Shepard Coleman
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Shepard Coleman | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1924 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Died | May 12, 1998 (age 74) Ridgewood, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Occupation | Musical director |
| Spouse | |
Shepard Coleman (1924 - 12 May 1998) was an American musical director. Many credits to his name, Coleman won a Tony Award for his vocal arrangements for Hello, Dolly! in 1964, and was the musical director for the Broadway debut of the well known play Oh, What a Lovely War in 1965.
Coleman was born in New York City in 1924 to Albert and Esther Cohen (Coleman's real name) and had three siblings.[1] Coleman attended the Juilliard School and became a cellist.
Career
As a cellist, Coleman played in the orchestra of many Broadway musicals: Lost in the Stars (1949), Guys and Dolls (1950), Silk Stockings (1955), and The Most Happy Fella (1956).[3] For his efforts as musical director and conductor on the original Broadway production of Hello, Dolly!, Coleman was awarded a 1964 Tony Award. Shortly after, he became the musical director for the Broadway debut of Joan Littlewood's new musical Oh, What a Lovely War. The cast featured well known English actors including Victor Spinetti, Brian Murphy and Barbara Windsor.
