Education
Ellis graduated from the Chicago Goodman School of Drama.
Ellis graduated from the Chicago Goodman School of Drama.
Before he became a director, Ellis was a successful stage actor. He performed on Broadway in the original casts of the 1980 original musical "Musical Chairs", and The Rink with Liza Minnelli and Chita Rivera. He has directed numerous Office-Broadway and Broadway productions, as well as the New York City Opera Company revivals at the New York State Theater: A Little Night Music (1990) and 110 in the Shade (1992).
Ellis has been the Associate Artistic Director for the Roundabout Theatre since 1998.
He is the Executive Producer for the television drama Weeds on Showtime, and has directed television episodes of Modern Family, Nurse Jackie, The Good Wife, Hung, 30 Rock, Desperate Housewives, The Closer and Frasier. In 2010, Playbill announced that Ellis is expected to direct upcoming musical adaptations of the 1930s films The Blue Angel and Little Mission Marker.
Both will have books by David Thompson.