John La Touche (lyricist)

John Treville Latouche ( born November 13, 1914 in Baltimore / Maryland; † August 7, 1956 in Calais / Vermont) was an American librettist and writer.

Latouche attended for one year the Riverdale Country School in New York and studied for two years at Columbia University. In 1937 he had first success as a writer of Broadway Revue Needles and Pins. 1939 Sing for Your Supper was premiered. For this musical Latouche had the Ballad for Uncle Sam wrote. This was made famous in the musical version of Earl Robinson, entitled Ballad for Americans and 1942 used in the film Born to Sing.

Latouches biggest success was the musical Cabin in the Sky, which was established in 1940 on Broadway. The composition was by Vernon Duke, choreography by George Balanchine, and Ethel Waters sang the famous title Taking a Chance on Love. MGM filmed the musical led by Vincente Minnelli.

After the operettas Rhapsody ( music by Robert Russell Bennett to Fritz Kreisler ) and Polonaise (music by Bronisław Kaper by Frederic Chopin) 1946 Beggar's Holiday, an adaptation of John Gay's The Beggar's Opera was born.

1956 was commissioned by the Koussevitzky Foundation, the opera The Ballad of Baby Doe, for the Roger Moore composed the music. At the same time he worked with Richard Wilbur and Dorothy Parker poems to Lillian Hellman's adaptation of Leonard Bernstein's Candide. During this work, he died on August 7, 1956 einundvierzigjährig of a heart attack.

Swell

• CHOM 97.7 - John Latouche
• Internet Broadway Database - John Latouche
• Baby Doe - John Treville Latouche

• Author
• Libretto
• Americans
• Born in 1914
• Died in 1956
• Man