Hank Beebe passed away on February 5, 2023 at age 96, in United States.
Beebe was born on July 16, 1926, in Woodbury, New Jersey, to Harold Henry and Miriam Priscilla Davidson Beebe.
The American composer Beebe was known for his choral compositions, Broadway musicals, and most notably for his work from the 1950s to 1980s composing industrial musicals for the employees and shareholders of major American business corporations.
A native of New Jersey, Beebe served in the U.S. Navy in World War II before returning home to attend college at the University of North Carolina.
Hank Beebe earned his Bachelor of Arts in English and Masters in Musical Composition from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He subsequently studied with composer Vincent Persichetti at the Philadelphia Conservatory of Music, and then, at Persichetti’s suggestion and moved to New York to seek greener pastures.
Beebe’s first job was as music director at WCAU television in Philadelphia on ‘’The Children’s Hour’’.
In 1967, he worked shortly on The Mike Douglas Show before turning to musical theatre.
Beebe’s work (often with co-writer Bill Heyer) was shown and heard on big-name stages in New York and worldwide. The most successful play, “The Cowboy and the Tiger,” ran at the off-Broadway stalwart York Playhouse for two years and was adapted for television in 1963.
In addition to “The Cowboy and the Tiger,” Beebe had success with the musical “Tuscaloosa’s Calling Me,” which ran for more than 400 performances off-Broadway, and “Hellzapoppin,” which starred Jerry Lewis and Lynn Redgrave.
In 1980, Beebe moved to Maine, where he, his wife Nancy, and his daughter Selby created Embassy Players, a non-profit community theater group, to produce further musicals by Beebe.
In 1988, they founded the nonprofit Schoolhouse Arts Center in Standish.
Beebe’s role in the industrial musical movement was highlighted in a 2013 book, co-written by a former writer for David Letterman, called “Everything’s Coming Up Profits,” which served as the basis for a 2018 documentary film, “Bathtubs Over Broadway.”
Hank Beebe is survived by his wife Nancy Beebe and two children; Selby Beebe-Lawson and Linda Beebe.
His funeral arrangements are yet to be announced by the family.