Janusz Józefowicz


Janusz Józefowicz is a Polish director, choreographer, actor and dancer.

Life and career

Józefowicz graduated from the Warsaw State Theatrical School. He studied dance at the Vocal and Dance School in Koszecin, and in Prague where he studied under the prominent dance professor Frank Towen. His graduation production "Misbehaving”, created at the Theatrical School in 1984 was an important artistic event. The show has been played at the Ateneum Theater in Warsaw and at the Rampa Theater, where Józefowicz became head choreographer. He traveled across Europe with the show gathering many awards.
In 1990 Józefowicz received a six-week scholarship for choreographers from the American government. Also, for one year he held choreographic classes in West Berlin. He also educated many artists from Poland, Russia, Germany and Belarus.
He always wanted to stage a Polish musical – one, that would tell the story of his generation. He spent a year looking for the right performers across Poland and in neighboring countries. Finally his musical „METRO” had its premiere on January 30, 1991 at the Dramatyczny Theater in Warsaw, then in 1992 at the Minskoff Theater on Broadway and on October 22, 1999 in Moscow at The Bolshaya Opereta. In 1995 „METRO” was successfully performed in France. The play was nominated for the Tony Award for the best score. In 1994 it was awarded the 'Golden Record' award, in 1997 – “Platinum Record” and in 1998 with double “Platinum Record”. „METRO” became the most successful event of the season and it is still performed at the Studio Buffo Theater. It has been performed for more than 1 980 times in Poland, has been seen by over 2 500 000 spectators and has appeared the most remarkable cultural phenomenon of the recent years.
Janusz Józefowicz was a director and a choreographer of several other original musicals: "Peter Pan”, “Romeo and Juliet”, “Miss Tutli Putli” and many adaptations: “Witches of Eastwick”, Prophet, “Halka”, “Zemsta nietoperza”, “Krakowiacy i Górale”, “Dama od Maxima”. His most recent undertaking was directing and making choreography to Roger Waters’ opera “Ca Ira”. In December 2011 he directed musical “Polita” in which, for the first time on stage, 3D live technique was used.
In 1992 Janusz Józefowicz became the artistic director of Studio Buffo Ltd. All shows directed by him and performed on the Buffo stage became the significant events and were warmly welcomed by the audience. Józefowicz personally takes part in his shows, always making unforgettable creations.
Janusz Józefowicz developed fundamentals of musical team, in which sang i.a.: Katarzyna Groniec, Anna Frankowska, Barbara Melzer, Beata Wyrąbkiewicz, Anna Mamczur, Edyta Górniak, Robert Janowski, Mariusz Czajka, Michał Milowicz, Dariusz Kordek, Olaf Lubaszenko, Bogusław Linda and others.
Janusz Józefowicz has also made the choreography for nearly 50 musical shows that became the best-selling all around the country. He also directed most of them.
April 11, 2014, he was awarded the silver order "Gloria Artis".
JANUSZ JÓZEFOWICZ'S ASSISTANTS
· Barbara Deska
· Natasza Urbańska
FILMOGRAPHY
· Miłość Ci wszystko wybaczy as a dancer - 1981
· Blisko, coraz bliżej - 1982-1986
· C.K.Dezerterzy as a soldier - 1985
· Pewnego letniego dnia - 1985
· Bohater roku as a ballet master - 1986
· Trójkąt Bermudzki as a guy of the stag night - 1987
· Nowy Jork, czwarta rano as Józek Polański - 1988
· Oszołomienie as a dancer - 1988
· Kraj Świata as a nervous man in chain - 1993
· Gracze as Jan Gracz - 1995
· Sztos as Adaś, Eric's friend - 1997
· Poranek kojota as Dziki, mafia boss - 2001
· Superprodukcja as Paweł Dziobak - 2002
· Małgosia contra Małgosia - 2008
· Sztos 2 - 2011
DISCOGRAPHY
· CD with music for the musical METRO - 1991
· CD with music for the musical Grosik 2 - 1995
· CD with music for the musical Tyle Miłości - 1996
· CD with music for the musical Grosik 3 - 1998
· Niedziela na głównym - 2001
· VIDEO CD- Możesz zostać Julią - 2004

More important awards

· International Journalists’ Award – for “Misbehaving” choreography
· Stanisław Wyspiański Award – for an artistic personality
· Prometheus 2001 – for artistic work
· Bull of Success – for extraordinary achievements in art
· The Journalists’ Award for Achievements in The Stage Art
· The Master Diploma – 1998 Award
· Golden Mask – for the best director 1999/2000 in all kinds of theater art.
· Silver order "GLORIA ARTIS" for his contribution in culture
· "The Legend of the musical" for laying the foundations of modern musical history in Russia, 01.12.2014, Moscow

More important plays

· MISBEHAVING Ateneum Theater, director A. Strzelecki
· BREL, Ateneum Theater, director W. Młynarski
· HEMAR, Ateneum Theater, director W. Młynarski
· WYSOCKI, Ateneum Theater, director W. Młynarski
· CABARETRO, Rampa Theater, director A. Strzelecki
· SWEET FIFTIES, Rampa Theater, director A. Strzelecki
· RED TABLE, Rampa Theater, director A. Strzelecki
· MUSIC-THERAPY, Rampa Theater, director A. Strzelecki
· ZIMY ŻAL, Rampa Theater, director M. Umer
· BIG ZBIG SHOW, Rampa Theater, director M. Umer
· METRO, Dramatyczny Theater in Warsaw, director J. Józefowicz
· METRO, Minskoff Theatre, director J. Józefowicz
· METRO, Moskowskaja Opereta, director J. Józefowicz
· MEIN KAMPF, Ateneum Theater in Warsaw
· WIDOWS, Współczesny Theater in Warsaw
· KUBUŚ FATALISTA, Ateneum Theater in Warsaw
· MOLIER M. Błuhakow, Osterwy Theater in Lublin
· PANNA TUTLI PUTLI, Współczesny Theater in Wrocław
· POZEGNANIE JESIENI, Słowackiego Theater in Kraków
· WITWEN, Theater in Vienna, director Erwin Axer
· DYBUK, Theater in Tel Awiev
· HALKA S. Moniuszko, Great Theater in Warsaw, director Maria Fołtyn
· OTELLO Giuseppe Verdi, Theater am Goetheplatz in Bremen, director Andrzej Woron
· DEAD SOULS Gogol, Berlin, director Andrzej Woron
· MAHAGONY Bertolt Brecht & Kurt Weil, Volksbühne in Berlin, director A. Woron
· THE END OF THE BEGINNING, Współczesny Theater in Warsaw
· TANGO Sławomir Mrożek, Polski Theater in Szczecin, director Stanisław Świder
· TANGO Sławomir Mrożek, Współczesny Theater in Warsaw, director M. Englert
· PASTORAŁKI GÓRALSKIE – concert, Great Theater in Warsaw, director J. Józefowicz
· DIABŁY POLSKIE Zbigniew Książek, Polski Theater in Szczecin
· OGRODY CZASU Federic Garcia, Polski Theater in Szczecin
· CZTERY KOTY, CZYLI PIES Z KULAWĄ NOGĄ, Polski Theater in Szczecin
· PAN TADEUSZ Adam Mickiewicz, Polski Theater in Szczecin, director Bartłomiej Wyszomirski
· LATAJĄCY CYRK MONTY PYTHONA, Polski Theater in Szczecin, director A. Opatowicz
· ZEMSTA Aleksander Fredro, Polski Theater in Szczecin, director J. Józefowicz
· WESELE Stanisław Wyspiański, Polski Theater in Szczecin, director J. Józefowicz
· DO GRAJĄCEJ SZAFY GROSIK WRZUĆ, Theater in Opole, director J. Józefowicz
· GROSIK 1, Studio Buffo, director J. Józefowicz
· NIE OPUSZCZAJ MNIE..., Studio Buffo, director J. Józefowicz
· BAJOR AT BUFFO, Studio Buffo, director J. Józefowicz
· WIELKOLUDY Andrzej Maleszka, Studio Buffo, director O. Stokłosa
· GROSIK 2, Studio Buffo, director J. Józefowicz
· TYLE MIŁOŚCI, Studio Buffo, director J. Józefowicz
· ZBIGA ŻAL, Studio Buffo, director M. Umer
· OBOK NAS, Studio Buffo, director J Józefowicz
· KATARZYNA GRONIEC – concert, Studio Buffo, director J. Józefowicz
· CRAZY FOR YOU George Gershwin & Ken Ludwig, Roma Theater, director W. Kępczyński
· PRZEŻYJ TO SAM, Studio Buffo, director J. Józefowicz
· PETER PAN, Roma Theater, director J. Józefowicz
· 1000 x METRO, Dramatyczny Theater in Warsaw, director J. Józefowicz
· NIEDZIELA NA GŁÓWNYM, Polski Theater in Wrocław, director J. Józefowicz
· NIEDZIELA NA GŁÓWNYM, Studio Buffo, director J. Józefowicz
· UKOCHANY KRAJ... czyli PRL w piosence, Studio Buffo, director J. Józefowicz
· WITCHES OF EASTWICK, Kinoaktora Theater in Moscow, director J. Józefowicz
· WIECZÓR CYGAŃSKI, Studio Buffo, director J. Józefowicz
· WIECZÓR ŻYDOWSKI, Studio Buffo, director J. Józefowicz
· WIECZÓR ROSYJSKI, Studio Buffo, director J. Józefowicz
· PANNA TUTLI PUTLI, Studio Buffo, director J. Józefowicz
· musical ROMEO AND JULIET, COS Torwar, director J. Józefowicz
· WIECZÓR WŁOSKI, Studio Buffo, director J. Józefowicz
· WIECZÓR FRANCUSKI, Studio Buffo, director J. Józefowicz
· ZEMSTA NIETOPERZA J. Strauss, Opera Krakowska, director J. Józefowicz
· ROMEO AND JULIET at Buffo, Studio Buffo, director J. Józefowicz
· URSUS 1976 – concert, Pl. Konstytucji in Warsaw, director J. Józefowicz
· CA IRA R. Waters, Poznań, director J. Józefowicz
· AMERICAN EVENING, Studio Buffo, director J. Józefowicz
· musical PROPHET, Kupala Theater in Minsk, director J. Józefowicz
· opera KRAKOWIACY I GÓRALE, Opera Narodowa, director J. Józefowicz
· LATINO EVENING, Studio Buffo, director J. Józefowicz
· BRITISH EVENING, Studio Buffo, director J. Józefowicz
· KARUZELA MARZEŃ, Studio Buffo, director J. Józefowicz
· POLISH EVENING, Studio Buffo, director J. Józefowicz
· BALKAN EVENING, Studio Buffo, director J. Józefowicz
· musical POLITA, Bydgoszcz, Hala Łuczniczka, director J. Józefowicz
· musical POLITA – the world's first performance in 3D, Torwar, Warsaw, director J. Józefowicz
· musical POLA NEGRI – , Дворец Культуры имени Ленсовета, Sankt Petersburg, director J. Józefowicz
· RUSSIAN EVENING 2, Studio Buffo, director J. Józefowicz
· musical POLA NEGRI – , Центральный Академический Театр Российской Армии, Moscow, director J. Józefowicz
· musical JULIETTA & ROMEO – , Дворец Культуры имени Ленсовета, Sankt Petersburg, director J. Józefowicz

More important TV production

· musical METRO – TVP 1, POLONIA
·revue NEW YEAR'S EVE - TVP 1
· opera CA IRA – TVP 1
· PRZEBOJOWA NOC – musical show, 10 episodes
· ZŁOTA SOBOTA – musical show, 8 episodes
· CONCERT – METRO x 1000 – TVP 1, POLONIA
· DO GRAJĄCEJ SZAFY GROSIK WRZUĆ – TVP 1, POLONIA
· GROSIK 2 – TVP 1, POLONIA
· TYLE MIŁOŚCI – TVP 1, POLONIA
· BAJOR AT BUFFO – TVP 1, POLONIA
· OBOK NAS – TVP 1, POLONIA
· PRZEŻYJ TO SAM – TVP 1, POLONIA
· KATARZYNA GRONIEC concert – TVP 2, POLONIA
· „DAMA OD MAXIMA” George Feydean, music Ryszard Sielicki, TVP 1, POLONIA
· JANUSZ JÓZEFOWICZ ZAPRASZA – 4 shows for TVP 1, POLONIA
· A couple of season’s inaugurations and closings in Regional Television – WOT
· Charity concerts – Regional Television - WOT
· NOC Z GWIAZDAMI czyli SYLWESTER W JEDYNCE in 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2005
· „OD TANGA DO TANGA” – TVP 1, POLONIA
· GALA in Wrocław - ALFABET JÓZEFOWICZA – TVP 2
· GALA in Wrocław – NIEDZIELA NA GŁÓWNYM –TVP 2
· ZIMY ŻAL director M. Umer – TVP 1
· BIG ZBIG SHOW director M. Umer – TVP 1
· ZIELONO MI director M. Umer – TVP 1
·musical ROMEO & JULIA

More important movie appearance

· CYGAŃSKIE PIEŚNI PAPUSZY, director Dybowski
· MIŁOŚĆ CI WSZYSTKO WYBACZY, director Janusz Rzeszewski
· MISBEHAVING, director Ireneusz Engler
· NOWY JORK CZWARTA RANO, director Krzysztof Krauze
· GRACZE, director Ryszard Bugajski
· SZTOS, director Olaf Lubaszenko
· PORANEK KOJOTA 2001r., director Olaf Lubaszenko