Two things become quite clear when talking with Ted Chapin about the trajectory of his life. One is that attending Millbrook was almost an inevitability, and the other is that he was destined for a life in the arts. Furthermore, each facet of his life strengthened the other, elevating the experience he had in high school and creating a foundation for what would become major contributions to the theater in New York City and beyond.

As a member of the class of 1940, Ted’s father, Schuyler, was hoping at least one of his children would follow in his footsteps and attend Millbrook School. Having the idea that it was already a magical place, Ted fell in love with the setting when he came for a visit on a chilly fall day. Upon enrolling, he quickly knew he had to find his place. He shares, “Boarding school is a forced community, and you have to figure out how to fit in there. Early on I was tapped to play the organ during chapel services, and it was a big deal. I helped out; I applied my skills in whatever was there to be done. I began to realize that being helpful in any group is about making connections.”

Realizing the potential of connections is how Ted started to make his mark after high school. Leveraging the fact that his father was the head of the classical division of Columbia records, he became a production assistant on Broadway shows, spending his time getting everyone coffee and just being around. He just wanted to be in the room where things were happening. Eventually one thing led to another. He worked with Gordon Davidson on Leonard Bernstein’s Mass: A Theater Piece for Singers, Players, and Dancers and then with Alan Arkin, who was directing the Neil Simon play The Sunshine Boys. After being in the room for years, Ted took a call from Mary Rodgers who said, “I think they could use you at the Rodgers and Hammerstein office.” That was 30 plus years ago. As president of Rodgers and Hammerstein, Chapin led many Broadway productions including The King and I, White Christmas, and South Pacific. He also brought live productions like The Sound of Music and Cinderella to network television. He has also contributed to a number of books and wrote Everything Was Possible: The Birth of the Musical Follies published by Knopf in 2005, which was awarded a Special Jury Prize for Distinguished Achievement by the Theater Library Association and an ASCAP/Dees Taylor Award.