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Robert J. Sherman

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Robert J. Sherman
Sherman in 2003
Sherman in 2003
Background information
Birth nameRobert Jason Sherman
Born (1968-07-16) July 16, 1968 (age 56)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
GenresMusical theater
OccupationSongwriter
Years active1990–present
LabelsSimG Records
Websiteshermantheatrical.com

Robert Jason Sherman (born July 16, 1968), known as Robbie Sherman,[1] is an American songwriter based in London. He was born in Los Angeles to Joyce and Robert B. Sherman, the youngest of four siblings. Stemming from a long line of songwriters and composers, spanning more than four generations, at 16 Sherman became one of the youngest songwriters ever invited to join BMI and is an alum of the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop. He is perhaps best known for his work on Love Birds: The Musical, which premiered at the 2015 Edinburgh Fringe Festival.[2][3][4][5]

Early life and education

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Born and raised in Beverly Hills, California, Sherman attended Hawthorne Elementary School. In grade six, Sherman wrote the Hawthorne School song. In eighth grade he was voted student body president. At Beverly Hills High School Sherman joined the Madrigal Singers and the marching band. In his senior year, Sherman became the band's drum major and composed the graduation song "Let Time Stand Still".[6] During his high school years Sherman won two "Awards of Distinction" at the Los Angeles Student Film Festival for two of his short film musicals respectively: Dog of Darkness (1983) and The Magic Tuba (1984).[7][8] He graduated in 1986. Sherman did his undergraduate studies at the University of Southern California School of Cinema-Television with an emphasis in screenwriting.[8] At USC, Sherman was initiated into the Tau Gamma chapter of Tau Epsilon Phi (ΤΕΦ) fraternity. He received a BFA degree in Filmic Writing in 1990. In 2012 Sherman received an MA (with Merit) in Jewish Studies from King's College London.

Career

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At 18 Sherman co-wrote songs for the musical, A Christmas Held Captive (Beverly Hills Playhouse).[8][9] Since then Sherman has written songs and/or script for various film, stage and TV productions including Amazon Jack (Miramax),[10] The Magic 7 (Pulse Entertainment)[11] and The Penguin Pirate.[12] In the late 1980s and early 1990s Sherman was lead singer/songwriter and guitarist for two rock bands, Numbers and SHACK.[6] Current projects include Inkas the Ramferinkas (an animation musical film) and Bumblescratch which was workshopped at The Network Theatre in London in 2013.[13] In 2014 Sherman wrote, narrated and produced A Spoonful of Sherman, a cabaret celebrating 90 years of Sherman songwriting.[14] The show received four stars from The Times (London).[15] The Original London Cast Recording was released in July 2015 by SimG Records.[16] In 2015 Sherman's song, "Disneyana!" was named the "official theme song" of the Disneyana Fan Club.[17] It was debuted during 60th Anniversary Celebrations of the Disneyland theme park during the annual Disneyana Convention held in Anaheim at which time Sherman also received the 2015 Disneyana President's Award for his service to the organization.[citation needed] Sherman's musical, Love Birds (for which he wrote both book and songs) premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August 2015 and was widely praised by the press, receiving numerous five star and four star reviews.[18] The Original Edinburgh Cast Recording of Love Birds was produced by Sherman and released in August 2015 by SimG Records and was also widely praised.[19][20] In 2016 Sherman contributed material to Ms: A Song Cycle which was subtitled as having been "inspired by women living with multiple sclerosis". The project was conceived by lyricist Rory Sherman (unrelated). The song they collaborated on, entitled: "Mondays", became the final piece on the album and was performed by Rosemary Ashe.[21][22][23] A one night, gala charity concert of Bumblescratch commemorating the 350th anniversary of the Great Fire of London premiered at the Adelphi Theatre in London on September 4, 2016.[24][25] At the conclusion of the performance, Sherman was named a Variety Club Celebrity Ambassador alongside director/choreographer Stewart Nicholls and Bumblescratch stars: Darren Day, Jessica Martin and Michael Xavier.[26][27][28] SimG Records released a CD of musical highlights from the London concert in December 2016.[29] The CD was widely praised.[30] A Spoonful of Sherman returned to London for two weeks in August 2017 with Sherman narrating once again.[31] The show featured West End stars, Helena Blackman and Daniel Boys.[32][33] On December 20, 2017, the launch of the A Spoonful of Sherman UK/Ireland tour was announced with previews beginning on February 14, 2018, at the EM Forester Theatre in Tonbridge, Kent. Cast members for the tour included Sophie-Louise Dann, Mark Read, Glen Facey, Jenna Innes and Ben Stock.[34] The tour went to over 25 cities and towns across the UK and Ireland and the reviews were very favorable.[35] In 2019, A Spoonful of Sherman was licensed for productions in Singapore and San Jose, California.[36][37][38][39] In January 2022 The Robbie Sherman Songbook was published by Hal Leonard music publishers. The Songbook included 16 of Sherman's songs from five musicals.[40] In March 2022 a "Backing Tracks and Vocal Guides" audio album was also released to accompany the first album.[41]

About wanting to be a songwriter

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In an interview Sherman said, "My earliest memory is that I wanted to be a songwriter. It's a strange thing to call an 'earliest memory', I suppose. But there it is. I was, perhaps two or three years old. From where I stood, my father and uncle wrote the type of music that children loved. So that's what I wanted to do too."[42]

Sherman Theatrical Entertainment

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In 2021, alongside finance professionals Bret Goldin and Andrew Kaplan, Sherman created Sherman Theatrical Entertainment, Ltd. The new company was created to bring theatrical productions of Sherman's and the Sherman Family's to stage, screen, and streaming. The company is also focused on music publishing and licensing of select songs and projects from his own and his family's library.[43] On May 4, 2023 it was announced that company was in a feature film development deal on the Sherman Brothers' animation musical, Inkas the Ramferinkas.[44]

Literary work

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In 2013 Sherman oversaw and completed the publication of Robert B. Sherman's Moose: Chapters From My Life, serving as the book's editor.[45] In 2010, with his father's permission, Sherman provided an advance copy of the book to the production team of the Walt Disney motion picture Saving Mr. Banks starring Tom Hanks and Emma Thompson. The book became a primary piece of source material for the screenwriters' script.[46] In the summer of 2012, now serving as the Trustee of the Robert B. Sherman Estate, Sherman consulted directly with the producer, director and one of the writers concerning the film. The first edition of Moose was released in 2013, a year following the author's death, and timed to coincide with the release of Saving Mr. Banks. The book was published by AuthorHouse, an affiliate of Penguin Random House. In 2016 Sherman provided the narration for the unabridged audible audiobook version. The audiobook was published by Orchard Hill Press.[47]

Publishing, archives and family legacy

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Sherman became the vice president of Music World Corporation in 1993. Upon the death of his father in 2012, Sherman became the CEO/president of Music World. In 2013 Sherman founded its affiliate Music World LLC in the United States and MusicWorld UK, Ltd. specifically for his own work. Sherman is a trustee of the Robert B. Sherman Family Estate and Archives, which includes one-half of the Sherman Brothers and Al Sherman estates.[48] Sherman is a frequent lecturer on the subjects of song and story writing.[citation needed] Since 2014 Sherman has led an annual Walking With Giants trolley and walking tour through Beverly Hills, where the Sherman family has lived (in whole or in part) since 1938. The tour highlights significant places and moments in the lives of the Sherman Brothers and their father, songwriter Al Sherman.[49] Sherman resides in London, England.[50]

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References

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  1. ^ "Robert J Sherman". MusicWorld (UK) Ltd. 2022. Retrieved January 31, 2023.
  2. ^ Vale, Paul; "Love Birds" The Stage, August 9, 2015.
  3. ^ Glenday, Craig; "Love Birds – Edinburgh Festival Fringe" Musical Theatre Review, August 8, 2015.
  4. ^ "Love Birds: Edinburgh Fringe 2015. A New Musical". UK Theatre World. August 19, 2015. Retrieved March 20, 2016.
  5. ^ "Love Birds Official Website". lovebirdsthemusical.com. Retrieved March 1, 2016.
  6. ^ a b Alexander, Karen (February 24, 1989) "Local Rock Band Plays for Students" Highlights (Beverly Hills High School) Vol. 60 No.24
  7. ^ Champlin, Charles (August 6, 1983). "Critic at Large: Pursuits of Youthful Footage In Full Stride" Los Angeles Times Pgs. 78, 80.
  8. ^ a b c Wolfson, Lisa (December 19, 1986). "Musical Families Join Forces to Write Kids' Yule Melodrama" The Beverly Hills Courier.
  9. ^ McCulloh, T.H. (January 1–7, 1987). "A Christmas Held Captive" Drama-Logue Vol. XVII, No.1
  10. ^ "IMDB/Robert J. Sherman". IMDB.com. Internet Movie Database. Retrieved August 14, 2024.
  11. ^ "The Magic 7". The Big Cartoon Database.[dead link]
  12. ^ "Heart Of A Stranger". Sheet Music Direct. Retrieved August 14, 2024.
  13. ^ "Creatives". Bumblescratch.com. April 19, 2016. Retrieved August 14, 2024.
  14. ^ Shenton, Mark (April 22, 2014). "A Spoonful of Sherman". The Stage.
  15. ^ "A Spoonful of Sherman". St James Theatre.
  16. ^ "A Spoonful of Sherman – SimG Records". simgproductions.com.
  17. ^ Wagner, Jan. "DisneyanaMania!". Delmar Times. Archived from the original on November 17, 2015. Retrieved October 16, 2015.
  18. ^ "Reviews". Love Birds: The Musical.
  19. ^ Wakeham, Nick (August 18, 2015). "CD Review – Love Birds – Original Edinburgh Cast". musicaltheatrereview.com.
  20. ^ Humphreys, Lauren (August 18, 2015). "CD REVIEW: Love Birds – Original Edinburgh Cast Recording". The Public Reviews.
  21. ^ "West End Wilma – Review: Ms. The Songbook (Tabard Theatre)". February 28, 2016.
  22. ^ "MS. A Song Cycle – SimG Records". simgproductions.com.
  23. ^ "There Ought To Be Clowns: CD Review: MS. A Song Cycle". May 10, 2016.
  24. ^ "ENTERTAINMENT: 350th Anniversary of the Great Fire of London commemorated by a new musical". Westminster & Pimlico News. May 23, 2016. Archived from the original on June 10, 2016. Retrieved May 25, 2016.
  25. ^ "Bumblescratch". Bumblescratch – A New Musical by Robert J Sherman.
  26. ^ "Variety Awards Darren Day, Michael Xavier and Jessica Martin Ambassador Status". Bumblescratch – A New Musical by Robert J Sherman. Bumblescratch.com. September 5, 2016.
  27. ^ "West End Wilma – Review: Bumblescratch (Adelphi Theatre) ★★★★". West End Wilma. September 12, 2016.
  28. ^ "Variety Honours Five West End Actors and Musical Directors". Variety. September 26, 2016. Archived from the original on December 4, 2020. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
  29. ^ "Cast Album Released On 19 December Pre-Order For Christmas". Bumblescratch.com. December 7, 2016. Retrieved August 14, 2024.
  30. ^ "Bumblescratch: A New Musical by Robert J. Sherman, London Concert Cast Recording – SimG Records". simgproductions.com.
  31. ^ "Live at Zedel". A Spoonful of Sherman: The Songbook of Your Childhood. Archived from the original on August 7, 2017. Retrieved April 7, 2017.
  32. ^ Hewis, Ben (June 13, 2017). "Casting announced for A Spoonful of Sherman at Live at Zedel". What's on Stage. Retrieved July 25, 2017.
  33. ^ News Desk (June 14, 2017). "Cast Announced for a SPOONFUL OF SHERMAN Live at Zédel". West End Wilma. Retrieved July 25, 2017.
  34. ^ Cheesman, Neil (December 20, 2017). "First Tour Dates Announced for A Spoonful of Sherman". London Theatre 1. Retrieved December 22, 2017. Robert J Sherman, son of Robert B. Sherman and a successful composer in his own right brings the utterly compelling story of one family's century-long, award-winning musical journey to UK audiences in 2018.
  35. ^ "A Spoonful of Sherman (Official Website)". aspoonfulofsherman.com. Retrieved July 28, 2018.
  36. ^ Zavoral, Linda (April 11, 2019). "3Below stages 'Spoonful of Sherman' Musical Revue". BayArea.com. Retrieved July 14, 2019.
  37. ^ McMullen, Randy (April 16, 2019). "Review: San Jose Musical Delivers 'Spoonful' of Old-Fashioned Innocence". The Mercury News. Bay Area News Group. Retrieved July 14, 2019.
  38. ^ Reynolds, Eddie (April 20, 2019). "A Spoonful of Sherman". Talkin' Broadway. Regional Reviews: San Jose/Silicon Valley. Retrieved July 14, 2019.
  39. ^ "A Spoonful of Sherman: The Songbook of Your Childhood". SingTheatre.com. Retrieved July 14, 2019.
  40. ^ "Sherman Theatrical Entertainment Set To Release The Robbie Sherman Songbook Audio Album January 14". PRNewswire. January 12, 2022. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
  41. ^ "Robert J. Sherman Launches New Songbook "The Robbie Sherman Songbook: Backing Tracks and Vocal Guides"". Sherman Theatrical Entertainment. April 4, 2022. Retrieved August 13, 2024. Sherman Theatrical Entertainment Ltd. has announced the release of "The Robbie Sherman Songbook: Backing Tracks and Vocal Guides", the premier audition tool for musical theatre professionals determined to succeed in the musical theatre industry.
  42. ^ "Robbie Sherman Explains Making Peace With Having A Famous Parent". Love Birds: The Musical. August 27, 2015.
  43. ^ Ramachandran, Naman (July 26, 2021). "Robert J. Sherman, Bret Goldin, Andrew Kaplan Team To Form Sherman Theatrical Entertainment". Variety. Retrieved July 26, 2021. I am thrilled to partner with Bret and Andrew on this new venture," said Robert J. Sherman. "We have been friends and business associates for many years. Bret and Andrew have already proven themselves to be an outstanding executive team for this company.
  44. ^ Rubin, Rebecca (May 4, 2023). "Animated Musical Movie 'Inkas the Ramferinkas,' From Songwriters of 'Mary Poppins' and 'It's a Small World,' in the Works". Variety. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
  45. ^ "AFMW: Robert J. Sherman". FOX News Radio. June 24, 2014.
  46. ^ Kubersky, Seth (January 7, 2014). "Fact-Checking Saving Mr. Banks with Disney Historian Jim Korkis". Orlando Weekly.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  47. ^ "Moose Audible Audiobook". Amazon UK. Retrieved October 9, 2016.
  48. ^ "About – Robert J. Sherman". robbiesherman.com.
  49. ^ "Walking With Giants 2015 – Sherman Brothers Tour Special Event Weekend". disneyanafanclub.org. Archived from the original on September 6, 2015. Retrieved August 28, 2015.
  50. ^ "Creatives". Love Birds: The Musical.
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