American composer and lyricist
Won three Tony Awards: in 1961, for music of Best Musical winner "Bye, Bye Birdie"; in 1970, for music of Best Musical winner "Applause"; and in 1977, as Best Score, his music with Martin Charnin s lyrics for "Annie". He was also Tony-nominated four other times: in 1965, for music of Best Musical nominee "Golden Boy"; in 1981, as Best Score, his music with David Rogers lyrics, for "Charlie and Algernon"; in 1987, as Best Score, his music with Stephen Schwartz lyrics for "Rags"; and in 1992, as Best Score , his music with Richard Maltby Jr. s lyrics for "Nick and Nora".
Inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1985.
His wife Barbara is a director and choreographer.
His son Will Strouse (aka William Lee Strouse) is a screenwriter and he graduated from Trinity College in Hartford. William was also a winner of the Chesterfield Writers Film Project screen-writing fellowship.
Father of Victoria Strouse , Will Strouse , Nicholas Strouse and Benjamin Strouse.
He was working as a rehearsal pianist for a Harold Arlen -Johnny Mercer show called "Saratoga". The stage manager, Edward V. Padula , had heard one of Strouses "Green Mansions" songs. Padula needed a composer for an idea he had for a musical about teenagers. It became "Bye Bye Birdie". Strouse not only composed the music, he played piano for the auditions.
In the early 1950s, he was asked to write songs for weekly revues at an Adirondacks summer camp, Green Mansions. He wrote and orchestrated his songs, and copied all the vocal and instrumental parts.
When he returned from his studies in Paris, he wrote serious compositions. To make ends meet, he played piano for singers in nightclubs.
He studied at the Eastman School of Music. He was a student of Aaron Copland at the Tanglewood Music Center and of the legendary teacher Nadia Boulanger in Paris.
(September 2008) He and his wife, Barbara Siman Strouse, and dog, Zeke, live at the Parc Vendome in New York City.
His musical, "Annie" at the Drury Lane Theatre in Chicago, Illinois was nominated for a 1991 Equity Joseph Jefferson Award for Musical Production.
Susan Birkenhead and he were awarded the 2009 Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for Musical Score for "Minskys" at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles, California.
Was a piano player for dance bands in addition to working as a rehearsal pianist for "Your Show Of Shows.".
Introduced Mel Brooks to Anne Bancroft.
I never said to myself, "How will I ever top this?". That never even,occurred to me. I mean, I like things to be a success, but the main,thing is to keep working. .
