At the age of seventeen, Herman was introduced to Frank Loesser who, after hearing material he had written, urged him to continue composing. He left the Parsons School of Design to attend the University of Miami, which has one of the nation's most avant garde theater departments. The university's theater, the Jerry Herman Ring Theatre, is currently named for him.
Early Musical Revues
After graduation from the University of Miami, Herman moved into musical theatre in New York City, producing the off-Broadway revue I Feel Wonderful, which was comprised of material he had written at the University of Miami. It opened at the Theatre de Lys in Greenwich Village on October 18, 1954 and ran for forty-eight performances. It was his only show his mother was able to see; shortly after it opened, she died of cancer at the age of forty-four, and Herman spent the next year in deep mourning, seriously depressed.
In an attempt to break loose from his grief, Herman eventually collected enough original material to put together a revue called Nightcap, which appeared in (1958). Choreographed by friend Phyllis Newman, and with a cast that included Charles Nelson Reilly (who later co-starred in Hello Dolly!), it opened at a tiny New York City jazz club called the Showplace. Critical raves and glowing word-of-mouth kept the show running for two years.
Milk and Honey
In 1960, producer Gerard Oestreicher approached Herman after seeing a performance of his revue Parade, and asked if he would be interested in composing the score for a show about the founding of the state of Israel. The result was his first Broadway production, Milk and Honey, which appeared in (1961). It received respectable reviews and ran for 543 performances.
Hello, Dolly!
In 1964, producer David Merrick united Herman with Carol Channing for a project that was to become one of his most successful, Hello Dolly!. The original production ran for 2,844 performances, the longest running musical for its time, and was later revived three times. Although facing stiff competition from Funny Girl, Hello, Dolly! swept the Tony Awards that season, winning 10, a record that remained unbroken for 37 years, until The Producers won 12 Tonys in 2001.
Mame
In 1966, Herman's next musical was the smash hit Mame starring Angela Lansbury, which introduced many Herman "standards", most particularly the ballad "If He Walked Into My Life".
Dear World, Mack & Mabel, and The Grand Tour
Although not commercial successes, Dear World (1969) starring Angela Lansbury, Mack & Mabel (1974) starring Robert Preston and Bernadette Peters, and The Grand Tour (1979) starring Joel Grey are noted for their interesting concepts and their melodic, memorable scores. Herman once said that Mack & Mabel was his personal favorite. Both Dear World and Mack & Mabel have developed a cult following among Broadway aficionados.
La Cage aux Folles
In 1983, Herman had his third mega-hit with La Cage aux Folles starring George Hearn and Gene Barry, which broke box-office records at the Palace Theatre and earned Herman yet another Tony Award for Best Musical. From its score came the gay anthem "I Am What I Am".
Many of Jerry Herman's showtunes have become standards and are presented regularly on television, in film, on stage, and are recorded by many of the world's most notable singers. His most famous composition, "Hello, Dolly!", is the one of the most popular to have ever originated from a Broadway musical score and was a #1 hit in the United States for Louis Armstrong, knocking The Beatles off the charts in 1964.
A French recording by Petula Clark charted in the Top Ten in both Canada and France. Another famous Herman song, the ballad "If He Walked into My Life" from Mame, was recorded by Eydie Gormé, becoming a pop standard and winning a Grammy Award for Best Vocal Performance, Female in 1967. Other well known Herman showtunes include "Shalom", "Before the Parade Passes By", "Put On Your Sunday Clothes", "It Only Takes a Moment", "It's Today!", "Open a New Window", "We Need a Little Christmas", "Mame", "Bosom Buddies", "I Won't Send Roses", "Time Heals Everything", "I Am What I Am", and "The Best of Times".
**bio courtesy of wikipedia**
