Lorenz Hart

Lorenz (Larry) Hart (May 2, 1895 - November 22, 1943) was the lyricist half of the famed Broadway songwriting team Rodgers and Hart.

Related Topics:
May 2 - 1895 - November 22 - 1943 - Broadway - Rodgers and Hart

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Hart attended Columbia University, where a mutual friend introduced him to composer Richard Rodgers in 1919, and the two wrote songs for a series of amateur and student productions until the smashing success of their score for the 1925 Theatre Guild production, The Garrick Gaieties, brought them wider acclaim. They continued working together until Hart's death in 1943, along the way producing scores for a series of hit shows and making a substantial contribution to the Great American Songbook.

Related Topics:
Columbia University - Richard Rodgers - 1919 - Theatre Guild - The Garrick Gaieties - Great American Songbook

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Hart struggled with his own homosexuality (in an era when such a lifestyle was socially unacceptable) and with severe alcoholism, which eventually contributed to his death. His personal problems were often the cause of friction between him and Richard Rodgers, and in fact led to a brief breakup in 1943, at which time Rodgers started working with Oscar Hammerstein II, who was actually a school friend of Hart.

Related Topics:
Homosexuality - Alcoholism - Oscar Hammerstein II

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Rodgers and Hart teamed up one final time in the fall of 1943 for a revival of A Connecticut Yankee. Five days after this show opened, Hart died of pneumonia. He is buried in Mount Zion Cemetery in Queens County, New York.

Related Topics:
A Connecticut Yankee - Queens County - New York

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Works include:

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• 1920 Fly With Me
• 1925 The Garrick Gaieties
• 1926 The Girl Friend
• 1927 A Connecticut Yankee, based on the Mark Twain novel
• 1928 Present Arms
• 1935 Jumbo
• 1936 On Your Toes
• 1937 Babes in Arms
• 1938 The Boys from Syracuse, based on William Shakespeare's Comedy of Errors
• 1938 I Married an Angel
• 1938 Too Many Girls
• 1940 Pal Joey, based on John O'Hara's work
• 1942 By Jupiter
 
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