Robert L. Freedman

Robert L. Freedman (born July 27, 1957) is an American screenwriter and dramatist. He is best known for his teleplays for Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella and Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows (2001), and for his Tony-winning book and lyrics of A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder (2014).

Early life and education Freedman attended Los Alamitos High School, where he was the editor of the school’s newspaper. That's where he met another influential figure in his life, a journalism teacher named Margaret Hall.

He attended the University of California, Los Angeles and New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. He holds Masters of Fine Arts from NYU in Dramatic Writing and Musical Theatre Writing.

Career Freedman won the 1994 Writers Guild of America Award for Outstanding Television Children's Show for his script for the TV movie A Deadly Secret: The Robert Bierer Story (1993). Among other awards, Freedman was nominated by the Writers Guild of America, "Adapted Long Form". He was also nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing For a Miniseries or a Movie, a Co-Nominee for the 2001 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Miniseries.

He wrote the book for the stage musical Grand Duchy, with music by John Bayless, which had staged readings at Playwrights Horizons and the Paper Mill Playhouse and premiered in Santa Barbara, California, in 2003. A second performance, also in Santa Barbara, was expected spring of 2016.

He wrote the book to a musical titled Campaign of the Century, with lyrics by Freedman and Steven Lutvak and music by Lutvak. It is based on the book by Greg Mitchell, and is about the smear campaign against author Upton Sinclair. It had staged readings at the Chicago Humanities Festival in 2004, the New York Music Festival in September 2005, and the Beverly Hills Theatre Guild in 2006.

Freedman wrote the book and lyrics to a musical version of Kind Hearts and Coronets, with music and lyrics by Steven Lutvak, directed by Ron Lagomarsino, which was presented at the Sundance Institute Theatre Laboratory, Utah, in July 2006. The musical had a staged reading in the Breaking Ground Series at the Huntington Theatre in Boston in April 2006.

Work

Television Sources: The New York Times, filmreference.com

The Royal Romance of Charles and Diana (1982) Broadway Sings: The Music of Jule Styne (1987) Taken Away (1989) Locked Up: A Mother's Rage (1991) Woman With A Past (1992) A Deadly Secret: The Robert Bierer Story (1992) Honor Thy Mother (1992) In the Best of Families: Marriage, Pride & Madness (1994) What Love Sees (1996) Mrs. Santa Claus (1997) Unlikely Angel (1997) Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella (1997) Long Way Home (1998) What Makes a Family (2001) Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows (2001) Murder in the Hamptons (2005) The Pastor's Wife (2011)

Theatre Grand Duchy (with John Bayless) Campaign of the Century (with Steven Lutvak) The Beast of Broadway: The Life and Times of David Merrick (with Faye Greenberg) (2010) A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder (with Steven Lutvak) Camp Rock: The Musical (with Faye Greenberg)

Honors and awards Year Award Category Nominated Work Result 1983, 1984 ASCAP Popular Award for Musical Theatre Grand Duchy 1993 Edgar Award Best TV Feature or MiniSeries Honor Thy Mother 1994 Writers Guild Award Outstanding Television Children's Show A Deadly Secret: The Robert Bierer Story 1996 Chicago International Television Festival Silver Plaque What Love Sees 1999 Writers Guild Award Outstanding Children's Script Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella 2001 Humanitas Prize What Makes a Family GLAAD Award Best TV Film Emmy Award Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries or Movie Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows Outstanding Miniseries Television Critics Association Award Broadcast Critics Association Award Golden Satellite Award Best TV Movie or Miniseries Golden Globe Award Best TV Movie or Miniseries 2002 Writers Guild Award 2006 California Musical Theatre Award Campaign of the Century Edward Kleban Award (with Steven Lutvak) 2014 Tony Award Best Book of a Musical A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder