Sheldon Harnick, ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ Lyricist, Dies at 99

Sheldon Harnick, lyricist for “Fiddler on the Roof” and “Fiorello!,” and creative partner to composer Jerry Block, died on Friday morning at his home in Manhattan, The New York Times confirmed. He was 99.

Harnick met Bock in the late 1950s, and in 1958 they collaborated on “The Body Beautiful,” a musical set within the world of prizefighting. But quickly thereafter in 1959, they collaborated on “Fiorello!,” a musical painting a portrait of the notorious New York City politician Fiorello La Guardia.

“Fiorello!,” written by George Abbott and Jerome Weidman, followed the New York City mayor, who held office from 1934-1945, and drew in theatergoers for nearly 800 performances. The production won a Pulitizer Prize for drama and three Tony Awards, including the prize for Best Musical, which it shared with “The Sound of Music.”

Five years later, in 1964, Harnick and Bock collaborated on “Fiddler on the Roof,” which proceeded to run for more than 3,200 performances and become, at the time, the longest-running musical in Broadway history.

Joseph Stein penned the musical, and based it upon the stories of Sholem Aleichem. “Fiddler on the Roof” chronicled a Jewish community during the czarist Russian empire that was on the brink of expulsion from their small village. The story highlights one family’s path, with the village milkman, Tevye, at the focus. Harnick contributed his talents to the show, composing with Bock, “Matchmaker, Matchmaker,” “Tradition,” “Sunrise, Sunset” and “If I Were a Rich Man,” which have since been recognized as musical theater classics. The stage production would win nine Tony Awards and received five separate Broadway revivals. Harnick and Bock’s music then reached the big screen in the 1971 hit feature film.

Harvey Fierstein, who starred in one of the many revivals in 2004, said in a statement, “As a devotee of theater, as a Jew, as a person who admires brilliance and gentility, I loved Sheldon Harnick and today he left us. But, oh, the gifts he left us!” Fierstein added, “His lyrics were clear and purposeful and never lapsed into cliche. You’d never catch him relying on easy rhymes or ‘lists’ to fill a musical phrase. He always sought and told the truth for the character and so made acting his songs a joy. A JOY! A JOY!!!!”

“Sheldon embraced me just as he embraced his audience with tender inspiration. I loved every visit I had with him and his devoted wife, Margie, backstage during my year of ‘Fiddler’ on Broadway and then again when I replaced Topol in the road company,” concluded Fierstein.

In addition to “Fiorello!” and “Fiddler on the Roof,” Harnick and Bock collaborations included “She Loves Me” in 1963, “The Apple Tree” in 1966 and “The Rothschilds” in 1970. Their time together on “The Rothschilds” would cause the two to break up after over a dozen years together.

After the dissolution of their partnership, Harnick would go on to collaborate with Mary Rodgers on “Pinocchio,” Richard Rodgers on “Rex,” Joe Raposo on the stage adaption of “A Wonderful Life” and Michel Legrand on the adaptions of “The Umbrellas of Cherbourg” and “A Christmas Carol.”

Harnick also wrote original opera librettos, including “Captain Jinks of the Horse Marines,” “The Phantom Tollbooth” and “Lady Bird: First Lady of the Land;” as well as worked as an opera translator, where he provided English librettos for “The Merry Widow,” “The Soldier’s Tale” and “Carmen.”

Harnick was born on April 30, 1924, in Chicago and always had an affinity for music. He began with violin lessons as a child, and after writing songs throughout his teenage years, and serving in the Army, he enrolled at the Northwestern University School of Music, where he graduated in 1949.

In 1950, he moved to New York and contributed lyrics to “The Boston Beguine,” “Leonard Sillman’s New Faces of 1952″ and “Two’s Company.”

He is survived by his wife, actress Margery Gray, his children Beth Dorn and Matthew Harnick and his four grandchildren.