MURRAY HORWITZ is an American playwright, lyricist, radio broadcaster, and arts administrator. In 1973, after moving to New York City, Horwitz appeared in the one-man show, An Evening of Sholom Aleichem, directed by Richard Maltby, Jr. In 1976, Horwitz began working with Maltby to create Ain’t Misbehavin’, featuring the songs of Thomas ‘Fats’ Waller. The show opened on Broadway in 1978, winning multiple awards for Best Musical, including the Tony. Serving as Associate Director, Horwitz also wrote additional lyrics and won Emmy, Grammy, Obie, Tony, and New York Drama Critics’ Circle awards. In 1984, Horwitz wrote the book and directed André De Shield’s Haarlem Nocturne, an original musical revue, and in 1988, he was Associate Director for the Broadway revival of Ain’t Misbehavin’. Horwitz began his career with National Public Radio (NPR) in 1989, where he was instrumental in creating NPR’s game show, Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me! In 2002, Horwitz became the founding director of the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center.
