His Story

Richard Israel is a New York-based director specializing in the development of new musicals, and is the recipient of the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Milton Katselas Award for Career Achievement in Direction.

After graduating Magna Cum Laude from the University of Arizona with a BFA in Musical Theatre, Richard moved to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career.  After appearing in films, television and theatre, he changed the focus of his activities from acting to theatre directing and producing.  Richard’s work on original musicals brought him to New York in 2022.

During the past 20 years, Richard has directed a wide array of plays, musicals and new works. For the past five years, he has been involved in the direction and development of the new musical KING OF PANGEA, which had its world premiere at the King’s Head Theatre in London. Other developmental theatre projects include Naomi Grossman’s AMERICAN WHORE STORY at off-Broadway’s AMT, the world premiere of THE CIVILITY OF ALBERT CASHIER and the world premiere of Matthew Leavitt’s KID GLOVES. Notable L.A. directing projects include VIOLET (Ovation Award Winner for Best Direction of a Musical, Ovation Nomination for Best Musical),  AVENUE Q, WEST SIDE STORY and RENT for McCoy/Rigby Entertainment, FLOYD COLLINS (Ovation Award Winner for Best Direction of a Musical and for Best Musical in a Large Venue), 110 IN THE SHADE (Ovation Award Winner for Best Musical in an Intimate Theater, Ovation Nomination for Best Direction of a Musical), and the world premiere of HAVING IT ALL at the Laguna Playhouse (7 Ovation Award Nominations including Outstanding Musical and Outstanding Musical Ensemble and an NAACP Image Award Nomination for Direction).  In addition to his theatre work, Richard served as the Theatrical Coordinator for the HBO series BIG LITTLE LIES, in which he directed several on-screen sequences from AVENUE Q.  

Richard is currently working on several original musicals, including SNIPPED: A NON-CUTTING EDGE MUSICAL with Shelley Pieken and Adam Gorgoni, RE:CONNECTING with Zina Goldrich and David Javerbaum, and A VERY BRADY MUSICAL with the series’ original producer, Lloyd Schwartz.