George Haimsohn

George Haimsohn was an American librettist, lyricist, photographer, and novelist whose most famous theatrical achievement was co-writing the book and lyrics for the Off-Broadway musical Dames at Sea (1966). This lighthearted parody of 1930s movie musicals became a cult hit and launched the career of a young Bernadette Peters. Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Haimsohn served in the U.S. Navy during World War II before graduating from the University of California, Berkeley.

In the 1950s, he settled in New York’s Greenwich Village, immersing himself in its thriving artistic and countercultural scene. Alongside his theatre work, Haimsohn pursued photography—particularly physique photography—and also wrote under pseudonyms, producing a range of gay-themed novels and humorous illustrated adaptations of literary classics.

His stage collaborations included musicals such as Now, Zing! and Johnny American, though Dames at Sea remains his enduring theatrical calling card. Haimsohn’s wit, eye for parody, and feel for campy nostalgia left an indelible mark on the Off-Broadway landscape.

Haimsohn’s multidisciplinary career was marked by an unflinching embrace of individuality and humor. Whether writing sharp, tongue-in-cheek lyrics or cheeky illustrated books, his work consistently celebrated playful subversion.

He died in 2003, remembered as a key figure in the golden era of Off-Broadway and as an artist whose work reflected both the sophistication and irreverence of mid-20th-century New York theatre.