Barbara Zinn Krieger

Barbara Zinn Krieger founded New York City Children’s Theater during her 22-year tenure as Executive Director and Founder of New York’s Tony Award-winning Vineyard Theatre. Barbara has written children’s operas and musicals for over 25 years. With composer James Kurtz, she wrote The Merry Muldoons (Kupferberg Center at Queens College) and Appelemando’s Dreams (Tribeca Performing Arts Center, Kupferberg Center at Queens College). She collaborated with composer Charles Greenberg on Little Kit (Eugene O’Neill Theater Center), Young Charles Dickens, The Butterfly, Jose Limon: The Making of an Artist, and Sky Boys: The Building of the Empire State Building (New York City Children’s Theater). Also, for New York City Children’s Theater, she wrote the book and lyrics for Beautiful Warrior (Jin Xiang, composer), the book and additional lyrics for The Upside Down Boy (lyrics by Juan Felipe Herrera, music by Christian Amigo), and the books for The Orphan Singer (music by Antonio Vivaldi), Wanda’s Monster, The Amazing Adventures of Harvey and the Princess, and Interstellar Cinderella (music and lyrics by Laurie Berkner), The Emperor’s New Clothes and More Magical Stories by Hans Christian Andersen (directed by Adrienne Kapstein), Pillowland (directed by Khalia Davis), Same Same, But Different with Maximillian Gill (Directed by Sammy Lopez), and dance/dramas Ballerina Swan, Ballerina Swan and the Nutcracker, (choreography by Michael McGowan), This is Sadie (choreography by Stephanie Klemons), and My First Nutcracker,(choreography by Melissa Riker). Barbara is the librettist for the adult opera Clara: The Life and Loves of Clara Schumann, music composed by Victoria Bond, which premiered in April 2019 in Baden-Baden, Germany; and Dickens and Nelly, an adult two-act musical with composer Charles Greenberg. Barbara’s latest projects for NYCCT include the drama Fish in a Tree (directed by Sammy Lopez and Melissa Jessel), dance/drama Pinocchio (direction and choreography by Stephanie Klemons), and Interstellar Cinderella Returns (music and lyrics by Laurie Berkner). Barbara is a recipient of the Opera America Distinguished Service Award and was inducted into the Off-Broadway Hall of Fame in 2020 as a Legend of Off-Broadway. She holds a BFA in Theatre from Columbia University School of the Arts and an MA in Speech and Theater from Columbia University Teachers College.