Sheldon Harnick, ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ Lyricist, Dies at 99
variety.comCharna Flam Sheldon Harnick, lyricist for “Fiddler on the Roof” and “Fiorello!,” and creative partner to composer Jerry Block, died on Friday morning at his home in Manhattan, The New York Times confirmed.
He was 99. Harnick met Bock in the late 1950s, and in 1958 they collaborated on “The Body Beautiful,” a musical set within the world of prizefighting.
But quickly thereafter in 1959, they collaborated on “Fiorello!,” a musical painting a portrait of the notorious New York City politician Fiorello La Guardia. “Fiorello!,” written by George Abbott and Jerome Weidman, followed the New York City mayor, who held office from 1934-1945, and drew in theatergoers for nearly 800 performances.
The production won a Pulitizer Prize for drama and three Tony Awards, including the prize for Best Musical, which it shared with “The Sound of Music.” Five years later, in 1964, Harnick and Bock collaborated on “Fiddler on the Roof,” which proceeded to run for more than 3,200 performances and become, at the time, the longest-running musical in Broadway history.
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