“Make Someone Happy” as heard on Go Back Home (2013)
music Jule Styne lyric Betty Comden, Adolph Green
performance Audra McDonald
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As the woman who sang Irving Berlin’s lynching-themed ballad “Suppertime” on an album titled Happy Songs, Audra McDonald has always had a whimsical relationship with the concept of happiness. This lush and somewhat melancholy arrangement of the-only-song-from-Do-Re-Mi-that-anyone-has-heard-of is a welcome addition to the cannon of Audra’s bittersweet/joyous songs.
“Bye Bye Baby” from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (Original London Cast, 1962)
music Jule Styne lyric Leo Robin
performance Dora Bryan, Donald Stewart, and company
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Meanwhile, Across the Pond: London Cast Recordings of Broadway Hits, Day 4
Dora Bryan fully succeeds in making this role her own, but what I find particularly striking about this take are the dixie-land flavored orchestrations!
A Live recording of I Met a Man, made during the 1971 Boston tryouts of Bob Merrill and Jule Styne’s PrettyBelle. Angela Lansbury’s huge Broadway “belt” is vividly captured here. I love her and i love this song.
One of my favorite songs of all time. Definitely top 10
Tony-winner Leslie Uggams sings the hell out of ”Being Good” and “Hallelujah, Baby!” from Hallelujah, Baby!
Music: Jule Styne, Lyrics: Comden and Green. Choreography by Kevin Carlisle. Uggams is joined by Winston DeWitt Hemsley and Alan Weeks for the title song.
Incidentally, Hallelujah, Baby! opened at the Martin Beck Theatre on this night in 1967. At 293 performances, it is the second shortest running Best Musical Tony winner (Passion holds the dubious honor at 280).
You Never Looked Better, Angela Lansbury, Prettybelle (1971)
One of my favourite songs from Prettybelle, I wish they’d left it in the show! A lovely song about how her dead husband looks the best he ever has, in his coffin bed, ahaha. Get a load of that final belt though!
it’s in MY version of the show!
“Prettybelle” from Prettybelle (1971 Demo)
music Jule Styne lyric Bob Merrill
performance Peter Allen
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I haven’t posted an MP3 in a few days because I felt like I kept posting beautiful lush ballads by middle-aged ladies. And though there’s nothing wrong with that (and, in fact, everything right with that), I think it’s good to mix things up every now and then. So I’ll try to do a week’s worth of somewhat uptempo song sung by fellas! This particular track was inspired by the jaunty Peter Allen cover of “Losing My Mind” that crossed our dashes recently. And because I haven’t posted a Prettybelle anything in waaaaaaay too long.
Victoria Clark’s lovely rendition of the melancholy “Winter Was Warm” from Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol on the album Jule Styne in Hollywood (lyrics by Bob Merrill).
“Just in Time” on The Julie Andrews Show (1965)
music Jule Styne lyric Betty Comden, Adolph Green
performance Julie Andrews, Gene Kelley
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I find it interesting that this song was prominently featured on TV twice this week—under the opening credits to Liz and Dick and on this week’s 30 Rock.
I think this is quite a nice performance—the best of what a Variety Show could be.
Also, I think it’s funny that Andrews sang a song from the the show that took her My Fair Lady Tony. It’s like Raul Esparza singing a song from Curtains.
“To a Small Degree” from Prettybelle (1971 Demo)
music Jule Styne lyric Bob Merrill
performance Peter Allen
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Watching this INCREDIBLE rehearsal footage of Angie before the Prettybelle recording reminded me of how lovely this song is. I like the spin Peter Allen puts on this pop demo (if it just doesn’t compare to what Ms Lansbury does with the piece).
i live and die 4 it
Prettybelle rehearsal for the recording with Angela Lansbury et al.
Guys. GUISE. this is so much more exciting than anything.
Ange’s take of “To a Small Degree”, starting at 11m40s is particularly affecting.
And it ends with her sitting and belting out “I Met a Man” like it’s no big whoopie-pie. But it is a big whoopie pie, Angela. It is.
“Before the Parade Passes By / Don’t Rain on My Parade” as heard on Born for You
music Jerry Herman / Jule Styne lyric Jerry Herman / Bob Merrill
performance Kathie Lee Gifford
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Because I was just thinking about “Before the Parade…”, and because Kathie Lee Gifford has written as many book musicals as Adam Guettel, one of which just opened on Broadway.
“November Song” from Sugar (Original Broadway Cast)
music Jule Styne lyric Bob Merrill
performance Cyril Ritchard, “Millionaires”
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I could probably devote an entire week to “showtunes making dirty old men seem like not that bad a thing”.
Also, don’t you wish a musical version of “Some Like it Hot”—with a book by Peter Stone, a score by Jule Styne and Bob Merrill, and direction/choreography—was awesome?
