Charles Strouse (born June 7, 1928) is a composer of stage and film musicals, known principally for his scores to such hit shows as, Bye Bye Birdie (1960), Applause (1970), and Annie (1977).
Strouse initially trained for a career in classical music at the Eastman School of Music (1944-1947), but he was exposed to the world of New York musical theater when he had to take jobs as an audition pianist to pay for his lessons. Under the mentorship of Frank Loesser, he met lyricist Lee Adams in 1949; Adams would become his most frequent collaborator. During the 1950s, the team of Strouse and Adams worked on several revues, including The Shoestring Revue (1955) and The Littlest Revue (1956). In 1960, Strouse and Adams broke onto the Broadway scene with Bye Bye Birdie. They followed up with All American (1962), a failed vehicle for dancer-comedian Ray Bolger. Their next show was the more successful, Golden Boy (1964). The team, however, scored their biggest Broadway hit with Applause (1970). Following the success of Applause, Strouse experimented with shows in venues other than Broadway and began to work with other collaborators as well. He, Adams, and playwright Jay Presson Allen created a musical about Queen Victoria, I and Albert (1972), which was produced in London. In 1973, Strouse wrote music and lyrics for a musical version of Charlotte's Web (1973) and incidental music for a 1975 Broadway revival of A Member of the Wedding. Strouse's next Broadway musical, Annie (1977), with lyrics by Martin Charnin and book by Thomas Meehan, turned out to be a phenomenon. After Annie, Strouse wrote a string of shows that were less commercially successful, though many of their scores were acclaimed. Among his Broadway shows with other lyricists (including David Rogers, Alan Jay Lerner, Stephen Schwartz, and Richard Maltby, Jr.) are: Charlie and Algernon (1980), Dance a Little Closer (1983), Rags (1986), and Nick and Nora (1991). Strouse has focused on musical theater during his career, but he occasionally has written classical compositions, including Concerto America (2002), written for the pianist Jeffrey Biegel and operas such as Nightingale (1980). He also has written for films and television, including the score for the film, Bonnie and Clyde (1968), the theme song (with Adams) for the television show, All in the Family (1971), and the music and lyrics for the animated film, All Dogs Go to Heaven (1989). Strouse was an active member of the American Society of Composers and Publishers (ASCAP) for many years, and, in 1977, he founded the ASCAP Musical Theatre Workshop, which he directed until 1993.
From the description of Charles Strouse papers, 1890-2000 (bulk 1947-2000) (New York Public Library). WorldCat record id: 137917067
