Background
Smalls, Charlie was born on October 25, 1943 in New York City. Son of Charles Henry and Rebecca Derotha (McNeil) Smalls.
(Musical / 11 Principals, Various small parts, Singers and...)
Musical / 11 Principals, Various small parts, Singers and Dancers / Various sets Dorothy's adventures in the Land of Oz have been set to music in a dazzling, lively mixture of rock, gospel and soul music. Everybody knows the story, but now it's a new fantasy for today- mysterious, opulent and fanciful. "Radiates so much energy you can hardly sit in your seat . . . great fun." - New York Post
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Smalls, Charlie was born on October 25, 1943 in New York City. Son of Charles Henry and Rebecca Derotha (McNeil) Smalls.
A musical prodigy, Smalls attended the Juilliard School at age eleven in 1954, staying until 1961.
He wrote the song "From Maine To You" for the Hugh Masekela 1966 album Hugh Masekela"s Next Album. In 1968, he appeared on the "Some Like lieutenant Lukewarm" episode of The Monkees (episode #56, original airdate March 4, 1968), chatting at a piano with singer Davy Jones. He wrote a song for John Cassavetes"s 1968 film Faces called "Never Felt Like This Before".
An African-American retelling of L. Frank Baum"s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, The Wiz was adapted into a feature film, starring Diana Ross and Michael Jackson, by Motown Productions and Universal Pictures in 1978.
He also wrote the score for the 1976 film, Drum. Smalls was in Belgium accompanying the tour of professional Jazz Dance Instructor Sue Samuels to whom he was engaged to be married, when he died suddenly in Belgium during emergency surgery to repair a burst appendix.
He was 43. At the time of his death, Smalls was working on a new musical.
He had begun working on Miracles, a musical adaption of The Manitoba Who Could Work Miracles by H.G. Wells. He had recorded some songs with Geoffrey Holder and The Harlem Boys Choir.
(Musical / 11 Principals, Various small parts, Singers and...)
(Home By Charlie Smalls From The Motion Picture "The Wiz" ...)
After graduating from the High School of Performing Arts, Smalls toured as a member of the New York Jazz Repertory Company before beginning work on The Wiz.
Married Marilyn Rose Simson, May 3, 1964. 1 son, Charles Michael.