Another weekend doddle before we celebrate the Fourth (Yanks 1-Brits 0). (Updated October 2021)
- BALLET “Slaughter On Tenth Avenue” from On Your Toes (Broadway, 1936), arr Don Walker (1954), played by John Wilson and THE JOHN WILSON ORCHESTRA [https://bit.ly/jwoslaughter10] / You can watch John and O here, if you dare.
- SONG “Can’t You Do a Friend a Favor?” from A Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur’s Court (Broadway revival, 1943), lyrics by Lorenz Hart, sung supper-club style by Met diva Eileen Farrell [https://bit.ly/friendfarrell] / This was one of the last songs by Larry Hart, which he wrote to propose to actress-singer Vivienne Segal, who was starring in the Court revival on Broadway only streets away from the just-opened R&H Oklahoma! When Segal turned him down, Hart went on a bender that led directly to his death in November of that year.
- SONG “I Enjoy Being a Girl” from Flower Drum Song (Broadway, 1958), lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II [https://bit.ly/ienjoybeingagirl] / Pat Suzuki made this a hit; sung here by the fabulous Christine Jorgensen.
- SONG “Falling In Love with Love” from The Boys from Syracuse (Broadway, 1938) interpolated into Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella (CBS-TV, 1997), lyrics by Lorenz Hart, arr Doug Besterman, sung by Bernadette Peters and cast [https://bit.ly/inlovepeters] / This is a real ear-catching version of this song, normally sung in 3/4 time, sung by a Broadway great.
- SONG “I Have Dreamed” from The King and I (Broadway, 1951), lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, arr Jim Harbert, sung by Doris Day [https://bit.ly/daydreamed] / Rodgers’ lavish scorn—and praise—for singers of his songs was well-known. After Doris Day recorded “I Have Dreamed” in 1961, he wrote to her and her arranger that theirs was the most beautiful rendition of his song he had ever heard. The last four lines, John.
- More! THEME The Great Adventure (CBS, 1963) I remembered this theme note for note and was thrilled to find episodes of the series on YT again. Though I strongly suspect it was Richard Rodney Bennett who wrote this from his random notes
- Extra! OVERTURE “Carousel Waltz” from Carousel (Broadway, 1945) played by my beloved John and his Sinfonia of London for Chandos, 2024 / Now my favorite
- Extra Extra! SONGS “I Wish I Were In Love Again” and “Johnny One-Note“, lyrics by the late great Larry Hart; interpolated into Words and Music (MGM, 1948) and sung by Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney [https://bit.ly/judyandmickey1]; film clip available on YT here]
- Extra Extra Extra! SONG “You’ll Never Walk Alone”, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, from Carousel (Broadway, 1945) played and sung by the Johann Strauss Orchestra and Chorus, conducted by Andre Rieu, Maastricht 2018 at 47:00 [https://bit.ly/AndreRieuMaastricht2018] / Rieu: “…And as a last piece before the break… (good-humoredly chiding man in audience) You don’t need to look at your watch when I say it’s the break… We are going to play the piece that expresses exactly that feeling—that feeling that we always have together here on stage. But not only here on stage, but also on our long journeys around the world. That feeling of always being together—that feeling of never being alone.” For entire program listings, go to my posting “Andre Rieu and the Johann Strauss Orchestra Come Home to Maastricht”; plus the very moving clip on YT from 2013 Maastricht here.
- Extra Extra Extra Extra! SONG “No Other Love”, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, from Me & Juliet (Broadway, 1953) sung by Welsh bass-baritone Bryn Terfel with the Leeds-based Northern Philharmonia aka The Orchestra of Opera North [https://bit.ly/brynterfel1]
- Extra Extra Three Times Extra! SUITE “Beneath the Southern Cross”, the 3rd movement of the Victory at Sea Suite, from the 26-episode TV documentary on WWII naval battles, Victory at Sea (NBC, 1952) [https://bit.ly/rodgerscross] / The song above was based on this tune. Of all the songs Richard Rodgers ever wrote, this is the only one that my beloved John Wilson could successfully conduct and I wouldn’t miss the lyrics because the melody is everything I want to say to him. Arranged and conducted by Robert Russell Bennett.
"I'll Be Dead Before You Break My Heart" 