ClownAround is Around At Last
Well, here’s a reissue of a show album that many fanatically dedicated cast album collectors never owned. ClownAround was originally recorded in 1972 by RCA Victor. But was it ever released? Some said yes, some said no. Who was right? The question surrounding the recording spurred my buddy Richard Thompson to conduct a personal odyssey […]
These Boots Are Made for Listening
In October 1983, when Cyndi Lauper’s pop career started taking off in earnest, the current Broadway musicals had music by Andrew Lloyd Webber (Cats), Jerry Herman (La Cage aux Folles), Maury Yeston (Nine) and George Gershwin (My One and Only). No one would have ever predicted that Lauper — whose then-hit “She Bop” concerned masturbation […]
Me on Me and Juliet
We’re about to mark the 60th anniversary of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s most obscure musical. True, Me and Juliet endured the longest of their three least-successful shows. The musical that opened on May 28, 1953 lasted 358 performances; that bested the team’s 1947 effort Allegro (315 showings) and their 1955 entry Pipe Dream (which could only […]
Making Liza Doolittle Day Plans
“Next week, on the twentieth of May, I proclaim Liza Doolittle Day!” So sings Eliza Doolittle in her fantasy number “Just You Wait” in My Fair Lady. It’s a line that hasn’t been lost on many musical theater enthusiasts. For years, I’ve been receiving greeting cards or postcards that celebrate the day. Some people even […]
Elephant Steps in Time
You’ve heard it said about your town or one nearby. “If you don’t like the weather here, wait five minutes, and it’ll change.” The same standard can apply to Stanley Silverman’s music in Elephant Steps. If on the off-chance you don’t like the melody you’re hearing, wait a few seconds, and you’ll come across one […]
