Mary Rodgers

Mary Rodgers (1931–2014) was an American composer, author, and screenwriter who made her mark across Broadway, children’s literature, and television. Born on January 11, 1931, in New York City, she was the daughter of legendary composer Richard Rodgers and his wife Dorothy. Immersed in music and theatre from childhood, Rodgers studied at the Brearley School, then Wellesley College, before transferring to and graduating from Smith College in 1952 with a degree in music. She carried her father’s musical legacy forward while forging a distinct identity of her own.

Rodgers rose to prominence in 1959 as the composer of Once Upon a Mattress, the musical adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale The Princess and the Pea. Working with lyricist Marshall Barer and bookwriters Dean Fuller and Jay Thompson, she created a lively and tuneful score that helped launch Carol Burnett’s career on Broadway. The show was both a critical and commercial success, earning a Tony nomination for Best Musical and establishing Rodgers as one of the few female composers of Broadway’s “Golden Age.”

Although Once Upon a Mattress remained her most celebrated stage work, Rodgers contributed to numerous other musical theatre projects. She wrote songs for revues such as From A to Z (1960) and created material for television variety specials. Later, she worked on projects that connected her with some of Broadway’s most notable writers and directors, though many of these remained unfinished or had limited runs. Despite the challenges of sustaining a career as a female composer in a male-dominated field, her witty, melodic writing was admired by peers and performers alike.

Beyond theatre, Rodgers gained wide recognition as the author of the beloved 1972 children’s novel Freaky Friday, which told the story of a mother and daughter who swap bodies for a day. The book became a best-seller, spawning several sequels and numerous film adaptations, including Disney’s 1976 original and later remakes in 1995, 2003, and 2018. Rodgers also wrote for television and contributed essays, screenplays, and adaptations, demonstrating her versatility as a storyteller across genres and media.

Mary Rodgers passed away on June 26, 2014, at the age of 83. She left behind a rich legacy as a pioneering woman in musical theatre and a multi-talented author whose work delighted audiences young and old. As the mother of acclaimed composer Adam Guettel (The Light in the Piazza), Rodgers ensured that the family tradition of theatrical innovation continued into a new generation. Today, she is remembered both for the enduring popularity of Once Upon a Mattress and for creating Freaky Friday, works that secured her place in American cultural history.