In February 2008, Bette Midler hit the Caesar’s Palace Coliseum with the biggest show of her career: THE SHOWGIRL MUST GO ON, which opened to rave reviews and sold-out houses and ran on HBO (Emmy nomination). It took a full year for Midler to conceive and create the show with her creative team, including head writer Eric Kornfeld, who wrote the script (jokes and patter), video pieces, all original and parody lyrics, and the title song. Eric began his successful relationship with the divine Miss M in December 2000, when he wrote on Bette’s sitcom. He went on to write and co-create KISS MY BRASS, the record breaking, critically acclaimed concert she toured throughout America and Australia. As with SHOWGIRL, Eric wrote the patter, song parodies, videos, and opening number. Bette’s Christmas CD, COOL YULE, features lyrics by Kornfeld on the title track and the WINTER WONDERLAND/LET IT SNOW duet with Johnny Mathis.
Eric was nominated for an Emmy for his work as a staff writer on THE ROSIE O’DONNELL SHOW, where he specialized in the high profile song parodies and the recurring “Lenny the cameraman/answer man” bits. He was a staff writer on THE CAROLINE RHEA SHOW as well as writing Caroline’s PULP COMICS for Comedy Central. He is a co-writer on Judy Gold’s one-woman show, THE JUDY SHOW. Eric and Judy did the American ‘punch up’ of PRISCILLA, QUEEN OF THE DESERT for Broadway, and this year they developed a new TV show and Series Pilot, PLAYING FAVORITES, for NickMom. Eric was the writer for ROSIE RADIO on Sirius XM, for which he wrote the theme song, song parodies, and comedic commercials. He currently writes and performs song parodies, sketches, and voiceovers for United Stations radio comedy as well as Celebrity Tweets – but he can’t tell you for whom.
Eric wrote and directed a song and dance number for this season’s AZTECA Upfront, featuring 4 top executives surrounded by Broadway dancers, which was not only the highlight of the presentation but one of the most talked about performances of upfront week and has already attracted offers from other networks. He penned the sketches for the 20th Anniversary BROADWAY BARES, Stripopoly, and the book and lyrics for the Off-Broadway musical LOVE IN THE MIDDLE AGES, which played 2 sold-out runs at The Triad and has been chosen for the New York Fringe Festival in August 2015. With Carole Bayer Sager, Eric wrote and directed the star studded 70th Birthday Show for Sandy Gallin, featuring Joan Rivers, Donna Karan, and Barbra Streisand. He writes Betty Buckley’s special material and has done the same for Hugh Jackman, Elaine Stritch, Tommy Tune, Maureen McGovern, Janis Paige, Jane Krakowski, Judy Gold, John Pinette, and many others. He wrote the book and lyrics for the musical THE TITANS, which has had several readings and continues on the road to Broadway.
As a comedian, Eric’s appeared on MTV, VH-1, Lifetime, PREMIUM BLEND, THE JOAN RIVERS SHOW, EVENING AT THE IMPROV, STAR SEARCH, and COMEDY ON THE ROAD, and lots of commercials. Eric teaches Stand Up and Comedy Writing for the Manhattan Comedy School and Cabaret at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center and in NYC, where he also writes, directs, and coaches comedians and cabaret & concert performers.
Eric Kornfeld