With a career spanning more than two decades, Grammy® Award and Tony® Award Nominee Ethan Popp has served as the music supervisor, arranger and orchestrator for the hit musical Rock of Ages (Off-Broadway, Broadway, U.S. Tour, Toronto, Australia and London productions) for which he also produced the highly acclaimed Original Broadway Cast Recording. He served as the original music producer, arranger, orchestrator and music supervisor for NBC’s musical television series, “Smash” and in became a 2013 Tony® Award Nominee for Best Orchestrations for his work on Broadway’s Motown The Musical (for which he also serves as the show’s music supervisor and arranger). In the summer of 2013 he had the incredible opportunity, with Motown co-orchestrator Bryan Crook, to reconceive some of the show’s arrangements for The National Symphony Orchestra for “A Capitol Fourth” (PBS). Motown also garnished Ethan a 2014 Grammy® Award Nomination for Best Musical Theater Album (as producer of the Original Broadway Cast Recording, along with co-producer Frank Filipetti). The show is now playing a sold-out U.S. National Tour and at London’s Shaftesbury Theater.
In 2014 Ethan became the Music Supervisor and Music Coordinator for the Broadway premiere of Hedwig and The Angry Inch, which earned four Tony® Awards including the 2014 Tony® Award for Best Musical Revival, 2014 Tony® Award for Best Actor in a Musical (Neil Patrick Harris), and the 2014 Tony® Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical (Lena Hall).
In 2015 Andrew Lloyd Webber’s School of Rock on Broadway to rave reviews and sold-out houses, and the production has already announced future companies in London’s West End (Autumn 2016), a U.S. Tour (2017) and Australia (2019).
In 2016 Ethan served as Music Director and Music Production Supervisor for the upcoming 20th Century Fox feature film, “The Greatest Showman” starring Hugh Jackman, Zac Efron, Michele Williams, Zendaya and more. The film was released on Christmas, 2017, and the soundtrack broke numerous records around the world and won a 2018 Grammy® Award for Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media, as well as a Golden Globe® Award for Best Original Song for “This Is Me."
In 2017 he served as Vocal Coach and Piano Coach to Rami Malek for his Oscar® Award winning portrayal of legendary Queen frontman Freddie Mercury in the 20th Century Fox hit film “Bohemian Rhapsody."
Ethan currently serves as orchestrator for the hit Tina Turner bio-musical, Tina The Musical, which opened in London’s West End in April 2018. The production currently also runs in Hamburg, Germany, and will open on Broadway in November of 2020.
The upcoming stage adaptation of Bob Gale and Robert Zemeckis’ hit 1980’s classic film “Back To The Future” will feature orchestrations by Ethan. The show’s world premiere will open in March of 2020 at the Opera House in Manchester, UK.
With multiple projects in development in the recording studio as well as for television, film and theater, Ethan is also currently serving as Music Supervisor, Arranger and Orchestrator for the upcoming stage adaptation of the 90’s hit film “Mrs. Doubtfire” with legendary stage director Jerry Zaks.