Mary Rodgers facts for kids

Mary Rodgers (born January 11, 1931 – died June 26, 2014) was a talented American composer, writer, and author. She is best known for writing the popular book Freaky Friday. This book was turned into a movie in 1976 starring Jodie Foster. Mary even wrote the script for that movie! The story was so popular, it was made into three more movies later. She also wrote music for famous musicals like Once Upon a Mattress and The Mad Show. Plus, she helped create songs for the well-loved children's album Free to Be... You and Me.

Mary Rodgers' Early Life and Musical Start

Mary Rodgers was born in New York City. Her father was the famous composer Richard Rodgers. Her mother was Dorothy Belle Feiner. Mary had a sister named Linda Emory. She went to the Brearley School in Manhattan. Later, she studied music at Wellesley College.

Mary started writing music when she was just 16 years old. Her first professional work was writing songs for Little Golden Records. These were children's albums with short, three-minute songs. One of her recordings, "Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves" (released in 1957), featured Bing Crosby singing her songs. She also composed music for television, including a well-known jingle for Prince Spaghetti.

Her Amazing Career in Musicals

Mary Rodgers' first full-length musical was Once Upon a Mattress. She worked with lyricist Marshall Barer on this show. It first opened in New York City in May 1959. Later that year, it moved to Broadway, a famous theater district.

The show was very successful, running for 244 performances. It then went on a US tour in 1960. A London production also opened in 1960. Once Upon a Mattress was even shown on TV three times. It was also brought back to Broadway in 1996. Many schools and community groups still perform this musical today.

The Mad Show and Other Works

Another important musical Mary worked on was The Mad Show. This musical comedy was based on Mad magazine. It opened in January 1966 and ran for 871 performances. An album of the show's songs was also released.

Mary started this project with Marshall Barer. However, he left before it was finished. Other writers then helped with the lyrics. Even Stephen Sondheim, a very famous composer, contributed a song. He wrote a funny parody called "The Boy From..." for the show.

Mary also wrote music for other musicals and revues. Her first Broadway show was Davy Jones' Locker in 1959. She wrote both the music and lyrics for this show. Other musicals she worked on include From A to Z (1960) and Working (1978).

Becoming a Children's Author

Mary Rodgers later began writing children's books. Her most famous book is Freaky Friday (1972). This book was made into a movie in 1976. Mary herself wrote the screenplay for the film. The story was so popular that it was remade for TV in 1995 and again for cinemas in 2003.

Her other children's books include The Rotten Book (1969) and Summer Switch (1982). She also wrote songs for the important children's album Free to Be... You and Me. Mary did return to musical theater briefly. She adapted her book Freaky Friday into a musical in 1991. However, after another show called The Griffin and the Minor Canon, she stopped composing music. She explained that she felt her talent was good but not amazing.

Mary Rodgers' Family Life

Mary Rodgers married her first husband, Julian B. Beaty, Jr., in 1951. He was a lawyer. They had three children together. This marriage ended in 1957.

She then married Henry Guettel, a film executive, in 1961. They had three sons, including Adam Guettel. Adam also became a successful musical theater composer, winning a Tony Award. Henry passed away in October 2013.

Mary Rodgers was an important figure in the arts. She was a director for the Rodgers and Hammerstein Organization. She also served on the board of ASCAP. For several years, she was the chairman of the Juilliard School, a famous music school.

Mary Rodgers died at her home in Manhattan on June 26, 2014. She passed away from heart failure.

See also

In Spanish: Mary Rodgers para niños