WELCOME
TO MY WORLD
Why this website? In a practical sense this site allows me to present news of my work as a playwright, librettist and lyricist, work that might otherwise be lost or neglected. I'm one of the lucky ones. I started young doing what I loved most, writing for theatre and television, and fifty years later I am still writing, engaged in that constant dialogue every writer has with his thoughts, his fears, his dreams, and the memories of his own perplexing life. You may not know me, I don't flatter myself in thinking that I am a household name, but I have long been around in New York and Hollywood, writing for theatre, television, film, with ups and downs, Tony nominations, Emmy Awards, and the occasional critical catcall. Somehow I've survived it all into this internet age, still working at my craft, only now working off Broadway, in regional theatres and theatre festivals, writing about the subjects that engage me.
Lately I have been looking backwards by writing a family
memoir. I plan to post some of the pages on this site from time
to time. As a young freelance writer with a family to support,
I wrote everything from an episode in “The Man from Uncle” to
historical sagas for PBS and Hallmark Hall of Fame, dramatizing
everything from the life of founding father John Adams to the
plight of endangered giraffe in East Africa. In the New York theatre
I wrote the libretto for a successful Tony nominated musical “The
Rothschilds,” a well received sketch in the then notorious “Oh
Calcutta!,” a biographical play, “Strangers,” and “Rex,” a fascinating
disaster of a musical with Richard Rodgers, as well as a charming
light musical, “Lucky In The Rain.” My most recent theatre work
is my new play, “December Fools,” and my new musical, “Josephine
Tonight!” for which I wrote both libretto and lyrics, with music
by my friend, the late composer Wally Harper. What mattered most
to me in the past and what matters most to me now - other than
the well being of family and friends - is my work in the theatre.
I'll try to be as candid as I can be on these pages since lying
requires heavy lifting. My hope is to entertain truthfully and
with luck, keep doing so for years to come. I welcome your visits
to this site and your comments.
Sherman Yellen, Spring 2005.
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