Broadway

February 15, 2017

My Funny Valentine — Lorenz Hart

My Funny Valentine — You will still hear this every Valentine’s Day, even 80 years after it was written. The song is tender but odd — like the person who wrote it.

Actually, the beautiful music was written by “Richard Rodgers” — the guy who wrote Oklahoma and The Sound of Music and a lot of other classic Broadway musicals that were hits on the big screen.

But the lyrics were not written by Hammerstein — the better known of Rodgers’ partners.

For about 25 years, Richard Rodgers wrote with Lorenz — or Larry — Hart. And no story from Broadway or Hollywood could match the real-life story of this tortured but talented soul.

Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart composing a song

Larry Hart and Dick Rodgers

“Funny Valentine” was written for (in most opinions) the greatest of Richard Rodgers’ musicals — “Babes in Arms.” The score of that show is like a greatest-hits compilation of Rodgers & Hart. “The Lady Is A Tramp,” “Have You Seen Miss Jones,” “Where or When” all have been adopted as

Filed under Music by WadeB on Feb 15th, 2017. Comment.

February 15, 2012

Dory Previn — 1925 to 2012

Dory Previn died on Valentine’s day. She was 86.

Known mostly for her work on songs for the movies, she also had some success in the pop field with records released in the 70s. She and her first husband, André Previn, were nominated several times for an Academy Award but never won.

Her six records were recorded after her divorce from Previn, her most successful being a live album.

Dory Previn

Her songs were intelligent and insightful and most dealt with her personal life, which was a fertile field. Her abusive father was gassed in WWI and suffered severe mood swings which resulted in violent behavior. He deteriorated to the point where he boarded his family up in their home and held them at gunpoint for several months.

She broke into show business as Read more on Dory Previn — 1925 to 2012…

Tags: A Second Chance, abusive father, Academy Awards, actress, Arthur Freed, autobiography, Beware of Young Girls, Big Time!, break-down, Broadway, classical music, collaborate, Come Saturday Morning, Dionne Warwick, Dory Langdon, Dory Previn, ECT, Emmy award, Emmy nominations, environmental, film scores, Frank Sinatra, Fred Karlin, Harold Arlen, incest, Joby Baker, Judy Garland, Kenny Burrell, Last Tango In Paris, London Symphony Orchestra, lyricist, Mary C. Brown and the Hollywood Sign, MGM, Mia Farrow, movies, musical revue, Mythical Kings and Iguanas, New York Philharmonic, One Two Three, Oscar award, Oscar nomination, Peg Entwistle, Pepe, Planet Blue, psychiatric hospital, psychotic episodes, public domain, records André Previn, Reflections in a Mud Puddle, Sammy Davis Jr; Bobby Darin; Doris Day, screenplay, shock-therapy, So Long, songwriter, Southfield MA, Stockholm Syndrome, suicideHollywood sign, Sylvia McNair, Taps Tremors and Time-Steps: One Last Dance for my Father, The Magic Number, The Sandpipers, The Sterile Cuckoo, theme song, Third Girl From The Left, Tony Bennet, TV movie, Two For The Seesaw, Valley of the Dolls, You're Gonna Hear From Me.

Filed under Songwriting by WadeB on Feb 15th, 2012. Comment.

February 13, 2012

The Most Popular Valentine Song EVER!

Happy Valentine’s Day, Lovers!

This is either the happiest day or the saddest day of the year, depending upon the state of your love life. As a happily married man, I’ve enjoyed a permanent valentine for twenty years and we tend to celebrate any old time we please. It works out well.

Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart

As music lovers, my valentine and I are both great fans of the Great American Songbook standard “My Funny Valentine” — a show tune from the 1937 Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart musical “Babes in Arms.”

I’m sure you’ve heard it. This popular jazz standard has appeared on over 1300 albums performed by over 600 artists. It’s even been performed on “American Idol,” so even the Gen-X, Y or Z kids should know it.

Whether your favorite version is traditional (like Ella Fitzgerald or Frank Sinatra) or jazzy (like Miles Davis or Chet Baker), you can probably find a version to suit your mood.

Name your favorite performer, and chances are, you’ll find a recording of this song. Michael Bublé? Too easy. Jerry Garcia? Believe it or not — YES.

The perennial song was written by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart. Of course the music is absolutely beautiful, but the lyrics make this the ultimate valentine song.

Filed under Music by WadeB on Feb 13th, 2012. Comment.

May 6, 2011

Friday Distraction: Al Hirschfeld Foundation

The Comics Reporter reminds us that there is no better way to end the week than a tour of the Al Hirschfeld Foundation web site.

Bob Hope by Al Herschfeld

What? You’ve never heard of Hirschfeld? He was the long-time Broadway caricaturist — his images captured the movies and Broadway plays and all the major players from both.

Go quickly — see the showcase and then keep Googling until you find more great line drawings from the legendary master artist.

WADE

Tags: Bob Hope, Broadway, caricature, Hirschfeld.

Filed under Vintage Comics by WadeB on May 6th, 2011. Comment.

Broadway

My Funny Valentine — Lorenz Hart

Dory Previn — 1925 to 2012

The Most Popular Valentine Song EVER!

Friday Distraction: Al Hirschfeld Foundation

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