George Forrest (born George Forrest Chichester Jr., July 31, 1915 – October 10, 1999) was an American writer of music and lyrics for

musical theatre Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movemen ...

best known for the show '' Kismet'', adapted from the works of

Alexander Borodin Alexander Porfiryevich Borodin ( rus, link=no, Александр Порфирьевич Бородин, Aleksandr Porfir’yevich Borodin , p=ɐlʲɪkˈsandr pɐrˈfʲi rʲjɪvʲɪtɕ bərɐˈdʲin, a=RU-Alexander Porfiryevich Borodin.ogg, ...

. He was also known professionally at times as Chet Forrest.

Biography

Throughout his career Forrest worked exclusively with the composer-lyricist Robert Wright. The two men had an affinity for adapting

classical music Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical music, as the term "classical music" al ...

themes and adding lyrics to these themes for the Broadway musical stage and films. Wright said that the music was usually a 50-50 "collaboration" between Wright and Forrest and the composer. While both men were credited equally as composer-lyricists, it was Mr. Forrest who worked with the music. '' ''Kismet'''' was one of several works Forrest created with Wright commissioned by

impresario An impresario (from the Italian ''impresa'', "an enterprise or undertaking") is a person who organizes and often finances concerts, plays, or operas, performing a role in stage arts that is similar to that of a film or television producer. His ...

Edwin Lester Edwin Lester (30 March 1895, in New York City – 13 December 1990, in Beverly Hills, California) was an American theatre director, impresario, and producer. He was the longtime general director of the Los Angeles Civic Light Opera, which he foun ...

for the

Los Angeles Civic Light Opera The Los Angeles Civic Light Opera (LACLO) was an American theatre/ opera company in Los Angeles, California. Founded under the motto "Light Opera in the Grand Opera manner" in 1938 by impresario Edwin Lester, the organization presented fifty sea ...

(LACLO). '' Song of Norway'', ''

Gypsy Lady The Romani (also spelled Romany or Rromani , ), colloquially known as the Roma, are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group, traditionally nomadic itinerants. They live in Europe and Anatolia, and have diaspora populations located worldwide, with s ...

'', '' Magdalena'', and their adaptation of '' The Great Waltz'' were also commissioned by Lester for the LACLO. The LACLO then exported most of these productions to Broadway. Forrest and Wright won a

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual c ...

for their work on ''Kismet''. In 1995, they were awarded the

ASCAP Foundation Richard Rodgers Award The ASCAP Foundation Richard Rodgers Award is an annual award presented by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), in recognition of lifetime achievement by composers and lyricists in musical theatre. Established by D ...

. Forrest was cremated at Van Orsdel (Northside Chapel) Crematory, Miami.Wilson, Scott. ''Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons'', 3d ed.: 2 (Kindle Locations 15809-15810). McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. Kindle Edition.

Film work

* (1936) ''New Shoes'' (short feature), ''After the Thin Man'', ''Maytime'', ''The Longest Night'', ''Libeled Lady'', ''Sinner Take All'' * (1937) ''Bad Man of Brimstone'', '' The Firefly'', ''The Good Old Soak'', ''London by Night'', ''Madame X'', ''Mama Steps Out'', ''Mannequin'', ''Man of the People,'' ''Navy Blue and Gold'', ''Parnell'', ''Saratoga'', ''You're Only Young Once'' * (1938) ''Boystown'', ''Broadway Serenade'', ''The First Hundred Years'', ''The Girl Downstairs'', ''Happily Buried'' (short feature), ''The Hardys Ride High'', ''Honolulu'', ''Let Freedom Ring'', ''Lord Jeff'', ''The Magician's Daughter'' (short feature), ''Marie Antoinette'', ''Nuts and Bolts'' (short feature), ''Our Gang Follies'' (short feature), ''Paradise for Three'', ''Snow Gets in Your Eyes'' (short feature), ''Sweethearts'', ''Three Comrades'', ''The Toy Wife'', ''Vacation from Love'' * (1939) ''Balalaika'', ''Florian'', ''Music in My Heart'', ''The New Moon'', ''Strange Cargo'' ''These Glamour Girls'', ''The Women'' * (1940) ''Blondie Goes Latin'', ''Dance, Girl, Dance'', ''Kit Carson'', ''South of Pago-Pago'' * (1941) ''Cubana'', ''Fiesta'', ''Playing with Music'', ''I Married an Angel'', ''Rio Rita'' * (1955) ''Kismet'', ''Make Believe Ballroom'', ''Rainbow 'Round My Shoulder'' * (1970) ''Song of Norway'' (This film featured adaptations of different music of Edvard Grieg than that of the 1944 Broadway show of the same title.) * (1972) ''The Great Waltz'' Hit songs of their day include "The Donkey Serenade" (written with composer Herbert Stothart "based on a theme of

Rudolf Friml Charles Rudolf Friml"Mrs. Rudolf Friml to Receive Divorce"
...

") from ''The Firefly'', "Always and Always" from ''Mannequin'' and "It's a Blue World" from ''Music in My Heart''.

Shows

* '' Song of Norway'' (1944); adapting the music of

Edvard Grieg Edvard Hagerup Grieg ( , ; 15 June 18434 September 1907) was a Norwegian composer and pianist. He is widely considered one of the foremost Romantic era composers, and his music is part of the standard classical repertoire worldwide. His use of ...

* ''Gypsy Lady'' (''Romany Love'') (1947); using the music of

Victor Herbert Victor August Herbert (February 1, 1859 – May 26, 1924) was an American composer, cellist and conductor of English and Irish ancestry and German training. Although Herbert enjoyed important careers as a cello soloist and conductor, he is bes ...

* '' Magdalena'' (1948); using the music of

Heitor Villa-Lobos Heitor Villa-Lobos (March 5, 1887November 17, 1959) was a Brazilian composer, conductor, cellist, and classical guitarist described as "the single most significant creative figure in 20th-century Brazilian art music". Villa-Lobos has become the ...

; working directly with the composer * '' The Great Waltz'' (1949); adapting the music of Johann Strauss I and

Johann Strauss II Johann Baptist Strauss II (25 October 1825 – 3 June 1899), also known as Johann Strauss Jr., the Younger or the Son (german: links=no, Sohn), was an Austrian composer of light music, particularly dance music and operettas. He composed ove ...

* '' Kismet'' (1953); adapting the music of

* ''At the Grand'' (1958); original music and lyrics * ''The Love Doctor'' (London, 1959); original music and lyrics * '' Kean'' (1961); original music and lyrics * ''

Anya Aanya, Anya or Anja is a given name. The names are feminine in most cultures especially Indian, and unisex in several African and European countries. Origins and variant forms * Aanya or Anya is an Indian name that means inexhaustible, limitless ...

'' (1965); adapting the music of

Sergei Rachmaninoff Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff; in Russian pre-revolutionary script. (28 March 1943) was a Russian composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor. Rachmaninoff is widely considered one of the finest pianists of his day and, as a composer, one o ...

* ''

Timbuktu! ''Timbuktu!'' is a musical, with lyrics by George Forrest and Robert Wright, set to music by Borodin, Forrest and Wright. The book is by Luther Davis. It is a resetting of Forrest and Wright's musical '' Kismet''. The musical is set in 1361 in ...

'' (1978); a reworking of ''Kismet'' for an African-American cast, adding a few new songs * '' Grand Hotel'' (1989); a reworking of ''At the Grand'' with additional music and lyrics by

Maury Yeston Maury Yeston (born October 23, 1945) is an American composer, lyricist and music theorist. He is known as the initiator of new Broadway musicals and writing their music and lyrics, as well as a classical orchestral and ballet composer, Yale Uni ...

Hit songs of the day include "Strange Music" from ''Song of Norway''; and "Stranger in Paradise", "Baubles, Bangles and Beads" and "And This Is My Beloved" from ''Kismet''.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Forrest, George 1915 births 1999 deaths Songwriters from New York (state) Tony Award winners Musicians from Brooklyn 20th-century American musicians Broadway composers and lyricists