(AP) — The Tony Award winning composer who wrote the cheerful, good-natured music and lyrics for such classic shows as "Mame," "Hello, Dolly!" and "La Cage aux Folles," has died.
Jerry Herman was 88.
The creator of 10 Broadway shows and contributor to several more, Herman won two Tony Awards for best musical: “Hello, Dolly!” in 1964 and “La Cage aux Folles” in 1983.
He also won two Grammys _ for the “Mame” cast album and “Hello, Dolly!” as song of the year _ and was a Kennedy Center honoree. Herman wrote in the Rodgers and Hammerstein tradition, an optimistic composer at a time when others in his profession were exploring darker feelings and material.
