Broadway Composer and Conductor Keith Herrmann Dies at 69

BroadwayWorld is saddened to report that Broadway composer and conductor Keith Herrmann passed away on Sunday, December 5, 2021 at the age of 69. He is survived by his wife of 32 years, Georgia, and son A.J.

Keith Herrmann was the composer of the Broadway musical Romance/Romance for which he received a Tony nomination and won an Outer Critics Circle Award. The show, which received a total of five Tony nominations (including Best Musical Score and Best Show) has enjoyed many productions around the world including London's West End and tours in Australia, Japan, and Korea.

Mr. Herrmann was previously represented as a composer, vocal arranger, and musical supervisor of Onward Victoria that ran on both on and off-Broadway. A longtime Broadway resident, he was the musical conductor of Cats and performed on its Grammy Award-winning original cast album as pianist and synthesist. Other credits include his work as conductor of Whoopee! and conductor/keyboardist of The Magic Show. In addition to his Broadway compositions, Mr. Herrmann wrote numerous jingles, television scores, and original musical material for a variety of performers. He scored the ABC-TV After School Special Taking a Stand which resulted in an Emmy Award for its creators and Romance/Romance for the A&E Network for which he received a Telly Award. He was also represented on the Tri-Star animated holiday video Buster and Chauncey's Silent Night with collaborator Barry Harman.

Off-Broadway Mr. Herrmann served as composer and co-producer of the cult favorite Prom Queens Unchained. A musical of Mr. Herrmann's titled Suspect enjoyed a sold-out run at the New York International Fringe Festival. With Mark Cabaniss, he co-wrote The Homework Machine, which enjoyed a sold-out world premiere at the Boston Children's Theatre. He recently completed an original musical with collaborator Barry Harman titled Incredible High. He was a member of the Dramatists Guild, ASCAP, and the American Federation of Musicians.