Roger O. Hirson obit

Roger Hirson, Who Wrote the Book for ‘Pippin,’ Dies at 93

 He was not on the list.

Roger O. Hirson, who earned a Best Book Tony Award nomination for his work on the musical Pippin, died May 27 at the age of 93. His death was confirmed to the New York Times by his son, playwright David Hirson.

Mr. Hirson met Pippin composer Stephen Schwartz in 1969—three years before the musical would open on Broadway—as Schwartz (then a student) searched for a potential collaborator on the project.

Though Mr. Hirson was more than twice Schwartz’s age, the two melded their combined experience and perspectives to tell the medieval coming-of-age tale, which went on to earn 11 Tony Award nominations (winning five) and run for over four years.

Prior to Pippin, Mr. Hirson—alongside Ketti Frings—penned the book to the 1967 Broadway musical Walking Happy. Throughout the 1950s and early 1960s Hirson wrote episodes for such television anthologies as The Goodyear Television Playhouse, The Alcoa Hour, Playhouse 90, and The Sunday Showcase.

Later in life, the writer returned to the small screen, crafting the screenplay for the 1991 Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis–centered miniseries A Woman Named Jackie.

Born May 5, 1926, in New York, Mr. Hirson served in the U.S. Army during World War II before studying English at Yale University. In addition to David, Mr. Hirson is survived by son Christopher and a grandson.

Filmography

Alcoa Hour: "The Big Build-Up"

Alcoa Hour: "Man on a Tiger"

Goodyear Television Playhouse: "End of the Mission"

Goodyear Television Playhouse: "Doing Her Bit"

Goodyear Television Playhouse: "Mr. Dorothy Allen"

Hallmark Hall of Fame: "A Bell for Adano"

Kraft Television Theatre: "The Glass Wall"

Playhouse 90: "The Long March"

Playhouse 90: "Journey to the Day"

Studio One: "Trial by Slander"

Studio One: "The Weston Strain"

Studio One: "Kurishiki Incident"

Sunday Showcase: "One Loud Clear Voice"

The Armstrong Circle Theatre: "The Zone of Silence" (1959)

The Armstrong Circle Theatre: "Ghost Bomber: The Lady Be Good"

The Armstrong Circle Theatre: "And Bring Home a Baby"

The Armstrong Circle Theatre: "Thirty Days to Reconsider"

The Armstrong Circle Theatre: "Money for Sale"

The Armstrong Circle Theatre: "Terror at My Heels"(1956)

The Armstrong Circle Theatre: "Error in Judgment: The Case of Prisoner #16688" (1957)

The DuPont Show of the Week: "The Outpost"

The DuPont Show of the Week: "Don't Go Upstairs"

The DuPont Show of the Week: "Windfall"

The Philco Television Playhouse: "The Basket Weaver" (1947)

The Philco Television Playhouse: "The Miss America Story" (1947)

 

Writer

Roma Downey in A Woman Named Jackie (1991)

A Woman Named Jackie

6.5

TV Mini Series

teleplay

1991

3 episodes

 

The Old Man and the Sea (1990)

The Old Man and the Sea

6.7

TV Movie

written by

1990

 

The Ted Kennedy Jr. Story (1986)

The Ted Kennedy Jr. Story

6.1

TV Movie

Writer

1986

 

George C. Scott in A Christmas Carol (1984)

A Christmas Carol

7.8

TV Movie

screenplay

1984

 

Teri Garr, Robert Wagner, and Horst Janson in To Catch a King (1984)

To Catch a King

5.7

TV Movie

Writer

1984

 

Pippin: His Life and Times (1982)

Pippin: His Life and Times

7.3

TV Movie

book

1982

 

William Hurt, Victor Garber, Guy Boyd, Jill Eikenberry, Pauline Flanagan, Sean P. Griffin, William Prince, and Robert P. Fields in The Best of Families (1977)

The Best of Families

7.0

TV Mini Series

Writer

1977

 

Demon Seed (1977)

Demon Seed

6.3

screenplay

1977

 

The Adams Chronicles (1976)

The Adams Chronicles

8.1

TV Mini Series

written by

1976

2 episodes

 

Strike Force (1975)

Strike Force

4.3

TV Movie

Writer

1975

 

Pieces of Dreams (1970)

Pieces of Dreams

5.1

screenplay

1970

 

Mordersken (1969)

Mordersken

TV Movie

play: "World War 2 1/2"

1969

 

The Bridge at Remagen (1969)

The Bridge at Remagen

6.7

story (as Roger Hirson)

1969

 

John Forsythe in A Bell for Adano (1967)

A Bell for Adano

7.3

TV Movie

adaptation for television

1967

 

Ben Gazzara in Run for Your Life (1965)

Run for Your Life

7.6

TV Series

story

teleplay

1967

1 episode

 

CBC Show of the Week (1964)

CBC Show of the Week

TV Series

Writer

1965

1 episode

 

Walter Matthau and Frank McGee in The DuPont Show of the Week (1961)

The DuPont Show of the Week

6.1

TV Series

writer

by

1962–1964

3 episodes

 

Playdate

6.8

TV Series

Writer

1963

1 episode

 

Ronald Reagan in General Electric Theater (1953)

General Electric Theater

6.8

TV Series

written by

1961

1 episode

 

Vanity Fair

TV Series

adaptation

1961

 

Playhouse 90 (1956)

Playhouse 90

8.3

TV Series

writer

teleplay

1958–1960

2 episodes

 

Mischa Auer, Leon Belasco, and Gig Young in Ninotchka (1960)

Ninotchka

7.9

TV Movie

adaptation

1960

 

Armstrong Circle Theatre (1950)

Armstrong Circle Theatre

7.6

TV Series

writer

1956–1960

9 episodes

 

John Forsythe, Larry Blyden, and Barbara Rush in Sunday Showcase (1959)

Sunday Showcase

4.4

TV Series

writer

1960

1 episode

 

Marsha Hunt and John Rodney in Studio One (1948)

Studio One

7.5

TV Series

writer

written by

1957–1958

3 episodes

 

Eddie Bracken, Alice Ghostley, Dennis Olivieri, and Tirrell Barbery in General Motors 50th Anniversary Show (1957)

General Motors 50th Anniversary Show

TV Special

special material

1957

 

Kraft Theatre (1947)

Kraft Theatre

8.0

TV Series

Writer

1957

1 episode

 

The Alcoa Hour (1955)

The Alcoa Hour

7.2

TV Series

writer

1956–1957

2 episodes

 

Justice (1954)

Justice

5.5

TV Series

television play

1955–1956

2 episodes

 

London Playhouse

TV Series

writer

1955

1 episode

 

Kraft Theatre (1947)

The Philco Television Playhouse

7.4

TV Series

writer

story

1952–1955

2 episodes

 

Goodyear Playhouse (1951)

Goodyear Playhouse

7.6

TV Series

writer

1955

3 episodes

 

Additional Crew

Sam Rockwell and Michelle Williams in Fosse/Verdon (2019)

Fosse/Verdon

7.9

TV Mini Series

book: Pippin

book copyright: Pippin ©1974, ©2017

2019

1 episode