Harold Arlen: Shake It Off With Rhythm

Harold Arlen: Shake It Off With Rhythm

Ah, the pleasures that come from a well-sung note held for a long, looooong time. Rodgers and Hart had a lot of fun with that idea in their song “Johnny One Note,” from their 1937 musical, Babes In Arms. Of course, that wasn’t the first time a composer used that...
Jerome Kern: Till the Clouds Roll By

Jerome Kern: Till the Clouds Roll By

There’s no way you could grow up in a Rodgers household without hearing the family music—great songs created by a certain father, daughter and grandson. But in anticipation of this week’s NYFOS “Rodgers, Rodgers & Guettel” concerts, I got to wondering: What other...
Michael John LaChiusa:  The Fall

Michael John LaChiusa: The Fall

“The Fall,” the finale of Queen of the Mist. I am biased, because this musical was written for me, but I cannot listen to it without crying buckets. Queen is by Michael John LaChiusa, and as far as I am concerned, he is a genius.
Adam Guettel:  Daybreak

Adam Guettel: Daybreak

“Daybreak” by Adam Guettel from Floyd Collins. I must have listened to this at least 800 times. To my ear, it is a spectacularly sad song, which I love, and Christopher Innvar and Jason Danieley’s performances are heartbreaking.