WWTBAM Bored

Composer and lyricist who created the music for numerous Broadway musicals including Hello Dolly, Mame, and La Cage Aux Folles.

Age 88

https://variety.com/2019/legit/news/jer ... 203452364/

At the Boonie Family get-together today, our toast was from Jerry Herman:

So hold this moment fast
And live and love
As hard as you know how
And make this moment last
Because the best of times are now.

We did not, however, sing it.

I had "Open a New Window" playing in my head all day yesterday!

I always admired Jerry Herman, but none more so than a few years ago, when Scott Rudin asked Herman's grandson (who handles his estate/licensing) for permission to revive "Hello, Dolly". The grandson said only if you play the music the way it is written, with a 40-piece orchestra. Much of Broadway uses 10-12 pieces nowadays to save money. Rudin agreed to use the original orchestrations, or at least the 40 pieces, and the sound was lush and gorgeous!

I was a little sad when it looked like none of our papers yesterday was going to use the Herman obit, much less put it on their front, and then the California papers wanted Don Imus' obit for their front. But then Miami came through for me, and had a staff-written obit on Herman on their front.