Tony-Nominated Composer Keith Herrmann Dies at 69

Keith Herrmann, the Tony-nominated composer of 1988's Romance/Romance, died on December 5. He was 69.

Born in Brooklyn in March 1952, Herrmann has served as composer and musical director for several Broadway shows, including Whoopee! (1979), Censored Scenes From King Kong (1980), Onward Victoria (1980), Cats (1982) and Romance/Romance, which earned him a Tony nomination and an Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Original Score.

Off-Broadway, Herrmann served as composer and co-producer of the cult favorite Prom Queens Unchained. His musical Suspect had a sold-out run at the New York International Fringe Festival and The Homework Machine, which he co-wrote with Mark Cabaniss, enjoyed a sold-out world premiere at the Boston Children’s Theatre in 2014

In addition to theater, Herrmann also wrote numerous jingles, television scores and original musical material for a variety of performers. He scored the Emmy-winning ABC-TV after-school special Taking a Stand and received a Telly Award for the A&E Network presentation of Romance/Romance. Herrmann was also represented on the Tri-Star animated holiday video Buster and Chauncey’s Silent Night.

Herrmann is survived by his wife of 32 years, Georgia, and son A.J.