HERBERT KRETZMER LYRICIST TURNS 90 & WILL BE HONORED AT LONDON S QUEENS THEATRE

USPA NEWS - Herbert Kretzmer, the former London Theatre critic and writer of the lyrics of 'Les Miserables', the longest running musical, is turning 90 on October 5. On October 8, he will be honored at London's Queens Theatre where a special performance of 'Les Miserables'...

Herbert Kretzmer, the former London Theatre critic and writer of the lyrics of 'Les Miserables', the longest running musical, is turning 90 on October 5. On October 8, he will be honored at London's Queens Theatre where a special performance of 'Les Miserables' will celebrate the show's 30th anniversary and benefit the Save the Children Syria Children's Appeal.

Born in south Africa, Herbert Kretzmer spent six years off and on in Paris before moving to London in 1954. From 1951 to 1987, he was a reporter, entertainment columnist, feature writer, and theatre critic for different newspapers. He said about the musical 'I wrote the lyrics to 'Les Miserables' while working as the Mail's TV critic and it changed my life.'

He has encountered, interviewed and profiled some of the twentieth century's legendary theatre, literature, show business and sports personalities, including Rex Harrison, Truman Capote, Walt Disney, Gary Grant, Henry Miller, Billy wilder, Sugar Ray Robinson, Marcel Marceau, Yul Brynner, Boris Karloff, Marlene Dietrich, Paul Getty, John Steinbeck, Duke Ellington, Judy Garland, Groucho Marx, Peter Sellers, and Hitler's favorite filmmaker, Leni Riefenstahl.

In 2011, he was appointed Officier of the Order of British Empire (OBE) and he was appointed Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters by the French Government. 'Suddenly' the song he wrote for the blockbuster film version of 'Les Miserables' received Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations. His other memorable songs include 'She' and 'Yesterday When I was Young' (both written with Charles Aznavour) and 'Goodness Gracious Me.'

'Les Miserables' has been translated into 22 languages : English, Japanese, Hebreu, Hungarian, Icelandic, Norwegian, German, Polish, Swedish, Dutch, Danish, French, Czech, Castillan, Mauritian Creole, Flemish, Finnish, Argentinean Spanish, Portuguese, Estonian, Mexican Spanish and Korean. Productions have played in 44 countries and 349 cities. 'Les Miserables' has won over 125 major theatre awards, including eight Tonys and five Drama Desk awards. There have been 47 cast recordings of 'Les Miserables', with the original Broadway cast album winning a Grammy.

Source : Herbert Kretzmer Ltd