About this user
A recipient of the Dean's Full Scholarship Award at the prestigious New York University, TISCH School of the Arts, Onn graduated with an MFA as a composer in musical theater writing. He was one of the only two Malaysians that completed the program in their 20-years of history. Among his early works include the musical, Green Tea (2002, 2003), Storm in a Teacup (2005) and Drunk Before Dawn - Season I & II (2004, 2006), Drunk Before Dawn was staged in Kuala Lumpur including a tour to Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, making it the very first "West-End-styled" musical to be staged there.
His more recent works include, The Meatball, which was premiered at the Marilyn Monroe Theater in December 2009 as part of a collection of new materials for emerging artists in collaboration with The Lee Strasberg Institute, New York. He then wrote Eau Blanche! a new musical comedy, which was also his final thesis project in NYU. Starring Dana Steingold (Spelling Bee) and Beth Kirkpatrick (Sound of Music) and many other talented actors from Broadway.
Besides composing, he also orchestrated King David (Off-Broadway) where The New York Times commented on Onn's orchestrations as "...lushly orchestrated", while Backstage, NY says it was "...seductively lilting". He then orchestrated a regional production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's hit musical, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. The musical was staged at The Miracle Theater, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee starring the sensational, American Idol finalist, Melinda Doolittle.
Onn San also writes for film, TV and documentaries. He scored the film, Jarum Halus (2008) directed by local director Mark Tan, which was also premiered at the Cineasia Festival, Germany 2008. He also scored 2 short films, The Customer (2009) and Maybe It's You (2010) directed by indi-film director, Khaliun Jargalsaikhan from Mongolia. Among his other scoring works include Healing The Children, a documentary narrated by the late Lynn Redgrave and Inside the Blue Box, a short documentary about the history of the renown, Tiffany & Co. He has also written other commercial works for brands such as Guinness, Levi's Jeans & Aggrenox.
Onn San graduated with an MFA at the New York University, Tisch School of the Arts, Graduate Musical Theater Writing Program and was awarded with the Dean's Full Scholarship Award. In his first year, he wrote a 20-minute musical called The Meatball with lyricist & book writer, Sean Patterson, which was later chosen by The Lee Strasberg Institute to be staged at the Marilyn Monroe Theater, New York. A few months after, The Meatball was performed again at The Robert & Arlene Kogod Theater, Maryland as part of Ng Yee Von's doctorate program recital. As his final thesis presentation, he wrote a full-length musical called Eau Blanche! with lyrics by Diana Oh & book by Becca Anderson. Eau Blanche! was read and performed at the NYU Black Box in May 2010.
Among his other works include orchestrating for an off-Broadway production, King David The Musical, written by Ellen & David M. Sanborn. The production received raving reviews from the public and critics alike. Backstage, NY says (Onn San's orchestrations were) "Seductively lilting..." and The New York Times says (it was), "Overflowing with lush orchestrations". San also orchestrated for Andrew Lloyd Webber's Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, which opened at The Miracle Theater, Tennessee staring Amarican Idol finalist, Melinda Doolittle. Currently, Onn San is based in Kuala Lumpur writting musicals and scoring films in Kuala Lumpur, New York and Los Angeles.
(Bio as of October 2010)
Hometown
Kuala Lumpur
Country
Malaysia
Occupation
Composer & Orchestrator
Schools
New York University, Tisch School of the Arts. MFA in Graduate Musical Theater Writing Program.
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