Terrence McNally

Writing

Terrence McNally

Born November 3, 1938 · St. Petersburg, Florida, USA

Died March 24, 2020 · aged 81

Terrence McNally (November 3, 1938 – March 24, 2020) was an American playwright, librettist, and screenwriter. Described as "the bard of American theatre" and "one of the greatest contemporary playwrights the theatre world has yet produced," McNally was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 1996. He received the 2019 Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement, the Dramatists Guild Lifetime …

Known For

Frankie and JohnnyFrankie and Johnny · 1991
Frankie and Johnny
6.81991
MovieDramaRomance
When Johnny is released from prison following a forgery charge, he quickly lands a job as a short-order cook at a New York diner. Following a brief fling with waitress Cora, he develops an attraction for Cora's friend and fellow waitress Frankie. While Frankie resists Johnny's charms initially, she eventually relents when her best friend, Tim, persuades her to give Johnny a chance.
Kiss of the Spider WomanKiss of the Spider Woman · 2025
Kiss of the Spider Woman
5.92025
MovieRomanceDrama
Valentín, a political prisoner, shares a cell with Molina, a window dresser convicted of public indecency. The two form an unlikely bond as Molina recounts the plot of a Hollywood musical starring his favorite silver screen diva, Ingrid Luna.
The RitzThe Ritz · 1976
The Ritz
6.01976
MovieComedyCrime
To escape from a mobster, businessman Gaetano Proclo orders a cab driver to take him to a place where he can't be found. Unfortunately for Gaetano, the place turns out to be a gay bathhouse.
Ragtime, The Musical: All-Star Reunion ConcertRagtime, The Musical: All-Star Reunion Concert · 2024
Ragtime, The Musical: All-Star Reunion Concert
2024
MovieMusic
Celebrate the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Ragtime with this once-in-a-lifetime reunion concert featuring original cast members, including Audra McDonald, Brian Stokes Mitchell, and Peter Friedman, joined by Kelli O’Hara.
AnastasiaAnastasia · 2021
Anastasia
7.02021
MovieMusicRomance
Based on the Broadway musical, based on the 1997 animated film of the same name. Anastasia transports us from the twilight of the Russian Empire to the euphoria of Paris in the 1920s, as a brave young woman sets out to discover the mystery of her past. Pursued by a ruthless Soviet officer determined to silence her, Anya enlists the aid of a dashing conman and a lovable ex-aristocrat. Together, they embark on an epic adventure to help her find home, love, and family.
The Last MileThe Last Mile · 1992
The Last Mile
7.01992
MovieDrama
Backstage at the Metropolitan Opera House a soprano is preparing for her debut in the opera Tosca. The stage manager gives her encouraging advice. She is visited by her "tenor for the evening." Equally terrified and nervous yet excited, she thinks fondly of her brother, who died from AIDS. He appears to her in her dressing room as a ghostly apparition.
Common GroundCommon Ground · 2000
Common Ground
5.02000
MovieTV MovieDrama
This movie contains three short stories dealing with the theme of homosexuality. In "A Friend of Dorothy", a woman joins the Navy during the 1950s and discovers lesbianism. In "Mr. Roberts", a teacher in a 1970s classroom struggles with his closeted gay status. Finally in "Amos and Andy", a father wrestles with his own emotional acceptance of a present day wedding between his son and another man.
Love! Valour! Compassion!Love! Valour! Compassion! · 1997
Love! Valour! Compassion!
6.31997
MovieDrama
A group of gay friends spend summer weekends together at a lakeside house in upstate New York. As the season progresses and secrets begin to surface, the complex relationships within the group are sometimes strained and sometimes strengthened.

Filmography

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The Metropolitan Opera: Dead Man WalkingThe Metropolitan Opera: Dead Man Walking · 2023
The Metropolitan Opera: Dead Man Walking
6.52023
MovieMusicDrama
American composer Jake Heggie’s compelling masterpiece, the most widely performed new opera of the last 20 years, arrives in cinemas in a haunting new production by Ivo van Hove. Based on Sister Helen Prejean’s memoir about her fight for the soul of a condemned murderer, Dead Man Walking matches the high drama of its subject with Heggie’s beautiful and poignant music and a brilliant libretto by Tony and Emmy Award–winner Terrence McNally. Met Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin takes the podium, with mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato starring as Sister Helen. The outstanding cast also features bass-baritone Ryan McKinny as the death-row inmate Joseph De Rocher, soprano Latonia Moore as Sister Rose, and legendary mezzo-soprano Susan Graham—who sang Helen Prejean in the opera’s 2000 premiere—as De Rocher’s mother.

Writer