Richard Adler Headshot

Richard Adler

Date of Death: June 21, 2012 (90)

Birth Place: New York, NY, USA

Get Richard Adler Email Alerts

Be the first to get news, photos, videos & more.

Richard Adler BIO

Mr. Adler co-composed the music and lyrics for Pajama Game and Damn Yankees, both of which won Tony Awards for Best Musical and Best Score. He also earned a Tony Award nomination for his musical, Kwamina. Some of his biggest hit songs are You Gotta Have Heart, Hey, There, Hernando’s Hideaway, Whatever Lola Wants, Steam Heat, Rags to Riches, and Everybody Loves a Lover.

During the Kennedy and Johnson administrations, Richard Adler staged and produced numerous presidential entertainments, including the unforgettable birthday celebration for President Kennedy featuring Marilyn Monroe singing Happy Birthday, Mr. President.

Richard Adler Photos

Richard Adler Productions

 
[Off-Broadway, 2017]
Music
Lyricist
 
[Broadway, 1976]
Producer
 
[Broadway, 1976]
Producer
 
[Broadway, 1973]
Producer
 
[Broadway, 1957]
Producer

Writing

Composer
Lyricist
Lyricist
Composer
Composer/Lyricist
Composer
Lyricist
Composer/Lyricist
Composer
Lyricist
Composer/Lyricist
Composer
Composer/Lyricist
Composer/Lyricist
Composer
Lyricist

Richard Adler Awards and Nominations

Tony Awards - 1962 - Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre

Richard Adler, Kwamina


winner
Tony Awards - 1956 - Best Musical

Richard Adler, Damn Yankees


winner
Tony Awards - 1955 - Best Musical

Richard Adler , The Pajama Game

Richard Adler Videos

Richard Adler News


Review: DAMN YANKEES at Desert Theatricals


What did our critic think of DAMN YANKEES at Desert Theatricals?

Review: Grammy Nominee Jane Monheit Makes OC Return at Irvine Barclay


Returning to Orange County, CA for a one-night-only concert at the Irvine Barclay Theatre, Monheit stunned the audience with her incredible talents, offering fresh live performances of superb tunes—including many from the Broadway stage—that are slated for her upcoming new studio album releasing this summer.

Review: THE PAJAMA GAME at Lancaster Opera House


A breakdown of  union labor relations, abuse in the workplace and  demands for higher wages surely doesn't sound like the stuff of musical comedy. Unless you're speaking of the classic 1954 musical THE PAJAMA GAME, now playing at the Lancaster Opera House. 

Leslie Odom Jr., Arielle Jacobs & More to Join The Drama League EMBRACE THE SEASON Gala


Get ready for a night of incredible performances at The Drama League 'Embrace The Season' Gala. Join Leslie Odom Jr., Arielle Jacobs, and other talented artists as they take the stage for an unforgettable evening. Don't miss out on this star-studded event!

Annaleigh Ashford, Lindsay Mendez, Norm Lewis & More To Join The Drama League's EMBRACE THE SEASON Gala


Annaleigh Ashford, Lindsay Mendez, Norm Lewis, Danny Burstein, and more will be performing at The Drama League's 'Embrace The Season' Gala.

Photos: The Mabel Mercer Foundation Hosts A Swell Party at The Pierre


The Mabel Mercer Foundation’s invitation predicted“A Swell Party” and last night certainly was!  KT Sullivan artistic director of the foundation hosted an elegant evening to celebrate the legacy of Charles S Bullock, Chairman Emeritus, Board of Trustees, and his favorite composer Cole Porter at the legendary Pierre Hotel in Manhattan.

Review: THE PAJAMA GAME at Artistry Theater


What did our critic think of THE PAJAMA GAME at Artistry Theater? A classic tale of boy meets girl, and girl wants a raise - wait, that's not how it goes! Sid and Babe will show you exactly how it goes, as they manage romance and work on opposite sides of a labor dispute at the Sleep-Tite Pajama Factory.

Review: DAMN YANKEES at Marriott Theatre, Lincolnshire


The new production at Marriott Theatre Lincolnshire is Damn Yankees, a truly classic old time big Broadway musical. With a book by George Abbott (died at age 107) and Douglass Wallop and one of the great scores by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross (died at the young age of 29), this has always been an underrated musical.

Cast Set for THE PAJAMA GAME at Naperville's Summer Place Theatre


Naperville's Summer Place Theater has announced the cast of 'The Pajama Game', featuring book by George Abbott and Richard Bissell, and music and lyrics by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross.

Cast And Creative Team Announced For THE PAJAMA GAME At The Public Theater of San Antonio


The spring, The Pajama Game will play in the Russell Hill Rogers Theater at The Public Theater of San Antonio, the longest-running theatre company in Texas.

Winners Announced For The 2022 BroadwayWorld Long Island Awards


The winners have been announced for the 2022 BroadwayWorld Long Island Awards, honoring the best in regional productions, touring shows, and more which had their first performance between October 1, 2021 through September 30, 2022.

Summer Place Theatre Announces Directors For Its 2023 Season


Summer Place Theatre, Naperville's Community Theatre since 1966 has announced its directors for the 2023 Season!

Summer Place Theatre Announces 2023 Season


Summer Place Theatre, Naperville's community theatre since 1966 has announced its summer 2023 season with two great classic and modern musicals.

Review: Musical Theatre West Hits Another Grand Slam with Fun-Filled DAMN YANKEES


A truly fun-filled, ecstatically-performed iteration of this classic musical, MTW's Broadway-caliber production (now on stage at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center through October 30) is a definite must-see. The production's trio of terrific leads---Lesli Margherita, Jeff Skowron, and James Olivas---are themselves reason enough to see it.

Photos: 42nd Street Moon Stages THE PAJAMA GAME


San Francisco’s 42nd Street Moon (Daniel Thomas, Executive Artistic Director and Daren A.C. Carollo, Producing Artistic Director) is pleased to announce the full cast and creative team for the Company’s long-awaited production of the Tony Award-winning “Best Musical” THE PAJAMA GAME, with sisters Becky Potter (Director) and Annie Potter (Playwright) teaming up with Armando Fox (Music Director) and Renee DeWeese (Choreographer) to bring audiences a contemporary take on a comedy classic, celebrating the best of Broadway’s Golden Age, reimagined for a Gateway Theatre stage.

Music Theatre International Celebrates 70 Years


Theatrical licensor Music Theatre International (MTI) announced the celebration of its 70th anniversary. Officially recognized on May 29th, the date former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg declared “Music Theatre International Day” in 2012, MTI is celebrating this milestone throughout the next year by showcasing the incredible talents of theatrical organizations around the world.

Full Cast Announced for 42nd Street Moon's THE PAJAMA GAME


San Francisco’s 42nd Street Moon has announced the full cast and creative team for the Company’s long-awaited production of the Tony Award-winning “Best Musical” THE PAJAMA GAME, with sisters Becky Potter (Director) and Annie Potter (Playwright) teaming up with Armando Fox (Music Director) and Renee DeWeese (Choreographer).

DAMN YANKEES, GASLIGHT & TOO TRUE TO BE GOOD Coming to The Shaw Festival


The Shaw Festival’s 60th season will continue with performances of the romantic musical comedy Damn Yankees, psychological thriller Gaslight and surreal tour de force Too True to Be Good. All three shows will begin welcoming audiences to preview performances in the coming days and weeks.

INTO THE WOODS, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST and More Announced for Arvada Center 2022-2023 Season


The Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities today announced the lineup of their 2022-2023 Theatre Season. From destiny-altering quests to friendships fraying when they're thrust into the spotlight, the six titles in the 2022-2023 Theatre Season promise a journey from the fantastical to the familiar and back again.

Casting And Creative Teams Announced for Shaw Festival's 60th Anniversary Season


Artistic Director Tim Carroll has announced casting and creative teams for the Shaw Festival’s 60th anniversary season.

Richard Adler FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How many shows has Richard Adler written?

Richard Adler has written 7 shows including John Murray Anderson's Almanac (Composer/Lyricist), Damn Yankees (Composer), The Pajama Game (Composer), Kwamina (Composer/Lyricist), A Mother's Kisses (Composer/Lyricist), Music Is (Composer), Fosse (Lyricist).

What awards has Richard Adler been nominated for?

Richard Adler has been nominated for several awards throughout his career. He was nominated for Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre at the Tony Awards for his work on the musical "Kwamina." Additionally, he received nominations for Best Musical at the Tony Awards for two other shows: "Damn Yankees" and "The Pajama Game." These nominations showcase Adler's talent and contribution to the Broadway industry.

What awards has Richard Adler won?

Richard Adler has won several awards throughout his career. He received the Tony Award for Best Musical for "Damn Yankees" and "The Pajama Game."

Get Richard Adler Email Alerts

Be the first to get news, photos, videos & more.

Videos