So of course I am presently Chapter 37-deep into "Shy, The Alarmingly Outspoken Memoirs Of Mary Rodgers". It's not so shocking that you can't read it alone in the dark, or need your dropped jaw rewired, but she does name names, talk one-night stands, slice and dice, and how could she not? Raised by Daddy Richard and "Uncle" Oscar (Ockie), crushing on Steve (the love of her life?), making music with (looney tune) Marshall and Lenny...I mean, she was in the presence of god-esque talent, and for the most part, found herself wanting. So she writes self-effacing and hilarious and open stuff from page-boy bangs to Broadway influencer. To that end, she blames herself for Do I Hear A Waltz! Yup, blames herself for the entire flop...enticing her dad to write the music, coercing Sondheim to collaborate, and knowing from the "2nd key change" that it was doomed to failure. That part she got right.
With lyricist Marshall Barer and Hal Prince (above)
and below with life-long buddy, Stephen Sondheim.
Loving it.
So we'll play some of her Once Upon A Mattress creations. Not to say that's all she did...she wrote for Lenny Bernstein's Young People Concerts, The Mad Show, TV shows, doctored Cinderella. Then there was Freaky Friday and Summer Switch. And raising 5 kids. And taking pills (name 'em, she took 'em). And cavorting (or slogging) thru adult music-making camps, 2 husbands, hits, flops, screenplays and "foundations".
Read it! If you're a Broadway-phile, you'll need this kinda fodder for your next Auntie Mame-esque cocktail party. Everyone will know these spicy tidbits and you don't wanna be stuck by the punch bowl, alone and dumb.
See? THEY know!
All that to say, here's the playlist:
Mattress, royalty, dance and lots of balls to attend...oh, and a birthday salute to Maurice, so there'll be a Chevalier niche of Louise, et. al. So bring your dance card, wear appropriate dressage, practice your schottishe, and let's do this. :)
An Opening For A Princess (Joseph Bova, Company, Once Upon A Mattress)
The Prince Is Giving A Ball (Ensemble, Cinderella)
On The Steps Of The Palace (Kim Crosby, Into The Woods)
Is That My Prince? (Shirley Booth, Albert Linville, A Tree Grows In Brooklyn)
Cinderella, Darling (Bonnie Scott, How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying)
Louise (Maurice Chevalier, Innocents In Paris)
You Brought A New Kind Of Love To Me (Maurice Chevalier, The Big Pond)
Just One Of Those Things (Maurice Chevalier, Can-Can)
Song Of Love (Carol Burnett, Joseph Bova, Once Upon A Mattress)
Sensitivity (Jane White, Once Upon A Mattress)
Very Soft Shoes (Matt Mattox, Once Upon A Mattress)
The Clouds Will Soon Roll By (Elsie Carlisle and The Ambrose Orchestra)
Sweeping The Clouds Away (Maurice Chevalier, Oh Boy!)
Till The Clouds Roll By (Rebecca Luker, George Dvorsky)
Castle On A Cloud (Donna Vivino, Les Miserables)
Clouds (Company, Snoopy!)
Three Little Maids From School (Ensemble, The Mikado)
Three Little Maids From School (Ensemble, Hot Mikado)
Beauty School Dropout (Marya Small, Alan Paul, Grease)
Everybody Dance (Ensemble, Steel Pier)
Shall We Dance? (Bobby Short, Bobby Short Is K-Ra-Zy For Gershwin)
Shall We Dance? (Kelli O'Hara, Ken Watanabe, The King And I)
The More We Dance (John Lithgow, Sherie Rene Scott, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels)
Dancing (Carol Channing, Ensemble, Hello, Dolly!)
Gotta Dance (Harold Lang, Look Ma, I'm Dancing)
Go Into Your Dance (Scarlett Strallen, The New Yorker)
Something To Dance About (Ethel Merman, Call Me Madam)
Dance With Me (Tonight At The Mardi Gras)(The New York Voices, Louisiana Purchase)
The Very Last Dance Hall In L.A. (Bill and Laura Pursell)
The Hookers Ball (Vernal Bagneris, The Life)
After The Ball (Barbara Cook, Show Boat)
At The Codfish Ball (Shirley Temple, Captain January)
At The Check Apron Ball (Ensemble, New Girl In Town)
At The Red Rose Cotillion (Pamela Gale, Terence Cooper, Where's Charley?)
No comments:
Post a Comment