Kelly Robinson: Biography

KELLY ROBINSON’S career as a director, choreographer, and dramaturge, spans theatre, opera, dance and film. He holds a law degree from York University and has been the Director of Creative Development for Toronto’s Mirvish Productions for the past 16 years. He is a past board member of The Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the America’s and remains active in that organization. He is a frequent teacher of Master Classes, most recently at Guildhall SMD in London, Nissan Nativ Acting Studio, Jerusalem, and in Fontainebleau, France. He is past Executive Director for Canada’s prestigious International Centre for the Arts, The Banff Centre’s Theatre Arts Program.

With more than 100 mainstage works to his credit, his award winning work as a theatre director and choreographer has been seen at among others, The Shaftesbury Theatre (West End, London, where Theatre Record called PEGGY SUE GOT MARRIED the best musical of the season), The Stratford Festival Canada, The Palace Theatre (New York), The Shaw Festival Canada, Manitoba Theatre Centre, The National Arts Centre, CanStage Toronto, and Plymouth Theatre Royal in England as well as the opera companies of Dallas, Minnesota, Portland, Utah and Arizona, in addition to opera and theatre companies across Canada. Recent work includes the hit premiere of Bittergirl at The Charlottetown Festival in Canada and Evita for Vancouver Opera, a production that broke attendance and box office records. The new dance musical, VIDA! a commission from Mirvish Productions premiered at Toronto’s inaugural Luminato Festival, for which Kelly was co-writer, and co-director. A collaboration with famed Cuban Choreographer Lizt Alfonso, and starring Buena Vista Club’s Omara Portuondo, along with Alfonso’s company, went on to a sold out run in Havana’s famed Mela Theatre.

Commissioning and development work for Mirvish Productions and others includes among many: LOULOU by Steve MacKinnon, Marc Jordan and Amy Sky (Junkyard Dogs), EVANGELINE by Ted Dykstra and Brian Crawley, No Great Mischief by David Young (Tarragon Theatre and elsewhere), Jane Eyre by Paul Gordon and John Caird (Toronto), Once Around The City by Rob and Willie Reale (Toronto), Down the Stream by Michael Goldenberg (Richard Rogers Award), The Secret Garden by Stephen McNeff and Joan MacLeod (Dora Award). Eight seasons as a director and dramaturge at The Eugene O’Neill Theater Center in New York, included work with luminaries such as Bob Merrill, Craig Carnelia, Stuart Ross, Laura Harrington, Anthony Davis, Jeanine Tesori, and Sherry Kramer among others.

Film and Television credits include choreography for Columbia Pictures, CBC, NBC, and ABC television.