Sherry’s Cherries: Two By Two

I recently read a review of Richard Rodger’s prolific career and it indeed it was prolific. Composer Rodgers created music with Lorenz Hart, Oscar Hammerstein and all alone, with his last musical, No Strings. The review said that Rodgers was a genius, which he was and that Lorenz Hart, or Larry as I think of him, was a talented amateur. I got so angry. Larry too was a genius, and you could always recognize a Rodgers and Hart song. Larry’s lyrics were poignant, biting, passionate and filled with longing. He wrote the lyrics to My Funny Valentine, There’s a Small Hotel, Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered and my favorite Where or When. Larry would have been recognized as a genius too, but he just died to soon and his demons were too strong.

Then let’s take Ira Gershwin. According to friend, Oscar Levant, Ira regretted that he and George, although nominated, never won an Academy Award together. George was recognized as a genius for Rhapsody and Blue, Porgy and Bess, An American in Paris, and more. Ira won his share of awards too. He and Jerome Kern should have won the Oscar for their nominated song, Long Ago and Far Away. Swinging On A Star won the award that year and it just goes to show you that time makes something immortal not awards. Singers still sing Long Ago and Far Away (from the movie Cover Girl with gorgeous Rita Hayworth), but Swinging On A Star, not so much.

My next show is dedicated to the collaborators, the composers and lyricists who join together to create masterpieces. Everyone knows the names of Rodgers and Hammerstein and George and Ira Gershwin. When George Gershwin left this world too soon, Ira went on to do the lyrics with Jerome Kern, Kurt Weill, and others. The songs featured on this show pay tribute to the talents of Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer, Dorothy Fields, Rodgers and Hammerstein and Hart, Peter Matz, Carol Hall, and Victor Schertzinger and others. You will recognize the songs sung by the great Steve Lawrence, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Johnny Mathis, Carly Simon and more. 

So, as you get ready for the holiday season, you might want to share some mellow time with Movies Broadway Singers and Beyond. Relax and enjoy!

Show Times

Sunday, December 3rd 2 pm Eastern Time 11 am Pacific Time	Saturday, December 9th 7 pm Eastern Time 4 pm Pacific Time
Tuesday, December 5th 1 pm Eastern Time 10 am Pacific Time	Wednesday, December 13th 2 pm Eastern Time 11 am Pacific Time
Thursday, December 7th 5 pm Eastern Time 2 pm Pacific Time	Friday, December 15th 5 pm Eastern Time 2 pm Pacific Time

Tidbits:

Larry Hart was not doing well, and so Richard Rodgers composed his first musical with Oscar Hammerstein, Oklahoma. Although Larry was not in a good way and his demons were as strong as his talent, he got to see Oklahoma, and told Richard Rodgers ‘it was wonderful, and he had another hit on his hands’. Larry was humble, honorable, and haunted. I hope Rodgers and Hart are making music somewhere. When my time comes, I hope to join them and continue to promote their talents. . . wherever.

Maybe it’s the holiday or our world today, but I am feeling sentimental. The show begins with an instrumental of Kurt Weill’s sensual Speak Low from One Touch of Venus and we close the show with Rodgers and Hart’s With A Song In My Heart.

I always close my blogs with Larry Hart’s immortal words, With A Song In My Heart so – 

With A Song in My Heart,

Sherry