Jimmy Webb and his TONS of unperformed musicals

[Unknown User]

Posted: 7/26/07 at 9:37pm

I'ma HUGE fan of pop composer/arranger/producer/singer Jimmy Webb. Next to Burt Bacharach he may be my fave writer of that era--and unlike Bacharach he stayed more consistant thru the 70s till now.

Anyway in the late 70s, Webb who has a great love for musical theatre, moved to New York to persue theatre writing. (his amazing book on songwriting, Tunesmith, shows that he has a clear knowledge of the differences in writing pop and for the stage and a clear understanding of fave composers of his, like Sondheim). Yet out of some 8 or 9 (by his own estimation) scores he's written, none have made it to Broadway. One has played regionally and that's it...

Does anyone know more about any of these shows, or songs from them?

The ones I know of are:

Children's Musical with Michael Bennett (which was meant to be kinda experimental surrounding the audience--I forget the name--done and abandone in the late 70s)

Scandal! with Michael Bennett (fully composed and workshopped in the 80s--iv'e posted on this before but apparantly it was beyond brilliant. One song from this, Only One Life, was recorded on Michael Feinstein's gorgeous record Only One Life the Songs of Jimmy Webb)

Tuxedo (Feinstein has another song from this These Are All Mine)

Dandelion Wine (based on the Bradbury novel, has had some regional performances, one review saying that the song Time Flies, from it was worth seeing the show for alone. The song is also on the Feinstein CD)

A Bronx Tale (actor Chazz Palminteri, who wrote and was in the movie, was working on this. The charming song Belmount Ave likewise is on the Feinstein CD).

Anyone know anything more about development on these or songs that may have been recorded?

[Unknown User]

Posted: 7/27/07 at 9:15pm

Found one more that had a fully staged workshop in 93--Instant Intimacy. The gorgeous song Life After Love, on Feinstein's album, is from it