Sheldon Harnick is a lyricist known for his work in musicals, revues, and cabarets that have appeared both on and Off-Broadway.  His Off-Broadway credits include: THE LITTLEST REVUE (1956), KALEIDOSCOPE (1957), SMILING THE BOY FELL DEAD [aka FAIR HAIRED BOY] (1961), WET PAINT (1965), SHE LOVES ME (1985), THE ROTHSCHILDS (1990), ROTHSCHILD & SONS (2015), and FIORELLO! (2016). He worked with Mary Rodgers and the Bil Baird Marionettes on PINOCCHIO (1973). On Broadway, his credits include: New Faces (of 1952), She Loves Me, and Rex. His collaborations with composer Jerry Bock, which include The Body Beautiful, Fiorello!, Tenderloin, Fiddler on the Roof, The Apple Tree, and The Rothschilds, led them to be considered “the most important musical partnership of the ‘60s.” 

For opera, he has written English versions of the librettos for Stravinsky’s Soldier’s Tale, Lehar’s The Merry Widowand Bizet’s Carmen. Original librettos include Captain Jinks of the Horse Marines, Love in Two Countries, Coyote Tales, and The Phantom Tollbooth. He wrote lyrics for the theme songs for the movies The Heartbreak Kid and Blame it on Rio.

Born in Chicago, Sheldon Harnick trained as a violinist at a young age. He later studied violin and musical composition at Northwestern University, where he also wrote for the Waa-Mu show, the student revue. While at Northwestern, he was inspired to write musicals by his friend Charlotte Rae, who insisted that he listen to Finian’s Rainbow. In 1950, Harnick moved to New York City with the intention of writing songs for musical revues. Many revues were done at The Village Vanguard, where he later met Yip Harburg, who encouraged him to pursue songwriting. His first song on Broadway was “The Boston Beguine,” which was featured in Leonard Sillman’s New Faces of 1952, a musical revue starring Eartha Kitt, Alice Ghostley, Robert Clary, Carol Lawrence, Ronny Graham, and Paul Lynde, Harnick’s friend from college. The revue included sketches written by Mel Brooks and songs and lyrics by Harnick, among others. “The Boston Beguine” was positively received, and Harnick’s career was launched. He later wrote Two’s Company for Bette Davis, which was choreographed by Jerome Robbins, who introduced Harnick to Stephen Sondheim. Harnick has collaborated with artists such as Joe Stein, Barbara Cook, Hal Prince, Arthur Penn, and Jerome Weidman. He has received numerous awards for his work, including a Pulitzer Prize for Drama (Fiorello!) and three Tony Awards:  Fiorello!, Fiddler on the Roof and a Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre.