John Dietrich
Playwright, PlayPenn Teaching Artist
John has had a career immersed in musical theatre storytelling working as a professional Director, Choreographer, Writer and Educator. This has included a 17-year relationship with Radio City Entertainment, where he was the Director/Choreographer for the world-famous Rockettes, for Rockette Special Events, as well as for the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. Other work includes hundreds of shows in a vast range of entertainment genres: from television to Off-Broadway & regional theatre, from industrial shows to ice shows. This includes National and International tours of The Wizard of Oz, Singin’ in the Rain, and Beauty & the Beast.
He has created and written for Walt Disney Entertainment, as well as for Dolly Parton & Dollywood Entertainment, more recently writing, directing and choreographing From the Heart: The Life & Music of Dolly Parton which was named Newsweek’s 2025 #1 Live Theme Park Show in the country.
He wrote the book & lyrics for the musical Things As They Are, based on the life of documentary photographer Dorothea Lange. It was a Next Link selection for the New York Musical Theatre Festival and received the Best of Fest Award for most popular show. It was also twice nominated for the prestigious Fred Ebb Award.
Only Anne, an adaptation of Jane Austen’s Persuasion, written with composer Will Buck, received development at the Rhinebeck Writer’s Retreat, was produced at the Goodspeed Festival of New Musicals, and had selections from the show performed by the Chelsea Symphony and orchestrated by the legendary Bill Brohn.
Lautrec at the St. James with composer Julianne Wick Davis was selected to be presented and produced at the 2019 NAMT Conference and chosen for the inaugural Applause Concert Series at the Olney Theatre Center in 2022, performed with a 12-piece orchestra. Other shows in development are I, Me, A Beautiful Man Alone – The Nureyev Project with composer Will Buck.
He teaches for the Dramatists Guild Institute, NYU Tisch Open Arts, and the NYU Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program. He received his MFA from New York University, Tisch School of the Arts, in Musical Theatre Writing, and his MA from New York University Gallatin School in Musical Theatre Structure & Directing Theory. He also holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Wisconsin. He is a member of the Dramatists Guild of America.