Mary Rodgers Guettel Dies at the Age of 83

Tony nominated Broadway composer, author and screenwriter Mary Rodgers Guettel has passed away at her New York City home at the age of 83, after battling a long illness.

Daughter of the iconic composer Richard Rodgers and his wife Dorothy, Mary became a pillar of the Broadway community in her own right. As director of the Rodgers and Hammerstein Organization, she looked after her the musical works of her father, along with many other composers and writers across the world.

Her own Broadway career began with the 1959 musical 'Once Upon a Mattress' which she wrote alongside Marshall Barer, Jay Thompson and Dean Fuller. The original Broadway production opened at the St James Theatre and ran for 244 performances. It was later revived in 1996 at the Broadhurst Theatre and ran for 188 performances, starring Sarah Jessica Parker, earning Rodgers a Tony Award nomination. Her other musical works include 'Working', 'The Madwoman of Central Park West', 'Hot Spot' and 'From A to Z'.

Mary Rodgers was also a successful children's author, writing a number of books that have since been published around the world. Her most famous work, 'Freaky Friday', was adapted into a hit film in 1976 starring Barbara Harris and Jodie Foster. Other titles include 'A Billion for Boris', 'Summer Switch', and 'Max Devlin'.

Rodgers' late husband Henry Guettel died in October 2013 at the age of 85. Together they had two children, including the Tony Award Winning composer Adam Guettel whose Broadway credits include 'The Light in the Piazza', 'Floyd Collins', and 'Myths and Hymns'.

- by Dom O'Hanlon