David Galligan, a native San Franciscan, began his career at the famed Opera Ring under the guidance of Irma Kay to whom he owes an eternal debt of gratitude.
He is currently the director of REAF - The Richmond/Ermet AIDS Foundation. He has staged MADLY IN LOVE at the Odyssey Theatre as well as SING HAPPY, THE WORDS AND MUSIC OF KANDER AND EBB for The Actors Fund of America. Other productions include ROD McKUEN IN CONCERT at New York s Carnegie Hall as well as the new musical play THE LATEST OF THE HONKY TONK ANGELS in Los Angeles. For Musical Theatre West he helmed MAME starring Carol Lawrence, Ruth Williamson and Sally Struthers, SHOW BOAT starring Dale Kristien and Sean McDermott and BRIGADOON. His direction of the musical revue BLAME IT ON THE MOVIES, which he co-originated with Billy Barnes and Ron Abel, played Off-Broadway and he repeated the staging for a Pasadena Playhouse main-stage production. Other Los Angeles productions include LETTICE AND LOVAGE (Pasadena Playhouse), THE GAY '90'S MUSICAL (Celebration) and LULLABY OF BROADWAY (Tiffany Theatre).
For the past nineteen years he has directed and co-produced the annual S.T.A.G.E. fundraisers for AIDS charities, saluting the theatre music of noted composers and lyricists. He has helmed all of the S.T.A.G.E. Too benefit for The Actors' Fund of America TAP YOUR TROUBLES AWAY: THE WORDS AND MUSIC OF JERRY HERMAN, THE RICHARD ROGERS CENTENNIAL-SOMETHING WONDERFUL and KURT WEILL: THE CENTENNIAL. He has co-produced five of the events as CD albums: JEROME KERN: LIFE UPON THE WICKED S.T.A.G.E.; HAROLD ARLEN, OVER THE RAINBOW; GEORGE & IRA GERSHWIN: A MUSICAL CELEBRATION; ABC ADLER, BOCK & COLEMAN; and STEPHEN SONDHEIM: A CELEBRATION. He also co-produced the Actors Fund recordings TAP YOUR TROUBLES AWAY: THE WORDS AND MUSIC OF JERRY HERMAN and KURT WEILL: THE CENTENNIAL as well as Dale Kristien's first solo recording BEAUTY OF BROADWAY and Pamela Meyers debut CD THE CHANCE TO SING.
For the last six years Galligan has staged the HELP IS ON THE WAY AIDS benefits at the Palace of Fine Arts Theatre in San Francisco. Among his other recent credits, the original musical VAMPIRE VIRGINS FROM VENUS and the writing and staging of Valarie Pettiford's new one woman show FINDING MY VOICE. He stage directed the Ford Motor Company s special HEROES FOR THE PLANET starring Charlotte Church and Haley Joel Osment that aired on the A&E network. He also staged IMPACT AT FORD FIELD, the opening extravaganza of the new Detroit Lion s Stadium, starring Gladys Knight.
