Larry Grossman (composer)

Larry Grossman (born September 3, 1938) is a composer of Broadway musicals, as well as scores for film and television, notably The Muppet Show.

Early life

Grossman, a native of Chicago, graduated from Northwestern University, School of Speech (now Communication) in 1960.[1]

Musical career

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 Hackaday in 1968, and their first work together was the title song for the play Play It Again, Sam (1969). Their collaboration led to Grossman's Broadway debut in 1970 with Minnie's Boys.[2] He went on to write the scores for four musicals including Goodtime Charley (1975)[3] and Grind . He has worked with a number of lyricists, and often in collaboration with theatre director Harold Prince.[4]

He composed the musical Paper Moon in 1993, based on the 1971 novel Addie Pray and the 1973 film, with the book by Martin Casella and lyrics by Ellen Fitzhugh and Carol Hall. It ran at the Paper Mill Playhouse, Millburn, New Jersey in 1993, the Walnut Street Theatre, Philadelphia in 1996, and Ford's Theatre, Washington, DC in 1997.[5][6]

Film writing

He is also credited with songwriting on Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World with New York lyricist Marty Panzer.[7]

Grossman co-wrote the Michael Jackson song "Gone Too Soon" with Alan Kohan. He also co-wrote "Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy" for David Bowie and Bing Crosby with Ian Fraser and Alan Kohan.[8]

Television work

He has worked on specials for Bing Crosby, Shirley MacLaine ("Shirley MacLaine at the Lido", "Shirley MacLaine... 'Every Little Movement'", and "Shirley MacLaine... Illusions"), Liza Minnelli & Goldie Hawn ("Goldie and Liza Together"), and Andy Williams.

Other work

He has also written incidental music for several shows including End of the World and Play Memory.

He was music arranger for "A Capitol Fourth".[9] He worked as a musical consultant on the television series The Muppet Show.[10]

Personal life

At the time of her death, Grossman was son-in-law to Dorothy Kilgallen.[11]

Musical scores

Awards and nominations

References

  1. ↑ Waa-Mu Salutes Eight Great Alums waamu.northwestern.edu, retrieved August 19, 2010
  2. ↑ Suskin, Steven. Show Tunes: The Songs, Shows and Careers of Broadway's Major Composers, Oxford University Press US, 2010 (Ed. 4), ISBN 0-19-531407-7, p. 341
  3. ↑ Suskin, Steven. The Sound of Broadway Music: A Book of Orchestrators and Orchestrations, p.350, New York: Oxford University Press, 2009
  4. ↑ The Happiest Corpse I've Ever Seen: The Last Twenty-Five Years of the Broadway Musical, P.99, Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan, 2004
  5. ↑ Klein, Alvin."'Paper Moon' Changes Its Outlook as a Musical'The New York Times, September 26, 1993
  6. ↑ "New Paper Moon Rises Over Philadelphia" playbill.com, September 29, 1996
  7. ↑ http://www.answers.com/topic/pocahontas-ii-journey-to-a-new-world-1
  8. ↑ http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/19/AR2006121901260.html
  9. ↑ "Internet Movie Database Listing" imdb.com, retrieved August 19, 2010
  10. ↑ "The Muppet Show 2, Louise Gold site" qsulis.demon.co.uk, retrieved August 19, 2010
  11. ↑ https://books.google.com/books?id=roDASVT56KUC&pg=PA135&lpg=PA135&dq=larry+grossman+composer+interview&source=bl&ots=Yr4S1MIrzj&sig=LEZIfEVNM-1AWljEE7qzb8h-k7g&hl=en&sa=X&ei=pV_SVKnpIdCsogS9zYDoCw&ved=0CCsQ6AEwATgK#v=onepage&q=larry%20grossman%20composer%20interview&f=false
  12. ↑ Loveridge, Lizzie."Snoopy the Musical Review" curtainup.com, February 17, 2003
  13. ↑ "'Paper Moon' production listing" abouttheartists.com, retrieved August 19, 2010
  14. ↑ http://broadwayworld.com/shows/index.php?showid=10460
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