tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36845215.post6876639717392549487..comments2024-03-24T11:56:43.208-07:00Comments on Showbiz David: Reviving Broadway: Pal Joey Flops; South Pacific Sails On: Will the Rodgers and Hammerstein Organization Ever Learn?Showbiz Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08921904778000552196noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36845215.post-62586698942237697712009-02-17T17:10:00.000-08:002009-02-17T17:10:00.000-08:00Jack, YES YES to Porter's "At Long Last Love" It's...Jack, YES YES to Porter's "At Long Last Love" It's on my favorite upbeat Sinatra album, A Swinging Affair. Maybe I will listen to tonight after watching Changeling. The theatre no longer has those lyric writing giants.Showbiz Davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08921904778000552196noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36845215.post-61979223006507178572009-02-17T16:25:00.000-08:002009-02-17T16:25:00.000-08:00David,Certainly agree with you on "To Keep My Love...David,<BR/><BR/>Certainly agree with you on "To Keep My Love Alive." Priceless.<BR/><BR/>Speaking of great lyrics, if you have a recording of Cole Porter's "At Long Last Love" hanging around, dust it off and give it a listen sometime. (I like Bobby Short's take the best.) The lyrics are, to me, nearly perfect.<BR/><BR/>Sure, I am in awe of Sondheim (sometimes -- OK, most of the time). I know he studied lyric writing literally at the feet of Oscar Hammerstein but even Mr. S. would admit that the lyrics of Hart and Porter are hard to top and have surely stood the test of time.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36845215.post-35314431288603488822009-02-17T07:42:00.000-08:002009-02-17T07:42:00.000-08:00jack - thanks for correcting me! wiser heads must ...jack - thanks for correcting me! wiser heads must have prevailed! before the show opened, i read that zip would be cut and i thought they can't do that. sounds like somebody agreed with me and it was left in the show after all. i'm glad to hear that! thanks for correcting me. zip has always been a highlight of the show, and it definitely belongs in the show no matter how the book is changed.henry edgarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14624858486350782393noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36845215.post-86915872574531134842009-02-17T07:25:00.000-08:002009-02-17T07:25:00.000-08:00I was listening to my cast album last night. Oh, y...I was listening to my cast album last night. Oh, yes, that lyric is hilarious. Seems to me that some of the best lines did not make it into the movie version. I think perhaps the funniest lyric ever written came from Hart, 'To Keep My Love Alive."Showbiz Davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08921904778000552196noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36845215.post-84551468040699055842009-02-17T07:17:00.000-08:002009-02-17T07:17:00.000-08:00Concerning Henry's comment that the very funny and...Concerning Henry's comment that the very funny and topical-to-its-time "Zip," containing a bunch of Lorenz Hart's wittiest lyrics, was removed from the revival: in a review I read, the critic praised actress Martha Plimpton's rendition of "Zip" as the highlight of the show. Just sayin'.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36845215.post-436000014842404302009-02-17T07:12:00.000-08:002009-02-17T07:12:00.000-08:00I have the Jupiter LP, which contains possibly th...I have the Jupiter LP, which contains possibly the greatest love song ever written that never became famous -- "Careless Rhapsody."<BR/><BR/>So I'm not the only one who felt continuously assaulted by Don Foote's obsession with the color red!?Showbiz Davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08921904778000552196noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36845215.post-46410326277171392812009-02-16T19:24:00.000-08:002009-02-16T19:24:00.000-08:00pal joey is one of my favorite shows -- every time...pal joey is one of my favorite shows -- every time it's revised, i keep hoping its been fixed. it' some of the best music rodgers and hart wrote. incidentally, the most fun show they ever did, in my opinion, is also one of their least appreciated -- by jupiter. about the greeks and the amazons. really great music, fun script. when i directed it, we costumed it with so many red and gold lames a friend with ringling asked if don foote did tthe costumes! if you've never seen it, at least get the cd. you wil love it!henry edgarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14624858486350782393noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36845215.post-58993578587969209882009-02-16T11:50:00.000-08:002009-02-16T11:50:00.000-08:00Very interesting take, Henry. I LOVE the score, it...Very interesting take, Henry. I LOVE the score, it's loaded with one great song after another, Rodgers and Hart at their prime.Showbiz Davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08921904778000552196noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36845215.post-50903613318939211512009-02-16T11:13:00.000-08:002009-02-16T11:13:00.000-08:00Pal Joey has never been the huge hit it should hav...Pal Joey has never been the huge hit it should have been. and part of the problem lies within the book, i assume the original book, the book that is the official licensed script. over the years, it's been revised, rewritten and revived possibly more than any other rodgers musical, with a variety of stars and styles. i think it's because nobody seems to have found a way to make joey work as a character, to capture his seamy side, yet allow the audience to cheer him on. he's too good to be completely evil, too evil to be good. he's usually portrayed as a slimy snake; by now it should be obvious that doesn't work. the best written character is vera. the current revival even took out zip, one of the best numbers in the show. to succeed in the future, someone has to find afocus for the show and stick with it consistently.henry edgarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14624858486350782393noreply@blogger.com