Adam Gwon

Gwon was born in Boston, and spent his childhood in Baltimore before attending New York University Tisch School of the Arts.[2][3] While studying acting at NYU, Gwon was encouraged to pursue writing by a teacher, David Bucknam, and was later mentored by the musical theater writing team of Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty.[4] Gwon is of Chinese-American and Jewish descent.[5]

Gwon made his off-Broadway debut in 2009 with Ordinary Days, the first musical production in Roundabout Theatre Company's black box space, Roundabout Underground.[6] In 2011, Signature Theatre in Arlington, Virginia, premiered Gwon's musical The Boy Detective Fails, based on the novel by Joe Meno, as part of their American Musical Voices Project.[7] South Coast Repertory commissioned and premiered his musical Cloudlands, written with Octavio Solis, in 2012.[5][8]

In 2015, Gwon had two simultaneous world premieres, both co-written with Julia Jordan: Bernice Bobs Her Hair, adapted from the F. Scott Fitzgerald short story, at the Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma, and Cake Off at Signature Theatre in Arlington, Virginia.[9] Cake Off received a Helen Hayes Award nomination for Outstanding Original Play or Musical Adaptation.[10]

Village Theatre in Issaquah, Washington, produced the world premiere of Gwon's musical String, with a book by Sarah Hammond, in 2018.[11]

Gwon's Ordinary Days was preserved on a cast album and has been produced in London's West End and around the world from Paris to Rio de Janeiro.[12][13][14] A 2018 revival by the Keen Company was nominated for a Drama League Award for Best Revival of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Musical.[15]

Gwon's song "I'll Be Here" was recorded by Audra McDonald on her album Go Back Home.[16] McDonald has performed the song in concert, including at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center.[17][18] It aired on PBS's Live from Lincoln Center in 2013.[19]

He served a three-year term on the Tony Awards Nominating Committee, beginning in 2015.[20]

Gwon's musical Scotland, PA, with book by Michael Mitnick, adapted from the cult 2001 film, premiered at Roundabout Theatre Company's Laura Pels Theatre in 2019.[14]

In 2008, Gwon was the fourth annual recipient of the Fred Ebb Foundation Award, presented to aspiring composer/lyricists.[21]

In 2011, Gwon received the Kleban Prize for most promising musical theater lyricist. The award included a $100,000 cash prize.[22]

• Ordinary Days (2009)
• The Boy Detective Fails (2011)
• Cloudlands (2012)
• Bernice Bobs Her Hair (2015)
• Cake Off (2015)
• String (2018)
• Scotland, PA (2019)

• Ordinary Days[12]
• Go Back Home[16]
• The Essential Liz Callaway[23]
• Because[24]
• 16 Stories[25]