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Here’s a song I didn’t quite get until I saw it onstage: “The Brotherhood of Man” from How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. Frank Loesser’s score for that show is quite good but not really excerptable—sure, all the songs are à propos to the script but...
George Gershwin is my official “Favorite Composer.” After all, you have to have an answer ready when people ask that question, and Gershwin’s music is certainly very close to me—like my own skin, my own blood. Gershwin songs are usually very cheerful, but they always...
For me, “Follies” is the greatest of all modern musicals. But it’s almost impossible to get it just right in production. James Goldman’s book is difficult—brilliant but somewhat flawed—so it needs a subtle, clever director. The cast is large, and everyone, from...
I have loved the song “If You Hadn’t But You Did” ever since I heard the original cast recording of Two on the Aisle (where it was performed by powerhouse Dolores Gray, who sounds as if she could sing Amneris). Cy Coleman is at his peak, and lyricists Betty Comden and...
We have tickets to see American Dance Machine for the 21st Century next Saturday night. They are a group that revives classic dance sequences from musicals, and apparently they do superb work. In the last few years I have discovered a primal relationship to Broadway...
NYFOS is celebrating our co-founder Steven Blier this week! In honor of his birthday on November 25, each Song of the Day post this week will be a tribute to him. Happy Birthday, Steve! We hope you enjoy these and have a wonderful week! Today's post comes...