Wally Harper
Encyclopedia
Wally Harper was an American musical director, composer, conductor
, dance arranger, and musical supervisor for many Broadway
and Off-Broadway
productions. For three decades from the mid-1970s, he worked with Barbara Cook
as pianist, music director and arranger.
. His mother was a music teacher, and by age 12 he played the piano in church. He was a graduate of the New England Conservatory and the Juilliard School of Music, and first worked preparing vocal arrangements for the Broadway musical Half a Sixpence in 1965.
Harper composed two musicals with book and lyrics by Sherman Yellen
. The first was Say Yes! which was produced at the Berkshire Theatre Festival, Stockbridge, Massachusetts
in 2000. The second was Josephine Tonight!, which was produced (posthumously) by Theatre Building Chicago in 2006, and received praise from The Chicago Sun Times for his fine score.
He also composed the Off-Broadway musical, Sensations (1970), and several songs for Irene (1973), as well as dance music for the film, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982). Harper worked as musical director or arranger on Broadway musicals including A Day in Hollywood/A Night in The Ukraine (1980), Nine
(1982) and My One and Only
(1983). He produced the original cast recordings of those musicals, as well as the Pointer Sisters
' revival of Ain't Misbehavin'
and Tommy Tune
's Slow Dancin.
As a symphony conductor, Harper has conducted such orchestras as the London Symphony Orchestra
, the Royal Philharmonic, the BBC Orchestra, the Melbourne Symphony and the Philadelphia Orchestra
. He has performed at The White House for four administrations.
Donating his time and experience, Harper served as guest lecturer for the Juilliard School and the Broadway Musical Theatre Project http://www.tau.ac.il/taunews/97fall/broadway.html with Tel Aviv University
.
He began working with Barbara Cook in the mid-1970's as her musical director, accompanist and arranger. Their first major collaboration was a Carnegie Hall concert in January 1975. The two went on to play "clubs, theatres and concert halls worldwide." During Harper's collaboration with Cook, he arranged and conducted the CD, Oscar Winners: The Lyrics of Oscar Hammerstein II. He produced and arranged It's Better With a Band, for which he wrote the title song and The Disney Album, arranged for symphony orchestra. He co-produced Close as Pages in a Book, celebrating the lyrics of Dorothy Fields
, Barbara Cook: Live from London, Barbara Cook at Carnegie Hall, As of Today, All I Ask of You, The Champion Season and the CD Barbara Cook Sings Mostly Sondheim. "Cook and Mr. Harper were one of the successful professional marriages in show business. Together, they created intimate piano-and-voice shows for boites and more lavish orchestral concerts for venues such as Carnegie Hall.
Harper died of cardiac arrest
in New York October 8, 2004.
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
, dance arranger, and musical supervisor for many Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
and Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...
productions. For three decades from the mid-1970s, he worked with Barbara Cook
Barbara Cook
Barbara Cook is an American singer and actress who first came to prominence in the 1950s after starring in the original Broadway musicals Candide and The Music Man among others, winning a Tony Award for the latter...
as pianist, music director and arranger.
Career
Harper was born in Akron, OhioAkron, Ohio
Akron , is the fifth largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Summit County. It is located in the Great Lakes region approximately south of Lake Erie along the Little Cuyahoga River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 199,110. The Akron Metropolitan...
. His mother was a music teacher, and by age 12 he played the piano in church. He was a graduate of the New England Conservatory and the Juilliard School of Music, and first worked preparing vocal arrangements for the Broadway musical Half a Sixpence in 1965.
Harper composed two musicals with book and lyrics by Sherman Yellen
Sherman Yellen
Sherman Yellen is a playwright and screenwriter.- Biography :Sherman Yellen was born in 1932 to Nathan and Lillian Yellen. He attended the High School of Music & Art in Harlem and graduated from Bard College on the Hudson in 1953 where he met his future wife, Joan Fuhr...
. The first was Say Yes! which was produced at the Berkshire Theatre Festival, Stockbridge, Massachusetts
Stockbridge, Massachusetts
Stockbridge is a town in Berkshire County in Western Massachusetts. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,947 at the 2010 census...
in 2000. The second was Josephine Tonight!, which was produced (posthumously) by Theatre Building Chicago in 2006, and received praise from The Chicago Sun Times for his fine score.
He also composed the Off-Broadway musical, Sensations (1970), and several songs for Irene (1973), as well as dance music for the film, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982). Harper worked as musical director or arranger on Broadway musicals including A Day in Hollywood/A Night in The Ukraine (1980), Nine
Nine (musical)
Nine is a musical with a book by Arthur Kopit, music and lyrics by Maury Yeston. The story is based on Federico Fellini's semi-autobiographical film 8½...
(1982) and My One and Only
My One and Only
My One and Only is a musical with a book by Peter Stone and Timothy S. Mayer and music and lyrics by George and Ira Gershwin.Written to incorporate classic Gershwin tunes from Funny Face and other popular shows into one evening of entertainment, the plot, set in 1927 America, revolves around Capt...
(1983). He produced the original cast recordings of those musicals, as well as the Pointer Sisters
Pointer Sisters
The Pointer Sisters are an American pop/R&B recording act from Oakland, California that achieved mainstream success during the 1970s and 1980s. Spanning over three decades, their repertoire has included such diverse genres as pop, disco, jazz, bebop, blues, soul, funk, dance, country and rock.The...
' revival of Ain't Misbehavin'
Ain't Misbehavin'
Ain't Misbehavin' is a musical revue with a book by Murray Horwitz and Richard Maltby, Jr., music by Thomas Wright "Fats" Waller, and lyrics by various writers...
and Tommy Tune
Tommy Tune
Thomas James "Tommy" Tune is an American actor, dancer, singer, theatre director, producer, and choreographer. Over the course of his career, he has won nine Tony Awards and the National Medal of Arts.-Early years:...
's Slow Dancin.
As a symphony conductor, Harper has conducted such orchestras as the London Symphony Orchestra
London Symphony Orchestra
The London Symphony Orchestra is a major orchestra of the United Kingdom, as well as one of the best-known orchestras in the world. Since 1982, the LSO has been based in London's Barbican Centre.-History:...
, the Royal Philharmonic, the BBC Orchestra, the Melbourne Symphony and the Philadelphia Orchestra
Philadelphia Orchestra
The Philadelphia Orchestra is a symphony orchestra based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States. One of the "Big Five" American orchestras, it was founded in 1900...
. He has performed at The White House for four administrations.
Donating his time and experience, Harper served as guest lecturer for the Juilliard School and the Broadway Musical Theatre Project http://www.tau.ac.il/taunews/97fall/broadway.html with Tel Aviv University
Tel Aviv University
Tel Aviv University is a public university located in Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv, Israel. With nearly 30,000 students, TAU is Israel's largest university.-History:...
.
He began working with Barbara Cook in the mid-1970's as her musical director, accompanist and arranger. Their first major collaboration was a Carnegie Hall concert in January 1975. The two went on to play "clubs, theatres and concert halls worldwide." During Harper's collaboration with Cook, he arranged and conducted the CD, Oscar Winners: The Lyrics of Oscar Hammerstein II. He produced and arranged It's Better With a Band, for which he wrote the title song and The Disney Album, arranged for symphony orchestra. He co-produced Close as Pages in a Book, celebrating the lyrics of Dorothy Fields
Dorothy Fields
Dorothy Fields was an American librettist and lyricist.She wrote over 400 songs for Broadway musicals and films...
, Barbara Cook: Live from London, Barbara Cook at Carnegie Hall, As of Today, All I Ask of You, The Champion Season and the CD Barbara Cook Sings Mostly Sondheim. "Cook and Mr. Harper were one of the successful professional marriages in show business. Together, they created intimate piano-and-voice shows for boites and more lavish orchestral concerts for venues such as Carnegie Hall.
Harper died of cardiac arrest
Cardiac arrest
Cardiac arrest, is the cessation of normal circulation of the blood due to failure of the heart to contract effectively...
in New York October 8, 2004.
Works
- Broadway
- 1970 - CompanyCompany (musical)Company is a musical with a book by George Furth and music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. The original production was nominated for a record-setting fourteen Tony Awards and won six....
(Musical Supervisor, Dance Arrangements) - 1973 - Irene (Incidental music, Dance arrangements and Assistant Conductor)
- 1979 - The Grand TourThe Grand Tour (musical)The Grand Tour is a musical with a book by Michael Stewart and Mark Bramble and music and lyrics by Jerry Herman.Based on S. N. Behrman's play Jacobowsky and the Colonel, the story concerns an unlikely pair. S.L. Jacobowsky, a Polish-Jewish intellectual, has purchased a car he cannot drive....
(Musical Direction) - 1979 - Peter Pan (Dance Arrangements)
- 1980 - A Day in Hollywood/A Night in the UkraineA Day in Hollywood / A Night in the UkraineA Day in Hollywood/A Night in the Ukraine is a musical comedy consisting of two essentially independent one-act plays, with a book and lyrics by Dick Vosburgh and music by Frank Lazarus...
(Musical Director/Vocal and Dance Arranger) - 1980 - Brigadoon (Musical Director and Vocal arrangements)
- 1982 - NineNine (musical)Nine is a musical with a book by Arthur Kopit, music and lyrics by Maury Yeston. The story is based on Federico Fellini's semi-autobiographical film 8½...
(Musical Director) - 1983 - My One and Only (Musical Concept/Dance Arranger)
- 1983 - 5-6-7-8...Dance! (Composer/Musical Supervisor)
- 1984 - The Three Musketeers (Dance Arrangements)
- 1987 - Barbara Cook: A Concert for the Theatre (Music arranged and conducted by/Original Songs (Music))
- 1989 - Grand Hotel (Music Supervision/Additional Music)
- 1992 - My Favorite Year (Dance Arrangements)
- 1994 - The Best Little Whorehouse Goes Public (Musical Supervision/Vocal and Dance Arrangements)
- 2002 - Mostly Sondheim (Musical Director, Arranger and Pianist)
- 2004 - Barbara Cook's Broadway! (Musical Director and Pianist)
- 1970 - Company
- Off-Broadway
- 1970 - Whispers on the Wind (Musical Consultant)