Cast & Creatives
Original Music and Lyrics
The Sherman Brothers
The Sherman Brothers' career as leading composer/lyricists in family entertainment spans over 50 years and includes two Academy Awards for Mary Poppins, Best Score and Best Song Chim Chim Cher-ee. Already famous throughout the world for their songs and films, the brothers - Richard M Sherman and Robert B Sherman - are currently enjoying a fresh chapter of success in musical theatre. They composed several brand new songs for the stage version of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang which opened in the West End in 2002, going on to become the longest running musical ever to play the London Palladium. Following its Broadway run, it enjoyed a long and successful UK tour, a nationwide tour of the United States, and also ran in Australia. The stage production Mary Poppins, co-produced by Disney and Cameron Mackintosh, opened to huge critical acclaim in London at the end of 2004, winning two Olivier Awards and playing to packed houses at the Prince Edward Theatre. The Broadway production enjoyed a six-year run, with tours and many other productions playing and planned throughout the world. The new production of Mary Poppins opened in London at the end of 2019, and after being suspended during the Covid-19 pandemic, re-opened to a rapturous reception in August 2021.
2013 saw yet another Sherman film score begin an exciting stage journey to a chorus of critical plaudits with Disney's The Jungle Book brought vividly to life in a world premiere at Chicago's Goodman Theatre.
The Sherman Brothers gained recognition in popular music with several top-ten hits - among them You’re Sixteen, Let’s Get Together and Tall Paul. 1960 marked the start of a phenomenal 10 year association with Walt Disney, during which time they composed over 150 songs for his films, TV shows, Disneyland and other theme parks. Their Disney credits include the films The Jungle Book, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, The Sword in The Stone, The Aristocats, The Happiest Millionaire, the Winnie The Pooh series, and of course Mary Poppins. They also wrote the most translated and performed song on earth, It’s A Small World (After All).
They went on to compose song scores for Snoopy Come Home, Charlotte’s Web, the Broadway hit musical Over Here! and the ‘fantasmagorical’ Chitty Chitty Bang Bang - with its Oscar-nominated title song.
The Sherman Brothers created screenplays and song scores for Tom Sawyer (their music won First Prize at the Moscow Film Festival), Huckleberry Finn, the 1976 Royal Film Performance The Slipper And The Rose (with co-author Bryan Forbes), and The Magic of Lassie which also earned them their 9th Academy Award nomination for Best Song. Additional credits include the book Walt’s Time - a wonderful autobiographical and pictorial journey through their song-writing years, the Disney hit animated feature The Tigger Movie, the stage musical Busker Alley starring Tommy Tune in the United States, and the Wonder World song for Beverly Hills Cop 3. In addition to their Oscars, other honours awarded to the Sherman Brothers include 3 Grammys, 24 Gold and Platinum Albums, as well as a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Robert Sherman died peacefully in London in March 2012.