Julie Taymor

Julie Taymor
Dick Thomas Johnson from Tokyo, Japan · CC BY 2.0 · source
Name	Julie Taymor
Birth date	December 15, 1952
Birth place	Newton, Massachusetts
Occupation	Film director, theatre director, costume designer

Julie Taymor is a highly acclaimed film director and theatre director known for her innovative and imaginative productions, which often blend elements of music, dance, and visual arts. Her work has been recognized with numerous awards, including a Tony Award for The Lion King, which premiered on Broadway at the New Amsterdam Theatre in 1997, featuring music by Elton John and Tim Rice. Taymor's productions often feature complex puppetry, as seen in The Lion King, and mask design, which has been influenced by her studies of Noh theatre and Kabuki theatre at Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan. Her unique approach to storytelling has been shaped by her experiences working with Joseph Chaikin and the Open Theater in New York City.

● Early Life and Education

Taymor was born in Newton, Massachusetts, to a family of Jewish descent, and grew up in a household that encouraged her creative pursuits, with her mother, a concentration camp survivor, influencing her interest in theatre and arts. She attended Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio, where she studied mythology and folklore, and later traveled to Japan to study Noh theatre and Kabuki theatre at Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan, under the guidance of Tadashi Suzuki and Yukio Ninagawa. During her time in Japan, Taymor also worked with the Suzuki Company of Toga and developed her skills in puppetry and mask design, which would later become a hallmark of her productions, including her work with the Mabou Mines theatre company in New York City.

● Career

Taymor's career in theatre and film has spanned over four decades, during which she has worked with a wide range of collaborators, including William Shakespeare, Tennessee Williams, and Frida Kahlo, whose life and work inspired her biographical film, Frida, starring Salma Hayek and Alfred Molina. Her productions often blend elements of music, dance, and visual arts, as seen in her work with the New York City Ballet and the American Ballet Theatre, and have been recognized with numerous awards, including a Tony Award for The Lion King, which premiered on Broadway at the New Amsterdam Theatre in 1997, featuring music by Elton John and Tim Rice. Taymor has also worked with The Public Theater in New York City, where she directed productions of The Tempest and Titus Andronicus, and has collaborated with Philip Glass on several opera productions, including The Fall of the House of Usher.

● Filmography

Taymor's film career has included a range of critically acclaimed productions, such as The Tempest, starring Helen Mirren and Russell Brand, and Frida, starring Salma Hayek and Alfred Molina, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 2002. Her other notable films include Titus, starring Anthony Hopkins and Jessica Lange, and Across the Universe, featuring music by The Beatles and starring Evan Rachel Wood and Jim Sturgess. Taymor has also worked with Disney on several projects, including The Lion King, a photorealistic computer-animated remake of the 1994 animated film, featuring the voices of Donald Glover and Beyoncé.

● Theatre Work

Taymor's theatre work has been widely acclaimed, with productions such as The Lion King, which premiered on Broadway at the New Amsterdam Theatre in 1997, featuring music by Elton John and Tim Rice, and Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, which premiered on Broadway at the Foxwoods Theatre in 2011, featuring music by Bono and The Edge. Her other notable theatre productions include The Green Bird, which premiered at the New Victory Theater in 2000, and Grendel, an opera based on the novel by John Gardner, which premiered at the Los Angeles Opera in 2006. Taymor has also worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company on several productions, including The Taming of the Shrew and A Midsummer Night's Dream.

● Awards and Recognition

Taymor has received numerous awards and nominations for her work in theatre and film, including a Tony Award for The Lion King, which premiered on Broadway at the New Amsterdam Theatre in 1997, featuring music by Elton John and Tim Rice. She has also been recognized with an Academy Award nomination for Frida, starring Salma Hayek and Alfred Molina, and has received several Emmy Award nominations for her work on The Lion King and Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark. Taymor has been honored with a MacArthur Fellowship and has been named one of the most influential people in the world by Time Magazine, alongside other notable figures such as Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese.

● Personal Life

Taymor is married to Elliott Goldenthal, a composer and pianist who has collaborated with her on several projects, including The Tempest and Frida. The couple resides in New York City and has been involved in various philanthropic efforts, including supporting the New York City Ballet and the American Ballet Theatre. Taymor has also been an advocate for women's rights and arts education, and has worked with organizations such as the National Endowment for the Arts and the Kennedy Center to promote the arts and support emerging artists, including Lin-Manuel Miranda and Sara Bareilles.