Alexander Fraser and Robyn Goodman assume leadership roles at Bucks County Playhouse

Bucks County Playhouse has named Alexander Fraser producing director and Robyn Goodman executive producer to fill the role of Producing Director Jed Bernstein, who will be joining Lincoln Center For The Performing Arts as its next president. Fraser and Goodman will begin their duties at the Playhouse in January, 2014.

“We are thrilled to welcome Robyn and Alex as the new leadership team of the Bucks County Playhouse. We feel fortunate to be able to work with such immensely talented, experienced and wonderful people,” said Bridge Street Foundation founders Sherri and Kevin Daugherty in a statement. “Jed really resurrected this theater, bringing back the charm, the tradition and the excitement of Broadway caliber performances here in New Hope. Collectively, Alex and Robyn have impressive Broadway experience, a great appreciation for the history of the Playhouse and some really creative ideas.  We can’t wait to see their shows.”

“Having Alex and Robyn as the new artistic leadership of the Bucks County Playhouse is like adding Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig to your team at the same time. I leave the Playhouse in the best new hands possible,” said outgoing Producing Director Jed Bernstein.

The Tony^® Award-winning producers Alexander Fraser and Robyn Goodman met 30 years ago, forming a dynamic artistic partnership and friendship that culminates now in their assuming the directorship at Bucks County Playhouse.

Alexander Fraser has worked as a theatrical producer, general manager and nonprofit executive for over 70 Broadway, off-Broadway, West End and touring productions. Among them are Cyndi Lauper and Harvey Fierstein’s Kinky Boots (2013 Tony^® Award for Best Musical), Larry Kramer’s The Normal Heart directed by George C. Wolfe (for which Mr. Fraser received a 2011 Tony^® Award for Best Revival); Nora Ephron and Delia Ephron’s Love, Loss and What I Wore (including New York, Chicago, Toronto, Los Angeles and Sydney); Charles Busch’s The Divine Sister, Bombay Dreams, Topdog/Underdog (Pulitzer Prize) and Crazy for You (1992 Tony^® Award for Best Musical).  From 1997 to 2001, Mr. Fraser was Executive Director of Second Stage Theatre. Notable productions during his tenure include August Wilson’s Jitney (New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award for Best Play), Stephen Sondheim’s Saturday Night (Drama Desk Award), Cheryl West’s Jar the Floor, Kenneth Lonergan’s This is Our Youth and Ricky Jay & His 52 Assistants.  Over the years, Fraser is proud to have worked with such luminaries as Bob Boyett, Carol Burnett, Arthur Cantor, Angela Lansbury, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Ian McKellen, Lynne Meadow and Barry Grove, Lou Moore, Claire Nichtern, Wendy Orshan and Jeffrey M. Wilson, Daryl Roth, Carole Rothman, Paula Wagner, Anita Waxman, Charlotte Wilcox and Elizabeth Williams.

Robyn Goodman has forged a successful career as one of the leading creative producers working on Broadway today.  After serving as Founder and Artistic Director of the award-winning nonprofit Second Stage Theatre for 13 years and Supervising Producer of ABC’s One Life to Live for five years, she turned to Broadway. Ms. Goodman is currently lead producer for the Tony^® Award-winning Broadway production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella.  She developed and produced the musical Avenue Q (2004 Tony^® Award for Best Musical) and produced In the Heights (2008 Tony^® Award for Best Musical).  Among her other Broadway productions are Metamorphoses, West Side Story, Robert Harling’s Steel Magnolias, Neil Simon’s Barefoot in the Park, The Performers, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, American Idiot, A Class Act and High Fidelity. Off Broadway she produced Bat Boy, tick, tick…Boom!, Our Lady of 121st Street, Red Light Winter and the award-winning Christian boy band homage, Altar Boyz. Robyn serves as Artistic Consultant to The Roundabout Theatre Company, where she is Artistic Producer of the Underground Series for emerging writers, which includes a commissioning program.  She formed Aged in Wood Productions in 2000, which she now shares with partners Stephen Kocis and Josh Fiedler.