Jerry Herman

Jerry Herman wrote both music and lyrics for some of Broadway's most cheerful and hummable shows, including Hello, Dolly!, Mame, and La Cage aux Folles. He believed in the big, sincere show tune at a time when many writers were moving away from it. This page walks through his musicals in order and suggests where to begin.

Who Jerry Herman was

Herman was born in New York City on July 10, 1931, and died in Miami on December 26, 2019, at 88. He learned piano as a child, studied drama at the University of Miami, and started out writing small revues Off-Broadway before moving on to book musicals.

Unlike most Broadway songwriters of his era, he wrote both music and lyrics, so his shows sound like one voice. His trademark is the optimistic, melodic showstopper: a star at the top of a staircase, a chorus behind her, and a tune the audience hums on the way out. Hello, Dolly!, We Need a Little Christmas, and I Am What I Am are all examples. His leading ladies are bold, warm women who teach the people around them to live more fully, and his shows became star vehicles for Carol Channing, Angela Lansbury, and, in the 2017 revival of Hello, Dolly!, Bette Midler.

Herman's Broadway shows in order

Herman's early work included the Off-Broadway revues I Feel Wonderful (1954) and Parade (1960). His first Broadway musical was Milk and Honey (1961), set in Israel.

Hello, Dolly! (1964), starring Carol Channing, won the Tony for Best Musical and ran 2,844 performances. Mame (1966), starring Angela Lansbury, ran 1,508 performances. Dear World (1969), again with Lansbury, and Mack & Mabel (1974), about silent film director Mack Sennett and star Mabel Normand, were short-lived, though Herman called Mack & Mabel his favorite of his own scores. The Grand Tour followed in 1979.

La Cage aux Folles (1983), with a book by Harvey Fierstein, was a late triumph that won Best Musical and ran 1,761 performances. A revue of his songs, Jerry's Girls, played Broadway in 1985.

Legacy and where to start

Herman won Tony Awards for the scores of Hello, Dolly! (1964) and La Cage aux Folles (1984), plus a special Tony for lifetime achievement in 2009. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1982 and received the Kennedy Center Honors in 2010. He was the first composer and lyricist to have three musicals run more than 1,500 performances on Broadway: Hello, Dolly!, Mame, and La Cage aux Folles.

Start with Hello, Dolly!, a warm comedy with a famous title song, or watch the 1969 film with Barbra Streisand. Mame is the natural next step, especially for fans of big, funny leading roles. Then listen to La Cage aux Folles, whose anthem I Am What I Am is one of the best-known songs he ever wrote.

Jerry Herman: frequently asked questions

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