Marvin Hamlisch

Musical talent ran in Marvin Hamlisch's family - his father was an accordionist, and at seven Hamlisch was the youngest student ever accepted by Manhattan's Julliard School of Music. Hamlich furthered his education by taking night classes at Queens College and working during the day as a rehearsal pianist for Broadway shows. He eventually began composing songs for stage productions. In 1968 he met film producer Sam Spiegel, resulting in his first film score for The Swimmer (1968) (he had previously written some songs for a low-budget teen epic, Ski Party (1965), but did not do the score for it). Hamlisch became well versed in the very specialized field of film scoring.

He was the accompanist and straight man for Groucho Marx, when he toured in 1974-1975.

In addition to scoring films, he ventured into film production as co-producer of The Entertainer (1975).

Marvin Hamlisch won the 1976 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for the musical "A Chorus Line", collaborating with Nicholas Dante, Michael Bennett, James Kirkwood Jr.. and Ed Kleban.

Inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1986.

In 1994, he guest conducted the London Symphony Orchestra for Barbra Streisand's first British concert.

His musical, "A Chorus Line", at the Marriott Theatre in Chicago, Illinois was nominated for the 2011 Joseph Jefferson Equity Award for Production of a Musical (Large).

His musical, "Sweet Smell of Success", at the Kokandy Productions in Chicago, Illinois was nominated for a 2014 Joseph Jefferson Non-Equity Award for Musical Production.

His musical, "A Marvin Hamlisch Songbook," at the Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre Company in Chicago, Illinois was nominated for a 2016 Joseph Jefferson Award (Non-Equity) for Musical or Revue Production.

"A Chorus Line," at the Porchlight Music Theatre at Ruth Page Center for the Arts in Chicago, Illinois was nominated for a 2019 Joseph Jefferson Equity Award for Midsize Musical Production.