Moose Charlap

Mark "Moose" Charlap (December 19, 1928 – July 8, 1974) was an American Broadway composer best known for Peter Pan (1954), for which Carolyn Leigh wrote the lyrics. The idea for the show came from Jerome Robbins, who planned to have a few songs by Charlap and Leigh. It evolved into a full musical, with additional songs by Jule Styne and Betty Comden and Adolph Green. On Broadway, starred Mary Martin as Peter Pan and Cyril Ritchard as Captain Hook.

Born Morris Isaac Charlip to a Jewish family in Philadelphia, he was also the composer for the television movie musical Hans Brinker which had lyrics by Alvin Cooperman and starred Eleanor Parker (her singing voice was that of Charlap's wife, Sandy Stewart), Richard Basehart, John Gregson, Robin Askwith, Roberta Torey, Sheila Whitmill, and Cyril Ritchard. It was based on the novel by Mary Mapes Dodge. He also wrote the song "First Impression" with lyrics by Carolyn Leigh. This song was dropped from the original 1954 production of "Peter Pan", but recorded by Eydie Gorme in 1956. Other songs he wrote which were not included in musicals include "English Muffins and Irish Stew," "Mademoiselle," "Great Day In The Morning," "My Favorite Song" and "Young Ideas." He was also a recording artist and had a single 'Good Old Fashioned Lovin'/'It Was My Father's Habit' released on ABC 9674 in 1956.

Charlap, who lived on Manhattan's East Side, died in Lenox Hill Hospital at the age of 45. He married singer Sandy Stewart, whose biggest hit was "My Coloring Book" in 1962. They had one son, Bill Charlap, a jazz pianist, and a daughter, Katherine. He and his first wife, Elizabeth, were the parents of a daughter, Anne and son Tom, a bass player.

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