Biography
Noted for his bouncy film scores that are a throwback to the heyday of the Tin Pan Alley composers, Marc Shaiman first gained prominence as the musical director for Bette Midler and her back-up singers, The Harlettes, in the mid-1970s. As a teenager, he had dropped out of high school and moved to NYC in the hopes of working with Midler. When her pianist, Barry Manilow, moved on, the Divine Miss M hired Shaiman and their careers have been …
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Career Milestones
| Began studying piano at an early age; never had formal music studies | ||
| Moved to New York City at age 16 | ||
| Served as musical director/arranger for Bette Midler's live shows | ||
| Wrote special music for TV series, "Saturday Night Live" (NBC); first collaborations with Billy Crystal; received 1987 Emmy nomination | ||
1980 | Film debut as music arranger, "Divine Madness", a concert film starring Midler | |
1984 | Broadway acting debut, "Harlem Nocturne" | |
1984 | Stage music-writing debut, "Gotta Getaway!" at Radio City Music Hall | |
1987 | Feature acting debut, "Broadcast News" | |
1987 | First TV job as music director, "Women of the Night" (HBO) | |
1988 | Was music supervisor on two films starring Midler, "Big Business" and "Beaches" | |
1989 | Association with Crystal led to the job of adapting songs for "When Harry Met Sally"; first collaboration with director Rob Reiner; also wrote two of the film's songs; served as producer along with Harry Connick Jr on Connick's resulting Grammy-winning album; received a Grammy nomination for Best Arrangement Accompanying a Vocal; would also receive Grammy nod for his arrangements accompanying the vocals of Connick's "We Are in Love" (1991) | |
1990 | First film score, Reiner's "Misery" | |
1991 | Composed music for "Scenes From a Mall", starring Midler; was a song producer on "For the Boys" (also starring Midler), for which he co-wrote the song "Dixie's Dream" | |
1991 | First collaboration with producer Scott Rudin, Barry Sonnenfeld's "The Addams Family" | |
1992 | Reteamed with Crystal on "City Slickers"; also first film with director Ron Underwood | |
1992 | Scored Crystal's feature directing debut, "Mr. Saturday Night" | |
1992 | Wrote special musical material for Crystal for "The 64th Annual Academy Awards" (ABC), earning an Emmy; had received an Emmy nomination for the previous year's awards | |
1993 | Credited as associate producer on "Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit" | |
1993 | Garnered first Oscar nomination for song "A Wink and a Smile" (from "Sleepless in Seattle"), co-written with Ramsey McLean; performed by Connick | |
1993 | Reteamed with Rudin and Sonnenfeld for the sequel "Addams Family Values" and with Midler for "Hocus Pocus" (as song producer and arranger) | |
1993 | Reteamed with Underwood on "Heart and Souls" | |
1994 | Again collaborated with Underwood on "Speechless" | |
1995 | Earned Oscar nod for Best Original Comedy or Musical Score for Rob Reiner's "The American President" | |
1995 | Reteamed with Crystal on his sophomore directing effort, "Forget Paris" | |
1996 | Received Academy Award nomination for the score of "The First Wives Club", starring Midler and Goldie Hawn | |
1997 | Seventh film with Rudin, "In & Out"; co-wrote the song "Hail to Thee O Greenleaf High" with screenwriter Paul Rudnick | |
1998 | Picked up fourth Oscar nomination for the score of "Patch Adams" | |
1999 | Collaborated with Eric Clapton on the score for Reiner's "The Story of Us"; also scored "The Out-of-Towners", featuring Hawn and Steve Martin | |
1999 | Wrote the musical score for the animated "South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut"; also contributed to the songs; shared a Best Original Song Academy Award nomination with Trey Parker for "Blame Canada"; film executive produced by Rudin | |
2000 | Penned the score for "Disney's The Kid" | |
2000 | With Scott Wittman, wrote the score for the stage musical version of John Waters' film "Hairspray"; performed in workshop; premiered on Broadway in summer 2002 | |
2002 | Wrote the music for an original musical for ABC TV called "Livin' Dolls"; first TV-movie | |
Awards
1991 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Achievement In Music Direction in The 63rd Annual Academy Awards |
1992 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement In Writing In a Variety or Music Program in The 64th Annual Academy Awards |
1993 | Academy Award for Music (Original Song) in Sleepless in Seattle |
1993 | BAFTA Award for Score in Sleepless in Seattle |
1995 | Academy Award for Music (Original Musical or Comedy Score) in The American President |
1996 | Academy Award for Music (Original Musical or Comedy Score) in The First Wives Club |
1998 | Academy Award for Music (Original Musical or Comedy Score) in Patch Adams |
1999 | Academy Award for Music (Original Song) in South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut |
1999 | Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Music Score in South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut |
2003 | Tony Award for Original Musical Score |
2004 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Direction in The 76th Annual Academy Awards |
2010 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Direction in The 82nd Annual Academy Awards |
2010 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing For a Variety, Music or Comedy Special in The 82nd Annual Academy Awards |
2012 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing For a Variety, Music or Comedy Special in The 84th Annual Academy Awards |