Reverend Alvin Allison "Al" Carmines Jr. (July 25, 1936 – August 9, 2005) was a composer, lyricist, playwright, and clergyman. He is often regarded as a key figure in the expansion of off-off-Broadway theatre in the 1960s.
Carmines was born in Hampton, Virginia. Although his musical talent appeared early, he decided to enter the ministry, attending Swarthmore College, majoring in English and philosophy, and then Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York, earning a bachelor of divinity in 1961 and a master of sacred theology in 1963.
Carmines was hired by Howard Moody as an assistant minister at Judson Memorial Church on Washington Square Park, New York, to found a theater in the sanctuary of the Greenwich Village church in conjunction with playwright Robert Nichols. He began composing in 1962 and acted as well. His Bible study group grew into the Rauschenbusch Memorial United Church of Christ, with Carmines as pastor.
Carmines is perhaps best remembered in the church for the hymn "Many Gifts, One Spirit" #114 in the United Methodist Hymnal. He was commissioned by the United Methodist Women to write this hymn for their General Assembly in 1974.
Carmines' Judson Poets' Theater, along with other Off-off Broadway theaters; Caffe Cino, La MaMa E.T.C. and Theatre Genesis, were different to Off Broadway and Broadway houses due to their experimental nature and small size.
His 1973 musical The Faggot was a critical success which transferred from the Judson Memorial Church to the Truck and Warehouse Theatre and ran for 203 performances.
In 1977, he had a cerebral aneurysm that required months of therapy. He underwent surgery a second time in 1985, which only then cured his crippling headaches. He died in St. Vincent's Hospital in New York.
Theater credits +YearTitleRoleNotesRef.1963What HappenedComposer1963Home MoviesConsists of two one act musicals: Softly and Consider the Nearness1964Patter for a Soft Shoe Dance1964Sing Ho for a Bear1965The PromenadeBook and Lyrics by María Irene Fornés. 1966PomegranadaComposer/Lyricist1967Gorilla QueenAdditional music by Robert Cosmos Savage.1967San Francisco's BurningComposerWords by Helen Adam.1967In CirclesTransferred Off-Broadway. 1968The Sayings of Mao Tse-tung1968PeaceComposer/LyricistTransferred Off-Broadway in 1969. 1969 Christmas RappingsComposer/Lyricist/Playwright1969PromenadeComposerOriginally titledThe Promenade. Book and lyrics by María Irene Fornés.1969The Urban CrisisComposer/Lyricist/Playwright1970The Playful Tyrant1970About TimeComposer1971W.C.Composer/LyricistA musical based on the life of W. C. Fields, which starred Mickey Rooney and Bernadette Peters but closed out-of-town.1971SisterComposer/LyricistUnproduced. Written with Paul Zindel for Angela Lansbury. 1971The Journey of Snow WhiteComposer/Lyricist/Playwright1971WantedComposer/LyricistTransferred Off-Broadway in 1972. Produced by Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company in 1995. 1971JoanComposer/Lyricist/PlaywrightTransferred Off-Broadway in 1972. 1972The DuelAn opera based on the lives of Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr1972A Look at the FiftiesTransferred to Arena Stage in 1973. Produced by Seattle Rep in 1974.1972The Life of a Man1972The Making of AmericansComposer1973ReligionComposer/Lyricist/Playwright1973The FaggotTransferred Off-Broadway. 1974The Future1974Listen to MeComposer1974Christmas '74Arranger1975Why I Love New YorkComposer/Lyricist/Playwright1976The Bonus ArmyComposer/Lyricist1976Camp MeetingComposer/Lyricist/PlaywrightOriginally titled Camp Meeting: 18401976A Meditation on Beauty1976A ManoirComposerGertrude Stein adaptation 1978In Praise of DeathComposer/Lyricist/Playwright1979Someone's in the Kitchen with Dinah1979Doctor Faustus Lights the LightsComposer1980The Agony of PaulComposer/Lyricist/Playwright1981T.S. Eliot: Midwinter Vigil(ante)Last show at Judson Poets' Theater1989MáslovaComposer
Recordings +ReleasedTitleLabelRef.1966PomegranadaPatsan1967In CirclesAvant Garde1969PeaceMetromedia Records1969PromenadeRCA Victor1972JoanJudson1973The FaggotBlue Pear1979Christmas RappingsJudson2003Songs From W.C. and Other Theatre Songs of Al CarminesOriginal Cast Records
Awards +YearAward CategoryWorkRef.1964Obie AwardBest MusicHome Movies and What Happened1968Drama DeskBest ComposerIn CirclesObie AwardBest Musical1969Drama DeskBest MusicPeace1974Drama DeskOutstanding ScoreThe Faggot1979Obie AwardSustained Achievement2003Robert Chesley Award for Gay and Lesbian Playwriting
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