Joseph Stein is a musical theatre librettist and playwright living in New York City. He won the Tony Award and the NY Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Musical for writing FIDDLER ON THE ROOF. His other musicals include ZORBA (Tony nomination, Drama Critics Circle Award), THE BAKER'S WIFE, (Oliver Award, Critic Circle Award), RAGS, (Tony nomination), IRENE, JUNO, TAKE ME ALONG, THE KING OF HEARTS, and SO LONG, 174th STREET. He also co-authored, with Alan Jay Lerner, the musical CARMELINA and, with Will Glickman, the show PLAIN AND FANCY and MR. WONDERFUL. He wrote the screenplays of ENTER THE LAUGHING and FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, for which he won the Screen Writers Guild Award.
