Roland von Berlin wrote: "Sue Me, from Guys and Dolls. It was originally sung by Isbel Bigley, who could sing, and Sam Levene, who couldn't. It was carefully written not to expose him much."
It was Vivian Blaine as Adelaide who sang it with Levene's Nathan Detroit as their big Act II duet. My favorite recording of SUE ME is the revival cast with Faith Prince and Nathan Lane. However Lane fully sings it and brought the house down each night with Prince
It's no longer available on CD at Arkivmusic where I purchased my copy years ago. However CD Universe offers it as a MP3 download for $9.99. You can also hear a sampling of the tracks.
I always enjoyed Jack Cassidy's rendition of "My Fortune Is My Face" from FADE OUT- FADE IN. And though truly funny and overdramatic its lyricists gave it a satirical spin clearly depicting the expiration date of an aging matinee idol.
Certainly no prude here but hoping no one lists "Paris Makes Me Horny " from VICTOR/VICTORIA. Going by the song's title and listening to the original cast recording one might think it was hilarious on stage but trust me.
Ah, the old Williams and Williams duo! Better than Michele and Rumor. Seriously, I'm thrilled about this news. Just hope they keep it truthful. I think it could be a very bittersweet love story. I never recall either one throwing shade on the other unless I'm mistaken. IIRC, they never divorced.
SUNSET BOULEVARD with Streisand.....twenty years ago. I'm having trouble casting it with a current actress in her fifties who could act and sing the hell out of the role.
That's much too high. There's one on Amazon right now for a fraction of the asking price. A bargain at $49.99 and listed in excellent condition. There's also a lot of souvenir books from the production featuring Streisand floating around at reasonable prices. Realize a seller can list theater memorabilia at any price they choose but that doesn't mean it will sell for that. Prices on Amazon especially are all over the place.
I recently picked up a copy of the GLEE live concert movie at a used music store for a couple of bucks (and it was in 3D no less). More than once her singing gave me chills. I first saw her as a child in RAGTIME and she impressed me as a truly professional Broadway actor and I still enjoy her work. As for her personal life, who cares? It's like that old anti-Ann Hathaway buzz that went around a while back. If the trolls enjoy it then let them.I also still enjoy seeing Hathaway&n
But which sucks/sucked more is the question of the season. BUM SUMMER or ESCAPE TO PINA COLADA VILLE? And soooo many new show titles to be added to the list shortly.
It can play in repertoire with that super hit HAZEL. Come on now. What's next? "Leave It To Beaver", "Dennis The Menace", "Hogan's Heroes", "F Troop." Or maybe I'll save up for a premium seat for "Petticoat Junction."
Remember Martin and Merman were singing a full catalog of original songs associated with their careers. And there were lots of them. For me it would be difficult to name a dozen original songs performed on stage by any of the names mentioned above (excluding revivals). It's not the same Broadway that existed in the mid fifties.
A dear friend of mine was very close to Dame Lynne. In fact her picture was always on his bedside table. He told me some wonderful stories but there was one in particular that stood out. First off, he lost his hair in his late teens and wore a full toupee. He and Lynne were once on a roller coaster together and at one point she looked at him and gently said, "Dear, your hair is behind you."
Now that it's been established that black performers were in fact in numerous Ziegfeld Follies, I'm sure audiences back in 1971 would have been thrilled (and not even questioned) seeing Lena Horne on stage singing "I'm Still Here." Only thing is she was much too big a star to ever play Carlotta.
Another vote for "The Music That Makes Me Dance" from FUNNY GIRL. Unfortunately, Styne's wonderful and heartfelt melody (along with Merrill's equally first rate lyrics) never made it into the film instead being replaced by Brice's signature song. Thus many having only seen the film never got to hear Babs singing the definitive version unless they had the OBC recording.
(Demitri, who is wondering if Mamaleh ever saw HENRY, SWEET HENRY? I can still remember all thes
Never having seen FIORELLO but loving the album, I'd really like to finally see a fully staged production of the show.
A vote for DRAT! THE CAT! too which has a fun score and storyline.
Always been curious of the show LOVE LIFE which I know little about.
Having been fortunate to have grown up in NYC in the latter part of this period I got to see the classic hits (and misses) that I never would've been able to see on my own. Problem is having sat thru some of
Unless I missed it, Mary Martin in THE SOUND OF MUSIC is one of the best examples. She was about twenty years older than the character she played. Surprisingly, to listen to Martin singing the role one would not think she was in forties. She has a girlish quality that you don't hear with other recorded Marias (Fredrica Von Stade, June Bronhill and Jean Bayless). Andrews, IMO, was the best choice for the film role. Though younger than Martin, it was mentioned Doris Day was offered th
