PLAYWRIGHT / COMPOSER / LYRICIST /DIRECTOR / CHOREOGRAPHER / ACTOR/ SINGER / DANCER / MUSICIAN / COMEDIAN
DON STITT is one of the most “hyphenated” men in show business. He has been performing professionally since 1965, and did his first commercial in 1968. During his five decades in entertainment, there is virtually no creative endeavor he has not tried his hand at.
At San Francisco State University, he wrote the book, music and lyrics for Babes on 42nd Street, The Doonesbury Revue, Joy, and A Kid's Summer Night's Dream.
In 1976, he became the first full time replacement in Beach Blanket Babylon, where he became acquainted with Seth Evans, (his future collaborator on Roscoe). Don has been grateful for Seth's friendship ever since.
The following year he was featured in the first Equity production of The Great American Backstage Musical, performing it in San Francisco and Palm Springs.
In 1978, Don created, coauthored, codirected and choreographed a show called Irving Berlin in Revue which would have a two-year run (and a successful revival in 1993).
On Labor Day of 1978, he moved to New York City, where he directed an Equity production of his children's piece, A Kid's Summer Night's Dream in 1979. Later that year, he choreographed Godspell for the Burt Reynolds Dinner Theater, and went on to appear in Man of La Mancha and Grease for them as well.
On St. Patrick's Day, 1981, he gave the first of 800 performances in Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up? which would lead to his Broadway debut the following year.
In 1986, he was integral to the New York revival of El Grande de Coca Cola, (with the original cast,) at the landmark cabaret, The Village Gate. In 1987, he returned to Broadway with Late Nite Comic, which led to a fourteen-month international tour of Can-Can with Chita Rivera and the Radio City Music Hall Rockettes.
The following year, he starred as Prince Nikki in My One and Only and as Chico Marx in A Day in Hollywood/A Night in the Ukraine. Then in 1990 and 1991, he was back on the Great White Way with Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story, in which he played a character based on disk jockey Alan Freed.
In the 90's he became a recognizable television commercial actor in hundreds of memorable spots as an on-camera and/or voice-over actor, (and occasionally as a dancer). In '97 and '98, he played Marcus Lycus on Broadway in the revival of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.
A video-recording of a production of Anything Goes! Don did with Chita Rivera, George Dvorsky, Bruce Adler, Stacey Logan and Patrick Quinn at Paper Mill is included in the Lincoln Center Library.
Don had the honor and privilege of serving two terms as the Mayor of Whoville, first in the National Tour of the Broadway musical Seussical, (which starred Olympic gymnast Cathy Rigby as the Cat in the Hat,) and another production at the historic Fulton Opera House.
Don was seen in the 2004 episode, "Cut!" of "Law & Order," and made his 15th appearance on "The Late Show with David Letterman" in 2005.
This decade, Don received an MFA in playwriting from Western Connecticut State University, where he premiered a comedy called Civil Intercourse. He played Elton John (and others) in the world premiere of A Girl Called Dusty at the Provincetown Playhouse. A new production of his 1978 children’s show, A Kid’s Summer Night’s Dream, won numerous awards in 2007. He performed his one-man musical, The Voices in my Head Have Formed a Choir and Somebody’s Singing Flat! , at the 2007 Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
Most recently, Don has had the good fortune to play Nick Bottom/Pyramus in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Clarence, (the wingless angel,) in the musical A Wonderful Life , Moonface Martin, Public Enemy # 13, in Anything Goes! , and Bert Barry in 42nd Street. (The latter afforded him an opportunity to publish a Backstage Blog for The Fulton Theatre.)
And Don has been honored by having his Collected Plays archived in the Haas Library on the campus of Western Connecticut State University.
Of his life as an entertainer, writer, director, choreographer, lyricist, and tunesmith, Don says: " I consider myself to be lucky to still be doing the thing that I enjoy most . . . making people laugh."
DON STITT
