Gary S. Halvorson is an American director of television shows, stage and film, best known for directing and producing the NBC show, Friends and directing the CBS show, Everybody Loves Raymond. He is also known directing the movie, The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland.
Directing Halvorson was trained as a classical pianist at but least. He primarily noted as the director of sitcoms such as Friends (of which he directed 56 episodes) and The Drew Carey Show. In 1999, he also made his directorial film debut The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland, a children's film based on Sesame Street.
While working at the New York Metropolitan Opera in four years, he directed high-definition theater simulcasts of The Magic Flute (12/30/2006), I Puritani (1/6/2007), Il Barbiere di Siviglia (3/24/2007), Il Tabarro (4/28/2007), Roméo et Juliette (12/15/2007), Macbeth (1/11/2008), Peter Grimes (3/15/2008), La Bohème (4/5/2008), La fille du régiment (4/26/2008), the 2008-09 gala night opening with Renée Fleming (9/22/2008), Doctor Atomic (1/8/2008), Aida (10/23/2008),Thaïs (12/20/2008), Lucia di Lammermoor (2/7/2009), Madama Butterfly (3/7/2009), La Cenerentola (5/9/2009), Tosca (10/10/2009), Turandot (11/7/2009), Les Contes d'Hoffmann (12/19/2009), Carmen (1/16/2010), Armida (5/1/2010), Das Rheingold (10/9/2010), Don Pasquale (11/13/2010) and Don Carlo (12/11/2010).
Halvorson also directed Paul Simon's "You're The One" live concert in Paris, Europe, which aired on PBS and is available on DVD.
Filmography
Film YearTitleNotes1984The Quintessential Peggy LeeDirect-to-Video1999The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland2018The King and I
Television YearTitleNotes1976Standing Room Only— "Vanities"1980Broadway on Showtime— "Little Johnny Jones"1981Jules Feiffer's Hold MeTV movie1982The Country GirlTV movie1984Hizzoner!TV movie1985–93Kids IncorporatedDirector (7 episodes)1986Solid GoldDirector (13 episodes)1987–2008Great PerformancesDirector (11 episodes)1989A Conversation with...— "Betty White"1991Riders in the SkyDirector (11 episodes)1991On the TelevisionDirector (38 episodes)1992Roundhouse— "TV on Trial"1992–94Adventures in WonderlandDirector (14 episodes)1993XuxaDirector (65 episodes)1994Herman's Head— "You Say Tomato"1994Growing Up FunnyTV movie1995MuscleDirector (13 episodes)1995–96Minor AdjustmentsDirector (6 episodes)1995–96The Drew Carey ShowDirector (2 episodes) — "Drew Gets Motivated" (1996)
— "Isomers Have Distinct Characteristics" (1995)1996The Wayans Bros.Director (2 episodes) — "Goin' to the Net"
— "The Return of the Temptones"1996–97RoseanneDirector (8 episodes)1996–97Muppets TonightDirector (11 episodes)1996–98Grace Under FireDirector (3 episodes)1996–99Sabrina the Teenage WitchDirector (28 episodes) Producer (13 episodes)1997BouncersTV movie1997Teen AngelDirector (3 episodes)1997–2001The Metropolitan Opera PresentsDirector (3 episodes)1997–2004FriendsDirector (55 episodes)1997–2005Everybody Loves RaymondDirector (61 episodes)1999Whole World Comedy— "Pilot"1999Norm— "Norm vs. Norm"1999–2000JesseDirector (7 episodes)2000Don GiovanniTV movie2001Grounded for Life— "Lily B. Goode"2001Everything But the GirlTV movie2001The Back PageTV movie2001BlissTV movie (Executive Producer)2002True WestTV movie2002Faith Hill: When the Lights Go DownTV movie (also Producer)2002B.S.TV movie2002–2004What I Like About YouDirector (7 episodes)2003Regular JoeDirector (1 Episode) (also Executive Producer)2003These GuysTV movie2003–04The Tracy Morgan ShowDirector (3 episodes)2004Eddie's FatherTV movie2004–05Complete SavagesDirector (2 episodes) — "The Complete Savages in... 'Hot Water' " (2005)
— "Nick Kicks Butt" (2004)2004–06JoeyDirector (9 episodes)2004–07Two and a Half MenDirector (34 episodes)2005CommittedDirector (5 episodes)2005Kenny Chesney: Somewhere in the SunTV special2005Lies and the Wives We Tell Them ToTV movie2005Blue SkiesTV movie2006Grand UnionTV movie2006Lucky Louie— "Pilot"2007Rules of EngagementDirector (4 episodes)2007'Til Death— "No More Mr. Vice Guy"2007Elmo's Christmas CountdownTV movie2007Making It LegalTV movie2008Do Not DisturbDirector (2 episodes) — "Dosing"
— "Birdcage"2009CannedTV movie2009–2011True Jackson, VPDirector (16 episodes) Producer (26 episodes)2010TelepatheticTV movie2010–11Better with YouDirector (11 episodes)2012How to Be a GentlemanDirector (2 episodes) — "How to Be Shallow"
— "How to Get Along with Your Boss's New Girlfriend"2012DuetsDirector (8 episodes)2012Yo Gabba Gabba!— "Gooble"2012Michael Buble: Home for the HolidaysTV special2012–13Marvin MarvinDirector (3 episodes)2012–13Work ItDirector (3 episodes)2013MomDirectors (2 episodes) — "A Small Nervous Breakdown and a Misplaced Fork"
— "A Pee Stick and an Asian Raccoon"2015Your Family or Mine— "The Couch"2015The Dunes ClubTV movie
Awards and nominations In 1996, Halvorson was awarded a Daytime Emmy Award for "Outstanding Directing in a Children's Series" for Disney's Adventures in Wonderland. In 2004, he was awarded an Emmy for "Outstanding Special Class Directing" for the 78th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. He has also been nominated for "Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series", for his work on Everybody Loves Raymond, shown on CBS.
References
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