Lawrence Holofcener | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 23, 1926 |
| Died | March 4, 2017 (aged 91) |
| Nationality | American and British |
| Known for | Sculpture |
| Spouse(s) | Julia Cornforth |
| Children | 2, includingNicole Holofcener |
| Website | http://www.holofcener.com |
Lawrence Holofcener (February 23, 1926 – March 4, 2017) was an American-British sculptor, poet, lyricist, playwright, novelist, actor and director. He held British and Americandual citizenship.[1]
Holofcener was born inBaltimore,Maryland, the son of Edward A. and Lillian S. (Stulman) Holofcener.[citation needed] He attendedUniversity of Maryland and theUniversity of Wisconsin–Madison where he met and performed withJerry Bock.[2] They went on to write songs forBig as Life andYour Show of Shows, starringSid Caesar,Imogene Coca andCarl Reiner.[2] They wrote the Broadway stage scores forMr. Wonderful andCatch a Star.[2][3] He joined ASCAP in 1956, his other popular-song compositions include "Without You I'm Nothing", "Raining, It's Raining", "Too Close for Comfort"[4] and "The Story of Alice" which was recorded by the Chad Mitchell Trio. His playBefore You Go[5] began on Broadway and has been produced in regional theaters in the United Kingdom, Paris, Sweden, and Mexico City.[6] His musical playI Don't Live There Anymore, written with composerGerard Kenny, received its American premiere at the 1993Spoleto Festival USA inCharleston, South Carolina.
His acting career began in a nightclub revue in New York at the Upstairs at the Downstairs. His first theater job was inStop the World – I Want to Get Off on Broadway. Next, in 1964, he played Cornelius inHello, Dolly!, first withCarol Channing, thenGinger Rogers. He appeared in the 1981 TV MovieThin Ice[7] (starringKate Jackson), as well asWalking and Talking,[8] written and directed by his daughter,Nicole Holofcener.
Holofcener also pursued a literary career. In 1960, he compiled and editedA Practical Dictionary of Rhymes forCrown Publishers.[9] He also wroteDay of Change in 1976.[10]Britishisms, his British-English dictionary was first published in 1981.[11]
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Holofcener's first exhibition was in 1979 at theGibbes Museum of Art inCharleston, South Carolina. It was followed by many shows, awards and commissions. During his exhibition at AT&T's Education Center in Princeton, New Jersey, Lawrence producedThe Box, a piece which was added to their collection.[12]
In 1985 at theChichester Festival Theatre,Laurence Olivier unveiled Holofcener's portrait, "Faces of Olivier", and ten years later to the day onBond Street in London, Princess Margaret unveiled his portraits ofWinston Churchill andFranklin Roosevelt.[13] "Allies" has fast become one of London's tourist attractions.[14] Commissions includeQueen Victoria for the Isle of Wight's Museum of Island History andCoburg, Germany, as well as a life-size bronze ofThomas Paine atBordentown, New Jersey.[15][16][17]
Other life-size portraits ofThomas Chatterton,William Tyndale andWilliam Penn are in Bristol, England.[1] In 1998, Holofcener embarked on a major series celebrating the contributions made by 20th Century icons, among themAlbert Einstein,John F Kennedy,Mother Teresa,Martin Luther King Jr.,Nelson Mandela,Frank Sinatra,Muhammad Ali,Mahatma Gandhi,Anne Frank,Eleanor Roosevelt,Leonard Bernstein,Albert Schweitzer, theThree Tenors andJohn Lennon.[18][19]
Holofcener was married twice, first toCarol Joffe, with whom he has two daughters, Suzanne Holofcener and directorNicole Holofcener.[20] They divorced in 1961.[20] He later married Julia Cornforth.[21]
He died in March 2017 at the age of 91.[22]
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