Robert Craig Wright (September 25, 1914 – July 27, 2005) was an American composer-lyricist for Hollywood and the

musical theatre Musical theatre is a form of theatre, 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, ...

, best known for the Broadway musical and musical film '' Kismet'', for which he and his professional partner George Forrest adapted themes by

Alexander Borodin Alexander Porfiryevich Borodin (12 November 183327 February 1887) was a Russian Romantic composer and chemist of Georgian–Russian parentage. He was one of the prominent 19th-century composers known as " The Five", a group dedicated to prod ...

and added lyrics. ''Kismet'' was one of several Wright and Forrest creations that was commissioned by

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

Edwin Lester Edwin Lester (30 March 1895 – 13 December 1990) was an American theatre director, impresario, and producer. He was the longtime general director of the Los Angeles Civic Light Opera, which he founded in 1938. He also co-founded the LACLO's a ...

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 season ...

. '' Song of Norway'', ''Gypsy Lady'', '' Magdalena'', and their adaptation of '' The Great Waltz'' were also commissioned by Lester for the LACLO. The LACLO passed most of these productions to Broadway. Wright was born in

Daytona Beach, Florida Daytona Beach is a coastal Resort town, resort city in Volusia County, Florida, United States. Located on the East Coast of the United States, its population was 72,647 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is part of the Deltona� ...

, United States. Wright and Forrest had an affinity for adapting

classical music Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be #Relationship to other music traditions, distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical mu ...

themes and adding lyrics to these themes for Hollywood and the Broadway musical stage. 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 Forrest who worked with the music. Forrest and Wright won a

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

for their work on ''Kismet'' and, in 1995, they were awarded the ASCAP Foundation Richard Rodgers Award. He was cremated at Cofer-Kolski-Combs mortuary, Miami, and his ashes given to his executor.Wilson, Scott. ''Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons'', 3d ed.: 2 (Kindle Locations 52054-52055). 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) '' 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 Edvard Hagerup Grieg ( , ; 15 June 18434 September 1907) was a Norwegian composer and pianist. He is widely considered one of the leading Romantic music, Romantic era composers, and his music is part of the standard classical repertoire worldwid ...

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 Herbert Pope Stothart (September 11, 1885February 1, 1949) was an American songwriter, arranger, conductor, and composer. He was nominated for twelve Academy Awards and won Best Original Score for '' The Wizard of Oz''. Stothart was widely ackn ...

"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

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

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

* '' 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 globally bec ...

, working directly with the composer * '' The Great Waltz'' (1949); adapting the music of Johann Strauss * '' 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 Anya, Ania or Anja is a given name. The names are feminine in most East European countries and unisex in several African countries. Origins and variant forms * Anya (Аня) is a Russian diminutive of Anna. * Ania is the spelling in Polish ...

'' (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 Conducting, conductor. Rachmaninoff is widely considered one of the finest pianists of his day and, as a compos ...

* ''

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. Yeston has written the music and lyrics for several Broadway musicals and is also a classical orchestral and ballet composer. Among his Broadway music ...

Hit songs of their 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

''New York Times'' Obituary

Music Theatre International Biography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wright, Robert 1914 births 2005 deaths Songwriters from Florida Tony Award winners Musicians from Daytona Beach, Florida Broadway composers and lyricists 20th-century American songwriters