Moose Charlap Biography: Nationality, Relationship, Parents



Known for movies



Moose Charlap (born January 10, 1930) is an American composer and lyricist best known for his work on the Broadway musicals Peter Pan (1954), The Fantasticks (1960), and Barnum (1981).

Born in New York City, Charlap began his musical training at an early age. His father, Edward Charlap, was a pianist and composer, and his mother, Sylvia Rabinovitch, was a singer. Charlap’s sister, Judy, is also a composer. He studied piano with Abby Whiteside and composition with Leonard Bernstein at the Juilliard School.

Charlap’s first professional credit was the song “My Little Corner of the World” from the 1952 revue Two’s Company. He went on to contribute songs to several other revues and musicals, including Inside U.S.A. (1958) and High Spirits (1964). In 1960, he wrote the music and lyrics for The Fantasticks, which ran for more than 17,000 performances and is the longest-running musical in history.

Charlap’s other Broadway credits include Skyscraper (1965), I Do! I Do! (1966), and They’re Playing Our Song (1979). He also wrote the score for the 1981 film Pennies from Heaven, starring Steve Martin.

Charlap has been married three times: to actress Sheila MacRae from 1956 to 1967; to singer-songwriter Sandy Stewart from 1969 to 1981; and to actress-singer Barbara Cook from 1986 to present. He has three children: Jonathan, Jennifer, and Jamie.

Charlap’s music has been described as “melodic, tuneful, and accessible.” His best-known songs include “Too Many Mornings” from Follies (1971), “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” from The Robber Bridegroom (1976), and “With You” from Pippin (1972).

Source: IMDb, Wikipedia