Leading Ladies Melissa Errico and Lucie Arnaz Unite and Ann Roth's Original Gown Shimmies Again!

By: May. 05, 2015
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For a symphony concert appearance this past weekend, Melissa Errico was asked to add a new song to her program especially for that evening, a duet with baritone Stephen Buntrock (A Little Night Music, Phantom). It was the great Marvin Hamlisch tune "They're Playing Our Song," set in a disco. She was in rehearsal in NYC with pianist-arranger Phil Hall ten days ago when he said, "Really, the disco dress she wore MADE that number, or maybe it was vice versa, but that dress was WOW."

Melissa promptly posted a vintage photo on Facebook of the legendary Ann Roth's fetching fringe gown with Lucie Arnaz in mid-shimmy. She asked friends and fans: "I have less than two weeks to find an incredible and sexy fringe dress like this, where do you think I could find it?" After hundreds of people weighed in, Lucie Arnaz herself messaged Melissa that she was willing to ship her the original gown. It arrived by Fed Ex four days before the concert and miraculously fit perfectly, with no alterations whatsoever needed.

This weekend, it sang again!

Even last night, theatre stars weighed in, delighted by the fun, like Alice Ripley and Randy Graff. Composer Marcy Heisler and hundreds more!

Lucie Arnaz continued to chime in last night on Facebook, delighted by the success of what had been called "a Facebook miracle," saying (of her wild disco moves in the dress from the original production), "I wish I could still do that squat!"

Melissa Errico and Stephen Buntrock appeared this weekend with The Brevard Symphony conducted by Chris Confessore at The King Center and Vero Beach in Florida. The program also included music by Rodgers and Hammerstein, Cole Porter, Gershwin, Andrew Lloyd Webber, and more.

They're Playing Our Song is a musical with a book by Neil Simon, lyrics by Carole Bayer Sager, and music by Marvin Hamlisch.

In a story based on the real-life relationship of Hamlisch and Sager, a wisecracking composer finds a new, offbeat lyricist, but initially the match is not one made in heaven. The two undergo a series of trials and overcome a number of hurdles before finding true love by the final curtain.

They're Playing Our Song is essentially a two-character show. Vernon and Sonia are the sole characters on stage; each character has a three-person Greek chorus acting as their inner voices.



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