Timothy Crouse

Timothy Crouse (born 1947) is an American journalist, author, and librettist whose varied career spans political reportage, magazine writing, and theater. He is the son of playwright and librettist Russel Crouse, one half of the famed Lindsay & Crouse writing team, and inherited from his father both a deep respect for dramaturgical craftsmanship and a lively interest in politics and storytelling. Crouse attended Harvard University, and after college he served in the Peace Corps in Morocco from 1968 to 1969 before returning to the United States to pursue journalism.

In the early part of his career, Crouse wrote for the Boston Herald and later joined Rolling Stone as a contributing editor, where he became known for his incisive political commentary. His landmark book, The Boys on the Bus (1973), emerged from his experience covering the 1972 presidential campaign. The book introduced the concept of “pack journalism,” describing how reporters often move as a collective herd, shaping public perception of political candidates through repetitive and uniform coverage. He went on to write for Esquire, The New Yorker, and The Village Voice, cementing his reputation as one of the sharpest political observers of his generation.

Crouse’s most enduring theatrical contribution came in 1987, when he co-authored with John Weidman a newly revised libretto for the Broadway revival of Anything Goes. Their version restructured the story, reinstated several classic Cole Porter songs from other shows, and tightened the book to make it both more faithful to the original and more engaging for modern audiences. The production opened at the Vivian Beaumont Theater at Lincoln Center in October 1987 and ran for 784 performances, earning multiple Tony nominations and winning for Best Revival of a Musical.

Beyond Anything Goes, Crouse has also worked in literary translation and explored fiction writing. His unique career bridges the worlds of journalism and musical theatre, combining political insight with an understanding of structure, dialogue, and human motivation. Through his work, Crouse has demonstrated a rare versatility—moving seamlessly between the analytical precision of reporting and the creative storytelling of the stage.