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Jerry Herman b. 1931

One of the leading composers and lyricists for the American musical theater, Jerry Herman was raised in Jersey City, New Jersey , where his mother taught him to play the piano. Herman enjoyed his first real success with his score for the Broadway musical Milk and Honey (1961). His smash hit Hello, Dolly! (1964), which ran for 2,844 performances, and his box-office triumph La Cage aux Folles (1983), both won Tony Awards for Best Musical. In 1966, Herman had another theatrical coup with the musical Mame, and in 2009, he received the Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre.