Additions That Really Added Up
By Peter Filichia — Fifty years ago this week, Wildcat opened with one of the most beloved stars of the era: Lucille Ball. Composer Cy Coleman and lyricist Carolyn Leigh certainly gave her a honey of a number to tell just what her character Wildcat Jackson was made of: “Hey, Look Me Over!” The irony […]
Can You Say The Zulu and the Zayda?
By Peter Filichia – Might you indulge me in a personal story? It’s Tuesday, Nov. 9, 1965 around 5 p.m., and I’m returning home from school — but not before I stop at Harvard University’s “Coop” in Cambridge, Massachusetts. For some time now, I’ve been treating myself to an original cast album every payday, and […]
A New “Twelve Days of Christmas”
By Peter Filichia — It may be the song that many people most dread during the holiday season: “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” For one thing, the song is certainly is longer than “Rumson Creek” in Paint Your Wagon — and perhaps even longer than “Soliloquy” from Carousel. How about twelve different musical theater Christmas […]
40 Reasons to Be Thankful
By Peter Filichia — Thanksgiving is upon us, so let’s get in a thankful mood. Here’s hoping that you indeed have a great deal for which to be thankful: health, relatives, friends, a job you like, financial security and enough leisure time. Let’s also be thankful for the music that has filled our lives and […]
GUEST BLOG: Jim Wann Remembers Pump Boys
Jim Wann, the principal author and composer of Pump Boys and Dinettes, writes about the creation of the popular show. PUMP BOYS AND DINETTES began with nary a thought of Broadway. I was a scuffling songwriter/guitarist and Mark Hardwick was a piano player/actor. We had performed in a production of my first musical, DIAMOND STUDS: […]
