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Jacques Levy (July 29, 1935 – September 30, 2004) was an American songwriter, theatre director and clinical psychologist.
During this period, Levy approached Roger McGuinn of The Byrds to collaborate on Gene Tryp, a project inspired by Henrik Ibsen's Peer Gynt. While development of the musical theater stalled (a revised iteration was eventually performed at Colgate University in 1993), one song, "Chestnut Mare," became the single released from the album (Untitled) in 1970. Although it only peaked at #121 in the United States, the song reached #19 in the United Kingdom and ultimately became an enduring FM radio staple in America. Many further Levy-McGuinn songs appeared on Byrds and McGuinn albums during the 1970s and on Mcguinn, Clark & Hillman albums in the late 1970s. In 1973, Levy and Van Itallie reunited for Mystery Play, which starred Judd Hirsch and ran for 14 performances off-Broadway at the Cherry Lane Theatre. Mystery Play lortel.org, accessed August 21, 2013 The songwriting partnership between McGuinn and Levy endured until 1977's Thunderbyrd, a McGuinn solo album.
In the mid-seventies, Levy met Bob Dylan through McGuinn. Shortly thereafter, the two collaborated on "Isis" and another six songs which appeared on Dylan's 1976 album Desire. These included "Hurricane" (about imprisoned boxing Rubin "Hurricane" Carter) and "Joey" (an ode to the American Mafia gangster and hitman Joe Gallo). Levy was the stage director of both the 1975 and 1976 legs of Dylan's Rolling Thunder Revue.
In 1980, he staged Stephen Poliakoff's play American Days at Manhattan Theatre Club, which featured David Blue, one of the performers in the Rolling Thunder Revue. Frank Rich in his review for The New York Times wrote: "Jacques Levy, the director, matches the crackling energy of the text blow for blow."Rich, Frank. "Stage: American days a British Comedy" New York Times, January 2, 2981 In 1983 he staged (based on Garry Trudeau's comic strip Doonesbury) on Broadway theatre. "Jacques Levy Broadway" playbillvault, accessed August 21, 2015 In 1988 he provided the lyrics for the stage musical of the film Fame. Later came Marat/Sade (1994), Bus Stop (1997), and Brecht on Brecht (2000, in New York City). Brecht on Brecht theatermania.com, accessed August 21, 2015
In the early 1990s he taught acting at Hunter College in Manhattan. From 1993 until his death from cancer in 2004, he was a professor of English language and director of the drama program at Colgate University in upstate New York.
Note: Fame, the stage musical, was not presented on Broadway, but has been playing in London's West End since 1995.
Off Broadway
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