Frank Loesser, Heck of a “Guy”
Today marks the 100th birthday of musical theatre legend, Frank Loesser. Frank has been called the most versatile of all Broadway composers. His five Broadway musicals, each a unique contribution to the art of the American musical theatre, were as different from each other as they were from the theatre of their day: WHERE’S CHARLEY?, GUYS AND DOLLS, THE MOST HAPPY FELLA, GREENWILLOW and HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING.
Long before he wrote Where’s Charley?, Loesser was already known to America from the dozens of songs that had become enormous popular hits from his Hollywood career. He had supplied lyrics to the music of such greats as Jule Styne, Hoagy Carmichael, Burton Lane and Arthur Schwartz, among others, penning such standards as “On a Slow Boat to China,” “Two Sleepy People,” “Heart and Soul,” “I Don’t Want to Walk Without You,” “Spring Will Be a Little Late this Year,” “(See What) The Boys in the Backroom (Will Have),” “They’re Either Too Young or Too Old” and his 1948 Academy Award winner, “Baby, It’s Cold Outside.”
Frank was more than a talented and prolific artist. His efforts to protect and cultivate the work of his fellow writers are legendary and include coaching Jerry Herman on songwriting, finding Broadway newcomer Stephen Sondheim an attorney, and publishing the works of KISMET’s Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. In 1952, Frank Loesser transformed a fledgling business into what is now known throughout the world as Music Theatre International.
“MTI is honored to salute the incomparable Frank Loesser for his tremendous achievements and stunning career in the arts,” said Drew Cohen, MTI’s President. “Of course we at MTI have a ‘family bias’ toward Loesser, but objectively speaking, his shows are among the most enduring in musical theatre history. It’s a pleasure to use the Loesser Centennial to shine the spotlight on the man himself, in addition to his incredible body of work,”
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Over the past year, we’ve been highlighting Frank’s work with articles, features and special sweepstakes. We’ve even created a special Frank Loesser Centennial t-shirt to commemorate the occasion. To get your FREE t-shirt, join the Frank Loesser Centennial Group on MTI ShowSpace and we’ll send you an email asking for your mailing address and t-shirt size.
Feature Articles on Frank Loesser and His Work
We hope you enjoy reading about the indelible contributions Frank Loesser has made to our industry and joining us in the celebration:
- Turner Classic Movies Celebrates the Frank Loesser Centennial
- Frank Loesser: Hollywood Born Broadway Baby
- Frank and Family
- Time To Go: Reasons for Leaving in THE MOST HAPPY FELLA
- Frank Loesser: Bookwriter, Composer, Lyricist…Doodler?
- An Interview with Jo Sullivan Loesser
- Luck, Be a Lady: Marriage as Gambling in GUYS & DOLLS
- “Once In Love With Amy”: From Coffee to Muppets
- Walking Away Whistling: The Heartache of Wandering in GREENWILLOW
- How to Make Your Audience Like an Unlikable Character Without Really Trying
- “Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ The Boat:” An Unusual 11 o’clock Number
- Opera Meets Musical Theatre in THE MOST HAPPY FELLA
- Learn More About Frank Loesser with HEART & SOUL
- How to Succeed at Putting on a High School Musical Without Really Trying (Or Maybe Trying a Bit)
- Encores! to do WHERE’S CHARLEY? in 2011
- Check Out Production Photos from Frank Loesser Shows and Get Inspired!
- The Official Web Page of Frank Loesser
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You should check out this tribute written by Bill Russell, the Tony-nominated book-writer and lyricist of Side Show. here