George Forrest (author) George Forrest (author) George Forrest (born George Forrest Chichester Jr., July 31, 1915 – October 10, 1999) was a writer of music and lyrics for musical theatre best known for the show "Kismet", adapted from the works of Alexander Borodin. He was also known professionally at times as Chet Forrest. Throughout his career Forrest worked exclusively with the composer-lyricist Robert Wright. The pair had an affinity for adapting classical music themes and adding lyrics to these themes for Hollywood and the Broadway musical stage. Wright said that the music was usually a 50-50 "collaboration" between Wright & Forrest and the
Kismet (musical) Angeles and then moved to San Francisco in the summer and autumn of 1953. A successful change during the tryouts was to transform the character of Hajj from being merely a beggar to also being a poet. Charles Lederer became producer as well as book writer. The production moved to Broadway on December 3, 1953, playing at the Ziegfeld Theatre. The director was Albert Marre, with choreography by Jack Cole and sumptuous settings and costumes by Lemuel Ayers. The original cast starred Alfred Drake as the poet Hajj, Doretta Morrow as his daughter Marsinah, Richard Kiley as the young Caliph