Luther Henderson FYI

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 8/2/03 at 11:06am

You may have read that Luther Henderson, a highly respected Broadway musical director, dance arranger, and orchestrator, died on July 29 after a long battle with cancer at the age of 84.

If some of you are thinking he looks familiar--he's the amazing pianist for Nell Carter in My Favorite Broadway: The Leading Ladies.

[magruder]

Posted: 8/2/03 at 11:30am

He was also a brilliant orchestrator. He was the first African American orchestrator to work on a mainstream Broadway musical (dance arrangements for the original Flower Drum Song). He was also responsible for dance arrangements for Funny Girl, Bravo Giovanni, I Had a Ball, Hallelujah, Baby!, Golden Rainbow, and No No Nanette. He orchestrated Do Re Mi, Purlie, Ain't Misbehavin', So Long, 174th Street, Jelly's Last Jam and Play On!, among many others. On the subject of those dance arrangements, No No Nanette's arrangements are stunning...I think the finest dance arrangements I've ever heard. They are truly works of art. A great talent and a lovely man. I will miss hearing his work on Broadway.

[BrdwyThtr]

Posted: 8/2/03 at 12:20pm

Is it just me, or does it seem like every week a theatre person dies?