Jill Santoriello is an American musician, composer, lyricist, and author. She is a self-taught musician (playing piano "by ear") whose award winning first musical A Tale of Two Cities was an Outer Critics Circle Award nominee for Outstanding New Musical in 2009.
Santoriello was born in Summit, New Jersey and grew up in Berkeley Heights, New Jersey,[1] and graduated from Governor Livingston High School in 1983.[2]
On September 18, 2008, Santoriello's Broadway musical adaptation of A Tale of Two Cities officially opened at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre in New York, from previews on August 19.[3][4] The musical's producers announced on November 4 that the show would be closing on November 16, but closed earlier than expected on November 9.
In addition to the 2009 Outer Critics Circle Award nomination for Outstanding New Musical, "Tale" also received an additional Outer Critics Circle nomination for Best Actor and 3 Drama Desk Award nominations. The world premiere production at the Asolo Theatre was nominated for 12 Sarasota Theater Awards and won 10, including "Best Musical".
In 2009, Santoriello adapted the musical for the concert stage and co-produced a television filming of the concert at the historic Theater Royal in Brighton, England. This television program will be broadcast on public television, WGBH-Boston in December 2009 and a DVD of the show will be made available. Santoriello also co-produced an accompanying studio recording of the score for simultaneous release with the television show.
Santoriello is a Carr Van Anda honors graduate of the Ohio University School of Journalism. She is also an alumna of the BMI and ASCAP Musical Theater Workshops.