Royal, Ted, 1904-1981

Ted Royal (1904-1981) was an arranger, conductor, and composer for Broadway musicals, radio programs, big bands and film.

Royal arrived in New York City in the fall of 1935, after stints as a silent movie accompanist, and in vaudeville and radio. He soon found work as an arranger for band leaders such as Al Katz and Isham Jones, creating new orchestrations for popular songs, including Jones' I'll see you in my dreams (1936) and Swingin' down the lane (1936). Royal also had his own radio program, "The Pompeiian Hour." Later, he worked as an arranger for the bandleader Paul Whiteman and for the Radio City Music Hall from 1943-1949. Royal's first Broadway credit was for additional arrangements for Cole Porter's DuBarry Was a Lady (1939), which led to orchestration assignments on other Cole Porter shows, such as Let's Face It (1941), Something for the Boys (1943), Mexican Hayride (1944) and Seven Lively Arts (1944). Other notable musicals for which Royal supplied the orchestrations include Leonard Bernstein's On the Town (1944), Irving Berlin's Annie Get Your Gun (1946), Harold Arlen's House of Flowers (1954), Frank Loesser's Where's Charley? (1948) and Guys and Dolls (1950), and Lerner and Loewe's Brigadoon (1947) and Paint Your Wagon (1951). Royal studied with Joseph Schillinger from 1939-1943 and taught a course at Julliard in Commercial Arranging from 1945-1947. He also wrote unproduced musicals, songs, and other compositions, including the music for the documentary, When Comedy Was King (1960).

Ted Royal was born in Skedee, Oklahoma on September 6, 1904. He spent several years as a pianist, conductor and arranger at various venues in the central and southern states. He worked as an accompanist for silent movies at the Queen Theatre in Houston and as a pianist on the vaudeville circuit. He also worked as an arranger for Wayne King, Ted Weems and NBC in Chicago.

Royal arrived in New York City in the fall of 1935 and soon found work as an arranger for Isham Jones, Al Katz and Billy Rose. He also had his own radio program, "The Pompeiian Hour" with Jerry Cooper and Donald Novis. Later, he worked as an arranger for the bandleader Paul Whiteman and for the Radio City Music Hall from 1943-1949.

Ted Royal's first Broadway credit was for additional arrangements for DuBarry Was a Lady (1939), which lead to orchestration assignments on other Cole Porter shows, such as Let's Face It (1941), Something for the Boys (1943), Mexican Hayride (1944) and Seven Lively Arts (1944). Other musicals Royal orchestrated include Leonard Bernstein's On the Town (1944), Irving Berlin's Annie Get Your Gun (1946), Harold Arlen's House of Flowers (1954), Frank Loesser's Where's Charley? (1948) and Guys and Dolls (1950), and Lerner and Loewe's Brigadoon (1947) and Paint Your Wagon (1951).

Royal studied with Joseph Schillinger from 1939-1943 and taught a course at Julliard in Commercial Arranging from 1945-1947. Royal also wrote unproduced musicals, songs and other compositions, including the music for the documentary When Comedy Was King (1960). Ted Royal died in 1981.