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Frank Loesser Headshot

Frank Loesser

Frank Loesser is an actor, lyricist, composer whose BroadwayWorld credits include Guys & Dolls - Standing/Immersive, Guys & Dolls - Standing & Stage Area, and The Most Happy Fella. Awards include Olivier Awards for Guys And Dolls (2006).

Date of Birth: June 29, 1910

Date of Death: July 28, 1969 (59)

Birth Place: New York, NY, USA

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Photos

Productions

 
[West End, 2023]
MUSIC & LYRICS
 
[West End, 2023]
MUSIC & LYRICS
 
[Off-Broadway, 2014]
Book, Music, and Lyrics

Writing

Music, Lyrics
Composer
Lyricist
Bookwriter
Composer/Lyricist
Composer
Lyricist
Composer/Lyricist
Bookwriter
Composer
Lyricist
Composer
Lyricist
Composer/Lyricist
Bookwriter
Composer/Lyricist
Bookwriter/Composer/Lyricist
Composer
Lyricist

Movies

Postal Inspector
[ 1936 ] songs by
Zaza
[ 1938 ] songs by
Cocoanut Grove
[ 1938 ] songs by
Cafe Society
[ 1939 ] songs by
Destry Rides Again
[ 1939 ] songs by
St. Louis Blues
[ 1939 ] songs by
Buck Benny Rides Again
[ 1940 ] lyrics by
This Gun for Hire
[ 1942 ] songs by
Priorities on Parade
[ 1942 ] writer
Thank Your Lucky Stars
[ 1943 ] music and lyrics by
Red, Hot and Blue
[ 1949 ] Hair-do Lempke
Let's Dance
[ 1950 ] songs by
Where's Charley?
[ 1952 ] music and lyrics by
Guys and Dolls
[ 1955 ] music and lyrics by
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
[ 1967 ] music and lyrics by

Awards and Nominations


winner
Olivier Awards - 2006 - Outstanding Musical Production

Frank Loesser, Guys And Dolls

Helen Hayes Awards - 2005 - The Charles MacArthur Award for Outstanding New Play or Musical

Frank Loesser, Señor Discretion Himself


winner
Outer Critics Circle Awards - 1966 - Other Award

Frank Loesser


winner
New York Drama Critics Circle Awards - 1962 - Best Musical

Frank Loesser, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

Tony Awards - 1962 - Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre

Frank Loesser, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying


winner
New York Drama Critics Circle Awards - 1957 - Best Musical

Frank Loesser, The Most Happy Fella

Tony Awards - 1957 - Best Musical

Frank Loesser, The Most Happy Fella


winner
New York Drama Critics Circle Awards - 1951 - Best Musical

Frank Loesser, Guys and Dolls


winner
Tony Awards - 1951 - Best Musical

Frank Loesser, Guys and Dolls

News

TRU Community Gathering: MTI's Place in Theater Licensing
by A.A. Cristi - Sep 15, 2026

Theater Resources Unlimited hosts a Zoom discussion on Music Theater International's role in the licensing industry, featuring executives from the company co-founded by Frank Loesser.
Karen Ziemba, Matthew Scott and Vanisha Gould to Celebrate Kander & Ebb at Jazz At Lincoln Center
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Sep 15, 2026

Songbook Sundays, created and hosted by Deborah Grace Winer celebrating the American Songbook will continue at Jazz at Lincoln Center's Dizzy's Club with LIFE IS KANDER AND EBB.
Review: BBC PROMS: LAST NIGHT OF THE PROMS 2026, Royal Albert Hall
by Debbie Gilpin - Sep 14, 2026

“It’s tradition, Oliver. Traditions are important”, so says Dawn in the Inside No. 9 episode “Last Night of the Proms”, explaining the actions of the Prommers during the Fantasia on British Sea-Songs section of the concert to her teenage nephew. Anyone at the Royal Albert Hall (or watching from home) on Saturday night might have been forgiven for thinking that the first two thirds of the programme were incidental, given the insistence on party poppers being set off every two minutes and flags taking over nearly every spare inch of the auditorium - all while Sakari Oramo conducted the BBC Symphony Orchestra through a mixture of pieces from the past two centuries.
25 Theater Books for Your Fall 2026 Reading List
by Nicole Rosky - Sep 19, 2026

We're falling into fall with a great Broadway read! This season, Broadway's best have put pen to paper to turn out theatre page-turners of every kind. From theatre biographies to theatre fiction; theatre books for kids to theatre history; check out our collection of 25 new Broadway books for every theatre lover's Fall 2026 reading list.
GIA Publications, Inc. Partners with MTI to Print and Distribute ShowKits of Materials for Broadway Junior Musicals
by Nicole Rosky - Sep 9, 2026

An exciting change is coming to the world of youth musicals. Effective October 1, 2026, ShowKits of materials created by Music Theatre International (MTI) for their Broadway Junior musicals will be printed and distributed by GIA Publications, Inc., in addition to MTI.
GUYS AND DOLLS to be Presented at O'Connell & Company
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Sep 8, 2026

O'Connell & Company will present GUYS AND DOLLS at Canterbury Woods Performing Arts Center, with David Wysocki, Ashleigh Chrisena Ricci, Joey Bucheker, and Maria Kreutinger leading the cast.
Special: Guys and Dolls at Canterbury Woods Performing Arts Center in Williamsville
by Team BWW - Sep 8, 2026

Roll the dice and take a chance on one of Broadway’s most beloved musical comedies! Set amid the colorful hustle and bustle of 1940s New York City, Guys and Dolls follows high-rolling gambler Sky Masterson, determined…
REVIEW: Satirical Take On Big Business, HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING Remains Relevant As Corporations Continue To See It As A Handbook, Not A Caution
by Jade Kops - Sep 6, 2026

The satirical musical of what should be a corporate myth, that someone with no experience can rise to the top of the corporate ladder, HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING, is presented in classic Broadway style at Hayes Theatre.
HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING Opens at Hayes Theatre Co
by A.A. Cristi - Sep 1, 2026

The seven-time Tony Award-winning musical comedy has opened at Hayes Theatre Co, directed by Cameron Mitchell and starring Jake Speer as J. Pierrepont Finch alongside Simon Burke.
GUYS AND DOLLS to Open at Devonshire Playhouse in Skokie
by Rachel Stone - Aug 31, 2026

Devonshire Playhouse in Skokie, Illinois, will present GUYS AND DOLLS with a 37-member cast, running for four performances at the Devonshire Cultural Center.
Review: GUYS & DOLLS at The Royal Theatre in Benton
by Theresa Bertram - Aug 25, 2026

What did our critic think of GUYS & DOLLS at The Royal Theatre?
Review: Pier Lamia Porter Stakes Her Claim With THE HUMBLING OF ME... PLUS 40 at The Green Room 42
by Stephen Mosher - Aug 28, 2026

A producer of cabaret, Pier Lamia Porter has stepped into the light and an audience has discovered a new star.
Review: GUYS AND DOLLS at Moonlight Stage
by ErinMarie Reiter - Aug 20, 2026

This 'Guys and Dolls' makes one thing very clear: at Moonlight, the audience wins.
GUYS AND DOLLS JR. to Open at Musical Theatre of Anthem
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Aug 14, 2026

Musical Theatre of Anthem will present Guys and Dolls JR., bringing the classic musical to its stage for a multi-day run this fall. The cast is comprised of award-winners and nominees ages 14-18.
80s Jukebox Musical ALWAYS SOMETHING THERE... Is Now Available for Licensing
by Nicole Rosky - Aug 13, 2026

Theatrical licensor Music Theatre International (MTI) has announced the licensing availability of Always Something There…, a brand new show part of the Lively McCabe Entertainment ’Hits’ Musicals Collection.
Guys & Dolls at Renaissance Theatre in Mansfield
by Team BWW - Aug 8, 2026

Guys & Dolls is a classic American musical featuring a score by Frank Loesser, set in New York City and following high-rolling gambler Sky Masterson, Salvation Army missionary Sarah Brown, lovable hustler Nathan…
Video: Stages St. Louis Shares Preview of GUYS AND DOLLS
by Michael Major - Aug 6, 2026

Stages St. Louis has posted new video from its production of Guys & Dolls, currently running at the Kirkwood Performing Arts Center. The production is directed by Tony Award winner James Monroe Iglehart, with choreography by Lindsay Joy Lancaster.
Interview: Dan Chameroy of SOMETHING ROTTEN! and GUYS AND DOLLS at Stratford Festival
by Ilana Lucas - Aug 5, 2026

BroadwayWorld spoke with Chameroy about what makes a musical sizzle, trusting your scene partner—even when it’s the stage itself—and how to balance explosive humour with laid-back cool.
Review: GUYS & DOLLS at Stages St. Louis is a Sure Bet
by James Lindhorst - Jul 30, 2026

Director James Monroe Iglehart and the entire company have built a show that is musical theater perfection. This production of Guys & Dolls could not be better.Just ask Sarah Brown at the Save-a-Soul Mission, it would be a sin to miss this heavenly production of Guys & Dolls.
GIRL FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY Now Available for Licensing
by A.A. Cristi - Jul 29, 2026

Music Theatre International announced that GIRL FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY is now available for theatres and schools to license for future productions.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How many shows has Frank Loesser written?

Frank Loesser has written 12 shows including The Most Happy Fella (Bookwriter), The Illustrators' Show (Lyricist), Where's Charley? (Composer), Guys and Dolls (Composer), Greenwillow (Composer/Lyricist), How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (Composer), Pleasures and Palaces (Bookwriter), Hans Andersen (Composer/Lyricist), Ain't Misbehavin' (Lyricist), Perfectly Frank (Composer/Lyricist), Señor Discretion Himself (Bookwriter/Composer/Lyricist), Blueprint Specials (Music, Lyrics).

What awards has Frank Loesser been nominated for?

Frank Loesser has been nominated for several awards throughout his career. Some of his notable nominations include Outstanding Musical Production at the Olivier Awards for "Guys And Dolls," the Charles MacArthur Award for Outstanding New Play or Musical at the Helen Hayes Awards for "Señor Discretion Himself," and an Other Award at the Outer Critics Circle Awards. He was also nominated for Best Musical at the New York Drama Critics Circle Awards for "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" and "The Most Happy Fella." Additionally, he received nominations for Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre at the Tony Awards for "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying." Furthermore, he was nominated for Best Musical at the Tony Awards and the New York Drama Critics Circle Awards for "Guys and Dolls" and "The Most Happy Fella."

What awards has Frank Loesser won?

Frank Loesser has won several awards throughout his career. Some of his notable wins include the Outstanding Musical Production at the Olivier Awards for "Guys And Dolls," an Other Award at the Outer Critics Circle Awards, the Best Musical at the New York Drama Critics Circle Awards for both "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" and "The Most Happy Fella," and the Best Musical at the Tony Awards for "Guys and Dolls."

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