Biography

Songwriter ("New York, New York", "The Party's Over", "Just in Time", "Make Someone Happy"), author and actor, educated at City College of New York. While he was a student, he acted with the Washington Square Players and had a part in the road company of "Having a Wonderful Time". A member of The Revuers with Betty Comden (with whom he also appeared on stage in "A Party" and on TV") and Judy Holliday, he appeared with the troupe in night clubs. His Broadway stage score for "Wonderful Town" won Drama Critics and Tony awards in 1953. His other stage scores included "Peter Pan" and "Do Re Mi", and he was the co-librettist for "On the Town", "Billion Dollar Baby", "Two on the Aisle", "Bells Are Ringing", "Subways Are For Sleeping", and "Fade Out - Fade In". His chief collaborator in lyrics, libretto and screenplay work was Betty Comden, and his chief musical collaborators included Leonard Bernstein, Jule Styne, André Previn and Morton Gould. His popular-song compositions also included "I Get Carried Away", "I Can Cook, Too", "Some Other Time", "Lonely Town", "Lucky to Be Me", "Bad Timing", "Ohio", "A Little Bit in Love", "It's Love", "A Quiet Girl", "The French Lesson", "If You Hadn't But You Did", "Give a Little, Get a Little", "There Never Was a Baby Like My Baby", "Long Before I Knew You", "Never-Never Land", "Something's Always Happening on the River", "Dance Only With Me", "Adventure", "Fireworks", "Ride Through the Night", "Comes Once in a Lifetime", "I'm Just Taking My Time", "Now", "Fade Out - Fade In", and "Get Acquainted".