Ron Abel with Lucie Arnaz & Valarie Pettiford

Ron Abel is a multi-award winning composer, producer, arranger, orchestrator, conductor and musical director. His film and television credits include: Musical direction for I Love Lucy’s 50th Anniversary TV Special (CBS); Composing the television theme songs for Animal Court (Animal Planet) and late night talk show, Nitecap (ABC). Ron was featured as the on-camera musical director for Nitecap, as well as the syndicated musical TV game show, Name That Tune. Film work includes composing, arranging and/or orchestrating for Michelle Pfeiffer and Kim Basinger; and for a Lily Tomlin TV Special; and work for Bea Arthur and Carol Burnett, as well as pop star Taylor Dane.

Abel recently produced and arranged albums for Deborah Gibson (Colored Lights: The Broadway Album) and Valarie Pettiford (Hear My Soul). Arrangements and songs by Ron can be heard on Petula Clark, Helen Reddy, Lucie Arnaz, and Dorian Harewood’s albums. Ron served as musical director, arranger and conductor for the gala opening ceremonies of the new 60,000 seat stadium, Ford Field, headlined by Gladys Knight. The annual Dream Foundation fundraiser in Los Angeles starring Drew Carey, Cindy Crawford, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Priscilla Presley and Joely Fisher, saw Ron as arranger, conductor and musical director. Tap Your Troubles Away, A Tribute to Jerry Herman, an historic evening in Los Angeles benefiting the Actors Fund that Ron conducted and served as musical director and album producer. The event brought together Carol Channing, Angela Lansbury, Bernadette Peters, Rita Moreno, Tyne Daly, and Sam Harris, as well as other Broadway luminaries, including a finale performance by Jerry Herman himself. Ron was asked to recreate the evening for Houston’s Theatre Under the Stars, gala opening of their new multi-million dollar facility.

Ron is the co-creator and arranger of the Broadway musical, Blame it on the Movies. His score for the musical, Twist of Fate, was awarded both the Los Angeles Drama Critic’s Circle and L.A Weekly Theatre Awards, for “Best Musical of the Year”. Other Ron Abel musicals produced in Los Angeles include, Is This Your Life? …a musical comedy expose; Rockwell: Life On A Pallette; and To Sir, With Love. His latest project, undressed, the unflinching musicalization of the Dumas classic Camille, was a finalist in the O’Neill Musical Theatre 2007 Conference. As arranger/conductor, Ron has appeared live onstage with Eric McCormack, Jim Belushi, Bette Midler, Johnny Mathis, Liza Minnelli, Mandy Patinkin, Patti LuPone, Michele Lee, Jason Alexander, David Hyde Pierce, Rita Wilson, Loretta Devine, Lucie Arnaz, Craig Bierko, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Shirley Jones, Valarie Pettiford, Tim Curry, Donna McKechnie, Sarah Brightman, Joe Williams, and never last, l’opera diva Julia Migenes.