Berton Averre
Encyclopedia
Berton Averre is the guitarist with the Los Angeles rock band The Knack
. They had a #6 UK/#1 US hit with "My Sharona
", which sold 10 million copies in the US. Aside from being a vocal arranger, he has toured with the likes of Robbie Krieger, Bette Midler
, the Cowsills and Sarah Brightman
.
In the 1990s, he turned his creative energies towards the theater and developed a screenplay with Tom Schulman, screenwriter of Dead Poet's Society and What About Bob?
. In 1993, he joined the Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop in Los Angeles, where he met Rob Meurer. As a duo, with Berton as composer, Rob as lyricist, and both as book writers, they have written three musical comedies. The first show, The Party's Over, received productions in Chicago and La Mirada. The second show, Jungle Man!, has had two hit productions at Stage One in Wichita, in 2000 and 2002. Robin Hood: The Untold Story, the team's third effort, was the hit of the esteemed ASCAP/Disney Workshop in 2001 and has been seen in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Long Beach.
In collaboration with oft-produced playwright Mark Saltzman, Averre and Meurer have written two more shows. Setup & Punch premiered in the summer of 2009 at The Blank Theater in Hollywood, and received a nomination for Best New Musical by the L.A. Weekly. The show will be featured in a public staged reading on October 13, 2010 at theYork Theater in New York
. The trio's other show, the musical Vrooom!, is a work in progress and will have readings in New York in early 2011.
The Knack
The Knack was an American New Wave rock quartet based in Los Angeles that rose to fame with their first single, "My Sharona", an international number one hit in 1979.-Founding :...
. They had a #6 UK/#1 US hit with "My Sharona
My Sharona
"My Sharona" is the debut single by The Knack, released in 1979 from their album Get the Knack. It reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart where it remained for six weeks and was #1 on Billboards Top Pop Singles of 1979 year-end chart. It was certified gold by the Recording Industry...
", which sold 10 million copies in the US. Aside from being a vocal arranger, he has toured with the likes of Robbie Krieger, Bette Midler
Bette Midler
Bette Midler is an American singer, actress, and comedian, also known by her informal stage name, The Divine Miss M. She became famous as a cabaret and concert headliner, and went on to star in successful and acclaimed films such as The Rose, Ruthless People, Beaches, and For The Boys...
, the Cowsills and Sarah Brightman
Sarah Brightman
Sarah Brightman is an English classical crossover soprano, actress, songwriter and dancer. She is famous for possessing a vocal range of over 3 octaves and singing in the whistle register...
.
In the 1990s, he turned his creative energies towards the theater and developed a screenplay with Tom Schulman, screenwriter of Dead Poet's Society and What About Bob?
What About Bob?
What About Bob? is a 1991 comedy film directed by Frank Oz, and starring Bill Murray and Richard Dreyfuss. Murray plays Bob Wiley, a multiphobic psychiatric patient who follows his successful and egotistical psychiatrist Dr. Leo Marvin on vacation...
. In 1993, he joined the Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop in Los Angeles, where he met Rob Meurer. As a duo, with Berton as composer, Rob as lyricist, and both as book writers, they have written three musical comedies. The first show, The Party's Over, received productions in Chicago and La Mirada. The second show, Jungle Man!, has had two hit productions at Stage One in Wichita, in 2000 and 2002. Robin Hood: The Untold Story, the team's third effort, was the hit of the esteemed ASCAP/Disney Workshop in 2001 and has been seen in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Long Beach.
In collaboration with oft-produced playwright Mark Saltzman, Averre and Meurer have written two more shows. Setup & Punch premiered in the summer of 2009 at The Blank Theater in Hollywood, and received a nomination for Best New Musical by the L.A. Weekly. The show will be featured in a public staged reading on October 13, 2010 at theYork Theater in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. The trio's other show, the musical Vrooom!, is a work in progress and will have readings in New York in early 2011.