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PEOPLE & ARTS Saturday 28 december 2019
'Mame,' 'Hello, Dolly!' composer Jerry Herman dies at 88

By MARK KENNEDY ing he created songs like
Associated Press him: "bouncy, buoyant and
Tony Award-winning com- optimistic."
poser Jerry Herman, who In 1983 he had another hit
wrote the cheerful, good- with "La Cage aux Folles," a
natured music and lyrics sweetly radical musical of
for such classic shows as its age, decades before the
"Mame," "Hello, Dolly!" and fight for marriage equality.
"La Cage aux Folles," died It was a lavish adaptation
Thursday. He was 88. of the successful French
His goddaughter Jane film about two gay men
Dorian confirmed his death who own a splashy, drag
to The Associated Press nightclub on the Riviera. It
early Friday. He died of pul- contained the gay anthem
monary complications in "I Am What I Am" and ran
Miami, where he had been for some 1,760 performanc-
living with his partner, real es. Three of his shows, "Dear
estate broker Terry Marler. World," "The Grand Tour"
The creator of 10 Broad- In this June 7, 2009, file photo, Jerry Herman accepts his Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achieve- and "Mack and Mabel,"
way shows and contributor ment in the Theater from Angela Lansbury at the 63rd Annual Tony Awards in New York. failed on Broadway.
to several more, Herman Associated Press Many of his songs have
won two Tony Awards for outlasted their vehicles:
best musical: "Hello, Dolly!" ral, unforced quality. Over said in a 2004 Q&A session I wanted to give that gift British ice skaters Torvill and
in 1964 and "La Cage aux the years, he told the AP with readers of Broadway. to other people. That was Dean used the overture
Folles" in 1983. He also won in 1995, "critics have sort of com. my great inspiration, that from "Mack and Mabel" to
two Grammys — for the tossed me off as the popu- Playwright Paul Rudnick night," he told The Associ- accompany a gold med-
"Mame" cast album and lar and not the cerebral on Friday praised Herman ated Press in 1996. al-winning routine in 1982.
"Hello, Dolly!" as song of the writer, and that was fine for providing "such joy." After graduating from the Writer-director Andrew
year — and was a Kennedy with me. That was exactly And director and chore- University of Miami, Herman Stanton used the Herman
Center honoree. He had what I aimed at." ographer Matthew Bourne headed back to New York, tunes "Put on Your Sunday
three original Broadway In accepting the Tony in said Herman's "feel-good writing and playing piano Clothes" and "It Only Takes
productions playing at the 1984 for "La Cage Aux shows full of melody and in a jazz club. He made his a Moment" to express the
same time from February Folles," Herman said, "This joy will live forever." Berna- Broadway debut in 1960 psyche of a love-starved,
1969 to May 1969. award forever shatters a dette Peters, Elaine Paige contributing songs to the trash-compacting robot in
Tributes poured in Friday myth about the musical and Carolee Carmello also review "From A to Z" — the film "WALL-E."
from Broadway royalty, in- theater. There's been a ru- mourned his passing, with alongside material by Fred Later in life, Herman com-
cluding from Harvey Fier- mor around for a couple of Donna Murphy thanking Ebb and Woody Allen — posed a song for "Barney's
stein, who wrote the book years that the simple, hum- the composer for "count- and the next year tackled Great Adventure," contrib-
of "La Cage aux Folles" mable show tune was no less moments of explosive the entire score to a musi- uted the score for the 1996
alongside Herman's songs. longer welcome on Broad- joy, deep poignancy, pro- cal about the founding of made-for-TV movie "Mrs.
"We lost one of the greats," way. Well, it's alive and well found inspiration, humor the state of Israel, "Milk and Santa Claus" — earning
Fierstein tweeted. "A collab- at the Palace" Theatre. and heartbreak." Honey." It earned him his Herman an Emmy nomina-
orator and friend for almost Some saw that phrase — Herman was born in New first Tony nomination. tion — and wrote his au-
40 years. I cannot thank "the simple, hummable York in 1931 and raised in "Hello, Dolly!" starring Carol tobiography, "Showtune,"
him enough for his love, show tune" — as a subtle Jersey City. His parents ran Channing opened in 1964 published by Donald I. Fine.
trust, encouragement, sup- dig at Stephen Sondheim, a children's summer camp and ran for 2,844 perfor- "There has been no oth-
port and laughter." Writer known for challenging and in the Catskills and he mances, becoming Broad- er music which took our
and host Seth Rudetsky complex songs and whose taught himself the piano. way's longest-running musi- breath away, that made
honored Herman for writing "Sunday in the Park with He noted that when he cal at the time. It won 10 To- us hum and cheer and re-
"quintessential Broadway George" Herman had just was born, his mother had a nys and has been revived spect ourselves more than
songs. Beautiful melodies bested. But Herman reject- view of Broadway's Winter many times, most recently a majestic Jerry Herman
and fantastic lyrics." Her- ed any tension between Garden Theatre marquee in 2017 with Bette Midler in musical," said Dorian.
man wrote in the Rodgers the two musical theater gi- from her hospital bed. the title role, a 19th-centu- He is survived by his partner,
and Hammerstein tradition, ants. Herman dated his inten- ry widowed matchmaker Marler, and his goddaugh-
an optimistic composer at "Only a small group of tion to write musicals to the who learns to live again. ters — Dorian and Dorian's
a time when others in his 'showbiz gossips' have con- time his parents took him to "Mame" followed in 1966, own daughter, Sarah Has-
profession were exploring stantly tried to create a "Annie Get Your Gun" and starring Angela Lansbury, pel. Dorian said plans for
darker feelings and mate- feud between Mr. Sond- he went home and played and went on to run for over a memorial service are still
rial. Just a few of his song heim and myself. I am as five of Irving Berlin's songs 1,500 performances. She in the works for the man
titles revealed his depth of much of a Sondheim fan on the piano. handed him his Special whose songs she said "are
hope: "I'll Be Here Tomor- as you and everybody else "I thought what a gift this Tony Award for Lifetime always on our lips and in
row," "The Best of Times," in the world, and I believe man has given a stranger. Achievement in 2009, say- our hearts."q
"Tap Your Troubles Away," that my comments upon
"It's Today," "We Need a winning the Tony for 'La
Little Christmas" and "Be- Cage' clearly came from
fore the Parade Passes By." my delight with the show
Even the title song to "Hello, business community's en-
Dolly!" is an advertisement dorsement of the simple
to enjoy life. melodic showtune which
Herman also had a direct, had been criticized by a
simple sense of melody few hard-nosed critics as
and his lyrics had a natu- being old fashioned," he