Ross Scott Rawlings (born c. 1966 or 1967) is an American pianist, composer, conductor, and music director.[1][2]
Ross Rawlings | |
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Born | 1966 or 1967 (age 56–57) |
Education | Towson University (B.A.) |
Occupations |
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Awards | Kevin Kline Award (2010) |
Musical career | |
Years active | 1982–present |
Rawlings was born {Circa 1965} to Daryl Lee (née Prysock) and Dennis Scott Rawlings.[3][4] His mother was a contract analyst for the Government of Maryland and his father was a collection agent.[3][5] Ross Rawlings and his brother, Kevin D. Rawlings[3] lived in Baltimore County, but later moved to Harford County, Maryland before middle school. He began taking piano lessons at the age of 3 and started a singing group in middle school that continued through high school. When Rawlings was 16, he was injured in a car crash while en route to the first orchestra rehearsal for a production of Seesaw at Liberty Showcase Theatre in [Randallstown, Maryland], [Maryland]. He was in a hospital for over a month due to broken ribs, wrists, kneecaps, sternum and fractured elbows.[4] Despite the crash, Rawlings was able to conduct and play piano for the production. In 1993, Rawlings earned a Bachelor's of Science in Music Education and Piano from Towson University.[4][6]
Rawlings became the resident musical director of Toby's Dinner Theatre circa 1989. For four years in the mid-1990s, Rawlings also taught at Atholton High School.[4] In the early 2000s, Rawlings was the conductor for the national/international tour of Fosse directed by Ann Reinking/Debra McWaters.[4][7] In 2006, he was the musical director for broadway revival of Sweet Charity.[8][9] At Olney Theatre Center in 2012, Rawlings conducted and orchestrated a production of A Chorus Line and was the musical director for Little Shop of Horrors.[10][11] Rawlings was the musical director of Rep Stage's 2014 production of The Fantasticks.[12] Rawlings was the Director of Choral Activities and Piano at Glenelg High School 2012-2018.[6] In 2017, composer Stacey V. Gibbs wrote a piece of music entitled Go Down, Moses for the Glenelg choir and dedicated it to the students and Rawlings.[13] Rawlings was the musical director of the inaugural premier of the musical, Magic Under Glass, by the Columbia Center for Theatrical Arts under the direction of Toby Orenstein.[14]
In the mid-1990s, Rawlings purchased a house in Columbia, Maryland where he lived for 16 years.[4] As of 2018, he resides in Westminster, Maryland.[3]
Year | Award | Category | Result | Work | Venue | Notes | Ref(s) |
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2010 | Kevin Kline Award | Outstanding Dramatic Series | Won | Hairspray | The Muny | Tied with Diane White-Clayton | [15] |
2015 | Helen Hayes Award | Nominated | Memphis | Toby's Dinner Theatre | [16] | ||
Nominated | Spamalot | [16] | |||||
2018 | Nominated | Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat | [17] |