“By the early 1950s, Mr. Norman was singing with the big bands of Stanley Black and others, as well as appearing on radio and onstage in variety shows. Later in the decade he started writing songs, and that led to his work in musical theater. He was one of the collaborators on ‘Expresso Bongo,’ a satirical look at the music business, staged in 1958 in England with Paul Scofield leading the cast.
“Mr. Norman, Mr. More and David Heneker collaborated on an English-language version of the long-running French stage show ‘Irma la Douce,’ which made Broadway in 1960 under the direction of Peter Brook, who died this month. The show was nominated for seven Tony Awards, including best musical.” |
