Larry Grossman (born September 3, 1938) is an American composer for theatre, television, film, concerts, and cabaret.

Life and career

Grossman, a native of

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, graduated from

Northwestern University Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world. Charte ...

School Communication in 1960. He started working in New York City as a vocal coach and accompanist. One of his songs was used in the revue ''No Shoestrings'' (1962). He began working with lyricist

Hal Hackady Harold Clayton MacHackady (February 10, 1922 – October 12, 2015), best known as Hal Hackady, and sometimes credited as Hal Hackaday, was an American lyricist, librettist and screenwriter. Life He was born in Middletown, Connecticut in 192 ...

in 1968, and their first piece together was the title song for the play '' Play It Again, Sam''. Their collaboration led to Grossman's Broadway debut in 1970 where he went on to write the scores for four Broadway musicals ''

Minnie's Boys ''Minnie's Boys'' is a musical with a book by Arthur Marx (Groucho Marx's son) and Robert Fisher, music by Larry Grossman, and lyrics by Hal Hackady. It provides a behind-the-scenes look at the early days of the Marx Brothers and their relatio ...

''. and ''

Goodtime Charley ''Goodtime Charley'' is a musical with a book by Sidney Michaels, music by Larry Grossman, and lyrics by Hal Hackady. A humorous take on actual historical events, it focuses on the Dauphin of France, who evolves from a hedonistic young man enam ...

'' and in collaboration with theatre legend

Harold Prince Harold Smith Prince (born Harold Smith; January 30, 1928 – July 31, 2019), commonly known as Hal Prince, was an American theatre director and producer known for his work in musical theatre. One of the foremost figures in 20th century America ...

, ''

A Doll's Life ''A Doll's Life'' was a 1982 musical with music by Larry Grossman, and a book and lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green. A sequel to the 1879 Henrik Ibsen play ''A Doll's House'', it told the story of what happened to the lead character, Nora, ...

'' and ''

Grind A blade's grind is its cross-sectional shape in a plane normal to the edge. Grind differs from blade profile, which is the blade's cross-sectional shape in the plane containing the blade's edge and the centre contour of the blade's back (me ...

'' for which he received Tony nominations. In 1975, Grossman composed '' Snoopy: The Musical'' with lyricist

which has been performed in six languages worldwide with the first London production receiving an Olivier award nomination. He composed the musical '' Paper Moon'' in 1993. Based on the novel ''

Addie Pray ''Addie Pray'' is a 1971 novel by Joe David Brown. It was adapted for the 1973 film '' Paper Moon'', directed by Peter Bogdanovich. After the film's release, the novel was retitled ''Paper Moon''. The 1974 ABC situation comedy '' Paper Moon'', ...

'' and the 1973 film, it premiered at the

Paper Mill Playhouse Paper Mill Playhouse is a regional theater with approximately 1200 seats, located in Millburn, New Jersey on the Rahway River. Due to its relatively close location to Manhattan, it draws from the pool of actors (and audience members) who live in ...

. A revised version was then presented at the Goodspeed Opera House,

Walnut Street Theatre The Walnut Street Theatre, founded in 1809 at 825 Walnut Street, on the corner of S. 9th Street in the Washington Square West neighborhood of Philadelphia, is the oldest operating theatre in the United States. The venue is operated by the Walnut ...

, and

Ford's Theatre Ford's Theatre is a theater located in Washington, D.C., which opened in August 1863. The theater is infamous for being the site of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. On the night of April 14, 1865, John Wilkes Booth entered the theater box ...

in Washington, DC. Paper Moon then had two successful tours in Japan. In 2008, Off-Broadway's

York Theatre Company York Theatre is an off-Broadway theatre company based in East Midtown Manhattan, New York City. In its 50th year, York Theatre is dedicated to the production of new musicals and concert productions of forgotten musicals from the past. Each seas ...

produced a retrospective of his Broadway work, remounting ''

'', ''Grind'', ''

'', and "Compose Yourself," new revue of his music. In 2010, Grossman composed ''

A Christmas Memory ''"A Christmas Memory"'' is a short story by Truman Capote. Originally published in '' Mademoiselle'' magazine in December 1956, it was reprinted in ''The Selected Writings of Truman Capote'' in 1963. It was issued in a stand-alone hardcover edit ...

'' with lyrics by

Carol Hall Carol Hall (April 3, 1936 – October 11, 2018) was an American composer and lyricist. She was best known for composing the music and lyrics for the Broadway stage musical ''The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas'' (1978, adapted as a film in 1982). ...

and the book by Duane Poole, based on the

Truman Capote Truman Garcia Capote ( ; born Truman Streckfus Persons; September 30, 1924 – August 25, 1984) was an American novelist, screenwriter, playwright and actor. Several of his short stories, novels, and plays have been praised as literary classics, ...

short story. The show was nominated for an Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Off-Broadway Musical and has been performed nationally. Grossman's most recent show is ''Scrooge in Love!'' which was presented in 2015 by

42nd Street Moon 42nd Street Moon is a professional theatre company in San Francisco, California. The company specializes in the preservation and presentation of early and lesser-known works by Rodgers & Hammerstein, Rodgers & Hart, Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, Ku ...

. The first production received four San Francisco Bay Area Critics Circle awards including Best Score. It was honored with a new production in 2016. Film work includes the song score for The Walt Disney Company's '' Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World'', ''

The Great Mouse Detective ''The Great Mouse Detective'' (also known as ''The Adventures of the Great Mouse Detective'' for its 1992 theatrical re-release and ''Basil the Great Mouse Detective'' in some countries) is a 1986 American animated mystery film, mystery adventur ...

'' and ''The Princess Diaries 2'' and MGM's ''

That's Dancing! ''That's Dancing!'' is a 1985 American compilation film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer that looked back at the history of dancing in film. Unlike the ''That's Entertainment!'' series, this film not only focuses specifically on MGM films, but als ...

.'' Dramatic film scores include Kurt Vonnegut's ''Displaced Person'' and the remake of Hitchcock's ''Suspicion,'' both for

American Playhouse ''American Playhouse'' is an American anthology television series periodically broadcast by Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). Overview It premiered on January 12, 1982, with ''The Shady Hill Kidnapping'', written and narrated by John Cheever an ...

''.'' Grossman co-wrote the

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...

song "

Gone Too Soon "Gone Too Soon" is a ballad recorded and popularized by American musician Michael Jackson. It was written and composed by Larry Grossman and Buz Kohan. Dionne Warwick first performed (but never recorded) the song in February 1983 on a TV sp ...

" with

Buz Kohan Alan "Buz" Kohan (born August 9, 1933) is an American television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of ...

for Jackson's multi-platinum album

Dangerous Dangerous may refer to: Film and television * ''Dangerous'' (1935 film), an American film starring Bette Davis * '' Dangerous: The Short Films'', a 1993 collection of music videos by Michael Jackson * ''Dangerous'' (2021 film), a Canadian-Ameri ...

which sold 32 million copies worldwide. They also co-wrote the Christmas classic "

Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy "Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy" is a Christmas song performed by English singer-songwriter David Bowie and American singer Bing Crosby. Recorded on 11 September 1977 at ATV Elstree Studios near London for Crosby's television special '' Bin ...

" for

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...

and

Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, musician and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwide. He was a ...

, performed on Crosby's Christmas Special. Grossman's Emmy Award-winning television work includes nearly 100 musical specials, concerts and cabaret for artists including

Julie Andrews Dame Julie Andrews (born Julia Elizabeth Wells; 1 October 1935) is an English actress, singer, and author. She has garnered numerous accolades throughout her career spanning over seven decades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Fi ...

Shirley MacLaine Shirley MacLaine (born Shirley MacLean Beaty, April 24, 1934) is an American actress, author, and former dancer. Known for her portrayals of quirky, strong-willed and eccentric women, MacLaine has received numerous accolades over her seven-dec ...

Liza Minnelli Liza May Minnelli ( ; born March 12, 1946) is an American actress, singer, dancer, and choreographer. Known for her commanding stage presence and powerful alto singing voice, Minnelli is among a rare group of performers awarded an Emmy, Grammy ...

Goldie Hawn Goldie Jeanne Hawn (born November 21, 1945) is an American actress, dancer, producer, and singer. She rose to fame on the NBC sketch comedy program ''Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In'' (1968–1970), before going on to receive the Academy Award and Go ...

Andy Williams Howard Andrew Williams (December 3, 1927 – September 25, 2012) was an American singer. He recorded 43 albums in his career, of which 15 have been gold certified and three platinum certified. He was also nominated for six Grammy Awards. He hos ...

Steve Lawrence Steve Lawrence (born Sidney Liebowitz; July 8, 1935) is an American singer, comedian and actor, best known as a member of a duo with his wife Eydie Gormé, billed as " Steve and Eydie", and for his performance as Maury Sline, the manager and fr ...

Eydie Gorme Eydie may refer to: * Eydie Gormé (1928–2013), American singer. * Steve and Eydie, an American pop vocal duet, * Eydie Whittington Eydie D. Whittington is a Democratic politician in Washington, D.C. Advisory Neighborhood Commission While ...

Joel Grey Joel Grey (born Joel David Katz; April 11, 1932) is an American actor, singer, dancer, photographer and theatre director. He is best known for portraying the Master of Ceremonies in the musical ''Cabaret'' on Broadway as well as in the 1972 fil ...

Glen Campbell Glen Travis Campbell (April 22, 1936 – August 8, 2017) was an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, actor and television host. He was best known for a series of hit songs in the 1960s and 1970s, and for hosting ''The Glen Campbell Goodt ...

Sandy Duncan Sandra Kay Duncan (born February 20, 1946) is an American actress, comedian, dancer and singer. She is known for her performances in the Broadway revival of ''Peter Pan'' and in the sitcom ''The Hogan Family''. Duncan has been nominated for thr ...

and

Ann-Margret Ann-Margret Olsson (born April 28, 1941) is a Swedish–American actress, singer, and dancer. As an actress and singer, she is credited as Ann-Margret. She is known for her roles in ''Pocketful of Miracles'' (1961), ''State Fair'' (1962), ''B ...

. He has written music for four

Academy Awards The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

telecasts, three

Emmy 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 ...

telecasts, two Tony telecasts

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 he ...

and

Liberty Weekend Liberty Weekend was a four-day celebration held to celebrate the 1984 restoration and the centenary of the Statue of Liberty (''Liberty Enlightening the World'') in New York City. It began on July 3, 1986 and ended on July 6. July 3, 1986: openi ...

produced by

David Wolper David Lloyd Wolper (January 11, 1928 – August 10, 2010) was an American television and film producer, responsible for shows such as ''Roots'', ''The Thorn Birds'', and ''North and South'', and the theatrically-released films ''L.A. Confident ...

. Grossman served as music consultant and composer for ''

The Muppet Show ''The Muppet Show'' is a sketch comedy television series created by Jim Henson and featuring the Muppets. The series originated as two pilot episodes produced by Henson for ABC in 1974 and 1975. While neither episode was moved forward as a ser ...

'' (three seasons), '' Make Way For Noddy'' (five years), ''

Christmas in Washington ''Christmas in Washington'' was an annual Christmas television special that originated on NBC and later aired on the TNT (U.S. TV network), TNT network. It ended in 2015 after a 33-year run. Background One of two annual holiday specials produce ...

'' (32 years) and ''

A Capitol Fourth ''A Capitol Fourth'' is an annual Independence Day (United States), Independence Day concert Television special, special broadcast by PBS. It is presented from the west lawn of the United States Capitol, United States Capitol Building in Washingto ...

'' (12 years). For his work in television, Grossman has been awarded six Emmy's, with a total of 17 nominations, as well as a

Peabody Award The George Foster Peabody Awards (or simply Peabody Awards or the Peabodys) program, named for the American businessman and philanthropist George Peabody, honor the most powerful, enlightening, and invigorating stories in television, radio, and ...

for his contributions to ''

''. Currently, Grossman is serving as music supervisor and composer for ''

Julie's Greenroom ''Julie's Greenroom'' is an American educational pre-school television series that was released on Netflix on March 17, 2017. Characters * Miss Julie (portrayed by Julie Andrews) – The director of the Wellspring Center for the Performing Arts. ...

,'' the

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...

original children's series starring

and The Muppets. He is also serving as a co-producer on ''The World According to Snoopy'' the re-imagined production of ''Snoopy: The Musical.''

Theatre productions

* '' Play it Again, Sam'' (1969) * ''

'' (1970) * ''

'' (1975) * ''

Snoopy! The Musical ''Snoopy: The Musical'' is a musical comedy with music by Larry Grossman, lyrics by Hal Hackady, and a book by Warren Lockhart, Arthur Whitelaw, and Michael Grace. The characters are from the Charles M. Schulz comic strip ''Peanuts''. This seque ...

'' (1975) * ''

'' (1982) Nominated for a Tony Award and Drama Desk Award * ''Ann Reinking...Music Loves Me'' (1984) * ''

Diamonds Diamond is a solid form of the element carbon with its atoms arranged in a crystal structure called diamond cubic. Another solid form of carbon known as graphite is the chemically stable form of carbon at room temperature and pressure, b ...

'' (1984) * ''

'' (1985) Nominated for a Tony Award and Drama Desk Award * ''Paper Moon'' (1993) * ''The Gay Century Songbook'' (2000) * ''Tom Jones'' (2001) * ''It Must Be Him'' (2010) * ''

'' (2010) * ''Scrooge in Love'' (2015)

References

External links

*
Larry Grossman
at the Internet Off Broadway Database * {{DEFAULTSORT:Grossman, Larry 1938 births American musical theatre composers Broadway composers and lyricists Living people Male musical theatre composers Musicians from Chicago Northwestern University School of Communication alumni Primetime Emmy Award winners