Friday 5: 5 Favorite Charles Strouse Songs

Yesterday brought the sad news that Broadway composer Charles Strouse passed away at age 96. Chances are that even though you may not know his name, you've heard his music. Three of his shows were Tony Award winning Best Musicals. You might have heard of them: Annie, Bye Bye Birdie and Applause.  As great as his biggest hits were, his flops were just as accomplished. As musical theater lovers, we are all that much better for his contributions.

Thank you, Mr. Strouse. RIP

5 Favorite Charles Strouse Songs

"We'd Like to Thank You" from Annie (Lyrics by Martin Charnin)

This choice probably surprises you, but "Tomorrow" and "It's the Hard-Knock Life" are just too obvious. Instead, I love the cynical meaning of the song wrapped up in that catchy, big show sound. The juxtaposition of the Hooverville-ites and the music is just delicious. Family-friendly to the ear, biting social commentary for the brain. Love it!!

"One Hallowe'en" from Applause (Lyrics by Lee Adams)

The second of three shows he composed that won Best Musical, this score is a no skips for me. Sure, it's a bitchy, mod take on the classic film All About Eve, and Bacall's vocals are iffy at times, but it's the consistently catchy, moody music that really sells it. So why this short solo number? Because it is a perfect character piece - defiant, slow-building, and packs a wallop even when the music takes a halting pause.

"Normal American Boy" from Bye Bye Birdie (Lyrics by Lee Adams)

Here is the classic show that put Strouse and Adams on the map. A score full of tuneful toe-tappers, on any given day I could put any one of those songs on this list. Like his later score for Annie, his music is sweet Americana, but with a great undercurrent of seriousness and a healthy cynicism. I chose this one for exactly that combination.

"Busy Night At Lorraine's" from Nick and Nora (Lyrics by Richard Maltby, Jr.)

I didn't see this show - not many did - but the score is one of my favorites. In this number, Strouse (with stunning orcheatrations by Jonathan Tunick) gives us appropriate Thin Man 30s film noir undercurrents with Broadway brassiness, and uses pizzicato strings to highlight the wordy delivery of Maltby's lyrics and oboes to add urgency. The whole thing is catchy, and if you close your eyes, you can just picture what is going on. It may have only lasted for 9 performances, but it earned its Best Score Tony nomination. 

"Greenhorns" from Rags (Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz)

This is the show that walked so that Ragtime could run. This epic number brings together classic European styles and American ragtime. Strouse goes all in with the tune that utilizes all sections of an orchestra, gorgeous horns and woodwinds, driving rhythms and an ominous use of time and key changes. This whole score is a winner.

One That Got Away: Nick and Nora

My direct knowledge of the 1991 flop musical Nick and Nora starts and ends with the Original Broadway Cast Recording. As all of this was happening well before the social media revolution, the as-it-was-happening first-hand reports were virtually non-existent, those of us who weren't in the biz had to rely on blips and blurbs in the New York papers, which were very spare with information. Of course, after the fact, a good bit of tea was spilled after the show closed.

It was a flop of epic proportions - it had been heralded as the must-see, most highly-anticipated musical of the season! (Do those phrases ever seem to work out well for those similarly anointed shows?) The legend of Arthur Laurents! Annie's Charles Strause! Tony-winner Joanna Gleason's triumphant return! The re-affirmation of Barry Bostwick as a Broadway musical star! A nation-wide search for "Asta"! These days, nothing compares to the preview period of Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, but back then, a 71 preview performance run was historic. Turns out those previews were roughly eight times as many as actual performances!

So, you must be thinking, "Why is this 'One That Got Away' for Jeff?" Well, part of it is that I have a special affection for flop shows. Another part is all of those reasons why Nick and Nora was supposed to be a huge hit, still running today. But most of it is that cast recording, which has many wonderful songs.

Nick & Nora had one of the best taglines ever:

"A Marriage. A Murder. A Musical."

Christine Baranski, Joanna Gleason and Barry Bostwick 

Asta (Riley), Nick (Barry Bostwick) and Nora (Joanna Gleason)

I mean come on, is there any song that speaks to us theater geeks more than "Everybody Wants To Do a Musical"? (And Christine Baranski sings it??!!) And there are fabulous company numbers like "May the Best Man Win," "Detectiveland," and my personal favorite, "A Busy Night at Lorraine's." But what intrigues me the most is how, apparently, a lot of the recording was cobbled together into actual songs. Seems that in performance, many of the songs were really snippets that start and stopped between bits of dialogue. It all sounds so fascinating. So, yes, this is definitely one that got away. I really, really wish I had seen this show!

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Happy National Dog Day! Broadway Goes to the Dogs!

I always chuckle when I hear all of those National XYZ Day announcements. You know, "Happy National Wart Day" or "Today we are celebrating National Belly Button Lint Day" followed by Tweets of said warts and lint (or belly buttons). Well, today is one of those National Days I can get behind. August 26th is National Dog Day!

Of course, by now you know how my mind works. I got to thinking about some of Broadway's most famous dogs. Here are but a few!

DOGS IN SHOW LOGOS

(I know, I know...me and my logos...)

ACTUAL DOGS ON BROADWAY

Maybe the most famous Broadway
pup: Annie's Sandy

Every good dog deserves a revival!

Finding Neverland

Star of Stage and Screen:
Nick and Nora's Asta!

Miss Alice Nutting's pup in The Mystery of Edwin Drood

Legally Blonde's Bruiser and Rufus

PEOPLE PLAYING DOGS ON BROADWAY

Norman Shelly as Nana in
the original cast of Peter Pan

Roger Bart as Snoopy in the 1999 revival of
You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown

Annaleigh Ashford as Sylvia in Sylvia

PEOPLE PLAYING CATS PLAYING DOGS

"The Aweful Battle of the Pekes and the Pollicles"
as performed by the Jellicle Cats in Cats

Special thanks to my Twitter pals @GratuitousV, @MattWCody, @DannyAshkenasi, @runter82, @SuzanneCitere, and @spcohen92. Your input on this was invaluable! 😊

#2151

The One(s) That Got Away

Isn't there a show or shows in everyone's life that for whatever reason they meant to get to but never made it?

For one friend of mine, walking pneumonia forced him to miss out on Blithe Spirit. Normally a musical man, my buddy still wanted to see his beloved Angela Lansbury in what we all thought would be Ms. Lansbury's final stage performance. Well, he still kicks himself ("I shoulda just taken extra Tylenol and manned up!") But the loss of that show has been tempered by the purchase of A Little Night Music tickets... we go in January!

Another friend of mine lost out on The Drowsy Chaperone after listening to me rave for months about it and falling in love with the CD herself. This time, it was me who caused the missing - a nasty virus kept me close to home and away from crowded public places, if you get my drift. To make matters worse, we got tickets again, only to have the show close the weekend before!

My personal miss list is, thankfully a short one, but all three pain me when I think of missing them...

First is the biggest flop (prior to Glory Days, which I actually saw) Carrie. I think a lot of people have this one on their list... the curious, the Stephen King fans, the Betty Buckley fans, the fans of all things that flop, or like me, all of the above. After hearing the score, which, apparently like the show itself seems to be two shows put together, I have been dying to see it! Though the commercial (see below) makes me kind of giggle, because it so damned earnest (the tagline kills me!)and so bafflingly non-musical.



Second is the long in previews short in performances Nick and Nora. I want to see it for several reasons, chief among them the unbelievable cast - hard to believe that much talent couldn't get it together onstage and off**, and the score, which I love and listen to frequently. I know a few people who saw it and everyone has told me that Broadway Cast Recording helps to make it make sense, but that in actuality, most of the songs just start and stop with long scenes interrupting them. Still, I love a messy show... and isn't the commercial so elegant?



And finally, the one that pains me the most is Chess. I think that show has one of the best scores of the last 30 years. The revised and thoroughly orchestrated London Concert confirms that for me. And if that version represents the latest updating/tweaking that has been done to it, I think they might almost be there with it. And I know there will be an audience for it WHEN it returns... the days of being denied simply because The New York Times doesn't like it are long gone....

So... what are the ones that have gotten away from you? Share your story and I'll post it!
Jeff

** - I think a currently previewing show will have the same issues. Look for my review later this week!