All tagged Jerry Herman

Remembering Jerry Herman and the Joyous Music He Made

Remembering Jerry Herman and the Joyous Music He Made

Mark Robinson
Music That Makes Me Dance

On December 26, 2019 we lost one of Broadway’s greatest composers, one who infused every song he penned with emotion and a deep understanding of the character for whom he was writing. Jerry Herman, with his melody and lyrics, brought to life some of musical theatre’s most colorful and unforgettable characters, reminding us to celebrate life. One should not underestimate the joy, pure, unadulterated joy that he brought to us through songs for characters like Dolly Levi, Mame Dennis, Georges and Albin. This kind of fun, melody and embrace of the human spirit is rare in the contemporary musical theatre, something that is sorely lacking. Though he hadn’t written for the musical stage in some time, with Herman’s passing, we have lost a one-of-a-kind voice from a time where musical comedy scores were joyous, infectious, warm, and, most importantly, illuminating without being starkly literal. 

Remembering Milk and Honey

Remembering Milk and Honey

Mark Robinson
Music That Makes Me Dance

Most musical theatre fans think of Hello, Dolly!, Mame, and La Cage aux Folles when they hear the name Jerry Herman. For this beloved composer-lyricist of the Great White Way, these were his three megahits, each running for several years and each winning several Tony Awards. Hello, Dolly! was his the earliest of three, but what many of us forget (or, at least seldom talk about), was the musical that really brought Mr. Herman to our attention, 1961’s Milk and Honey. 

Remembering A Day In Hollywood/A Night In the Ukraine

Remembering A Day In Hollywood/A Night In the Ukraine

Mark Robinson
Music That Makes Me Dance

A musical that we rarely see anything written about, but one that has always fascinated me as a concept is A Day In Hollywood/A Night in the Ukraine. Each act of this clever, lighthearted musical is its own play (they are not interconnected), diverse in purpose, subject matter, and execution, and I often find myself wondering at how it came together to be a modest success on Broadway, running 588 performances at the John Golden Theatre. A Day In Hollywood/A Night in the Ukraine, which brought together two iconic American elements of mainstream entertainment, Hollywood musicals and The Marx Brothers, premiered in London’s West End before crossing the Atlantic for its Broadway berth.

Remembering The Grand Tour

Remembering The Grand Tour

Mark Robinson
Music That Makes Me Dance

Jerry Herman is best remembered for his splashy musical comedies, including Hello, Dolly!, Mame, and La Cage aux Folles. In fact, Herman often is unfairly criticized (in some circles) for his catchy, upbeat showtunes and feel-good fare. There is nothing wrong with a joyous showtune, but this generalized assessment of Herman’s work would be incorrect for two reasons. First, within his big hits, Herman wrote plenty of tender, gentle, emotionally-charged songs of subtlety like “Ribbons Down My Back”, “My Best Girl” and “Look Over There.” Second, Herman wrote just as many musicals that looked at the darker side of humanity, and though there is much joy to be found in his scores for Dear World and Mack & Mabel, there is also much sadness. The same can be said for one Herman’s most “un-Herman” musicals, the glorious, if under-appreciated, The Grand Tour. 

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