Michael Stewart Scores, JPB 03-23, Music Division, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, The New York Public Library.
Michael Stewart (nee Rubin), librettist, lyricist, playwright, and novelist, was born in New York City, where he attended Queens College. He received a Master of Fine Arts in drama from Yale in 1953. Prior to his work on Broadway, Stewart wrote for television and contributed sketches and lyrics to revues. His first effort on Broadway, Bye Bye Birdie, opened in 1960 and won Stewart his first Tony as its author. During his career in the musical theater Stewart also worked on Carnival!, Hello, Dolly!, 42nd Street, George M!, Barnum, I Love My Wife, Mack and Mabel, and The Grand Tour. Among his collaborators were the writer Mark Bramble, and the composers Cy Coleman, Jerry Herman, Bob Merrill and Jule Styne.
Michael Stewart, librettist, lyricist, playwright, and novelist was born Myron Rubin on August 1, 1924 in New York City. He attended Queens College and received a Master of Fine Arts in drama from Yale in 1953. During the 1950's he contributed sketches and lyrics to revues, among them: Razzle Dazzle (at the Edison Theater), The Shoestring Revue (1955), The Littlest Revue (1956) and Shoestring '57. He also wrote for television, most notably for Sid Caesar's Your Show of Shows, where he collaborated with Mel Brooks, Neil and Danny Simon and Carl Reiner. In 1954 Stewart met Charles Strouse and Lee Adams, and embarked on a career in musical theater, to which he contributed some of the major Broadway successes of the sixties, seventies and eighties. With Strouse and Adams, Stewart eventually began work on the Broadway musical Bye Bye Birdie (1960), which ran for 607 performances and won Stewart his first Tony as the author. It was also the start of Stewart's relationship with Gower Champion, who directed and choreographed. Later the two would work together on Carnival! (1961), Hello, Dolly! (1964) and 42nd Street (1980). Stewart's second Tony was for Hello, Dolly!, directed and choreographed by Gower Champion, with music and lyrics by Jerry Herman. Jerry Herman also worked with Stewart on Mack & Mabel (1974) and The Grand Tour (1979). Another frequent collaborator was Mark Bramble. Together they wrote the librettos for Elizabeth and Essex, 42nd Street, The Grand Tour and Pieces of Eight. Bramble wrote the book for Barnum, and Stewart the lyrics. Among Stewart's other collaborators were Cy Coleman, with whom Stewart worked as lyricist on I Love My Wife (1977) and Barnum (1980), Bob Merrill ( Carnival!) and Jule Styne ( Pieces of Eight). In addition to writing for the musical theater Stewart wrote plays ( D. and Those That Play the Clowns). He also wrote for television, worked at times on movie projects and published one novel, Belle (1977).
This collection consists of sheet music from both produced and unproduced Stewart shows from the 1940s through the 1980s. There are also collections of late nineteenth and early twentieth century music gathered as research for projects such as 42nd Street, George M! and Harrigan 'n Hart. The scores are arranged alphabetically by show title and by song title within each show.
The Michael Stewart Papers were donated to the Billy Rose Theatre Collection by Francine Pascal and Mark Bramble in 1990. Additional materials were donated between 1995 and 2001. The Michael Stewart Scores were separated to the Music Division.
The Michael Stewart Papers were donated to the Billy Rose Theatre Collection by Francine Pascal and Mark Bramble in 1990. Additional materials were donated between 1995 and 2001. The Michael Stewart Scores were separated to the Music Division.
Processed by Diana Bertolini and Clinton Manley ; machine readable finding aid created by FAKER.
See also the Michael Stewart papers (*T-Mss 1990-018) in the Billy Rose Theatre Collection, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts for other materials on Michael Stewart
Collection is open to the public. Library policy on photocopying will apply. Advance notice may be required.
For permission to publish, contact the Curator, Music Division.