Monday, October 12, 2015

Hal Hackady obit

Hal Hackady, Broadway Lyricist of Minnie's Boys, Goodtime Charley, Dies at 93

Hal Hackady, who wrote the lyrics for several Broadway musicals, as well as the theme song for the New York Mets, died Oct. 12 at Atria Riverdale, an assisted living facility in The Bronx. He was 93. 

He was not on the list.


His theatrical career began in 1955 when he contributed sketches to the revue Almost Crazy, which ran a couple weeks. In the ‘70s, he was lyricist to three short-lived musicals: Minnie’s Boys, about the rise of the Marx Brothers, written with Larry Grossman, his most frequent writing companion; Ambassador, written with Don Gohman; and Goodtime Charley, again with Grossman, and starring Joel Grey. He returned to Broadway in 1987 with Teddy & Alice, a show about the relationship between President Theodore Roosevelt and his feisty daughter Alice. It ran for 77 performances.

Off-Broadway, he collaborated with Grossman on Snoopy!, a 1982 musical that drew on the "Peanuts" cartoon characters. Other credits included The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1993) and Little by Little (1999), a chamber musical about a modern love triangle.

Mr. Hackady wrote in a wide variety of fields. He penned early teleplays for "General Electric Theatre" and "Alfred Hitchcock Presents," and contributed lyrics and screenplays to teen films like "Let’s Rock," "Senior Prom," and "Hey, Let’s Twist." But the greatest number of New Yorkers encountered his work when they went to Shea Stadium to see the New York Mets play, and heard Hackady’s tune "Let’s Go Mets." The song was the brainchild of advertising executive Jerry Della Famina, and written in 1986 when the Mets captured the pennant and the World Series.

He was Born as Harold Clayton MacHackady, February 10, 1922 in Middletown, Connecticut. He later attended Wesleyan University and enrolled in a writing class at Yale, before coming to New York City in the 1950s.

In lieu of flowers, contributions should be made in Mr. Hackady’s name to The Actors Fund. Mr. Hackady leaves no survivors.

 

Writer

Michael Jackson, Donald Fullilove, Jackie Jackson, Jermaine Jackson, Marlon Jackson, Tito Jackson, Mike Martinez, Joel Cooper, Craig Grandy, Edmund Sylvers, and Jackson 5 in Jackson 5ive (1971)

Jackson 5ive

6.5

TV Series

written by

writer

1971

2 episodes

 

The Smokey Bear Show (1969)

The Smokey Bear Show

7.9

TV Series

writer

1969–1971

 

Tuesday Weld in Mr. Broadway (1964)

Mr. Broadway

7.9

TV Series

written by

1964

1 episode

 

The April in Paris Ball

TV Movie

writer

1963

 

Two Tickets to Paris (1962)

Two Tickets to Paris

6.0

original story

screenplay

1962

 

Hey, Let's Twist! (1961)

Hey, Let's Twist!

4.4

Writer

1961

 

Senior Prom (1958)

Senior Prom

5.7

written by

1958

 

Paddy Croft and Jonathan Erland in The Unforeseen (1958)

The Unforeseen

6.9

TV Series

Writer (as Hal Hackaday)

1958

1 episode

 

Let's Rock (1958)

Let's Rock

4.9

writer

1958

 

The Web (1957)

The Web

TV Series

story

written by (as Harold C. Hackaday)

1957

1 episode

 

Matinee Theatre (1955)

Matinee Theatre

7.5

TV Series

written by

1956

1 episode

 

Ronald Reagan in General Electric Theater (1953)

General Electric Theater

6.9

TV Series

writer

1956

1 episode

 

Alfred Hitchcock in Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955)

Alfred Hitchcock Presents

8.5

TV Series

story (as Harold Hackady)

1956

1 episode

 

Ponds Theater (1953)

Ponds Theater

7.4

TV Series

written by

1955

1 episode

 

The Web (1950)

The Web

7.4

TV Series

written by

1954

2 episodes

 

Robert Montgomery Presents (1950)

Robert Montgomery Presents

7.8

TV Series

adaptation

1953

1 episode

 

Lights Out (1946)

Lights Out

6.9

TV Series

adaptation

written by

1950–1951

5 episodes

 

Music Department

Snoopy: The Musical (1988)

Snoopy: The Musical

7.1

TV Movie

lyrics

1988

 

Squirm (1976)

Squirm

4.9

lyricist

1976

 

Senior Prom (1958)

Senior Prom

5.7

lyrics: original songs

1958

 

Composer

Wonders of Chicago

Short

Composer

1958

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