| After college, worked as advertising copywriter and jingle writer |
| Began to entertain offers from film studios to write songs for animated musicals |
| Born and raised in NYC |
| First produced show, a one-hour children's musical based on "The Emperor's New Clothes", staged at NYC's TheaterworksUSA |
| Overheard singing at work, invited to audition for a children's TV show |
| Was one of 10 songwriting teams who submitted material for consideration to write the score for a musical based on E L Doctorow's novel "Ragtime" |
| With Flaherty wrote first stage musical, an adaptation of the 1967 film "Bedazzled"; staged in a workshop but the writers were unable to obtain the rights to further produce the show |
| Worked as a producer of children's programming in the late 1970s and early 1980s |
1973 | Began contributing songs to the ABC animated children's series "Schoolhouse Rock" |
1978 | Formed a production company |
1982 | Introduced to Stephen Flaherty at the BMI musical theater workshop in NYC |
1988 | With Flaherty, wrote the adult musical "Lucky Stiff"; produced at Playwrights Horizons |
1990 | Breakthrough stage musical, wrote libretto and lyrics for "Once on This Island"; show originally produced at Playwrights Horizons then moved to Broadway where it was nominated for eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical and Best Score |
1992 | Had first stage flop with the adaptation of the 1982 film "My Favorite Year" |
1994 | Co-wrote the book (with director Mike Ockrent) and penned the lyrics (to music by Alan Menken) for a stage adaptation of "A Christmas Carol"; show has become an annual staple at the Paramount Theater in NYC |
1996 | "Ragtime" opened in Toronto |
1997 | First feature credit, with Flaherty wrote the song score for the animated musical "Anastasia" |
1998 | "Ragtime" opened on Broadway in January |
1999 | Collaborated with Flaherty on "Seussical", a stage musical adapted from the stories of Dr. Seuss; produced on Broadway in 2000; credited with book and lyrics |
