Claude-Michel Schönberg

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Claude-Michel Schönberg (born 1944) is a French record producer, actor, singer, popular songwriter, and musical theatre composer, best known for his collaborations with the librettist Alain Boublil.

These include the musicals:

• La Révolution Française (1973)
• Les Misérables (1980)
• Miss Saigon (1991)
• Martin Guerre (1996)
• The Pirate Queen (2006)

Schönberg began his career as a record producer and a singer. By the early 1970s he had become successful.

He wrote most of the music for the French musical and rock opera, La Révolution Française, France's first rock opera, in 1973, and also played the role of King Louis XVI in the show's production that year.

In 1974 he wrote the music and the lyrics of the song "Le Premier Pas", which became the number 1 popular song in France that year and sold over 1 million copies. Le Premier Pas was producced by "Franck pourcel".

Schönberg then made an album in which he sang his own songs. In 1978 he dedicated his full attention to musicals when he and Boubil thought about the idea for Les Misérables. Since then he has been working on musicals and in overseeing many of the productions of his musicals. His music is known for its melodic harmonies.

Schönberg's latest project with Boublil is The Pirate Queen, a musical about the 16th century Irish pirate, chieftain and adventuress Grace O'Malley. The Pirate Queen is currently under development, and is scheduled to have its debut at Chicago's Cadillac Palace Theatre in fall 2006.