music by Peter Melnick. The musical opened Off-Broadway in August 2012. Russell and Janet Hood have teamed again to write the musical Unexpected Joy, which received private readings in March 2012. The musical is the story of four women and was directed by Sheryl Kaller. Honors and awards Russell received a 1998 Tony nomination for Side Show for Best Book and shared a nomination with composer Henry Krieger for Best Score. The show was nominated as Best Musical. Everything's Ducky received the Will Glickman Award for Best New Play (in the San Francisco Bay Area) in 2001 and Garland Awards (presented by "Backstage West") for Best Score, Set and Costumes. He has also received two Commendation Awards from the Gilman & Gonzalez-Falla Theatre Foundation (one in 2000). He received an honorary degree of doctor of humane letters from Morningside College in 2003 and from the Boston Conservatory in May 2007. Personal Russell was born in Deadwood, South Dakota and raised in Spearfish, South Dakota. His grandparents were cattle ranchers. He attended Morningside College, Sioux City, Iowa for two years with a major in theater before transferring to the University of Kansas. He came out in an interview with the Rapid City Journal. He married Bruce Bossard in 2009, and they had been a couple for 30 years before that. References External links Internet Off-Broadway Database American musical theatre librettists American musical theatre lyricists 1949 births Living people People from Deadwood, South Dakota People from Spearfish, South Dakota