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Richard Adler Headshot

Richard Adler

Date of Death: June 21, 2012 (90)

Birth Place: New York, NY, USA

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BIO

Mr. Adler co-composed the music and lyrics for Pajama Game and Damn Yankees, both of which won Tony Awards for Best Musical and Best Score. He also earned a Tony Award nomination for his musical, Kwamina. Some of his biggest hit songs are You Gotta Have Heart, Hey, There, Hernando’s Hideaway, Whatever Lola Wants, Steam Heat, Rags to Riches, and Everybody Loves a Lover.



During the Kennedy and Johnson administrations, Richard Adler staged and produced numerous presidential entertainments, including the unforgettable birthday celebration for President Kennedy featuring Marilyn Monroe singing Happy Birthday, Mr. President.

Photos

Productions

 
[Off-Broadway, 2017]
Music
Lyricist
 
[Broadway, 1976]
Producer
 
[Broadway, 1976]
Producer
 
[Broadway, 1973]
Producer
 
[Broadway, 1957]
Producer

Writing

Composer
Lyricist
Lyricist
Composer
Composer/Lyricist
Composer
Lyricist
Composer/Lyricist
Composer
Lyricist
Composer/Lyricist
Composer
Composer/Lyricist
Composer/Lyricist
Composer
Lyricist

Awards and Nominations

Tony Awards - 1962 - Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre

Richard Adler, Kwamina


winner
Tony Awards - 1956 - Best Musical

Richard Adler, Damn Yankees


winner
Tony Awards - 1955 - Best Musical

Richard Adler , The Pajama Game

Videos

News


ELF JR to be Presented at Greasepaint Theatre This Holiday Season

Greasepaint Theatre will present the family favorite, ELF JR in December. Buddy, a young orphan, mistakenly crawls into Santa’s bag of gifts and is transported to the North Pole.
Hear the Debut Of 'Young And Foolish' From Jane Monheit's New Self-Titled Album

Jane Monheit's new track 'Young and Foolish' debuts exclusively on BroadwayWorld, showcasing her latest musical exploration. Discover the nuances of her performance and what makes this release noteworthy.
Listen: Jane Monheit Releases New Single 'On a Clear Day You Can See Forever'

CLUB44 RECORDS has released a new single, “On a Clear Day You Can See Forever,” from celebrated jazz vocal stylist Jane Monheit. This is the second single, following “Whatever Lola Wants,” from Monheit's sumptuous self-titled album Jane Monheit. Listen now!
San Francisco State School Of Theatre & Dance Presents Musical Theatre Workshop

San Francisco State School of Theatre & Dance will present Musical Theatre Workshop, an exploration of acting through song, as part of their Fall 2024 season.
Review: DAMN YANKEES at Reboot Theatre Company

Dear Readers, if you’ve seen a show from Reboot Theatre Company, you know they like to tackle old gems and turn them on their heads with non-traditional casting and perspectives. And just like when companies attempt to transplant Shakespeare or other works into different locales or time periods, sometimes it works and sometimes it does not. The major test on whether it works, for me at least, is “does the change lend itself to a new an interesting perspective of the piece?” Fortunately, Reboot’s current production of “Damn Yankees” does give us a new and interesting perspective. Unfortunately, the execution of that perspective needs some work.
Feature: Monthly Musical 'Birthday' Salute: TAKE THE QUIZ!

Have a little fun, take a little bit of a lucky guess, and learn a little more about famous music folks all born in August. Our Broadway World cabaret birthday hunter couldn't decide on just one person to salute in the usual 'born this month' feature, so instead there's a trivia quiz that name-drops a whole bunch of them. Drop by BWW and give it a try.
Review: DAMN YANKEES at Desert Theatricals

What did our critic think of DAMN YANKEES at Desert Theatricals?
Review: Grammy Nominee Jane Monheit Makes OC Return at Irvine Barclay

Returning to Orange County, CA for a one-night-only concert at the Irvine Barclay Theatre, Monheit stunned the audience with her incredible talents, offering fresh live performances of superb tunes—including many from the Broadway stage—that are slated for her upcoming new studio album releasing this summer.
Review: THE PAJAMA GAME at Lancaster Opera House

A breakdown of  union labor relations, abuse in the workplace and  demands for higher wages surely doesn't sound like the stuff of musical comedy. Unless you're speaking of the classic 1954 musical THE PAJAMA GAME, now playing at the Lancaster Opera House. 
Leslie Odom Jr., Arielle Jacobs & More to Join The Drama League EMBRACE THE SEASON Gala

Get ready for a night of incredible performances at The Drama League 'Embrace The Season' Gala. Join Leslie Odom Jr., Arielle Jacobs, and other talented artists as they take the stage for an unforgettable evening. Don't miss out on this star-studded event!
Annaleigh Ashford, Lindsay Mendez, Norm Lewis & More To Join The Drama League's EMBRACE THE SEASON Gala

Annaleigh Ashford, Lindsay Mendez, Norm Lewis, Danny Burstein, and more will be performing at The Drama League's 'Embrace The Season' Gala.
Photos: The Mabel Mercer Foundation Hosts A Swell Party at The Pierre

The Mabel Mercer Foundation’s invitation predicted“A Swell Party” and last night certainly was!  KT Sullivan artistic director of the foundation hosted an elegant evening to celebrate the legacy of Charles S Bullock, Chairman Emeritus, Board of Trustees, and his favorite composer Cole Porter at the legendary Pierre Hotel in Manhattan.
Review: THE PAJAMA GAME at Artistry Theater

What did our critic think of THE PAJAMA GAME at Artistry Theater? A classic tale of boy meets girl, and girl wants a raise - wait, that's not how it goes! Sid and Babe will show you exactly how it goes, as they manage romance and work on opposite sides of a labor dispute at the Sleep-Tite Pajama Factory.
Review: DAMN YANKEES at Marriott Theatre, Lincolnshire

The new production at Marriott Theatre Lincolnshire is Damn Yankees, a truly classic old time big Broadway musical. With a book by George Abbott (died at age 107) and Douglass Wallop and one of the great scores by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross (died at the young age of 29), this has always been an underrated musical.
Cast Set for THE PAJAMA GAME at Naperville's Summer Place Theatre

Naperville's Summer Place Theater has announced the cast of 'The Pajama Game', featuring book by George Abbott and Richard Bissell, and music and lyrics by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross.
Cast And Creative Team Announced For THE PAJAMA GAME At The Public Theater of San Antonio

The spring, The Pajama Game will play in the Russell Hill Rogers Theater at The Public Theater of San Antonio, the longest-running theatre company in Texas.
Winners Announced For The 2022 BroadwayWorld Long Island Awards

The winners have been announced for the 2022 BroadwayWorld Long Island Awards, honoring the best in regional productions, touring shows, and more which had their first performance between October 1, 2021 through September 30, 2022.
Summer Place Theatre Announces Directors For Its 2023 Season

Summer Place Theatre, Naperville's Community Theatre since 1966 has announced its directors for the 2023 Season!
Summer Place Theatre Announces 2023 Season

Summer Place Theatre, Naperville's community theatre since 1966 has announced its summer 2023 season with two great classic and modern musicals.
Review: Musical Theatre West Hits Another Grand Slam with Fun-Filled DAMN YANKEES

A truly fun-filled, ecstatically-performed iteration of this classic musical, MTW's Broadway-caliber production (now on stage at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center through October 30) is a definite must-see. The production's trio of terrific leads---Lesli Margherita, Jeff Skowron, and James Olivas---are themselves reason enough to see it.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How many shows has Richard Adler written?

Richard Adler has written 7 shows including John Murray Anderson's Almanac (Composer/Lyricist), Damn Yankees (Composer), The Pajama Game (Composer), Kwamina (Composer/Lyricist), A Mother's Kisses (Composer/Lyricist), Music Is (Composer), Fosse (Lyricist).

What awards has Richard Adler been nominated for?

Richard Adler has been nominated for several awards throughout his career. He was nominated for Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre at the Tony Awards for his work on the musical "Kwamina." Additionally, he received nominations for Best Musical at the Tony Awards for two other shows: "Damn Yankees" and "The Pajama Game." These nominations showcase Adler's talent and contribution to the Broadway industry.

What awards has Richard Adler won?

Richard Adler has won several awards throughout his career. He received the Tony Award for Best Musical for "Damn Yankees" and "The Pajama Game."

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