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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 both for the stage and on film.
Aug 27, 2024 · Alan Jay Lerner was an American librettist and lyricist who collaborated with composer Frederick Loewe on the hit Broadway musicals Brigadoon (1947), Paint Your Wagon (1951), My Fair Lady (1956), and Camelot (1960) and the film Gigi (1958).
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Alan Jay Lerner. Writer: An American in Paris. Playwright/lyricist Alan Jay Lerner was born into a wealthy New York City retailing family. His professional association with Frederick Loewe started in 1942 when they teamed up to write "Life of the Party".
- August 31, 1918
- June 14, 1986
Learn about the life and career of Alan Jay Lerner, a legendary Broadway lyricist and librettist who collaborated with Frederick Loewe on classics like My Fair Lady and Gigi. Explore his song catalog, awards, and collaborations with other composers.
- Collaboration with Loewe
- Troubled Personal Life
- Professional Struggles
- My Fair Lady
- Other Lerner-Loewe Productions
- End to Lerner-Loewe Partnership
- Further Reading
The first joint effort of Lerner and Loewe was Life of the Party, which was produced in Detroit in 1942. The following two shows included What's Up and The Day Before Spring, both of which received fair reviews. Despite this slow start, the collaboration eventually produced some of the best musicals of the Broadway stage: Brigadoon (1947); Paint Yo...
The Lerner-Loewe association was not always pleasant or effective off stage, however. Part of the problem stemmed from Lerner's rocky personal life. Lerner was married eight times. He had three daughters, Jennifer, Liza and Susan, and one son, Michael. In addition to Boyd, he was married to dancer Marion Bell, lawyer Micheline Muselli Posso di Borg...
Lerner often struggled with his lyric writing. While he was able to complete "I Could Have Danced All Night"— the most popular Lerner-Loewe tune—in one 24-hour period, this was unusual. He often agonized for months over a song and was constantly rewriting. It didn't help that Lerner suffered from chronic bouts of insecurity about his talent. Yet, h...
My Fair Lady was the biggest success of Lerner and Loewe. Based on the George Bernard Shaw play Pygmalion, the show opened on March 15, 1956 at the Mark Hellinger Theater in New York; it ran until 1962. Directed by Moss Hart, the musical starred Rex Harrison as Professor Higgins, Stanley Holloway as Alfred P. Doolittle and a young, unknown actress ...
Lerner and Loewe combined their talents for the Hollywood film, Gigi, based on a story by the French writer Colette. It was seen by some as being almost a French version of My Fair Lady. The screenplay and title song, subtitled Gaston's Soliloquoy, won Academy Awards in 1958. In 1974, the duo earned a Tony Award for best score of a musical for thei...
Lerner split with Loewe after Camelot. While Loewe decided to retire, Lerner, only in his forties, continued his career. In 1965, he wrote the words for On A Clear Day You Can See Forever with music by Burton Lane. The show, which explored the idea of extra-sensory perception (ESP), earned Lerner a Grammy Award that year. He also worked with Andre ...
Baton Rouge Morning Advocate,June 18, 1986. Chicago Sun-Times,November 24, 1989. Chicago Tribune,June 15, 1986; December 24, 1995; May 1, 1996. Dallas Morning News,December 2, 1989. Globe and Mail,April 13, 1996. Independent,London, July 5, 1997. Irish Times,April 20, 1996. Jewish Bulletin,November 15, 1996. Los Angeles Daily News,April 21, 1996. P...
Alan Jay Lerner BIO. Alan Jay Lerner wrote some of America's best loved and enduring stage and movie musicals with Frederick Loewe over a period of more than 25 years: Life of the Party,...
Jun 15, 1986 · Alan Jay Lerner was born in New York City on Aug. 31, 1918, one of three sons of Ethel and Joseph J. Lerner. His father was founder of Lerner Stores Inc., a chain of women's...
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