Were it not for the coronavirus pandemic, the stage musical would still be running in London, testament to the enduring popularity of the story as well as songs such as „I Dreamed a Dream,“ „One Day More“ and „Do You Hear the People Sing?“
Herbert Kretzmer, the journalist and lyricist best known for his English-language adaptation of the musical “Les Miserables,” has died. He was 95. His family confirmed Wednesday that Kretzmer died after a long illness with Parkinson’s disease at the London home he shared with his second wife, Sybil Sever. Tributes poured in from giants of the London stage, including theatrical producer Cameron Mackintosh, singer Elaine Paige and lyricist Tim Rice. “Les Miserables” producer Mackintosh said Kretzmer was instrumental in bringing Victor Hugo’s classic tale of defiance and redemption in early 19th century France to the stage in English in October 1985, five years after it had opened in Paris. “His wonderful words for ‘Les Misérables’ will live on in his memory forever more,” he said in a statement. For Paige, he was a “masterful wordsmith” while Rice described Kretzmer a “great lyricist and man of theatre” and a “giant of his trade.” Kretzmer, known as Herbie to his friends, was born in Kroonstad, a small town south of Johannesburg, South Africa, in October 1925.
