{{Short description|American lyricist and librettist (1928–2023)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=December 2011}} {{Use American English|date=August 2023}} {{Infobox person | image = Tom Jones photo 10.jpg | caption = Jones in 2008 | birth_date = {{Birth date|1928|02|17}} | birth_place = [[Littlefield, Texas]], U.S. | death_date = {{Death date and age|2023|08|11|1928|02|17}} | death_place = [[Sharon, Connecticut]], U.S. | education = [[University of Texas at Austin]] | occupation = Lyricist and librettist }}
'''Thomas Collins Jones''' (February 17, 1928 – August 11, 2023) was an American lyricist and librettist, best known for ''[[The Fantasticks]]'', ''[[110 in the Shade]]'', and ''[[I Do! I Do!]]''.
==Early life== Jones was born in [[Littlefield, Texas]], on February 17, 1928. He was raised in [[Coleman, Texas]], the son of a turkey farmer (his father William) and a homemaker (his mother Jessie).<ref name="NYTObit">{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/12/theater/tom-jones-dead.html|title=Tom Jones, Half of Record-Setting 'Fantasticks' Team, Dies at 95|last=Genzlinger|first=Neil|work=The New York Times|date=August 12, 2023|access-date=August 14, 2023}}</ref> During his adolescence, he worked as an usher in a movie theater and attended the [[University of Texas at Austin]], where he was involved in its theatre department. He attained a master's degree from the university in 1951.<ref name="NYTObit" /> All of Jones's major musicals were written with [[Harvey Schmidt]], whom he met at the university.<ref name="NYTObit" />
==Career== His best-known work is ''[[The Fantasticks]]'', which ran off-Broadway from 1960 until 2002, and the hit song from the same, "[[Try to Remember]]". Other songs from ''The Fantasticks'' include "[[Soon It's Gonna Rain]]", "Much More", and "I Can See It". He also wrote the screenplay for the [[The Fantasticks (film)|1995 feature-film adaptation]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2023/film/news/fantasticks-tom-jones-recalled-stage-musical-hollywood-adaptation-1235695218/|title='Fantasticks' Lyricist Tom Jones Was Sanguine About the Show's Tangled History With Hollywood, Including a Barbra Streisand Near-Miss|last=Willman|first=Chris|work=Variety|date=August 13, 2023|access-date=August 14, 2023}}</ref>
Jones acted in a New York City revival of ''The Fantasticks'', which he also directed.<ref>Hetrick, Adam. June 4, 2010. [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/140094-Tom-Jones-to-Depart-The-Fantasticks-Off-Broadway-June-6 Tom Jones to Depart the Fantasticks Off Broadway.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100808071515/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/140094-Tom-Jones-to-Depart-The-Fantasticks-Off-Broadway-June-6 |date=August 8, 2010 }}</ref> He played the part of the Old Actor, from when the musical opened in 1960, and from April 26, 2010, to June 6, 2010. He was credited as an actor in the show as Thomas Bruce.<ref>Brantley, Ben. August 24, 2006. [http://theater2.nytimes.com/2006/08/24/theater/reviews/24fant.html?8dpc=&adxnnl=0&adxnnlx=1156453931-gFoQwXZ3Jl5Nl86LU+19ow&pagewanted=all A Return to Off Broadway, With Performance No. 17,163.] ''The New York Times''.</ref>
Jones was also the author of ''Making Musicals: An Informal Introduction to the World of Musical Theater'',<ref>''Making Musicals: An Informal Introduction to the World of Musical Theater'', (Paperback) 1998, Limelight Editions.</ref> about which Elyse Sommer wrote on January 15, 1998 in ''CurtainUp'':
<blockquote>Extremely well organized and packed with interesting information, the first half of the book deals in broad and general terms with the growth and development of the American musical. The second half focuses on the practical "how-to" of putting together a musical, using Jones's own career and shows he's worked on as a springboard ... Since only half the book falls within the category of how-to I'm glad to report that this advice is stick-to-the-ribs solid. No hyperbole. No gratuitous name dropping.<ref>"Making Musicals", review by Elyse Sommer, January 15, 1998, ''CurtainUp''</ref></blockquote>
==Personal life and death== Jones was first married to Eleanor Wright; the two later divorced.<ref name="NYTObit" /> Jones went on to marry choreographer Janet Watson. The couple had two children, Michael and Sam Jones. Watson died in 2016.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2023/legit/news/tom-jones-dead-the-fantasticks-1235694971/|title=Tom Jones, Lyricist and Librettist of Long-Running 'The Fantasticks,' Dies at 95|last=Zee|first=Michaela|work=Variety|date=August 12, 2023|access-date=August 14, 2023}}</ref>
Jones died from cancer on August 11, 2023, at the age of 95.<ref name="VarietyObit">{{cite news |last1=Ingenthron |first1=Blair |title=Broadway Lyricist and Librettist Tom Jones Has Passed Away |url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Broadway-Lyricist-and-Librettist-Tom-Jones-Has-Passed-Away-20230812 |access-date=August 12, 2023 |publisher=Broadway World |date=August 12, 2023}}</ref>
==Theater credits== * ''Shoestring '57'' (contributor) (1957)<ref name="MTP">{{Cite web|url=https://musicaltheaterproject.org/jones-schmidt-reviews/|title=Jones & Schmidt Reviews|last=Lang|first=Joe|work=Jersey Jazz|date=October 2021 |publisher=The Musical Theater Project|access-date=August 14, 2023}}</ref> * ''Demi-Dozen'' (contributor) (1958)<ref name="MTP" /> (For the titles of his contributions, see "Discography" in [[Julius Monk]].) * ''[[The Fantasticks]]'' (1960)<ref name="VarietyObit" /> * ''[[110 in the Shade]]'' (1963; book by [[N. Richard Nash]], based on his play ''[[The Rainmaker (play)|The Rainmaker]]'')<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://playbill.com/article/revisit-the-original-broadway-production-of-110-in-the-shade|title=Revisit the Original Broadway Production of 110 in the Shade|last=Franklin|first=Marc J.|work=Playbill|date=October 24, 2019|access-date=August 14, 2023}}</ref> * ''[[I Do! I Do!]]'' (1966; based on ''[[The Fourposter]]'' by [[Jan de Hartog]])<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/22/nyregion/22theaterct.html|title=50 Years of Wedded Life in Two Acts|last=Gold|first=Sylviane|work=The New York Times|date=August 22, 2010|access-date=August 14, 2023}}</ref> * ''[[Celebration (musical)|Celebration]]'' (1969)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://playbill.com/article/york-theatre-company-will-present-concert-version-of-tom-jones-and-harvey-schmidts-celebration|title=York Theatre Company Will Present Concert Version of Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt's Celebration|last=Gans|first=Andrew|work=Playbill|date=January 9, 2020|access-date=August 14, 2023}}</ref> * ''Colette'' (1970)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.csmonitor.com/1983/0412/041202.html|title=Colette's life as a musical - sketchy, but the songs are fetching; Colette Collage Musical Comedy with books and lyrics by Tom Jones, music by Harvey Schmidt. Directed by Fran Soeder.|last=Beaufort|first=John|work=The Christian Science Monitor|date=April 12, 1983|access-date=August 14, 2023}}</ref> * ''[[Philemon (musical)|Philemon]]'' (1973)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.broadway.com/buzz/191353/harvey-schmidt-composer-of-the-fantasticks-110-in-the-shade-dies-at-88/|title=Harvey Schmidt, Composer of The Fantasticks & 110 in the Shade, Dies at 88|last=Lefkowitz|first=Andy|work=Broadway.com|date=March 1, 2018|access-date=August 14, 2023}}</ref> * ''Grover's Corners'' (1987; based on ''[[Our Town]]'')<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1987/07/31/artful-corners/b23ae812-a8e4-4a45-8d9e-873195350814/|title=Artful 'Corners'|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=July 31, 1987|last=Richards|first=David|access-date=August 14, 2023}}</ref> * ''Mirette'' (1996; book by [[Elizabeth Diggs]], based on the children's book ''[[Mirette on the High Wire]]'' by [[Emily Arnold McCully]])<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://playbill.com/article/jones-schmidts-new-mirette-opens-at-goodspeed-com-76695|title=Jones & Schmidt's New Mirette Opens at Goodspeed|work=Playbill|date=July 30, 1998|access-date=August 14, 2023}}</ref> * ''[[Roadside (musical)|Roadside]]'' (2001; book by Jones, based on the 1929 play of the same name by Lynn Riggs, with music by [[Harvey Schmidt]])<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://playbill.com/article/playbill-vaults-today-in-theatre-history-november-13-com-109535|title=Playbill Vault's Today in Theatre History: November 13|work=Playbill|date=November 13, 2021|access-date=August 14, 2023}}</ref> * ''Harold and Maude'' (2004; music by [[Joseph Thalken]], based on the film)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2005/legit/reviews/harold-and-maude-the-musical-1200528763/|title=Harold and Maude: The Musical|last=Rooney|first=David|work=Variety|date=January 10, 2005|access-date=August 14, 2023}}</ref> * ''[[The Game of Love (musical)|The Game of Love]]'' (2012; music by [[Jacques Offenbach]] with arrangements and additional music by Nancy Ford, based on the ''[[Anatol]]'' plays by [[Arthur Schnitzler]]).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://playbill.com/article/york-theatre-company-will-present-musicals-in-mufti-the-tom-jones-festival-com-187420|title=York Theatre Company Will Present Musicals in Mufti: The Tom Jones Festival|last=Gans|first=Andrew|work=Playbill|date=February 13, 2012|access-date=August 14, 2023}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist|colwidth=30em}}
==External links== *{{IMDb name}} *{{IBDB name}} *{{Playbill person|tom-jones-vault-0000007410}} ([https://web.archive.org/web/20120219222015/http://www.playbillvault.com/Person/Detail/7410/Tom-Jones archive]) *[https://soundcloud.com/american-theatre-wing/episode118 Tom Jones] Downstage Center XM radio interview at [[American Theatre Wing]], September 2006 *[http://www.guidetomusicaltheatre.com/shows_p/philemon.htm ''Philemon''] at The Guide to Musical Theatre *[http://www.guidetomusicaltheatre.com/shows_r/roadside.html ''Roadside''] at The Guide to Musical Theatre * {{discogs artist|Tom Jones (5)}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, Tom}} [[Category:1928 births]] [[Category:2023 deaths]] [[Category:American musical theatre librettists]] [[Category:American musical theatre lyricists]] [[Category:Broadway composers and lyricists]] [[Category:University of Texas at Austin alumni]] [[Category:People from Littlefield, Texas]] [[Category:Writers from Texas]] [[Category:Songwriters from Texas]] [[Category:Deaths from cancer in Connecticut]]