Gabriel Kahane:  Opera Scene

Gabriel Kahane: Opera Scene

Orient proved to be the rejuvenating oasis of my dreams. There was no shortage of rolling waters, crisp breezes, ample slices of lemon pie and unforgettable musical moments. The bright toned yippings of dogs were accompanied by rehearsals overflowing with not only...
Alan Jay Lerner & André Previn: Fiasco

Alan Jay Lerner & André Previn: Fiasco

AND Alan Jay Lerner & Frederick Loewe: A Snake in the Grass Villain songs are fun to hear and to perform.  I suspect they are fun to write too.  These two—minor blips in a major career—have a delicious playfulness that I hope you’ll enjoy as much as I do. “Fiasco”...
Alan Jay Lerner and Burton Lane:  Too Late Now

Alan Jay Lerner and Burton Lane: Too Late Now

Today’s song is one of my favorite ballads. It’s from the 1951 movie musical Royal Wedding, which is not a great film.  Lerner later said his own contributions made him cringe. But a score that has “Too Late Now,” “You’re All the World to Me” (to which Fred Astaire...
Lerner and Loewe:  You Did It

Lerner and Loewe: You Did It

If Alan Jay Lerner wrote nothing except My Fair Lady, he would have justly earned his place in Broadway’s pantheon. It was a magnificent artistic achievement and an enormous popular success— smashing all box office records. Among his other beloved Broadway and...