Robert J. Sherman

Robert Jason Sherman (born July 16, 1968) is an American songwriter and businessman 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.[1][2][3][4]

Robert J. Sherman
Sherman in 2003
Background information
Birth nameRobert Jason Sherman
Born (1968-07-16) July 16, 1968
Los Angeles, California
GenresMusical theatre
Occupation(s)Songwriter, composer, lyricist, librettist, producer, businessman
Years active1990–present
LabelsSimG Records
Websitewww.robbiesherman.com

Early life and education

Born and raised in Beverly Hills, California, Sherman attended Beverly Hills Presbyterian Pre school then 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".[5] 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).[6][7] Sherman did his undergraduate studies at the University of Southern California School of Cinema-Television with an emphasis in screenwriting.[7] 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

At 18 Sherman co-wrote songs for the musical, A Christmas Held Captive (Beverly Hills Playhouse).[7][8] Since then Sherman has written songs and/or script for various film, stage and TV productions including Amazon Jack (Miramax),[9][10] The Magic 7 (Pulse Entertainment)[9][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.[5] Current projects include Inkas the Ramferinkas (an animation musical film) and Bumblescratch which was workshopped at The Network Theatre in London in 2013.[13][14] In 2014 Sherman wrote, narrated and produced A Spoonful of Sherman, a cabaret celebrating 90 years of Sherman songwriting.[15] The show received four stars from The Times (London).[16] The Original London Cast Recording was released in July 2015 by SimG Records.[17][18] In 2015 Sherman's song, "Disneyana!" was named the "official theme song" of the Disneyana Fan Club.[19] 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.[20] 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.[21] 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.[22][23][24] 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.[25][26][27] 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.[28][29][30] 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.[31][32][33] SimG Records released a CD of musical highlights from the London concert in December 2016.[34] The CD was widely praised.[35] A Spoonful of Sherman returned to London for two weeks in August 2017 with Sherman narrating once again.[36] The show featured West End stars, Helena Blackman and Daniel Boys.[37][38] 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.[39][40] The tour went to over 25 cities and towns across the UK and Ireland and the reviews were very favorable.[41] In 2019, A Spoonful of Sherman was licensed for productions in Singapore and San Jose, California.[42][43][44][45]

About wanting to be a songwriter

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."[46]

Literary work

In 2013 Sherman oversaw and completed the publication of Robert B. Sherman's Moose: Chapters From My Life, serving as the book's editor.[47] 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.[48][49] 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.[50][51]

Publishing, archives and family legacy

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.[52] Sherman is a frequent lecturer on the subjects of song and story writing.[53] 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.[54] Sherman resides in London, England.[55]

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References
  1. Vale, Paul; "Love Birds" The Stage, August 9, 2015.
  2. Glenday, Craig; "Love Birds – Edinburgh Festival Fringe" Musical Theatre Review, August 8, 2015.
  3. "Love Birds: Edinburgh Fringe 2015. A New Musical". UK Theatre World. August 19, 2015. Retrieved March 20, 2016.
  4. "Love Birds Official Website". lovebirdsthemusical.com. Retrieved March 1, 2016.
  5. Alexander, Karen (February 24, 1989) "Local Rock Band Plays for Students" Highlights (Beverly Hills High School) Vol. 60 No.24
  6. Champlin, Charles (August 6, 1983). "Critic at Large: Pursuits of Youthful Footage In Full Stride" Los Angeles Times Pgs. 78, 80.
  7. Wolfson, Lisa (December 19, 1986). "Musical Families Join Forces to Write Kids' Yule Melodrama" The Beverly Hills Courier.
  8. McCulloh, T.H. (January 1–7, 1987). "A Christmas Held Captive" Drama-Logue Vol. XVII, No.1
  9. Robert J. Sherman IMDB.com Profile
  10. "Amazon Jack (Jungo Goes Bananas: Jungo III) (2007) – Soundtracks". IMDb.
  11. "The Magic 7". The Big Cartoon Database.
  12. BWW Biographies. "Robert J. Sherman". BroadwayWorld.com.
  13. BWW News Desk (May 10, 2013). "Robert Sherman Holds BUMBLESCRATCH Musical Workshop Today". BroadwayWorld.com.
  14. Bumblescratch The Musical EPK. May 21, 2013 – via YouTube.
  15. Shenton, Mark (April 22, 2014). "A Spoonful of Sherman". The Stage.
  16. "A Spoonful of Sherman". St James Theatre.
  17. BWW News Desk. "A SPOONFUL OF SHERMAN Original London Cast Recording Out Next Week". BroadwayWorld.com.
  18. "A Spoonful of Sherman – SimG Records". simgproductions.com.
  19. Wagner, Jan. "DisneyanaMania!". DelmarTimes.net.
  20. Disneyana Theme Song Introduction by Robert J. Sherman. August 21, 2015 – via YouTube.
  21. "Reviews". Love Birds: The Musical.
  22. Wakeham, Nick (August 18, 2015). "CD Review – Love Birds – Original Edinburgh Cast". musicaltheatrereview.com.
  23. Antill, Jenny. "BWW Reviews: LOVE BIRDS – A New Musical, Original Edinburgh Cast Recording". BroadwayWorld.com.
  24. Humphreys, Lauren (August 18, 2015). "CD REVIEW: Love Birds – Original Edinburgh Cast Recording". The Public Reviews.
  25. "West End Wilma – Review: Ms. The Songbook (Tabard Theatre)". February 28, 2016.
  26. "MS. A Song Cycle – SimG Records". simgproductions.com.
  27. "There Ought To Be Clowns: CD Review: MS. A Song Cycle". May 10, 2016.
  28. BWW News Desk (May 23, 2016). "BUMBLESCRATCH Gala Charity Performance Set for Adelphi Theatre This Autumn". BroadwayWorld.com.
  29. "ENTERTAINMENT: 350th Anniversary of the Great Fire of London commemorated by a new musical". Westminster & Pimlico News. May 23, 2016.
  30. "Bumblescratch". Bumblescratch – A New Musical by Robert J Sherman.
  31. "Variety Awards Darren Day, Michael Xavier and Jessica Martin Ambassador Status". Bumblescratch – A New Musical by Robert J Sherman. Bumblescratch.com. September 5, 2016.
  32. "West End Wilma – Review: Bumblescratch (Adelphi Theatre) ★★★★". West End Wilma. September 12, 2016.
  33. "Variety Honours Five West End Actors and Musical Directors". Variety.org.uk. September 26, 2016.
  34. Marianka Swain (February 16, 2017). "BWW Interview: Composer/Lyricist Robert J Sherman Talks BUMBLESCRATCH". BroadwayWorld.com.
  35. "Bumblescratch: A New Musical by Robert J. Sherman, London Concert Cast Recording – SimG Records". simgproductions.com.
  36. "Live at Zedel". A Spoonful of Sherman: The Songbook of Your Childhood.
  37. Hewis, Ben (June 13, 2017). "Casting announced for A Spoonful of Sherman at Live at Zedel". What's on Stage. Retrieved July 25, 2017.
  38. News Desk (June 14, 2017). "Cast Announced for a SPOONFUL OF SHERMAN Live at Zédel". West End Wilma. Retrieved July 25, 2017.
  39. BWW News Desk (December 20, 2017). "Sherman Brothers Musical to Tour UK". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved December 22, 2017.
  40. 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.
  41. "A Spoonful of Sherman (Official Website)". aspoonfulofsherman.com. Retrieved July 28, 2018.
  42. Zavoral, Linda (April 11, 2019). "3Below stages 'Spoonful of Sherman' Musical Revue". BayArea.com. Retrieved July 14, 2019.
  43. 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.
  44. Reynolds, Eddie (April 20, 2019). "A Spoonful of Sherman". Talkin' Broadway. Regional Reviews: San Jose/Silicon Valley. Retrieved July 14, 2019.
  45. "A Spoonful of Sherman: The Songbook of Your Childhood". SingTheatre.com. Retrieved July 14, 2019.
  46. "Robbie Sherman Explains Making Peace With Having A Famous Parent". Love Birds: The Musical. August 27, 2015.
  47. "AFMW: Robert J. Sherman". FOX News Radio. June 24, 2014.
  48. Kubersky, Seth (January 7, 2014). "Fact-Checking Saving Mr. Banks with Disney Historian Jim Korkis". Orlando Weekly.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  49. "Saving Mr. Banks (2013) – Full Cast & Crew". IMDb.
  50. "Moose Audible Audiobook". Retrieved October 9, 2016.
  51. "Robert Sherman Tells His Fathers' Tale in Excerpt from MOOSE CHAPTERS FROM MY LIFE". BroadwayWorld.com. BroadwayWorld TV. December 21, 2016.
  52. "About – Robert J. Sherman". robbiesherman.com.
  53. BWW News Desk. "Robert J. Sherman To Take Part in Special Masterclass With Michael Xavier". BroadwayWorld.com.
  54. "Walking With Giants 2015 – Sherman Brothers Tour Special Event Weekend". disneyanafanclub.org.
  55. "Creatives". Love Birds: The Musical.
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