JERRY HERMAN

(10 July 1931 - 26 December 2019)

The American theatre composer and lyricist Jerry Herman, who has died aged 88, was a student of design and architecture at first but later graduated to the theatre. Early experience saw him directing shows at youth summer camps. After University he moved to New York and put on I Feel Wonderful, a revue he wrote as a student. More revues followed and eventually he was commissioned to write a show about the founding of Israel, Milk and Honey, which ran for over 500 performances. After his next show, Madame Aphrodite, flopped, producer David Merrick offered him Hello, Dolly!, Herman’s first and biggest hit that won ten Tony awards in 1964 with Carol Channing. Mame, with Angela Lansbury, was another hit, but Dear World flopped as did Mack and Mabel, Herman’s personal favourite show. The Grand Tour also bombed but La Cage aux Folles was an enormous hit. After that he wrote little else and returned to the world of design, although there were three compilations of his work, namely Jerry’s Girls, An Evening With Jerry Herman and Showtune. His two biggest hits were filmed but Hello, Dolly!, with Barbra Streisand, cost too much to recoup its investment. Mame on Broadway (with Angela Lansbury) won the show a Tony award, but as a film was a real fiasco (with Lucille Ball). He later wrote a television show, Mrs Santa Claus, for Lansbury. Unmarried, Jerry Herman’s life partners were Martin Finkelstein, who died in 1990, and Terry Marler, with him at the time of his death.

MICHAEL DARVELL