Tony Winner Marc Shaiman Will Be Academy Awards Music Director

By Andrew Gans
November 23, 2009

Tony Award-winning Hairspray composer-lyricist Marc Shaiman will be the music director for the 82nd Academy Awards, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Shaiman's new gig will reunite him with Oscar co-producer Adam Shankman, who directed the film version of Shaiman and Scott Wittman's Hairspray.

Nominations for the annual film awards will be announced Feb. 2, 2010. Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin will host the Academy Awards March 7 at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, CA.

A Tony Award winner for Hairspray, Shaiman also penned songs for Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me and Catch Me If You Can. Shaiman earned Academy Award nominations for the scores to "South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut," "Patch Adams," "The First Wives Club," "The American President" and "Sleepless in Seattle." His extensive career also includes collaborations with Bette Midler, Patti LuPone, Rosemary Clooney, Barbara Streisand, Billy Crystal, Harry Connick, Jr. and Peter Allen.