Mary Rodgers & Marshall Barer
Mary Rodgers & Marshall Barer
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About Mary Rodgers & Marshall Barer
Mary Rodgers (born January 11, 1931) is an American composer of musicals & an author of children's books. She is a daughter of composer Richard Rodgers & his wife, Dorothy Rodgers, as is her sister, Linda Rodgers Emory. She attended the private girls' school Brearley School in New York City & majored in music at Wellesley College. Mary Rodgers wrote the music for musicals & revues including "Once Upon a Mattress" (1959), "From A to Z" (1960), "Hot Spot" (1963), "The Mad Show" (1966), "Working" (1978), & Phyllis Newman's 1-woman show "The Madwoman of Central Park West" (1979). A revue of Mary Rodgers' music, titled "Hey, Love," conceived & directed by Richard Maltby, Jr. ran in June 1993 at Eighty-Eight's in New York City. Mary Rodgers eventually transitioned into writing children's books, most notably, "Freaky Friday" (1972), which was made into a feature film twice (released 1977 & 2003) for which Mary Rodgers wrote the screenplay for the 1977 adaptation. She later explained, "I had a pleasant talent but not an incredible talent....I was not my father or my son. And you have to abandon all kinds of things." Mary Rodgers' children's books include "A Billion for Boris" (1974, later republished under the title "ESP TV"), "Summer Switch" (1982), & "The Rotten Book" (1985), & she contributed songs to the landmark children's album "Free to Be... You and Me." Adam Guettel, Mary Rodgers' son by second husband Henry, is a Tony Award-winning musical theatre composer. She has 4 other surviving children; a 5th child died young. Mary Rodgers is a director of the Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization & a board member of ASCAP. She also served for several years as chairman of the Juilliard School. Marshall Barer was born Marshall Louis Barer in Astoria, New York City,on February 19th, 1923. He was a lyricist, librettist, singer, songwriter & director. He died in Santa Fe, New Mexico on August 25th, 1998. Marshall Barer began his career as a lyricist & song writer in the late 1940s while working as a very successful commercial artist/designer in New York. His most-heard song is the "Mighty Mouse Theme (Here I Come to Save the Day)" for the famous cartoons. He began by writing special material for supper club artistes like Celeste Holm & Dwight Fiske, & then graduated to writing "pop" songs with Alec Wilder for such stars as Harry Belafonte, Sarah Vaughan, & Nat King Cole. He was later hired by Golden Records, for whom he wrote over 100 songs. In 1951, he met Dean Fuller & they began collaborating on songs for the musical theatre, beginning with the revue "Walk Tall" in 1954. They also wrote special material for Bing Crosby & Sid Caesar. Marshall Barer began his own cabaret act in the 1970s, playing in clubs in Los Angeles & New York, where he would often reinterpret the lyrics of his own songs. Marshall Barer retired on August 25th, 1998 (at age 75), in Santa Fe, New Mexico, his home, after living many years in Venice, California. Although a prolific writer, Marshall Barer was largely unknown except to aficionados of "lost" musicals. Artists who still feature Marshall Barer numbers in their shows include Michael Feinstein & Andrea Marcovicci. Both often attended his legendary Sunday night soirees at Venice Beach for other singers & songwriters. "Once Upon A Mattress" is a musical comedy with music by Mary Rodgers, lyrics by Marshall Barer, & book by Jay Thompson, Dean Fuller, & Marshall Barer. It opened off-Broadway in May 1959, & then moved to Broadway. The play was written as an adaptation of the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale "The Princess & the Pea." "Once Upon a Mattress" was first written as a shorter play at the Tamiment adult summer camp resort, at which Jack Sydow was present. The play was later expanded for the Broadway stage. Initial reviews of the play were mixed, but critics & actors alike were surprised by the show's enduring popularity. "Once Upon A Mattress" is a popular choice for high school drama programs & community theatre groups.
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