Tony Award Winner Betty Comden Passes Away

Betty Comden, one-half of the Broadway superduo Comden and Green, has passed away at the presumed age of 89.

Comden teamed with Adolph Green and they composed some of the biggest hits Broadway has ever seen including, "New York, New York," and the classic, "Never-Never Land," from Peter Pan.

According to http://www.latimes.com, the Los Angeles Times web site, "[Comden and Green] amassed seven Tony Awards, starting in 1953 with the musical Wonderful Town, a romantic comedy that starred Rosalind Russell and was based on the play My Sister Eileen." The duo also, "wrote the screenplays for such classic movie musicals as Singin' in the Rain in 1952 and The Band Wagon in 1953."

The duo's work was heralded by many on the Great White Way, including composers and lyricists. According to the http://www.latimes.com article, Broadway lyricist and composer, and longtime friend, Jerry Herman said, "Betty and Adolph could write lyrics that are so painfully real and that connect so naturally with [being] human."

Comden and Green's Broadway musical credits included On The Town in 1944 and Subways Are for Sleeping in 1961. "'[Comden and Green captured] the spirit of New York at its best,' said Miles Kreuger, president of the Institute of the American Musical in Beverly Hills," reported the http://www.latimes.com article. The article went on to say, "One of Comden's most recent public appearances was at the memorial service for Green, soon after his death in October 2002, at age 87...'It's lonely up here,' Comden said when it was her turn to say a few words. 'It was always more fun with Adolph.'"

Comden passed away Thursday of heart failure at New York Presbyterian Hospital. Though many thought Comden and Green were romantically involved, they were not. "They went everywhere together," said Kreuger. Comden married businessman Steven Kyle in 1942. The couple had two children: Susanna and Alan.