Lerner and Loewe facts for kids
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Lerner and Loewe was a famous team made up of Alan Jay Lerner, who wrote the words for songs and stories (called a lyricist and librettist), and Frederick Loewe, who wrote the music (a composer). They worked together for over 30 years, from 1942 to 1960, and then again from 1970 to 1972. They created nine musicals and one movie musical. Some of their most famous works include My Fair Lady, Brigadoon, Camelot, and the movie Gigi.
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How They Started
Frederick Loewe, also known as "Fritz," grew up in Austria. He was a very talented pianist from a young age. His father was a famous opera singer. When Fritz moved to New York City, he played piano in German clubs and for silent movies. He had not worked with a partner before meeting Lerner.
Alan Lerner was born in New York City. He went to Harvard University. There, he started writing for college musicals called Hasty Pudding Theatricals. Early in his career, he worked with Leonard Bernstein. But he also didn't have a steady partner until he met Loewe.
Their First Meeting
In August 1942, Alan Jay Lerner, who was 24, and Frederick Loewe, who was 41, met in New York City. Lerner said they met by accident at the Lambs Club. Loewe asked Lerner if he wrote song lyrics. When Lerner said yes, Loewe asked if he wanted to write music with him. They started working together right away.
Early Shows
Their first two musicals were not very successful. They are often called "flops." Their very first show, Life of the Party, was made in 1942. It played for nine weeks in Detroit but never made it to Broadway.
Their first show on Broadway was What's Up?. It opened in 1943. While some people liked it, it didn't make much money. It ran for 63 performances.
In 1945, they had a small success with The Day Before Spring. This show ran for about a year. A critic from Billboard magazine called Lerner and Loewe "potential supermen." This showed that people saw their talent.
Brigadoon
Brigadoon was their first big hit. Loewe and Lerner had to try out their music about 50 times before they found people to invest money in their show.
The story of Brigadoon is about two men from New York visiting Scotland. They find a magical village that appears only once every 100 years. The idea for the show came from stories by James M. Barrie. It also came from Frederick Loewe's idea that "faith can move mountains."
The original Broadway show opened in 1947. It won the Drama Critics Award for Best Musical of the Year. Brigadoon also opened in London in 1949. It has been performed many times since then. A movie was also made, starring Gene Kelly.
Paint Your Wagon
Lerner and Loewe called Paint Your Wagon a "success, but not a hit." It opened in 1951. The story is set in California during the Gold Rush. It focuses on a gold miner and his daughter.
Two years later, in 1953, the musical opened in London. It played for almost 500 performances.
Years later, in 1969, Lerner wanted Loewe to write new songs for a movie version. Loewe had retired and said no. But he let Lerner work with Andre Previn on the new songs. Lerner and Loewe had a rule: if one wanted to work with someone else, they had to tell the other. Even though Lerner got permission, the movie version of Paint Your Wagon was not very popular. The most famous songs from the musical, like "I Was Born Under a Wand'rin' Star" and "They Call the Wind Maria", were written by both Lerner and Loewe.
My Fair Lady
My Fair Lady opened on Broadway in 1956. Lerner and Loewe wanted to turn George Bernard Shaw's play Pygmalion into a musical. But at first, they struggled. Musicals at the time usually had big dance numbers and a large singing group. Their story didn't fit this style.
After many difficult work sessions, and advice from Oscar Hammerstein II (who had also tried and failed to adapt the play), Lerner and Loewe stopped working on the project.
During their break, Lerner was reminded of Pygmalion when he heard that the film producer who first suggested the idea had passed away.
By 1954, the "rules" for musicals had changed. It was no longer necessary to have a side story or a huge singing group. So, Lerner and Loewe started working on the musical again.
Their main goal was to honor the original play. They also wanted to create songs that showed what the characters were feeling inside. They spent a lot of time perfecting the songs for My Fair Lady. They would talk about the moments in the musical and what they wanted to achieve.
Lerner said that Loewe would often get into a dream-like state while playing the piano. He would keep playing until he found a musical moment they both loved.
Just before the show opened, they finally decided on a name. Loewe liked "Fanfaroon," but Lerner thought it sounded too much like Brigadoon. In the end, they chose My Fair Lady because they disliked it the least out of all their choices.
The year it opened, My Fair Lady won six Tony Awards. It also won the Theatre World Award. It set a record for the longest-running Broadway musical at the time. It has been brought back to the stage many times since.
Gigi
Four years after My Fair Lady, Lerner wanted to work with Loewe on a movie. Loewe wasn't interested at first because it wasn't a stage show. But he changed his mind after reading the script.
While in Paris getting ready to film, Lerner bought a blue Rolls-Royce car. He convinced Loewe to buy a gray one in less than five minutes! The first time Gigi was shown to an audience, it wasn't liked. Lerner and Loewe were also unhappy with it. So, they rewrote and re-shot parts of the movie. This cost them $300,000.
However, these changes worked! Gigi won nine Academy Awards (Oscars). At that time, it held the record for the most Oscars won by a single film.
Camelot
Like Pygmalion, the idea for Camelot came from a book. This time, it was T.H. White's The Once and Future King. Loewe needed more convincing that it would be popular, but he eventually agreed.
Camelot was a very difficult show to create. The first preview show was four and a half hours long! The director, Moss Hart, had a heart attack during the previews. This forced Lerner to take over as director, which caused some stress between Lerner and Loewe.
At first, it was hard for Camelot to become popular. But when the cast appeared on Ed Sullivan Show, the show became a huge success. Camelot ended up making over a million dollars in profit.
Loewe had told Lerner that Camelot would be his last show before he retired. He kept his word and stopped working with Lerner after this musical.
Their Working Style
Lerner said that Loewe's patience was very important to their partnership. Lerner's creative process could take a few hours or a few weeks. But he never felt rushed by Loewe. Loewe didn't need as much time to write music, but he was often unsure about his choices. Lerner was able to give him confidence.
They both liked to work early in the morning. Lerner especially believed his best writing happened right after he woke up.
Their personalities were very different. Lerner was younger, from New York, and always eager and fast-paced. Loewe was older, from Austria, and more experienced and serious. But they understood each other well. They became very close friends.
Their Last Project
Their final project together was the 1974 musical film The Little Prince. A reviewer said that while Lerner and Loewe wrote enjoyable music, it wasn't their best work. They felt the music didn't always fit the story.
Lerner said this about Loewe: "There will never be another Fritz... Writing will never again be as much fun. Our partnership was very close and sometimes complicated. But I loved him more than I understood him, and I know he loved me more than he understood me."
In Loewe's obituary (a notice of his death) in The New York Times, it said: "Near the peak of their work together, Mr. Lerner described his working relationship with Mr. Loewe as pleasant and respectful."
Musicals They Created
- Life of the Party (1942)
- What's Up? (1943)
- The Day Before Spring (1945)
- Brigadoon (1947)
- Paint Your Wagon (1951)
- My Fair Lady (1956)
- Camelot (1960)
- Gigi (1973) – a stage version made from the movie
Movies and Movie Versions
- Brigadoon (1954)
- Gigi (1958)
- My Fair Lady (1964)
- Camelot (1967)
- Paint Your Wagon (1969)
- The Little Prince (1974)
