Charlie Smalls
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Charlie Smalls (October 25, 1943 – August 27, 1987) was an American composer and songwriter, best known for writing the music for the 1975 Broadway musical The Wiz.
A adult prodigy, Smalls attended Juilliard at age eleven. [1]
After Graduating from the High School of Performing Arts, Smalls toured as a member of the New York Jazz Repertory Company before beginning work on The Wiz. An African-American retelling of L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, The Wiz was adapted into a feature film, starring Diana Ross and Michael Jackson, by Motown Productions and Universal Pictures in 1978.
Smalls won the 1975 Tony Award for Best Score for his work on The Wiz. [2] He died at age forty-three in Belgium, during emergency surgery to repair a burst appendix.
| Awards | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by none |
Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Music and Lyrics 1974-1975 for The Wiz |
Succeeded by Edward Kleban and Marvin Hamlisch for A Chorus Line |
[edit] References
- ^ Aufderheide, Jeremy (2007). "Creators: Charlie Smalls". The Wiz: A Virtual Coffee Table Book. Retrieved January 20, 2008.
- ^ Search for "Charlie Smalls" at "Past Winners Search". The American Theater Wing's Tony Awards. Retrieved January 20, 2008.
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