Michael Cooper ’77 currently splits his time between his home in South Pasadena, CA and Austin, TX, where he works as the Artistic Director of The Alchemy Theatre. King of Hearts, a 2024 production of which he directed, has recently been nominated for six prestigious Austin Theatre Critics Awards, including Outstanding Production of a Musical and Outstanding Director of a Musical.

Cooper has also directed his re-envisioned production of Grand Hotel, The Musical at the Zach Theatre’s Whisenhunt Stage, which opened on May 30. This production has been praised by BroadwayWorld for the way in which it “moves elegantly and achingly between grandeur and decay” and “delivers a thematically rich and emotionally layered experience that pulses with both nostalgia and urgency.”

Cooper is directly mentioned for his attention to detail, cultivating a production in which “even the most minor roles resonate with purpose, reinforcing the central themes of illusion and impermanence.”

The full review may be found here. Congratulations!