Sheldon Harnick: Difference between revisions

Harnick began writing music while still in [[Carl Schurz High School]] in [[Chicago]]. After his Army service, he graduated from the [[Bienen School of Music|Northwestern University School of Music]] (1946-1949) with a Bachelor of Music Degree, and worked with various orchestras in the Chicago area. He then moved to [[New York City]] and wrote for many musicals and revues.<ref>{{cite web| title =Biography of Sheldon Harnick | work =MTI Shows| publisher =| url =http://www.mtishows.com/biography.asp?writerid=3471| accessdate =March 2, 2012}}</ref> He was friends with [[Charlotte Rae]] from college, and he went to see her one night at the [[Village Vanguard]] where she was singing a revue. [[Yip Harburg]], who was one of Harnick's idols, heard she was singing a song of his and decided to come. He told Harnick that he enjoyed his writing, and urged him to continue. Harburg advised Harnick to work with a large number of composers. He also counseled him to write character and comic songs, not ballads, for Broadway. Harnick followed both tips. Harburg gave him that advice because his old partner, [[Jay Gorney]], had told them ballads were the key to success on Broadway.<ref>http://www.playbill.com/features/article/183726-Sheldon-Harnick-Approaching-90-Fiddler-Lyricist-Recalls-a-Mentor/pg2?tsrc=nx</ref>

Harnick wrote the libretto for the opera ''Coyote Tales'', with music by [[Henry Mollicone]], which received its world premiere at the [[Lyric Opera of Kansas City]] in March 1998.<ref>[http://henrymollicone.com/catalog/coyote-tales/ "'Coyote Tales' listing"] henrymollicone.com, accessed March 4, 2012</ref> He wrote the book, music and lyrics to the musical ''Dragons'', which was performed in 2003 at the Luna Stage in Montclair, New Jersey.<ref>Jones, Kenneth.[http://www.playbill.com/news/article/82744-Sheldon-Harnicks-Musical-Dragons-Roars-in-NJ-Starting-Nov-13-Harnick-in-the-House-for-Opening "Sheldon Harnick's Musical, 'Dragons', Roars in NJ Starting Nov. 13; Harnick in the House for Opening"] playbill.com, November 13, 2003</ref> He wrote the lyrics and co-wrote the book with [[Norton Juster]] for the musical ''The Phantom Tollbooth'', based on [[The Phantom Tollbooth|the book]] by Juster. The musical premiered at the [[Kennedy Center]] in 2007.<ref>[http://www.kennedy-center.org/events/?event=KITBB "'The Phantom Tollbooth' listing"] kennedy-center.org, accessed March 4, 2012</ref>

*[http://www.tonyawards.com/en_US/interactive/video/index.html#h TonyAwards.com Interview with Sheldon Harnick]