Robert Wright (musical writer)

Robert Wright (September 25, 1914 – July 27, 2005) was a Canadian-born American musical theatre composer and lyricist. He is best known for his collaborations with George Forrest in adapting classical music into popular songs and scores for Broadway musicals and films.

Wright and Forrest's most notable works include Song of Norway (1944), based on the life and music of Edvard Grieg; Gypsy Lady (1945), an operetta adapted from Victor Herbert; Magdalena (1948), with music by Heitor Villa-Lobos; Kismet (1953), based on themes by Alexander Borodin; and Grand Hotel (1989), based on the novel Menschen im Hotel by Vicki Baum.

Their process generally involved selecting melodies from classical composers, then writing English lyrics to fit the music and creating a story around them. Kismet won a Tony Award for Best Musical and is perhaps their most successful and enduring work.

Throughout their careers, Wright and Forrest also contributed to film scores, television, and other musical productions, leaving behind a significant body of work popularizing classical melodies for a wider audience.