{{short description|American playwright and writer|bot=PearBOT 5}} '''Billy Aronson''' is an American playwright and writer, who originated the concept of the rock opera ''Rent'', which was based on Puccini's opera ''La bohème''.<ref name="Jones">Jones, Kenneth (2011) "[http://www.playbill.com/news/article/151641-Rent-With-Andy-Mientus-Fabio-Monteiro-Halle-Morse-Begins-at-Pioneer-Theatre-June-10 Rent, With Andy Mientus, Fabio Monteiro, Halle Morse, Begins at Pioneer Theatre June 10] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110617000050/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/151641-Rent-With-Andy-Mientus-Fabio-Monteiro-Halle-Morse-Begins-at-Pioneer-Theatre-June-10 |date=June 17, 2011 }}", Playbill.com, June 10, 2011, retrieved 2011-06-17</ref>

==Early life== He attended Lower Merion High School, Princeton University and Yale Drama School.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rosenfield |first=Wendy |date=2009-10-06 |title=Playwright returns to his Phila. roots |url=https://www.inquirer.com/philly/columnists/wendy_rosenfield/20091006_Playwright_returns_to_his_Phila__roots.html |access-date=2024-01-08 |website=The Inquirer |language=en}}</ref>

==''Rent'' and other plays== In 1988, as a playwright he wanted to create "a musical based on Puccini's ''La Bohème'', in which the luscious splendor of Puccini's world would be replaced with the coarseness and noise of modern New York."<ref name="Rent: Leap of Faith">{{cite book | title=Rent |last=Larson |first=Jonathan |authorlink=Jonathan Larson |author2=Evelyn McDonnell |author3=Kathy Silberger |author4=Larry Fink |author5=Stewart Ferebee |author6=Kate Giel |year=1997 |pages=18–37 |publisher=HarperEntertainment / HarperCollins |location=New York |isbn=0-688-15437-9}}</ref> In 1989 he began a collaboration with Jonathan Larson, and provided lyrics for ''Rent'', "I Should Tell You", and "Santa Fe".

In addition to ''Rent'', he has written many one act plays including "Light Years (one-act)", "Reunions", "The News", "Little Duck", ''Of Two Minds'', ''Night Rules'', and ''In the Middle of the Night'', which were performed in Ensemble Studio Theatre Marathons.<ref name="Rooney">Rooney, David (2011) "[http://theater.nytimes.com/2011/05/31/theater/reviews/marathon-2011-series-a-at-ensemble-studio-theater.html From Elegiac Appalachian Hollers to New Terrain]", ''The New York Times'', May 30, 2011, retrieved 2011-06-17</ref> His short plays have been published in six volumes of "Best American Short Plays" and collected in "Funny Shorts".

Full-length plays by Aronson include "Light Years" which premiered at Playwrights Horizons, "The Art Room" which premiered at the Woolly Mammoth Theatre and Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater, and "First Day of School" which premiered at 1812 Productions and SF Playhouse, and was named Best New Play for a medium-sized theater by the Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle in 2009.<ref name="Weber">Weber, Bruce (2001) "[https://www.nytimes.com/2001/10/22/arts/theater-review-four-years-in-three-acts-college-becomes-a-collage.html THEATER REVIEW; Four Years in Three Acts: College Becomes a Collage]", ''The New York Times'', October 22, 2001, retrieved 2011-06-17</ref><ref name="Blankenship">Blankenship, Mark (2007) "[https://www.variety.com/review/VE1117933821?refCatId=33 Ensemble Studio Theater Marathon 2007: Series A]", ''Variety'', June 4, 2007, retrieved 2011-06-17</ref>

He also wrote the book for the musical ''Click Clack Moo'', which was nominated for a Lucille Lortel Award for Best New Musical, and wrote the libretto for ''Flurry Tale'' with composer Rusty Magee which premiered at Malmo Opera in Sweden under the name "Vinteryra". He has written for many popular children shows, such as ''Postcards from Buster'', ''Codename: Kids Next Door'', ''Wonder Pets!'', ''The Upside Down Show'', ''The Backyardigans'', ''Courage the Cowardly Dog'', and co-created ''Peg + Cat'' along with Jennifer Oxley. He was also a writer on ''Beavis and Butthead''. His writing for television has won him 5 Daytime Emmy Awards.

==Personal life== Aronson is Jewish.<ref name="NYT">"[https://www.nytimes.com/1990/04/29/style/lisa-vogel-wed-to-billy-aronson.html Lisa Vogel Wed To Billy Aronson]", ''The New York Times'', April 29, 1990, retrieved 2011-06-17</ref> He currently lives in New York City with his wife Lisa Vogel (whom he married in 1990),<ref name="NYT"/> and children Anna and Jake.

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== *{{Official website|http://www.billyaronson.com}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Aronson, Billy}} Category:American musical theatre lyricists Category:Living people Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Princeton University alumni Category:Lower Merion High School alumni