| Richard “R.” O'Donnell | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 17, 1956 Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania |
| Occupation | Actor, Producer, Writer and Stand-up Comic |
Richard O'Donnell (born June 17, 1956 in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania) is a playwright, poet, journalist, producer, actor, and stand-up comic living in Chicago. He has worked and lived in New York City and Chicago where he has written and performed for the stage and television. O'Donnell wrote the award-winning Off Broadway show One & One, Radio City Music Hall's A Manhattan Showboat, and co-founded the New Age Vaudeville theatre company, the New Variety cabaret, and the R. Rated Chicago television show.
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Richard O'Donnell began in the entertainment industry as a professional ventriloquist.[1] He ran away with the Sells & Gray 3-ring tent circus at the age of 15,[2] sleeping in the back of the elephant truck that transported their sole elephant, Bessie. O'Donnell was eventually forced to return home to finish high school, earning a scholarship to attend the Pennsylvania Governor's School for the Arts[3] where he studied theatre alongside classmate Kevin Bacon.
In 1978, at 22 years-old, Richard O'Donnell co-authored the book (with Fred Bennett) and the music and lyrics[4] (with Dianne Adams) for One & One (musical comedy) that played The Carter Theatre, in the Carter Hotel, 250 West 43rd street. It opened Off Broadway, November 15, 1978[5] received three ASCAP Awards, and was later recorded by actor Nathan Lane (The Producers) for the Broadway Backers Audition.
For Showplace of the Nation, Radio City Music Hall, O'Donnell co-wrote a hit mega-review entitled, A Manhattan Showboat in 1979 that celebrated over 100 years of American entertainment.[6]
He was invited to participate in the American Film Institute's "New Directors" program based on the merits of an original screenplay Closet Lovers, directed by tap-legend Miriam Nelson and scored by Henry Mancini.
In the 1980s, billed as "The Double R" comedy duo, in collaboration with writer Richard LaGravenese, O'Donnell co-penned and consecutively performed in several Off-Off-Broadway productions including Spare Parts, Blood-brothers, and Entrees at The 78th Street Theatre Lab, The Lion Theatre, and West Bank Cafe. The Double R were regular guests on the Linda Lichtman Comedy hour, WNBC Radio, 30 Rockefeller Plaza.[7] On the college circuit they opened for Leon Redbone and further developed their work in stand-up comedy clubs such as New York's Comedy Cellar and Yuk Yuk's in Toronto. While working with O'Donnell, LaGravenese discovered he had a knack for writing dialogue.[8]
In 1983 Richard O'Donnell was contracted by Tony Award-winning producer James B. McKenzie to create an after-show review to complement evening performances of the Peninsula Players in Fish Creek, Wisconsin. The Comedy Cabaret, as it came to be known, was an immediate success and returned to Door County for a follow-up season in 1984 as New Age Vaudeville in its own 100-seat theater in Baileys Harbor. O'Donnell also took to the main stage at Peninsula Players, starring in two highly acclaimed title roles[9] in Larry Shue's The Nerd and The Foreigner, O'Donnell was featured on the cover of the Chicago Tribune Arts Section, The Summer Stock Life.[10]
In 1998, O'Donnell was commissioned to write the book, music, and lyrics for a new musical play entitled Wish Wisconsin, to celebrate the state's 150th birthday. Directed and produced by Amy McKenzie, it opened Friday January 2, in the Fish Creek Town Hall Auditorium. Songs of merit included Wish, So Blessed, and the show-stopper Oh!, Wisconsin.[11]
Following the summer-stock season in 1983 Richard O'Donnell co-founded (with Amy McKenzie) the highly acclaimed Chicago theater company New Age Vaudeville (1984–1987). Throughout its run, O'Donnell produced, wrote, composed, choreographed, and acted in numerous productions with actors Megan Cavanagh, Amy McKenzie, Todd Erickson, Bobby McGuire, Peter Neville, Michael Dempsey, Lisa Keefe, Caroline Schless and Tom Purcell (head writer The Colbert Report). Productions included the cult-hits An Evening with Elmore & Gwendolyn Putts - The Neighbors Next Door and The TV Dinner Hour (the later featured iO, formerly ImrovOlympic, founder Del Close). Rick Kogan of the Chicago Tribune hailed both productions as "Among the most polished and clever productions of the season, a pair of devilishly inventive shows that won over critics and audiences alike."[12]
As a stand-up comic billed as R. O'Donnell, he played numerous clubs[1] including Zanies, The Chicago Improv, the Funny Firm, Catch A Rising Star, as well as featuring for celebrated comics Chris Rock, Bill Maher, Brian Regan, Rick Overton and Bill Hicks.
O'Donnell co-produced the New Variety, which played, among other venues, at the 500-seat Chicago Improv Comedy Club[13] for over 2 years. He was responsible for changing a faltering 3-ring comedy presentation into a successful variety format.[14] The New Variety, which was hailed by the Chicago Tribune as "A cabaret for the 90's!"[6] was a fast-paced, ever-changing volley of acts that included award-winning jugglers, fire-eaters, comics, and sketch comedy groups including the all-girl Nude Coffee, the all-gay The Boys in the Bathroom, and the all-improv Upright Citizens Brigade. Dr. Boom (who literally blew things up on stage) was the highlight of the evening.
O'Donnell produced and directed comedy segments for the 1998 New Year's Eve special Twisted,[15] which aired on Fox TV, Chicago featuring Matt Besser (Comedy Central's Upright Citizens Brigade) as well as writing and directing commercials for McDonald's, Toyota, Jiffy Lube, and Ameritech starring Besser and stand-up comic Michelle Garb in a stylistic homage to the works of Ernie Kovacs.
In 1999, O'Donnell went on to Executive Produce and host R. Rated which also aired on Fox TV, Chicago, a comedy anthology featuring short works by The Annoyance Theatre featuring Rachel Dratch (Saturday Night Live), Mick Napier (The Second City), and Stephnie Weir (MADtv), along with Tim Kazurinsky (Saturday Night Live), among many other independent film and video makers. It is said that O'Donnell hoped his new comedy series would shift the LA and NYC comedy spotlights to Chicago talent.[1]
R. O’Donnell has written for such national publications as Entertainment Weekly and Stop Smiling as well as serving as Editor-at-Large for the latter, and for cultural ezine Static Multimedia. He has a syndicated weekly column entitled The Kreep, published by Static Networx on ezine 100% of Nothing which is linked to a weekly podcast on iTunes. The Kreep, according to Robert K. Elder of the Chicago Tribune, is, “…a Gothic poet and illustrator in the tradition of Edward Gorey.”[16]
He is the identical twin brother of award-winning author and lecturer Michael A. O'Donnell.
3 ASCAP (1978) Music Awards – Music & Lyrics, Off Broadway Musical One & One (shared with Dianne Adams)