| Scott Sanders | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1957 St. Petersburg, Florida |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | University of Florida[1] |
| Occupation | Television producer, theatrical producer and film producer |
| Known for | "Elaine Stritch: at Liberty" '"The Color Purple: The Musical", the revitalization of Radio City Music Hall in New York City,[2] and the theatrical production of The Pee-wee Herman Show |
Scott Sanders is an American television producer and theatrical producer. He is best known for the theatrical musical version of Alice Walker’s novel The Color Purple, of which he was Lead Producer along with Oprah Winfrey, Quincy Jones, and Harvey Weinstein, for producing Elaine Stritch: at Liberty, and for his work on numerous musical and theatrical productions.[3]
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Sanders grew up in St. Petersburg, Florida and was a 1975 graduate of Gibbs High School in Pinellas County, Florida, which at the time was undergoing court-ordered desegregation, and to which he was bused. He was Class President at Gibbs. He is a 1979 graduate of the University of Florida. During college he worked as an intern in the advertising department of the St. Petersburg Times.[3]
Sanders began his career at Radio City Music Hall in New York, producing artists including Liberace, Sting, Diana Ross, and The Grateful Dead. He was Executive Producer there for 15 years and has been credited with reversing the venue’s steady decline after its near-bankruptcy in 1978. Sanders brought in rock concerts and popular cultural events including the Super Bowl halftime show and galas for President Bill Clinton.[2]
Sanders co-founded [2] and became president of Mandalay Television,[4] and executive produced six network series, including include Young Americans, starring Kate Bosworth, Ian Somerhalder, Katherine Moenning, and Michelle Monaghan; Cupid, Mercy Point, Rude Awakening, Rick Reynolds: Only the Truth is Funny, and Penn & Teller: Don’t Try This at Home. His production company "Creative Battery" was responsible for solo Broadway shows by Elaine Stritch and the Barry Humphries character Dame Edna.[5] Sanders also was Executive Producer for Queen Latifah’s jazz album, “The Dana Owens Album,” which received a 2005 Grammy nomination.[3] In 2007 he founded Scott Sanders Productions, a film and theatrical production company based in New York City.[6] Sanders and David Rockwell will produce "Houdini: An Original Musical" to be scored by Danny Elfman and directed by Jack O'Brien.[7] In 2010 he was the producer for the theatrical production of "The Pee-wee Herman Show" starring Paul Reubens, first in Los Angeles and then in New York.[8] Sanders is a lead producer on the first revival production of Evita based on the life of Argentine first lady Eva Peron, to be staged in 2012, and starring Ricky Martin and Elena Roger.[9] Sanders and Ahmet Zappa are co-producing a film written by Peter Hedges, The Odd Life of Timothy Green, for Walt Disney Pictures.[10]
Sanders had read Walker's book and wanted to produce it as a musical. The project took over eight years to realize, partly due to the reluctance of Pulitzer Prize winner Walker to give permission for the adaptation of her novel. Walker was eventually won over by Sanders, and gave her permission and support.[11] Sanders thought that it had similarities to “Fiddler on the Roof” – "a community of people that the audience would follow over time," and told her so.[12]
The Color Purple, which premiered at The Alliance Theatre in Atlanta and opened at the Broadway Theatre in New York City in December 2005, had an all-black cast and Oprah Winfrey as an investor.[13] Sanders promoted the production with television advertising, and had hired Fantasia, an “American Idol” winner, for the lead role.[14] The production was noted for its contribution to a “redefinition of the Broadway crowd,” a reference to its ability to attract a multi-racial audience.[15] Later, Sanders would describe the work of producing a musical as "wrestling an octopus, keeping all the puppies in the box," and the hardest thing he had ever done, "more white-knuckle than I'd like, and the most fun I'd ever had."[16]
Sanders’ production opened at the Stephen Sondheim Theater in October 2010. It was dubbed by one critic “Nothing less than a bubble bath of nostalgia for the many adoring fans of Pee-wee.”[17] All advance tickets had been sold at full price. For months prior to the opening the producers and Paul Reubens used social networking sites Facebook and Twitter to the production’s advantage to stimulate media and fan interest. By opening night the Pee-wee character had acquired approximately 750,000 followers on the two sites. Sanders has said of the success of the production's use of social media, “You’re talking about a database of fans that costs zero.” [18]
In 2007 Sanders started a production company,"Scott Sanders Productions," receiving funding from a private equity group which includes New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, David Kraft, Roy Furman, and Jim Fantaci, and signed a film deal with Disney.[19]
Sanders won a Tony Award for Best Special Theatrical Event in 2002 for "Elaine Stritch: At Liberty."
In 2004 Sanders won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety, Music, or Comedy Special for "Elaine Stritch: At Liberty" (2002).
Sanders received a 2005 nomination for Best Jazz Vocal Album for Queen Latifah's The Dana Owens Album, a 2005 nomination for Best Special Theatrical Event for "Dame Edna: Back with a Vengeance," and was nominated in 2002 for a Best Special Theatrical Event for "Elaine Stritch: At Liberty."
In 2006 The Color Purple was nominated for 11 Tony Awards, including Best Musical for The Color Purple, Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical, Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical, Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical, Best Choreography, Best Original Score, Best Book of a Musical, Best Costume Design of a Musical, Best Lighting Design of a Play, and Best Lighting Design of a Musical.[20]
Sanders married Brad Lamm in California in 2008 in a ceremony officiated by Alice Walker, who was ordained by Universal Ministries for the event.[21]