Charles Strouse (born June 7, 1928) is an American

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

and

lyricist A lyricist is a songwriter who writes lyrics (the spoken words), as opposed to a composer, who writes the song's music which may include but not limited to the melody, harmony, arrangement and accompaniment. Royalties A lyricist's income ...

best known for writing the music to such Broadway musicals as ''

Bye Bye Birdie ''Bye Bye Birdie'' is a stage musical with music by Charles Strouse and lyrics by Lee Adams, based upon a book by Michael Stewart. Originally titled ''Let's Go Steady'', ''Bye Bye Birdie'' is set in 1958. The short story "Dream Man", authored ...

'', ''

Applause Applause (Latin ''applaudere,'' to strike upon, clap) is primarily a form of ovation or praise expressed by the act of clapping, or striking the palms of the hands together, in order to create noise. Audiences usually applaud after a performanc ...

'', and ''

Annie Annie may refer to: People and fictional characters * Annie (given name), a given name and a list of people and fictional characters with the name * Annie (actress) (born 1975), Indian actress * Annie (singer) (born 1977), Norwegian singer The ...

''.

Life and career

Strouse was born in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

, to

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

parents, Ethel (née Newman) and Ira Strouse, who worked in the tobacco business. A graduate of the

Eastman School of Music The Eastman School of Music is the music school of the University of Rochester, a private research university in Rochester, New York. It was established in 1921 by industrialist and philanthropist George Eastman. It offers Bachelor of Music (B.M ...

, he studied under Arthur Berger, David Diamond,

Aaron Copland Aaron Copland (, ; November 14, 1900December 2, 1990) was an American composer, composition teacher, writer, and later a conductor of his own and other American music. Copland was referred to by his peers and critics as "the Dean of American Com ...

and

Nadia Boulanger Juliette Nadia Boulanger (; 16 September 188722 October 1979) was a French music teacher and conductor. She taught many of the leading composers and musicians of the 20th century, and also performed occasionally as a pianist and organist. From a ...

."Charles Strouse"
masterworksbroadway.com, retrieved December 11, 2017 Strouse's first

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film and television, a genre of film and television that incorporates into the narr ...

was ''

'', with lyrics by

Lee Adams Lee Richard Adams (born August 14, 1924) is an American lyricist best known for his musical theatre collaboration with Charles Strouse. Biography Born in Mansfield, Ohio, Adams is the son of Dr. Leopold Adams, originally of Stamford, Connectic ...

, which opened in 1960. Adams became his long-time collaborator. For this show, Strouse won his first Tony Award in the category of best musical. Strouse's next show was '' All American'' (1962), with a book by

Mel Brooks Mel Brooks (born Melvin James Kaminsky; June 28, 1926) is an American actor, comedian and filmmaker. With a career spanning over seven decades, he is known as a writer and director of a variety of successful broad farces and parodies. He began h ...

and lyrics by Adams; it was not a success, closing after 80 performances, but it produced the standard “

Once Upon a Time "Once upon a time" is a stock phrase used to introduce a narrative of past events, typically in fairy tales and folk tales. It has been used in some form since at least 1380 (according to the ''Oxford English Dictionary'') in storytelling in t ...

” (recorded by

Perry Como Pierino Ronald "Perry" Como (; May 18, 1912 – May 12, 2001) was an Italian-American singer, actor and television personality. During a career spanning more than half a century, he recorded exclusively for RCA Victor for 44 years, after signing ...

Eddie Fisher Edwin Jack Fisher (August 10, 1928 – September 22, 2010) was an American singer and actor. He was one of the most popular artists during the 1950s, selling millions of records and hosting his own TV show, ''The Eddie Fisher Show''. Actress Eli ...

Al Martino Al Martino (born Jasper Cini; October 7, 1927 – October 13, 2009) was an American singer and actor. He had his greatest success as a singer between the early 1950s and mid-1970s, being described as "one of the great Italian American pop croone ...

Tony Bennett Anthony Dominick Benedetto (born August 3, 1926), known professionally as Tony Bennett, is an American retired singer of traditional pop standards, big band, show tunes, and jazz. Bennett is also a painter, having created works under his birth ...

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular ...

, and

Bobby Darin Bobby Darin (born Walden Robert Cassotto; May 14, 1936 – December 20, 1973) was an American musician and actor. He performed jazz, Pop music, pop, rock and roll, Folk music, folk, Swing music, swing, and country music. He started his car ...

, among others). Following this was '' Golden Boy'' (1964, also with Adams), starring

Sammy Davis Jr. Samuel George Davis Jr. (December 8, 1925 – May 16, 1990) was an American singer, dancer, actor, comedian, film producer and television director. At age three, Davis began his career in vaudeville with his father Sammy Davis Sr. and the ...

, which ran for 568 performances. The musical ''

It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Superman ''It's a Bird... It's a Plane... It's Superman'' is a 1966 musical composed by Charles Strouse, with lyrics by Lee Adams and book by David Newman and Robert Benton. It is based on the comic book character Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Jo ...

'' (1966, based on the popular comic strip) closed after 129 performances, but introduced the song "

You've Got Possibilities "You've Got Possibilities" is an American show tune. It was created by Charles Strouse and Lee Adams for the 1966 Broadway show '' It's a Bird...It's a Plane...It's Superman'' and sung by Linda Lavin in the show. Lavin plays a secretary at the ''Da ...

" sung by Linda Lavin. In 1970, ''

'' (starring Lauren Bacall, with book by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, and lyrics by Adams) won Strouse his second Tony Award, for Best Musical. In 1977, Strouse adapted another comic strip for the stage, creating the hit ''

'', which included the song " Tomorrow," which quickly became a "monstrous song hit," and garnered him his third Tony Award and two

Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

. Other Strouse musicals include ''

Charlie and Algernon ''Charlie and Algernon'' is a musical with a book and lyrics by David Rogers and music by Charles Strouse. It is based on the 1966 novel ''Flowers for Algernon'' by Daniel Keyes. It received its premiere on December 21, 1978, at The Citadel Theat ...

'' (1979), '' Dance a Little Closer'' (1983, with lyrics by

Alan Jay Lerner Alan Jay Lerner (August 31, 1918 – June 14, 1986) was an American lyricist and librettist. In collaboration with Frederick Loewe, and later Burton Lane, he created some of the world's most popular and enduring works of musical theatre bot ...

, which closed after one performance), ''

Rags Rag, rags, RAG or The Rag may refer to: Common uses * Rag, a piece of old cloth * Rags, tattered clothes * Rag (newspaper), a publication engaging in tabloid journalism * Rag paper, or cotton paper Arts and entertainment Film * ''Rags'' (1915 ...

'' (1986; which closed after four performances and 18 previews), '' Nick & Nora'' (1993, which closed after 9 performances), and ''

An American Tragedy ''An American Tragedy'' is a 1925 novel by American writer Theodore Dreiser. He began the manuscript in the summer of 1920, but a year later abandoned most of that text. It was based on the notorious murder of Grace Brown in 1906 and the trial of ...

'' (1995, with lyrics by

David Shaber David Shaber (1929 – November 4, 1999) was an American screenwriter and theatre producer, who wrote the screenplays for '' The Warriors'', '' Nighthawks'', '' Rollover'', '' Last Embrace'' and '' Flight of the Intruder''. He also wrote the fi ...

, performed at

Muhlenberg College Muhlenberg College is a private liberal arts college in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1848, Muhlenberg College is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and is named for Henry Muhlenberg, the German patriarch of Luthe ...

). Strouse also wrote musical

revue A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance, and sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural presence of its own dur ...

s, many with Adams, and his songs were included in revues. The revues included ''Shoestring Revue'' (with Adams and Michael Stewart) (1955 – Off–Broadway), ''Medium Rare'' (with Adams) (1960 - Chicago),Dietz, Dan. ''Off Broadway Musicals, 1910–2007'', McFarland, 2012; , pp. 72, 406. ''By Strouse'' (1978 – Off–Broadway at The Ballroom), ''Upstairs At O'Neals'' (1982 – Nightclub Revue), ''Can't Stop Dancin'' (1994 – Marymount Theatre), and ''A Lot Of Living!'' (1996 – conceived and directed by Barbara Siman at Rainbow and Stars). Strouse wrote the music and lyrics for the animated special '' Lyle, Lyle Crocodile'' which aired on HBO in 1987. His film scores include ''

Bonnie and Clyde Bonnie Elizabeth Parker (October 1, 1910May 23, 1934) and Clyde Chestnut (Champion) Barrow (March 24, 1909May 23, 1934) were an American criminal couple who traveled the Central United States with their gang during the Great Depression. The co ...

'' (1967), '' There Was a Crooked Man...'' (1970, with

Henry Fonda Henry Jaynes Fonda (May 16, 1905 – August 12, 1982) was an American actor. He had a career that spanned five decades on Broadway and in Hollywood. He cultivated an everyman screen image in several films considered to be classics. Born and ra ...

and Kirk Douglas), the Norman Lear production of ''

The Night They Raided Minsky's ''The Night They Raided Minsky's'' is a 1968 American musical comedy film directed by William Friedkin and produced by Norman Lear. Based on the 1960 novel by Rowland Barber, it is a fictional account of the invention of the striptease at Mins ...

'' (1968, with Adams) and the popular animated movie ''

All Dogs Go to Heaven ''All Dogs Go to Heaven'' is a 1989 animated musical fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots a ...

'' (1989). He and Adams also wrote the theme song “Those Were the Days” for the Norman Lear television show ''

All in the Family ''All in the Family'' is an American television sitcom that aired on CBS for nine seasons, from January 12, 1971, to April 8, 1979. Afterwards, it was continued with the spin-off series ''Archie Bunker's Place'', which picked up where ''All in ...

''. Strouse's songs have been heard on the radio throughout his career and have run the gamut from girl-band pop to hip hop. In 1958, his song “ Born Too Late” was number seven on the Billboard charts, and in 1999 the quadruple platinum ''

Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem) "Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)" is a single from American rapper Jay-Z's third album '' Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life'', released on October 27, 1998. It features a pitch-modified sample of the song " It's the Hard Knock Life" from the 1977 musical ...

'' by artist

Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and founder of Manhattan-based conglomerate talent and entertainment agency Roc Nation. He is regarded as one of ...

(which sampled "It's The Hard Knock Life" from ''Annie'') was the winner of a Grammy for Best Rap Album of the year & the Billboard R&B Album of the Year. Strouse's writing also extends into orchestral works, chamber music, piano concertos and opera. His ''Concerto America'', composed in 2002 to commemorate 9/11 and the spirit of New York City, premiered at The

Boston Pops The Boston Pops Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts, specializing in light classical and popular music. The orchestra's current music director is Keith Lockhart. Founded in 1885 as an offshoot of the Boston Sym ...

in 2002, and his opera ''

Nightingale The common nightingale, rufous nightingale or simply nightingale (''Luscinia megarhynchos''), is a small passerine bird best known for its powerful and beautiful song. It was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but is no ...

'' (1982), starring Sarah Brightman, had a successful run in London, followed by many subsequent productions. In 1977, Strouse founded the ASCAP Musical Theatre Workshop in New York, through which many young composers and lyricists have found a forum for their work. A musical stage adaptation of the

Paddy Chayefsky Sidney Aaron "Paddy" Chayefsky (January 29, 1923 – August 1, 1981) was an American playwright, screenwriter and novelist. He is the only person to have won three solo Academy Awards for writing both adapted and original screenplays. He was ...

film '' Marty'' starring

John C. Reilly John Christopher Reilly (born May 24, 1965) is an American actor, comedian, musician, producer, and writer. After his film debut in ''Casualties of War'' (1989), he gained exposure through his supporting roles in '' Days of Thunder'' (1990), '' ...

premiered at Boston's Huntington Theatre in October 2002, with lyrics by Lee Adams and Strouse and the book by Rupert Holmes.Hernandez, Ernio
"John C. Reilly Sings in New Musical, 'Marty', Starting Oct. 18 in Boston"
Playbill.com, October 18, 2002. ''Real Men'', for which Strouse wrote the music and lyrics, premiered in January 2005 at the

Coconut Grove Playhouse The Coconut Grove Playhouse was a theatre in the Coconut Grove neighborhood of Miami, Florida, United States. The building was originally constructed as a movie theater called the Player's State Theater. It opened on January 3, 1927, as a part of ...

Miami, Florida Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...

,Jones, Kenneth
"'Real Men', an Intimate New Musical By Charles Strouse, Opens Jan. 7 in Miami"
Playbill.com, January 7, 2005. and his musical ''Studio'', premiered at Theatre Building Chicago in August 2006. The musical ''

Minsky's ''Minsky's'' is a musical by Bob Martin (book), Charles Strouse (music), and Susan Birkenhead (lyrics), and is loosely based on the 1968 movie ''The Night They Raided Minsky's''. Set during the Great Depression era in Manhattan, the story cen ...

'', with music by Strouse, book by Bob Martin, and lyrics by Susan Birkenhead (loosely based on the movie ''

'') premiered in January 2009 at the

Ahmanson Theater The Ahmanson Theatre is one of the four main venues that compose the Los Angeles Music Center. History The theatre was built as a result of a donation from Howard F. Ahmanson Sr, the founder of H.F. Ahmanson & Co., an insurance and savings and ...

.Jones, Kenneth
"'Minsky's', Burlesque-Set Musical by Strouse, Birkenhead and Martin, Opens in L.A."
Playbill.com, February 6, 2009. Strouse won

Emmy Awards The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

for music in television adaptions of ''Bye Bye Birdie'' and ''Annie''. He is also the recipient of the 1999

ASCAP Foundation Richard Rodgers Award The ASCAP Foundation Richard Rodgers Award is an annual award presented by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), in recognition of lifetime achievement by composers and lyricists in musical theatre. Established by D ...

and the

Oscar Hammerstein Award The Oscar Hammerstein Award for Outstanding Achievement in Musical Theatre is named in honor of American lyricist and librettist Oscar Hammerstein, who helped shape American theater music through his collaborations with a number of different compos ...

. He is a member of the

American Theater Hall of Fame The American Theater Hall of Fame in New York City was founded in 1972. Earl Blackwell was the first head of the organization's Executive Committee. In an announcement in 1972, he said that the new ''Theater Hall of Fame'' would be located in the ...

(in 2001) and the

Songwriters Hall of Fame The Songwriters Hall of Fame (SHOF) is an American institution founded in 1969 by songwriter Johnny Mercer, music publisher/songwriter Abe Olman, and publisher/executive Howie Richmond to honor those whose work, represent, and maintain, the her ...

. Strouse is married to director-choreographer Barbara Siman. They have 4 children: Benjamin, Nicholas, Victoria and William. Strouse received an Emperor Has No Clothes Award at the

Freedom From Religion Foundation The Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) is an American nonprofit organization, which advocates for atheists, agnostics, and nontheists. Formed in 1976, FFRF promotes the separation of church and state, and challenges the legitimacy of many ...

's 34th annual national convention on October 8, 2011. The award is "reserved for public figures who make known their dissent from religion".

Musicals

"Charles Strouse Broadway"
Playbill.com; retrieved December 10, 2017"Strouse Broadway Credits"
ibdb.com; retrieved December 10, 2017 *''A Pound in Your Pocket'' (1959; Palm Beach, Florida) *''

'' (1960) *'' All American'' (1962) *'' Golden Boy'' (1964) *''

'' (1966) *''

'' (1970) *''Six'' (1971, Off-Broadway) *''

I and Albert ''I and Albert'' is a 1972 musical by composer Charles Strouse, and lyricist Lee Adams. The plot is based on the lives of Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and was adapted for the stage by Jay Presson Allen. P ...

'' (1972, London) *''

'' (1977) *'' A Broadway Musical'' (1978) *''

'' (1979, London, as ''Flowers for Algernon''); (1981) *''

Bring Back Birdie ''Bring Back Birdie'' was a 1981 musical with music by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Lee Adams, and a book by Michael Stewart. It was a sequel to the 1960 musical ''Bye Bye Birdie'', which was written by the same team. Taking place twenty years ...

'' (1981) *''

'' (1982; this work is often described as an

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...

) *'' Dance a Little Closer'' (1983) *''

Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...

'' (1985, Off-Broadway) *''

'' (1986) *''Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile'' (1988; Albany, NY) *''Annie 2: Miss Hannigan's Revenge'' (1989, Washington, DC) *'' Charlotte's Web'' (1989; Wilmington, Delaware) *'' Nick & Nora'' (1991) *'' Annie Warbucks'' (1993, Off-Broadway) *''Bojangles'' (1993; Richmond, Virginia) *''

'' (1995, Muhlenberg College, 2010) *''

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day ''Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day'' is a 1972 ALA Notable Children's Book written by Judith Viorst and illustrated by Ray Cruz. It has also won a George G. Stone Center Recognition of Merit, a Georgia Children's Book ...

'' (1998) * '' Marty'' (2002, Boston) *''The Future of the American Musical Theater'' (2004 opera, Eastman School of Music) *''Real Men'' (2005, Miami) *''Studio'' (2006, Chicago) *''

'' (2009, Los Angeles) *''Martin: A New American Musical'' (2011, Miami)

Film scores

*''

'' (1967) *''

'' (1968) *'' There Was a Crooked Man...'' (1970) *''

Just Tell Me What You Want ''Just Tell Me What You Want'' is a 1980 American comedy film directed by Sidney Lumet. It stars Ali MacGraw, Peter Weller and Alan King, and was also Myrna Loy's final film. The screenplay by Jay Presson Allen, adapted from her novel, won he ...

'' (1980) *''

'' (1982) *''

The Worst Witch ''The Worst Witch'' is a series of children's books written and illustrated by Jill Murphy. The series are primarily about a girl who attends a witch school and fantasy stories, with eight books published. The first, ''The Worst Witch'', was ...

'' (1986) *''

Ishtar Inanna, also sux, 𒀭𒊩𒌆𒀭𒈾, nin-an-na, label=none is an ancient Mesopotamian goddess of love, war, and fertility. She is also associated with beauty, sex, divine justice, and political power. She was originally worshiped in S ...

'' (1987) *''

'' (1989) (songs only) *''

'' (1990)

Awards and nominations

*1961 Tony Award for Best Musical (''Bye Bye Birdie'', winner) *1965 Tony Award for Best Musical (''Golden Boy'', nominee) *1970 Tony Award for Best Musical (''Applause'', winner) *1977 Tony Award for Best Original Score (''Annie'', winner) *1977 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Music (''Annie'', nominee) *1981 Tony Award for Best Original Score (''Charlie and Algernon'', nominee) *1986 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Music (''Mayor'', nominee) *1987 Tony Award for Best Original Score (''Rags'', nominee)" ''Rags'' Awards"
ibdb.com, retrieved December 11, 2017 *1987

Drama Desk Award The Drama Desk Award is an annual prize recognizing excellence in New York theatre. First bestowed in 1955 as the Vernon Rice Award, the prize initially honored Off-Broadway productions, as well as Off-off-Broadway, and those in the vicinity. Fo ...

for Outstanding Music (''Rags'', nominee) *1992 Tony Award for Best Original Score (''Nick & Nora'', nominee)" ''Nick & Nora'' Awards"
ibdb.com, retrieved December 11, 2017 *2012 Rochester (NY) Music Hall of Fame (Lifetime Body of Work) *2013

Five Towns College Five Towns College is a private college in Dix Hills, New York. The college's degree programs focus on music, media, and the performing arts. History Founded in 1972, Five Towns College holds an Absolute Charter issued by the New York State ...

named Charles Strouse School of Music

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Strouse, Charles 1928 births 20th-century American Jews 21st-century American Jews American film score composers American humanists American male film score composers American musical theatre composers Broadway composers and lyricists Grammy Award winners Jewish American film score composers Jewish American songwriters Living people Male musical theatre composers Primetime Emmy Award winners Tony Award winners Townsend Harris High School alumni