Charles Hart (lyricist)
Encyclopedia
Charles Hart is a British lyricist
, songwriter and musician. He is best known for re-writing the lyrics to, and contributing to the book of Andrew Lloyd Webber
's stage musical The Phantom of the Opera
. He also co-wrote (with Don Black) the lyrics to Lloyd Webber's 1989 musical Aspects of Love
. Hart also re-wrote Glenn Slater's
lyrics for Love Never Dies, the sequel to Phantom.
, Maidenhead, Robinson College, Cambridge
and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama
.
, he stated that he began writing lyrics as a child, some of which were "dark and contemplative – precociously murderous and quite, quite feisty" was motivated to do so professionally in the 1970s when his grandmother, actress Angela Baddeley
, starred in a London stage production of Stephen Sondheim
's A Little Night Music
.
Hart attracted the attention of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Cameron Mackintosh
, who were judges of the Vivian Ellis Awards for music theatre writers in which Hart was a finalist with an entry based on Moll Flanders
. Webber hired him as a lyricist for The Phantom of the Opera a year later.
He also wrote lyrics for The Kissing-Dance and The Dreaming (both with music by Howard Goodall), also for The Vampyr: A Soap Opera
(BBCTV). He has written miscellaneous songs, as well as both words and music for television, ("Watching", "Split Ends" for Granada TV) and Love Songs (BBC Radio). His Two Studies for String Quartet premiered in February 2005 at London’s Purcell Room, performed by the Sacconi Quartet.
He has received two Ivor Novello Awards and has been nominated twice for a Tony Award
. He was also nominated for an Academy Award for writing the lyrics to a new song "Learn to be Lonely" which was sung by Minnie Driver
over the final credits to the film version of The Phantom of the Opera
.
Lyricist
A lyricist is a songwriter who specializes in lyrics. A singer who writes the lyrics to songs is a singer-lyricist. This differentiates from a singer-composer, who composes the song's melody.-Collaboration:...
, songwriter and musician. He is best known for re-writing the lyrics to, and contributing to the book of Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber is an English composer of musical theatre.Lloyd Webber has achieved great popular success in musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 13 musicals, a song cycle, a set of...
's stage musical The Phantom of the Opera
The Phantom of the Opera (1986 musical)
The Phantom of the Opera is a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on the French novel Le Fantôme de l'Opéra by Gaston Leroux.The music was composed by Lloyd Webber, and most lyrics were written by Charles Hart, with additional lyrics by Richard Stilgoe. Alan Jay Lerner was an early collaborator,...
. He also co-wrote (with Don Black) the lyrics to Lloyd Webber's 1989 musical Aspects of Love
Aspects of Love
Aspects of Love is a musical/chamber opera with a book and music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Don Black and Charles Hart. It is famous for the song "Love Changes Everything."...
. Hart also re-wrote Glenn Slater's
Glenn Slater
Glenn Slater is an American lyricist who collabrates with Alan Menken and other musical theatre composers. He was nominated for the Tony Award, Best Original Score for The Little Mermaid and received his second Tony nomination for Sister Act.-Biography:Slater was born in Brooklyn, New York, but...
lyrics for Love Never Dies, the sequel to Phantom.
Education
Born 3 June 1961 in London, Hart was educated at Desborough SchoolDesborough School
Desborough School is a comprehensive school on Shoppenhangers Road, Maidenhead, Berkshire, England. Until 2009 it was solely an all boys school; however, the Sixth form has since become co-educational. It was founded as Maidenhead County Grammar school in 1894 under its first Headmaster Mr A. E....
, Maidenhead, Robinson College, Cambridge
Robinson College, Cambridge
Robinson College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge.Robinson is the newest of the Cambridge colleges, and is unique in being the only one to have been intended, from its inception, for both undergraduate and graduate students of either sex.- History :The college was founded...
and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama
Guildhall School of Music and Drama
Guildhall School of Music and Drama is an independent music and dramatic arts school which was founded in 1880 in London, England. Students can pursue courses in Music, Opera, Drama and Technical Theatre Arts.-History:...
.
Career as lyricist
In an interview with The TimesThe Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
, he stated that he began writing lyrics as a child, some of which were "dark and contemplative – precociously murderous and quite, quite feisty" was motivated to do so professionally in the 1970s when his grandmother, actress Angela Baddeley
Angela Baddeley
Angela Baddeley, CBE , born Madeline Angela Clinton-Baddeley, was an English actress best remembered for her role as Mrs Bridges in the period drama Upstairs, Downstairs...
, starred in a London stage production of Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Joshua Sondheim is an American composer and lyricist for stage and film. He is the winner of an Academy Award, multiple Tony Awards including the Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre, multiple Grammy Awards, a Pulitzer Prize and the Laurence Olivier Award...
's A Little Night Music
A Little Night Music
A Little Night Music is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Hugh Wheeler. Inspired by the Ingmar Bergman film Smiles of a Summer Night, it involves the romantic lives of several couples. Its title is a literal English translation of the German name for Mozart's Serenade...
.
When I was at the Guildhall I sent a tape to [Stephen] Sondheim, fully expecting a reply hailing the next true genius of the West End... All I got was a note saying that I had 'rhyming poison' which got in the way of my characters and plot, and of course he was entirely right. But my ambition was to be an English Sondheim.
Being a lyricist is the ideal job for a university-educated dilettante, because it uses up all the rubbish in your education.
Hart attracted the attention of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Cameron Mackintosh
Cameron Mackintosh
Sir Cameron Anthony Mackintosh is a British theatrical producer notable for his association with many commercially successful musicals. At the height of his success in 1990, he was described as being "the most successful, influential and powerful theatrical producer in the world" by the New York...
, who were judges of the Vivian Ellis Awards for music theatre writers in which Hart was a finalist with an entry based on Moll Flanders
Moll Flanders
The Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Famous Moll Flanders is a novel written by Daniel Defoe in 1722, after his work as a journalist and pamphleteer. By 1722, Defoe had become a recognised novelist, with the success of Robinson Crusoe in 1719...
. Webber hired him as a lyricist for The Phantom of the Opera a year later.
He also wrote lyrics for The Kissing-Dance and The Dreaming (both with music by Howard Goodall), also for The Vampyr: A Soap Opera
The Vampyr: A Soap Opera
The Vampyr: A Soap Opera is a miniseries based on Heinrich Marschner's opera Der Vampyr. It first aired on BBC 2 on December 2, 1992. The new English libretto was written by Charles Hart, based on a story by Janet Street-Porter and Nigel Finch, which was based on the original libretto by Wilhelm...
(BBCTV). He has written miscellaneous songs, as well as both words and music for television, ("Watching", "Split Ends" for Granada TV) and Love Songs (BBC Radio). His Two Studies for String Quartet premiered in February 2005 at London’s Purcell Room, performed by the Sacconi Quartet.
He has received two Ivor Novello Awards and has been nominated twice for a Tony Award
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
. He was also nominated for an Academy Award for writing the lyrics to a new song "Learn to be Lonely" which was sung by Minnie Driver
Minnie Driver
Minnie Driver is an English actress and singer-songwriter. She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in the 1997 film Good Will Hunting, as well as for an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe for her work in the television series The Riches.- Early life...
over the final credits to the film version of The Phantom of the Opera
Photography
Hart's photography has appeared on posters and in playbills, as well as publications ranging from Attitude to the Daily Telegraph. In 2003 he was one of three photographers to feature in an exhibition organized by UNICEF to celebrate the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.Other
Charles is a long-standing trustee and supporter of the UK charity ratings agency, Intelligent GivingIntelligent Giving
Intelligent Giving was a website for charity donors run by a small charity based in Bethnal Green, London. It was founded in 2005 by two former journalists, David Pitchford and Peter Heywood, and launched on 1 November 2006...
.