Besoyan, Rick

Rick Besoyan was a California-born librettist, composer, director and lyricist.

He was born July 2, 1924 in Reedly, California. In 1928, his family moved to Alameda, California, where he wrote his first song at age twelve. While attending Alameda High School, Besoyan and a few friends wrote and produced a musical, High and dry. He briefly attended the University of California at Berkeley before volunteering for the army in 1942. He served in the Army Special Services Division in Europe and studied piano at the London School of Music while there.

Upon his return, Besoyan spent a year performing Gilbert and Sullivan's Mikado before leaving California. Arriving in New York, he studied at the American Theater Wing and then taught musical comedy at Stella Adler's Theater School. His first professionally produced theatrical work was a nightclub revue, In your hat. He developed material from this into a full-scale operetta, Little Mary Sunshine. The show opened off-Broadway in 1959, starring Eileen Brennan and Dom DeLuise, eventually playing 1,148 performances. Besoyan won the 1959-1960 Vernon Rice Memorial Award for outstanding theatrical achievement.

Besoyan wrote book, music and lyrics for two other shows. The 1963 Broadway production of The Student gypsy or "The Prince of Liederkranz", again starring Eileen Brennan and Dom Deluise, had a run of 22 performances. Besoyan also wrote the 1964 off-Broadway production Babes in the wood starring Ruth Buzzi. A "Rick Besoyan Day" was proclaimed in his boyhood home, Alameda, in 1966 and he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1969. Besoyan died of internal hemorrhages in Sayville, Long Island in 1970.

From the description of Rick Besoyan papers, 1940-1986, 1959-1964 (bulk). (New York Public Library). WorldCat record id: 122485484

Richard Besoyan was born July 2, 1924, to Amos and Mabel (Madie) Besoyan, in Reedly, California. In 1928, the family, including older sister Martha, moved to Alameda, California. Besoyan attended Lincoln School, writing his first song at age twelve. He graduated from Alameda High School in 1942. While in High School, Besoyan and a few friends wrote and produced a musical, High and Dry, which was warmly received. He briefly attended the University of California at Berkeley. In 1942 he volunteered for the army, and served in Europe for three years in the Special Services Division. While overseas, Besoyan attended the London School of Music, studying piano.

Upon his return, Besoyan joined the Bredon-Savoy Light Opera Company, where he performed the role of “Koko” in Gilbert and Sullivan’s Mikado over 500 times. Besoyan left the company moving to New York to try his luck. He studied at the American Theater Wing, and then taught musical comedy at Stella Adler’s Theater School.

In 1957, he had mild success with a revival of Cole Porter’s Out of this World at Actors Playhouse. Then Jim Paul Eilers asked him to write a revue for his nightclub The Showplace. In Your Hat was the result. An Act II finale, titled " Gems from Little Mary Sunshine," was the root from which Little Mary Sunshine sprouted into musical success.

Little Mary Sunshine was a takeoff of the kind of operetta that was a favorite in the early decades of the 20th Century. The show opened Off-Broadway in 1959, eventually playing 1,148 performances. The show made Eileen Brennan a star, and also starred Dom Deluise. Besoyan won the 1959-1960 Vernon Rice Memorial Award for outstanding theatrical achievement.

Besoyan wrote book, music and lyrics for two other shows. The 1963 Broadway production of The Student Gypsy or “The Prince of Liederkranz” again starring Eileen Brennan and Dom Deluise. The Student Gypsy was performed 22 times. It opened during negotiations with the musician union.. Negative reviews probably resulted in an all-to-brief run. Besoyan also wrote the 1964 off-Broadway production of Babes in the Wood starring Ruth Buzzi. (56 performances). In 1966, William S. Godfrey, Mayor of Alameda, California, proclaimed September 16th, “Rick Besoyan Day”. In 1969 Besoyan was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

In 1970, Besoyan died of internal hemorrhages in Sayville, Long Island. At his death, he had just completed directing the Sayville Musical Workshop’s production of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, and was writing lyrics and music for a dramatization of Paul Gallico’s Mrs. ‘Arris Goes to Paris.

From the guide to the Rick Besoyan papers, 1940-1986, 1959-1964, (The New York Public Library. Music Division.)