Sheldon Harnick Biography (1924-)
Full name, Sheldon Mayer Harnick; born April 30, 1924, in Chicago, IL; son ofHarry M. and Esther (maiden name, Kanter) Harnick; brother of Jay Harnick (adirector, producer, performer, and stage manager); married Mary Boatner, August 29, 1950 (marriage annulled, May, 1957); married Elaine May (a writer, comedienne, actress, and director), 1962 (divorced, 1963); married Margery Gray(an actress), October 8, 1965; children: (with Gray) Beth, Matthew. Addresses: Manager: David J. Cogan, 350 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10118.
- Nationality
- American
- Gender
- Male
- Occupation
- Lyricist, composer, performer
- Birth Details
- April 30, 1924
- Chicago, Illinois, United States
Famous Works
- CREDITS
- Stage Appearances
- Sondheim: A Musical Tribute (benefit concert), Shubert Theatre, New York City, 1973
- Voice of the White Rabbit, Alice in Wonderland, Bil Baird Marionettes, off-Broadway production, 1975
- Show & Tell (benefit gala), Laura Belle Theatre, New York City, 2001
- Some Enchanted Evenings, Town Hall Theatre, New York City, 2002
- Musical Makers, Acorn Theatre, New York City, 2003
- Sing for a Cure: A Valentine Cabaret Salute to Richard Rodgers (benefit), Richard Rodgers Theatre, New York City, 2003
- Broadway Talks, 92nd Street Y, New York City, 2004
- His Words Are Music: The Broadway Lyrics of Sheldon Harnick, JohnDrew Theater at Guild Hall, East Hampton, NY, 2004
- Lyrics & Lyricist: A Celebration of Sheldon Harnick (also known as Celebration of Sheldon Harnick), 92nd Street Y, 2005
- Appeared in other productions, including cabaret productions at the Rainbow and Stars, 1990.
- Film Appearances
- Voices of Barney Beanbag and Socko the Sockworm, Raggedy Ann & Andy: A Musical Adventure (animated musical; also known as Raggedy Ann & Andy), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1976
- Himself, Broadway: The Golden Age, by the Legends Who Were There (documentary; also known as Broadway, Broadway: The Golden Age,and Broadway: The Movie), Dada Films, 2003
- Television Appearances
- Miniseries
- Himself, Broadway: The American Musical (documentary), PBS, 2004
- Specials
- She Loves Me (musical), PBS, 1979
- Music by Richard Rodgers, PBS, 1990
- Himself, Richard Rodgers: The Sweetest Sounds (documentary), PBS,2001
- RECORDINGS
- Albums
- Evening with Sheldon Harnick, DRG, 1971
- Regards to the Lindsay Years, 1973
- Musical Life in Concert, DRG, 1994
- Harnick's music has been featured in cast albums and several other recordings and translated for foreign recordings.
- WRITINGS
- Stage Lyrics
- Musicals
- Leonard Sillman's "New Faces of 1952" (revue; also known as NewFaces of 1952), Royale Theatre, New York City, 1952-53
- Two's Company (revue; also known as Charles Sherman's Musical Revue), Alvin Theatre, New York City, 1952-53
- Horatio, Margo Jones Theatre, Dallas, TX, 1954, later produced under the title Smiling, the Boy Fell Dead, Cherry Lane Theatre, New YorkCity, 1961
- (Uncredited) The Amazing Adele, 1956
- (Uncredited) Additional lyrics, Shangri-La, NY, 1956
- Portofino, Adelphi Theatre, New York City, 1958
- The Body Beautiful, Broadway Theatre, New York City, 1958-61
- Fiorello!, Broadhurst Theatre, New York City, 1959
- Vintage '60 (revue), Brooks Atkinson Theatre, New York City, 1960
- Tenderloin, 46th Street Theatre, New York City, 1960-61
- Never Too Late, Playhouse Theatre, New York City, 1962-65
- Man in the Moon, Biltmore Theatre, New York City, 1963
- She Loves Me, Eugene O'Neill Theatre, New York City, 1963-64, other productions, including Criterion Center Stage Right, New York City, 1993, Brooks Atkinson Theatre, New York City, 1993-94, and Savoy Theatre, London, beginning 1994
- To Broadway, with Love, New York World's Fair, 1964-65
- Fiddler on the Roof, Imperial Theatre, New York City, 1964-67, Majestic Theatre, New York City, 1967-70, Broadway Theatre, New York City, 1970-72, several other productions, including Winter Garden Theatre, New York City, 1976-77, Lincoln Center, New York State Theater, New York City, beginning 1981, additional song added to production at Minskoff Theatre, New York City,beginning 2004
- (With others) Wet Paint, Renata Theatre, New York City, 1965
- The Apple Tree, Shubert Theatre, New York City, 1966-67, revised production later produced
- The Rothschilds, Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, New York City, 1970-72
- Pinocchio, Bil Baird Marionettes, off-Broadway production, 1973
- Alice in Wonderland, Bil Baird Marionettes, off-Broadway production, 1975
- Captain Jinks of the Horse Marines (opera), Lyric Opera of KansasCity, Kansas City, MO, 1975
- Rex, Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, 1976
- Dr. Heidigger's Fountain of Youth (opera), National Arts Club, NewYork City, 1978
- Frustration--A Mini-Opera (opera), Encompass Theatre, New York City, 1979
- The Madwoman of Central Park West, 22 Steps, 1979
- The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (stage version of film), New York Shakespeare Festival, New York City, 1979
- It's a Wonderful Life, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 1986, other productions, including Beck Center for Cultural Arts--Main Stage, Cleveland, OH, 2000, and Surflight Theatre, Beach Haven, NJ, 2000
- Barbara Cook: A Concert for the Theatre (concert), Ambassador Theatre, New York City, 1987
- (With others) Jerome Robbins' Broadway, Imperial Theatre, New YorkCity, 1989-90
- Love in Two Countries (two one-act operas), Music Theatre Works, Theatre at St. Peter's Church, New York City, 1991
- (With others) Cyrano-The Musical, Neil Simon Theatre, New York City, 1993-94, Theatre Hagen, Hagen, Germany, c. 1994
- Back from Broadway (benefit concert), Vivian Beaumont Theatre, 2002
- (With others) Free to Be ... You and Me, Greenwich House Theatre,New York City, 2002
- Mostly Sondheim (concerts), Vivian Beaumont Theatre, 2002
- Dragons, Luna Stage Company, Montclair, NJ, 2003
- Sunrise, Sunset--The Songs of Sheldon Harnick (revue), Jewish Theatre of New England, 2003
- American Musical Theater Salutes Series, John Drew Theater at Guild Hall, East Hampton, NY, 2004
- Barbara Cook's Broadway (concerts), Vivian Beaumont Theatre, 2004
- Moments of Being, with Betsy, Stella Adler Theatre, New York City,2004
- Lyrics & Lyricist: A Celebration of Sheldon Harnick (also known as Celebration of Sheldon Harnick), 92nd Street Y, New York City, 2005
- Major Tours
- A Christmas Carol, Christmas tours, 1981, 1982
- Sunrise, Sunset--The Songs of Sheldon Harnick (revue), 2004-2005
- English Translations and Adaptations
- Igor Stravinski, L'histoire du soldat, Bil Baird Marionettes, Chamber Symphony of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, 1967
- (English translation) Maurice Ravel, L'enfant et les sortileges, Manhattan School of Music, New York City, 1971
- (English version) Franz Lehar, The Merry Widow (operetta; also known as Die luestige Witwe), San Diego Opera, San Diego, CA, 1977
- (English translation) Georges Bizet, Carmen, Houston Opera, Houston, TX, 1981, later Vivian Beaumont Theatre, New York City, 1984
- Joseph Canteloube, Songs of the Auvergne (concert), New York City,1982
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, L'oca del Cairo (also known as The Goose from Cairo), Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Kansas City, MO, 1982
- (Translations of Yiddish songs with Jim Friedman) Ghetto, Mark Taper Forum, Los Angeles, 1986
- Charles Ives, "Elgie," Ives, Songs, Lincoln Center, New York StateTheater, New York City, 1988
- J. S. Bach, The Contest between Phoebus and Pan (cantata), Stony Brook, NY, 1988
- J. S. Bach, The Appeasement of Aeolus (cantata), Stony Brook, NY,1990
- Involved in the adaptation or translation of the musical pieces The Heiress, by Jean-Michel Damase; Le monde ou l'on s'ennuie (also known as A World Where Boredom Reigns), by Edouard Pailleron; Le voyagede Monsieur Perrichon (also known as Monsieur Perrichon's Vacation), by Eugene Labiche and Edouard Martin; Un education manquee (also known as A Flawed Education), by Emmanuel Chabrier; (with Michel Legrand) L'amour fantome; and Renard.
- Stage Music
- Musicals
- Dragons, Luna Stage Company, Montclair, NJ, 2003
- Stage Songs
- John Murray Anderson's "Almanac" (revue), New York City, 1953
- The Shoestring Revue, New York City, 1955
- The Littlest Revue, New York City, 1956
- Shoestring '57 (revue), off-Broadway production, 1957
- (Uncredited) Baker Street (also known as Baker Street: A Musical Adventure of Sherlock Holmes), Broadway Theatre and Martin Beck Theatre, both New York City, 1965
- (With others) City Center Encores! Broadway Bash!, City Center, New York City, 2001
- Vickie Phillips: Different Dreams, Different Times, Don't Tell Mama, New York City, 2002
- Tonight at Eight: A Celebration of the Musicals of Bock and Harnick, The Supper Club, New York City. 2003
- Songwriter for Kaleidoscope, New York City; also songwriter for Julius Monk cabaret shows.
- Writings for the Stage
- Books for Musicals
- The Apple Tree (based on various short stories), Shubert Theatre,New York City, 1966-67, revised production later produced
- It's a Wonderful Life, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 1986, other productions, including Beck Center for Cultural Arts--Main Stage, Cleveland, OH, 2000, and Surflight Theatre, Beach Haven, NJ, 2000
- Continuity, Good Company (also known as Good Company--Songs That Made It from Shows That Didn't), Berkshire Theatre Festival, Stockbridge, MA, 1997
- (With Norton Juster) The Phantom Tollbooth (based on Juster's book), Harwich Junior Theatre, Cape Cod, MA, 2002, Wheelock Family Theatre, Boston, MA, 2003
- Dragons (based on the play by Yevgeny Schwarz), Luna Stage Company, Montclair, NJ, 2003
- Opera Librettos
- Captain Jinks of the Horse Marines, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Kansas City, MO, 1975
- Dr. Heidigger's Fountain of Youth, National Arts Club, New York City, 1978
- Cyrano-The Musical, Neil Simon Theatre, New York City, 1993-94, Theatre Hagen, Hagen, Germany, c. 1994
- Coyote Tales, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, 1998
- Other
- Texts, Sutter's Gold--A Cantata (cantata), Boston Symphony Orchestra, Boston, MA, 1980
- Film Lyrics
- Fiddler on the Roof (musical), United Artists, 1971
- Title song and other songs, Blame It on Rio, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1984
- Die Schelme von Schelm (animated; also known as Aaron's Magic Village, The Real Shlemiel, and Le monde est un grand chelm), Avalanche Releasing, 1995
- Contributed lyrics to songs for unproduced films.
- Film Scores
- (With Michel Legrand) Die Schelme von Schelm (animated; also knownas Aaron's Magic Village, The Real Shlemiel, and Le monde est un grand chelm), Avalanche Releasing, 1995
- Film Songs
- Title song, The Heartbreak Kid, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1972
- Harnick's songs have been featured in films, television broadcasts, and video collections.
- Television Lyrics
- Specials
- (With Ogden Nash) Art Carney Meets Peter and the Wolf, ABC, 1958
- "William's Doll," Marlo Thomas and Friends in Free to Be ... You and Me (also known as Free to Be ... You and Me), ABC, 1974
- She Loves Me, PBS, 1979
- The Way They Were, syndicated, 1981
- "The Man with the Sign" (version of "Stars and Stripes Forever"), I Love Liberty, ABC, 1982
- The Tale of Peter Rabbit (animated), HBO, 1991
- Translated the lyrics of the aria "Questa o quella" into English for a Placido Domingo television special, 1985.
- Pilots
- Title song lyrics, Marriage Is Alive and Well, NBC, 1980
- Television Music and Lyrics
- Series
- Cavalcade of Stars, DuMont, c. 1952
- We'll Get By, CBS, 1975
- Television Music
- Episodic
- "The Canterville Ghost," ABC Stage 67, ABC, 1966
- Television Music and Lyrics
- Pilots
- We'll Get By, CBS, 1975
- Albums
- Evening with Sheldon Harnick, DRG, 1971
- Regards to the Lindsay Years, 1973
- Musical Life in Concert, DRG, 1994
- Harnick's music has been featured in cast albums, such as The Apple Tree, Fiddler on the Roof, Fiorello!, The Merry Widow,and She Loves Me; and several other recordings and translated for foreign recordings.