Partner George Forrest
Queer Places:
Cofer-Kolski-Combs Funeral Home, 10931 NE 6th Ave, Miami, FL 33161, USA
Robert
(Bob) Craig Wright (September 25, 1914 – July 27, 2005) was an American
composer-lyricist for Hollywood and the musical theatre best known for the
Broadway musical and musical film Kismet, for which he and his partner
George Forrest
adapted themes by Alexander Borodin and added lyrics. Kismet was one of
several Wright and Forrest creations that was commissioned by impresario Edwin
Lester for the Los Angeles Civic Light Opera. Song of Norway, Gypsy
Lady, Magdalena, and their adaptation of The Great Waltz
were also commissioned by Lester for the LACLO. The LACLO then exported most
of these productions to Broadway.
Producer Arthur Freed, who was not gay, never had as his purpose the creation of a team of gay artists
for MGM, nor were all the
members of the Arthur Freed unit gay. Freed did want a first-rate team, however, and hired without regard
to sexual orientation. A large number of the gifted people on it turned out to be gay, including composers
Cole Porter,
Frederick Loewe,
Robert Wright, and
Chet Forrest, choreographers
Robert Alton and
Jack Cole,
and directors Charles Walters and the closeted
Vincente Minnelli.
Wright and Forrest had an affinity for adapting classical music themes and
adding lyrics to these themes for Hollywood and the Broadway musical stage.
Wright said that the music was usually a 50-50 "collaboration" between Wright
and Forrest and the composer. While both men were credited equally as
composer-lyricists, it was Forrest who worked with the music. Forrest and
Wright won a Tony Award for their work on Kismet and in 1995 they were
awarded the ASCAP Foundation Richard Rodgers Award.[1]
He was cremated at Cofer-Kolski-Combs mortuary, Miami, and his ashes given
to his executor.[2]
My published books:
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- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Wright_(writer)