDER.
He currently serves as Vice President of the acclaimed off-Broadway company, Urban Stages. There, he has written, produced, and often hosted annual benefits for their Winter Rhythms series. These include: The Algonquin Kid, Ludlow Ladd in Concert, Other Lives: The Story Songs of Michael Colby (also an album from JAY Records), The Algonquin Retrospective (Nights at the Algonquin and Created at the Algonquin), Holiday Regards (MAC Award nomination), and the upcoming Cast of Characters.
A member of BMI and the Dramatists Guild, Michael has a BA in English from Northwestern University and an MA in Drama from NYU. He lives in Metuchen, NJ with his wife Andrea.
