Jerry Herman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jerry Herman
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Herman at the White House for the 2010 Kennedy Center Honors
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| Born | July 10, 1931 New York City, U.S.
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| Died | December 26, 2019 (aged 88) Miami, Florida, U.S.
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| Monuments | Jerry Herman Ring Theatre, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida, U.S. |
| Alma mater | University of Miami (BA) |
| Partner(s) | Martin Finkelstein (d. 1990) Terry Marler (?–2019) |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | Musical theatre |
| Occupation(s) | Composer, Lyricist |
| Instruments | Piano |
| Years active | 1954–2019 |
Gerald Sheldon Herman (born July 10, 1931 – died December 26, 2019) was an American composer and lyricist. He was famous for his work in Broadway theatre, which means he wrote music and words for stage musicals.
Jerry Herman was one of the most successful Broadway songwriters of his time. Starting in the 1960s, he created many hit musicals. His shows were known for being happy and hopeful. Herman called his songs "simple, hummable showtunes."
Some of his most famous musicals include Hello, Dolly! (1964). For a while, this was the longest-running musical on Broadway. It also featured the hit song "Hello, Dolly!" sung by Louis Armstrong. Another big hit was Mame (1966), which starred Angela Lansbury. He also wrote La Cage aux Folles (1984), which was a groundbreaking Broadway musical about a gay couple.
In 2009, Herman received a special Tony Award for his lifetime achievements in theatre. He was also honored at the Kennedy Center Honors in 2010.
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Jerry Herman's Early Life and Music Beginnings
Jerry Herman was born in Manhattan, New York, and grew up in Jersey City, New Jersey. He was the only child of parents who loved music. He started playing the piano when he was very young. His family often went to see Broadway musicals.
His father, Harry, was a gym teacher. In the summer, he worked at hotels in the Catskill Mountains. His mother, Ruth, was a singer, pianist, and children's teacher at these hotels. She later became an English teacher. Jerry Herman once said that his mother was "glamorous like Mame and witty like Dolly."
Jerry spent all his summers from age 6 to 23 at Stissing Lake Camp in Pine Plains. His parents ran this camp. It was there that he first got involved in theatre. He directed plays like Oklahoma! and Finian's Rainbow. He graduated from Henry Snyder High School in Jersey City.
When he was 17, Herman met a famous composer named Frank Loesser. Loesser heard Jerry's music and told him to keep composing. Jerry then left the Parsons School of Design to study at the University of Miami. This university had a very modern theatre department. While there, Jerry wrote and directed a musical called Sketchbook. It was so popular that it ran for 17 extra performances.
Jerry Herman graduated from the University of Miami in 1953 with a degree in drama. He later received an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree in 1980.
Starting His Career in New York
After college in 1953, Jerry Herman moved to New York City. He created an Off-Broadway show called I Feel Wonderful. This show used songs he had written at the university. It opened in October 1954 and ran for 48 performances. This was the only show his mother saw before she passed away.
In 1957, Herman asked the owner of a jazz club if he could put on a show. He wrote the music and directed a one-hour show called Nightcap. His friend, Phyllis Newman, helped with the dances. The show opened in May 1958 and was very successful, running for two years.
Next, Herman gathered more songs for another Off-Broadway show called Parade in 1960. He directed it, and the cast included Charles Nelson Reilly. It started at the Showplace club and then moved to the Players Theatre.
Jerry Herman's Broadway Success
In 1960, Jerry Herman made his Broadway debut with a show called From A to Z. Other new writers like Woody Allen also contributed to it. That same year, a producer asked him to write music for a show about the founding of Israel. This became his first full Broadway musical, Milk and Honey, in 1961. The show was about American tourists in Israel. It received good reviews and was nominated for a Tony Award. It ran for 543 performances.
Herman also worked on a musical called Madame Aphrodite in 1961. However, this show did not do well and closed quickly. Jerry felt that the directing and casting were not right for the show.
Hello, Dolly! Becomes a Huge Hit
In 1964, Jerry Herman teamed up with actress Carol Channing and writer Michael Stewart. Together, they created Hello, Dolly!, which became one of his biggest successes. The original show ran for 2,844 performances, which was a record at the time. It has been brought back to Broadway three times since.
Hello, Dolly! won 10 Tony Awards that year. This was a record that lasted for 37 years!
Mame and Other Musicals
In 1966, Herman's next musical hit was Mame, starring Angela Lansbury. This show gave us many famous songs, like the beautiful ballad "If He Walked Into My Life." It also included the popular holiday song "We Need a Little Christmas" and the catchy title tune.
Some of his other musicals, like Dear World (1969), Mack & Mabel (1974), and The Grand Tour (1979), were not as commercially successful. However, they are known for their interesting ideas and memorable music. Herman considered Mack & Mabel his favorite score. Both Dear World and Mack & Mabel have become favorites among Broadway fans.
La Cage aux Folles and Its Impact
In 1983, Herman had another big hit with La Cage aux Folles. This show was special because it was one of the first successful Broadway musicals to focus on a gay couple.
The show was incredibly popular even before it reached Broadway. Ticket sales were so high that the box office had to stay open for 36 hours straight! La Cage aux Folles won the Tony Award for Best Musical in 1984. It is also the only musical to win the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical twice (in 2005 and 2010).
A show called Jerry's Girls was created in 1985. It was a collection of his songs and featured famous performers like Dorothy Loudon and Chita Rivera. It ran on Broadway from December 1985 to April 1986.
Famous Songs by Jerry Herman
Many of Jerry Herman's songs have become well-known pop standards. The song "Hello, Dolly!" became a number one hit in the United States for Louis Armstrong in 1964. It even knocked The Beatles' songs off the top of the charts! A French version by Petula Clark also became a hit in Canada and France.
"If He Walked into My Life" from Mame was recorded by Eydie Gormé. She won a Grammy Award for Best Vocal Performance, Female for it in 1967. "I Am What I Am" from La Cage aux Folles was recorded by Gloria Gaynor.
Other famous Herman songs include "Shalom" from Milk and Honey. From Hello, Dolly!, there are "Before the Parade Passes By," "Put On Your Sunday Clothes," and "It Only Takes a Moment." From Mame, you might know "It's Today!", "Open a New Window," "We Need a Little Christmas," and "Bosom Buddies." From Mack & Mabel, there are "Tap Your Troubles Away," "I Won't Send Roses," and "Time Heals Everything." His song "I Am What I Am" became an anthem for gay pride.
Jerry Herman's Impact and Awards
Jerry Herman's musical La Cage aux Folles (1983) was very important. It showed a gay couple at a time when many gay people faced challenges. This musical helped bring gay life into the mainstream culture.
Herman holds a special record: he was the only composer/lyricist to have three original shows running on Broadway at the same time. This happened from February to May 1969 with Hello, Dolly!, Mame, and Dear World. He was also one of only two composers/lyricists to have three musicals run for more than 1500 performances on Broadway. These were Hello, Dolly! (2,844 performances), Mame (1,508), and La Cage aux Folles (1,761).
Jerry Herman has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The campus theater at the University of Miami, where he studied, is named the Jerry Herman Ring Theatre in his honor. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1982.
His work has been celebrated in two popular musical shows: Jerry's Girls and Showtune (2003). A 90-minute documentary about his life, Words and Music by Jerry Herman, was shown in 2007 and on PBS. In the 2008 animated movie WALL-E, music from Herman's Hello, Dolly! is a main theme for the character WALL-E.
In 2010, he received a Kennedy Center Honor. Many famous performers, including Angela Lansbury and Carol Channing, performed his songs to celebrate him.
Later Life and Passing
In the 1970s, Jerry Herman took a break from writing music. He enjoyed decorating homes and even renovated a firehouse. He reportedly decorated three dozen homes.
Jerry Herman passed away at a hospital in Miami on December 26, 2019, at the age of 88. His memoir, Showtune, was published in 1996.
Jerry Herman's Works
Theater Musicals
- I Feel Wonderful (1954) - Off-Broadway
- Nightcap (1958) - Off-Broadway
- Parade (1960) - Off-Broadway
- Madame Aphrodite (1961) - Off-Broadway
- From A to Z (1960) - Broadway
- Milk and Honey (1961) - Broadway
- Hello, Dolly! (1964) - Broadway
- Ben Franklin in Paris (additional music) (1964) - Broadway
- Mame (1966) - Broadway
- Dear World (1969) - Broadway
- Mack & Mabel (1974) - Broadway
- The Grand Tour (1979) - Broadway
- A Day in Hollywood/A Night in the Ukraine (additional songs) (1980) - Broadway
- La Cage aux Folles (1983) - Broadway
- Jerry's Girls (1985) - Broadway
- An Evening with Jerry Herman (1998) - Broadway
- Miss Spectacular (2003) - Recorded but not staged
- Showtune (2003) - Off-Broadway
Films with His Music
- Hello, Dolly! (1969)
- Mame (1974)
- Barney's Great Adventure (title song) (1998)
- WALL-E (excerpts of Hello, Dolly! featured)
Television Work
- Mrs. Santa Claus (1996)
Awards and Honors
- 2010 Kennedy Center Honoree
- 1999 Theatre World Special Award (for An Evening with Jerry Herman)
- 1999 New York University Musical Theater Hall of Fame
- 1980 Doctor of Fine Arts, University of Miami
Grammy Awards
- 1966 Best Score From An Original Cast Show Album (for Mame)
- 1964 Song of the Year (for Hello, Dolly!)
Tony Awards
- 2009 Special Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre
- 1984 Best Original Score (for La Cage aux Folles)
- 1964 Best Composer and Lyricist (for Hello, Dolly!)
See also
In Spanish: Jerry Herman para niños
