Harold Rome

Harold Rome (born May 27, 1908 in Hartford , Connecticut , † October 26, 1993 in New York City ) was an American composer who was particularly successful with revues and musicals .

biography

Harold Rome learned to play the piano when he was a child. After graduating from high school, he began studying law at Yale University in New Haven . He also played in their dance orchestra. But it wasn't long before he realized that he was not born to be a lawyer. So he changed the subject and studied architecture at the same university.

After Rome had successfully completed his studies, he moved to New York. For a long time he tried to find work with an architecture firm, but nobody wanted to hire him. Thanks to his great musical and literary talent, however, he managed to keep himself afloat by writing songs for various revues and vaudevilles .

In 1935 he was offered the position of head of the venerable Jewish holiday camp ensemble at Green Mansions. Rome accepted and did so well that he was recalled to Broadway just a year later . The International Garment Workers' Union planned to rehearse a review with talented young industrial workers. For this purpose, the union rented the New York Princess Theater and renamed it Labor Stage Theater without further ado. Rome composed and wrote the lyrics. 24 laypeople rehearsed for a whole year in their free time. On November 27, 1937, the Revue Pins and Needles took place for the first time. No prominent critic felt compelled to attend the premiere of an amateur drama group. But what no one dared to believe happened: The play was a great success. Another 1107 performances were to follow. No piece on Broadway - not even a professionally rehearsed one - had been so successful before.

At the age of 35 he was called up for military service. He served in the army until 1945. But composing and writing texts did not let go of him during this time either. After all, the troops far from home not only had to be supplied with food, but also kept busy with diversion. That is why he eagerly provided revue ensembles that went on tour to look after the troops with texts and songs.

After the Second World War, Rome moved back to Broadway. After further revues, he brought out his first musical in 1952, Wish You Were Here . Two years later, the musical Fanny followed , in which he succeeded for the first time in writing a uniform score with his very own handwriting. Not least thanks to the leading actors Ezio Pinza , Walter Slezak and Florence Henderson, who were trained in opera singing , the proximity to the opera was not far with Fanny . This development would continue after Harold Rome, but he had been the first to push the door open.

In addition to his activities as a musician and lyricist, Harold Rome did not stop being interested in architecture. He was also active as a painter, and in this profession too he was anything but a dilettante. In 1964 the renowned Marble Arts Gallery in New York dedicated a large exhibition to his pictures.

Harold Rome died of a stroke in New York at the age of 85 .

Works

Revues

• Pins and Needles (1937)
• Sing Out the News (1938)
• Let Freedom Ring (1942)
• Call Me Mister (1946)
• Alive and Kicking (1950, with other composers)
• Michael Todd's Peep Show (1950, with other composers)
• Bless You All (1950)

Musicals

• Wish You Were Here (1952)
• Fanny (1954)
• Destry Rides Again (1959) ( filmed by Joshua Logan in 1961 )
• I Can Get It for You Wholesale (1962)

literature

• Schmidt-Joos, Siegfried (1965): The musical . Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag dtv, Munich

Web links

• Harold Rome Biography in the Songwriters Hall of Fame Virtual Museum (English)