It is not Richard Rodgers' birthday, although serendipitously he WAS born in June (the 28th, 1902, the same year as my grandfather, know as "Wild Bill" to his friends). Nor is it Lorenz Hart's birthday. Larry hatched in May of 1895. But that's not keeping me from devoting a two-hour salute to this team and their now-classic contributions to Broadway, Hollywood, and the Great American Songbook (gotta pick up a copy of that someday!). Huzzahs all around!
(Interesting aside: RR was a Cancer, LH a Taurus, and according to my personal astrological oracle (the internet), that's a good "match":
The Taurus and Cancer compatibility is much more than friendship or love; they have a strong spiritual bond. Their connection is based on empathy and trust. Taurus and Cancer have a perfect understanding and value security, commitment, and love."
If you believe in that sorta thing. Which I don't. But I do. Whatever.)
Both were Jewish and native New Yorkers...Richard hailed from Queens, Larry from Harlem. They met in 1919 when Richard was still in high school, Larry fresh from a 2 year stint studying journalism at Columbia (ever the wordsmith?). They were young and eager and entire opposites, with Richard pragmatic and organized as heck, and Larry the flibbertigibbet, the artiste, the short sophisticate. A zillion songs and shows later, with Larry living a closeted gay life, an alcoholic, off on "benders" for weeks at a time, he passed away at the age of 48 of pneumonia. Their last show together was "A Connecticut Yankee". Richard would go on to write with other lyricists, but ironically turn to "the bottle" like his first partner, hiding gin and vodka in his Steinway towards the end.
But from this pair, however troubled, came great things. And we'll serve up a banquet of their creations this Sunday. Everyone still sings their stuff, whether they know "Where or When" it came from, but it's part of our musical DNA.
See ya Sunday!
The Blue Room (The Revelers)
Johnny One Note (Judy Garland, Babes In Arms)
I Wish I Were In Love Again (Jason Graae, Donna Kane, Babes In Arms)
Babes In Arms (Gregg Edelman, Ensemble, Babes In Arms)
That Terrific Rainbow (Barbara Nichols, Trudi Erwin, Ensemble, Pal Joey)
My Funny Valentine (Trudi Erwin, Pal Joey)
I Didn't Know What Time It Was (Billie Holliday)
I Could Write A Book (Frank Sinatra, Pal Joey)
Thou Swell (Ben Selvin's Broadway Nitelites, Franklyn Baur on vocals, A Connecticut Yankee)
To Keep My Love Alive (Mary Testa, A Connecticut Yankee)
The Lady Is A Tramp (Lena Horne, Words And Music)
Mountain Greenery (Brian d'Arcy James, Susan Egan, Garrick Gaieties)
This Can't Be Love (Jack Cassidy, The Boys From Syracuse)
Sing For Your Supper (Christine Ebersole, Rebecca Luker, Deborah Gravitte, The Boys From Syracuse)
It Never Entered My Mind (Shirley Ross, Higher And Higher)
My Romance (Doris Day, Jumbo)
Ev'ry Sunday Afternoon (Shirley Ross, Higher And Higher)
On Your Toes (Bobby Van, Kay Coulter, On Your Toes)
You Took Advantage Of Me (Elaine Stritch, On Your Toes)
It's Got To Be Love (Bobby Van, Kay Coulter, On Your Toes)
I Could Write A Book/There's A Small Hotel (Patti LuPone, Don't Monkey With Broadway)
Blue Moon (Ann Hampton Callaway, Blues In The Night)
I'll Take Manhattan (Blossom Dearie, Garrick Gaieties)
A Baby's Best Friend (Beatrice Lillie, She's My Baby)
Ten Cents A Dance (Ruth Etting, Simple Simon))
Have You Met Miss Jones? (Tony Bennett, I'd Rather Be Right!)
Where Or When (Barbara Cook, Babes In Arms)
My Heart Stood Still (Dick Foran, Julie Warren, A Connecticut Yankee
Bewitched, Bothered, And Bewildered (Marin Mazzie, Pal Joey)
Isn't It Romantic? (Michael Feinstein, Romance On Film Romance On Broadway)
No comments:
Post a Comment