# Harvey Schmidt > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Harvey_Schmidt > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Harvey_Schmidt.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvey_Schmidt > Source revision: 1345273157 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) American composer and illustrator (1929–2018) Harvey Lester Schmidt Born September 12, 1929 Dallas, Texas, United States Died February 28, 2018 (aged 88) Tomball, Texas, United States Education University of Texas Occupation Theatre composer Known for Musical Theatre, illustrator Awards Inductee American Theatre Hall of Fame Songwriters Hall of Fame **Harvey Lester Schmidt** (September 12, 1929 – February 28, 2018[1]) was an American composer for [musical theatre](/source/Musical_theatre) and [illustrator](/source/Illustrator). He was best known for composing the music for the longest running musical in history, *[The Fantasticks](/source/The_Fantasticks)*, which ran [off-Broadway](/source/Off-Broadway) for 42 years, from 1960 to 2002. ## Biography This section needs more citations. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (December 2021) (Learn how and when to remove this message) Schmidt was born in [Dallas](/source/Dallas), Texas. He attended the [University of Texas](/source/University_of_Texas) to study art, but when he met [Tom Jones](/source/Tom_Jones_(writer)) at the university, he started to accompany the drama student on the piano. They soon started writing musicals together, the first being a revue. However, after serving in the Army, Schmidt moved to New York and worked as a graphic artist for [NBC Television](/source/NBC_Television) and later as an illustrator for *[Life](/source/Life_(magazine))*, *[Harper's Bazaar](/source/Harper's_Bazaar)*, *[Sports Illustrated](/source/Sports_Illustrated)*, and *[Fortune](/source/Fortune_(magazine))*.[2] All of Schmidt's major musicals were written with lyricist [Tom Jones](/source/Tom_Jones_(writer)). The duo is best known for the musical *[The Fantasticks](/source/The_Fantasticks)*, which ran for 42 years off-Broadway, from 1960 to 2002 for a total of 17,162 performances. He also collaborated on the [1995 feature film adaptation](/source/The_Fantasticks_(film)). In 1992, Schmidt received a [Tony Award](/source/Tony_Award) honor for *The Fantasticks*, then in its 33rd year.[3] Jones and Schmidt followed with the [Broadway](/source/Broadway_theatre) musical *[110 in the Shade](/source/110_in_the_Shade)* in 1963, which ran for 330 performances on [Broadway](/source/Broadway_theatre) and earned a Tony Award nomination for Best Composer and Lyricist for Schmidt and Jones. *[I Do! I Do!](/source/I_Do!_I_Do!)* followed in 1966, which brought [Mary Martin](/source/Mary_Martin) and [Robert Preston](/source/Robert_Preston_(actor)) to the Broadway stage in a two-person musical and ran for 560 performances. Jones and Schmidt were nominated for the Tony Award for Best Composer and Lyricist and Best Musical.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*] They both appeared in a revue of their songs, *The Show Goes On*, at the York Theatre Company in 1997. The run was extended several times and the show was recorded on the DRG label.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*] Schmidt and Jones wrote a musical based on [Thornton Wilder](/source/Thornton_Wilder)'s *[Our Town](/source/Our_Town)*, which took the duo thirteen years to write, only to have the rights rescinded by Wilders nephew[4]| ## Honours Schmidt was inducted into the [American Theatre Hall of Fame](/source/American_Theatre_Hall_of_Fame). His recording, *Harvey Schmidt Plays Jones and Schmidt*, was released in 2005.[5] Schmidt and Jones were both inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in July 2012.[6] ## Songs - "I Can See It" from the musical *[The Fantasticks](/source/The_Fantasticks)*; later recorded by [Barbra Streisand](/source/Barbra_Streisand) - "Much More" from the musical *The Fantasticks*; later recorded by Barbra Streisand for *[The Barbra Streisand Album](/source/The_Barbra_Streisand_Album)* - "[Soon It's Gonna Rain](/source/Soon_it's_gonna_rain)" from the musical *The Fantasticks*; later recorded by Barbra Streisand for *The Barbra Streisand Album* - "[Try To Remember](/source/Try_To_Remember)" from the musical *The Fantasticks* - "What is a Woman?" from the musical *[I Do! I Do!](/source/I_Do!_I_Do!),* later recorded by [Peggy Lee](/source/Peggy_Lee) - "[My Cup Runneth Over](/source/My_Cup_Runneth_Over_(song))" from the musical *[I Do! I Do!](/source/I_Do!_I_Do!),* later recorded by [Bing Crosby](/source/Bing_Crosby) and [Ed Ames](/source/Ed_Ames). ## Theatre - *Shoestring '57* (1957) - *Demi-Dozen* (1958) - *[The Fantasticks](/source/The_Fantasticks)* (1960) - *[New York Scrapbook](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=New_York_Scrapbook&action=edit&redlink=1)* (1961 TV Special) - *[110 in the Shade](/source/110_in_the_Shade)* (1963) - *[I Do! I Do!](/source/I_Do!_I_Do!)* (1966) - *[Celebration](/source/Celebration_(musical))* (1969) - *[The Bone Room](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Bone_Room&action=edit&redlink=1)* (1968) - *[Colette](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Colette_(musical)&action=edit&redlink=1)* (1970) - *[Bad Company](/source/Bad_Company_(1972_film))* (1972) (score for non-musical film) - *[Philemon](/source/Philemon_(musical))* (1973) - *Colette Collage* (1982 revision) - *Grovers Corners* (1987) - *[Mirette](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mirette_(musical)&action=edit&redlink=1)* (1996) - *[The Show Goes On](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Show_Goes_On_(musical)&action=edit&redlink=1)* (1997) - *[Roadside](/source/Roadside_(musical))* (2001)[7] ## See also - *[Mirette on the High Wire](/source/Mirette_on_the_High_Wire)* ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Sandomir, Richard (3 March 2018). ["Harvey Schmidt, Co-Creator of 'The Fantasticks,' is Dead at 88"](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/02/obituaries/harvey-schmidt-co-creator-of-the-fantasticks-is-dead-at-88.html). *The New York Times*. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Rosati, Nancy.["An interview with Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt"](http://www.talkinbroadway.com/spot/jonesschmidt1.html) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20180329170405/http://www.talkinbroadway.com/spot/jonesschmidt1.html) 2018-03-29 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine), talkinbroadway.com, November 29, 2001. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Winners"](https://www.tonyawards.com/winners/year/1992/category/tony-honors/show/any/). *www.tonyawards.com*. Retrieved 2022-05-30. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Indepth Interview, John Kander"](http://broadwayworld.com/article/InDepth_InterView_John_Kander_201001102_page2) BroadwayWorld.com, November 2, 2010. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Suskin [Steven.\[http://www.playbill.com/features/article/95432-ON-THE-RECORD-Harvey-Schmidt-Plays-Jones-Schmidt-and-The-Musicality-of-Charles-Strouse "On the Record: 'Harvey Schmidt Plays Jones & Schmidt' and 'The Musicality of Charles Strouse'"](https://broadwayworld.com/article/InDept,) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20110604191709/http://www.playbill.com/features/article/95432-ON-THE-RECORD-Harvey-Schmidt-Plays-Jones-Schmidt-and-The-Musicality-of-Charles-Strouse) 2011-06-04 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine) Playbill.com, October 2, 2005 1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["Harvey Schmidt | Songwriters Hall of Fame"](https://www.songhall.org/profile/harvey_schmidt). *www.songhall.org*. Retrieved 2022-05-30. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** [*Roadside* (2001) Synopsis"](http://www.guidetomusicaltheatre.com/shows_r/roadside.html) The Guide to Musical Theatre, accessed February 11, 2010 ## External links - [Harvey Schmidt](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0772974/) at [IMDb](/source/IMDb_(identifier)) - [Harvey Schmidt](https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/12362) at the [Internet Broadway Database](/source/Internet_Broadway_Database) - [Internet Off-Broadway Database listing](https://web.archive.org/web/20111222013437/http://www.lortel.org/LLA_archive/index.cfm?search_by=people&keyword=name&first=Harvey&last=Schmidt&middle=) - [The Guide to Musical Theatre Philemon](http://www.guidetomusicaltheatre.com/shows_p/philemon.htm) Authority control databases International ISNI VIAF GND FAST WorldCat National United States France BnF data Czech Republic Spain Netherlands Latvia Poland Israel Finland Artists MusicBrainz KulturNav Grammy Awards FID People Deutsche Biographie Other SNAC Yale LUX --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Harvey Schmidt](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvey_Schmidt) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvey_Schmidt?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.