100 Heroes: Lorenz Hart
The gay man who became one of America's great songwriters.
Lorenz Hart was an American lyricist and half of the Broadway songwriting team Rodgers and Hart. Some of his more famous lyrics include "Blue Moon"; "The Lady Is a Tramp"; "Manhattan"; "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered"; and "My Funny Valentine".
Life and career
Hart was born in 1895 in Harlem, New York City - the elder of two sons, to German Jewish immigrant parents.
Hart's exposure to theatre began through his parents, who took him to Yiddish and German theater productions in New York. When they were old enough, Hart and his brother attended the theater on their own.
At college, he studied journalism - with a focus on writing and drama.
By 1918, Hart was working for the Shubert brothers, partners in theatre, translating German play songs into English. In 1919, a friend introduced him to Richard Rodgers, and the two joined forces to write songs for a series of amateur and student productions - quickly building a strong name for themselves.
Rodgers and Hart subsequently wrote the music and lyrics for 26 Broadway musicals during a partnership of more than 20 years that ended shortly before Hart's death.
Hart's drinking increasingly became a problem, and by 1942 Rodgers had brought in Oscar Hammerstein to work on Oklahoma. Following the success of Oklahoma, Rodgers and Hammerstein continued to collaborate for 16 years - becoming one of the most successful composing teams of the 20th century.
Personal Life
Hart's sexuality was never publicly discussed, but it was widely known by his contemporaries that he had sex with men.
Hart died in 1943 from pneumonia.
Blue Moon
Richard Linklater's 2025 film, Blue Moon, focused on Hart's last days.
The film stars Ethan Hawke as Hart and Andrew Scott as Rodgers.
