Jule Styne - Best?

Posted: 11/7/08 at 7:59am

I admit, I don't know Styne's musicals very well, which is kinda embarassing to me. Out of Sondheim's other lyrics only collaborators, I definetly am least familiar with his work (on the other hand I think I've pretty much memorised all of Bernstein's theatre work, operatic and musical, and know most of Rodgers). I know the common belief, even from Styne, is that the material and collaborators helped him really exceed himself with Gypsy. I'm nearly positive Gypsy will top everyone's list here, but what works do others on here find worthy to follow it in a list?

I admit I have a lot of fondness for Funny Girl (his only other show I really know well) especially the stage version--and I kinda find interesting how in some ways Funny Girl feels like a Gypsy follow up. Jerome Robbins was once again involved, it was another "backstage musical" based on real material, and I heard Stephen Sondheim was asked to do lyrics (which means we'd never have such gems as "when a girl's incidentals/are no bigger than two lentils"...)

Otherwise I have some familiarity with Bells are Ringing (loved the film as a kid), Peter Pan (which I *hated* as a kid, though I've grown to kinda appreciate since then), the bizarre Prettybelle and Gentlemen Prefer Blonds, but not enough to really comment. To me he feels a bit like Cy Coleman--not stylistically, but in that some of his scores I find extraordinary, but a lot of it, while rarely less than *good*, really excites me.

*edit*

Oh I also saw, at the age of 6, Pieces of Eight, the Treasure Island musical he did which premiered (oddly) and then was never staged again at Edmonton's Citadel Theatre (my hometown). I remember *loving* it, and it got me on a brief Treasure Island kick, but I remember nothing about it except the program I have--and I dont think it's well regarded. (When I found the program as a teen I was pretty excited to realize I had seen George Hearn in something! But of course I had no idea who he was at the time, lol)


I also loved Mr Magoo's Christmas Carol as a kid, if that counts. And I know he wrote the songs for My Sister Eileen, but all I remember of that was Bob Fosse's dancing and that I liked the songs for Wonderful Town much more (I think I may have been biased watching it, wondering why they didn't use Bernstein's Wonderful Town scores...)

[Smaxie]

Posted: 11/7/08 at 8:25am

I'd say the first tier of the ones you haven't heard would be Do Re Mi, Fade Out Fade In, Hallelujah, Baby! and Subways Are For Sleeping (in that order). Darling of the Day has a terrific score, but it's not shown to its full potential with its lead, Vincent Price, growling his way through the songs. Two on the Aisle and Say, Darling are lesser efforts, but there are some fun numbers in both of them (particularly Dolores Grey's "If" on the former, and the inimitable "Chief of Love" on the latter). I LOVE the score for Hazel Flagg all out of proportion, so unless someone shares my fascination with it, don't go by my word. High Button Shoes, unfortunately, has a pretty incomplete and not particularly authentic cast recording.

If you begin to really love his work, I think then, you might want to complete the collection with Look to the Lilies, Sugar and One Night Stand or some of his TV work like Ruggles of Red Gap and Dangerous Christmas of Little Red Riding Hood. You'll also hear him recycle work all over the place, one of his odd characteristics.

Updated On: 11/7/08 at 08:25 AM

[Ed_Mottershead]

Posted: 11/7/08 at 9:59am

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (Carol Channing version, not the movie with Marilyn Monroe) is a fun score, with Channing really delivering the goods in Little Girl from Little Rock and Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend.

[jewishboy]

Posted: 11/7/08 at 11:21am

Do Re Mi is excellent and there are two great recordings, each with there own positives and negatives, to chose from.

[Smaxie]

Posted: 11/7/08 at 1:09pm

Actually, three great recordings. The London cast recording of Do Re Mi is very enjoyable.

[jewishboy]

Posted: 11/7/08 at 3:24pm

Smaxie, I'll have to check that one out. Also, I like how you knew that I was referring to the Encores! version as the second recording.

[dayao]

Posted: 11/7/08 at 4:53pm

Although not nearly as successful as "Gypsy" or "Funny Girl", "Subways are for Sleeping" features Stynes's most complex and sophisticated score, which includes one of the greatest songs ever written for any musical, "Comes Once in A Lifetime".

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 11/7/08 at 4:59pm

A quick Jule Styne primer....

HIGH BUTTON SHOES - Fun, light score. Nothing really major here but the 8 highlights recorded by Victor provide a 24-minute capsule of the score. Best cut: Papa Won't You Dance With Me

GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES - Many gems in the score including "A Little Girl from Little Rock", "Bye Bye Baby" and "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend." Though the movie is fun is not faithful to the book, the score or the period.

TWO ON THE AISLE - a forgettable score. Mainly a showcase for Bert Lahr and Dolores Grey. Best number: If You Hadn't (But You Did.)

HAZEL FLAGG - Another not so great musical but the cast album is enjoyable. Best cut: "Everybody Loves to Take a Bow."

PETER PAN - It's neat how the Styene/Comden/Green songs mesh with those by Charlop/Leigh. "Neverland" and "Hook's Waltz" are the standout Styne contributions

BELLS ARE RINGING - Judy Holliday's performance alone makes this worthwhile but the cast album reveals a lot of filler material especially in the second act. But the best numbers are a treat: "It's a Perfect Relationship", "Long Before I Knew You", "Just in Time", "The Party's Over" and the always fun "Drop That Name."

SAY, DARLING - a "comedy about a musical" with the songs intended to be parodies of a second rate musical comedy, but the title song is one of Styne's better ballads.

GYPSY - no comment needed

DO RE MI - Another uneven score but the unique harmony of "Cry Like the Wind" always intrigued me. As a kid I Loved "What's New at the Zoo" - as an adult I prefer "Make Someone Happy" and "Adventure." "All of My Life" seems to obvious an attempt to re-make "Roses Turn."

SUBWAYS ARE FOR SLEEPING - Collector's prize this turkey. The melodies are vintage Styne. The script (and some lyrics) are second rate, but it's one of those flops so unbelievably bad that it's actually fun.

FUNNY GIRL - The Broadway score contains several songs that didn't make the film. The best of these ("The Music That Makes Me Dance" and "Who are You Now") deserve to be better known.

FADE OUT- FADE IN - another weak show made viable by the star. "You Mustn't Be Discouraged" is the high point.

HALLELUJAH, BABY! - The ONLY score to win Styne a Tony award (!) and it is far from his best. "My Own Morning" is fine song that deserves wider popularity.

SUGAR - Lot's of fun stuff here, but SOME LIKE IT HOT didn't exactly need to be turned into a musical.

LORELEI - a remade of GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES with only the title song reaching the heights of the previous score.

After this Styne petered out. THE RED SHOES never got a cast album.

[Scripps2]

Posted: 11/7/08 at 5:38pm

I'm a pervert: I love the post 1970 works of the Broadway second generation more than their pre 1970 works.

Bar Mitzvah Boy is therefore the best Jule Styne score. There are some beautiful melodies in there and they carry Don Black's witty and in-touch lyrics well. Some may feel the show is sentimental but I think it was perfectly in touch with its time.


Updated On: 11/8/08 at 05:38 PM

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 11/7/08 at 5:49pm

Underappreciated scores of Hallelujah Baby & Subways Are For Sleeping.

[Smaxie]

Posted: 11/7/08 at 5:52pm

Forgot about Bar Mitzvah Boy! I love "The Bar Mitzvah of Elliot Green". A real toe-tapper.

As far as good songs from the lesser or failed shows, "Let's See What Happens" and "That Something Extra Special" are terrific songs from Darling of the Day, as well as that score's real skirt-lifter, "Not On Your Nellie". And poor little One Night Stand does have the very winning "A Little Traveling Music".

[Scripps2]

Posted: 11/7/08 at 6:01pm

Bar Mitzvah Boy: I agree about the toe-tapper and would add The Sun Shines Out Of Your Eyes is a great ballad and We've Done Alright is quite haunting (I could imagine my parents singing this to each other).

One Night Stand: I agree again and would add Don't Kick My Dreams Around and There Was A Time as good ballads. The best way to appreciate this score is the recording of the overture on the Jule Styne overtures CD. Absobloodylutely brilliant.
Updated On: 11/8/08 at 06:01 PM

[nobodyhome]

Posted: 11/7/08 at 6:11pm

Well, I should listen to Bar Mitzvah Boy again.

I love Styne, though few of the shows seem to hold up as shows, but he wrote great music.

Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol has some really great stuff in it. "Winter Was Warm" is one of his greatest ballads, and it's hard not to love "The Lord's Bright Blessing," "I'm All Alone in the World," and "We're Despicable."

I love the score for Darling of the Day, though it's certainly an odd recording since only two of the five main singers can actually sing. That one's available from arkivmusic:

http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/listPage.jsp?list_id=790&page_size=100

Subways was apparently a mess of show (even Comden and Green felt it was a mess), but it does have a lot of great songs in it. And the CD issue has some great demos, including one of my favorite Styne songs, "Life's Not So Simple," which was cut from Do Re Mi, not Subways.

I'm not wild about Do Re Mi, though it's worth hearing. The score is certainly adventurous (even reflected in the title of one song).

Sugar has some good melodies but suffers from the weird Bob Merrill lyrics.

I really like Fade Out—Fade In.

Except for "If" (and Gray's is not my favorite version of that song) and one great spoken track for Lahr and a fun comedy duet, "You Can Always Catch Our Act at the Met," Two on the Aisle is not so great."

Hazel Flagg has some fun numbers but is not great Styne. I haven't listened to Gentlemen Prefer Blondes in years, I'm sorry to say.

I love his Peter Pan stuff. "Distant Melody," another of those great, melancholy, "depressive-pretty" Styne ballads. And "Neverland," what can you say? Great song.

Hallelujah, Baby has some good music and is worth hearing, but somehow I don't find it too compelling except for a couple of numbers. But it's funny to listen to it and Fade Out back to back for examples of Styne's shameless stealing from himself.
Updated On: 11/7/08 at 06:11 PM

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 11/7/08 at 6:14pm

Darling was a very good score & show to boot.

Both Price & Rutledge were great & this is another example of a good show not catching on.The CD is a very nice CD to listen to.

One Night Stand's score is a gem.

[Jon]

Posted: 11/7/08 at 7:12pm

It would be so nice if HIGH BUTTON SHOES could get an Encores production - mainly for the purpose of creating a complete recording.

[sondheimgeek]

Posted: 11/7/08 at 10:24pm

I would suggest 'Fade Out Fade In' and 'Subways are for Sleeping'. Subways has a gorgeous overture, and many wonderful, wonderful songs. I highly recommend it!

And every other show the other posters mentioned are delightful. I would try to get as familiar as you can with all of them!

[Scripps2]

Posted: 11/8/08 at 3:06pm

Re: Bar Mitzvah Boy

Don't take my word for it. I'm not sure who Peter Filichia is (and I've never noticed this website before) but his review reflects my thoughts entirely...

http://www.theatermania.com/content/news.cfm/story/2948

[Timmer]

Posted: 11/8/08 at 3:16pm

Styne did a lot of excellent shows with Betty Comden and Adolf Green.

[Smaxie]

Posted: 11/8/08 at 3:36pm

That's Adolph. Don't confuse the spelling with that other one.

[Timmer]

Posted: 11/8/08 at 4:47pm

"PETER PAN - It's neat how the Styene/Comden/Green songs mesh with those by Charlop/Leigh. "Neverland" and "Hook's Waltz" are the standout Styne contributions"

Apparently, Charlap and Leigh wrote a complete score, but the producers didn't like a lot of it, so they hired Comden, Green, and Styne to "fix" it.

The Comden-Green-Styne contributions are:

Neverland
Wendy
Neverland Waltz
Mysterious Lady
Ugg-a-Wugg
The Pow-Wow Polka
Distant Melody
Hook's Waltz

The rest of the score is Charlap and Leigh.

[Scripps2]

Posted: 11/8/08 at 5:00pm

Prettybelle has some great songs too, despite the disappointing quality of the recording. The overture is funky and Angela has a couple of spunky (in the nicest sense of the word) songs with How Could I Know What Was Going On and I Met A Man. You Ain't Hurtin' Your Old Lady None is also good fun.

[Smaxie]

Posted: 11/8/08 at 5:02pm

What is disappointing about it? I still can't believe it even exists.

[nobodyhome]

Posted: 11/8/08 at 5:37pm

"Apparently, Charlap and Leigh wrote a complete score, but the producers didn't like a lot of it, so they hired Comden, Green, and Styne to 'fix' it."

Are you sure? In the The Journal (the Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation magazine), there was a group discussion about the creation of the show. The participants were Robbins, Styne, Comden, Green, Leigh and associate director Mary Hunter Wolf. In that discussion, Leigh said, "These talented folks [referring to Styne, Comden and Green] were not really replacing anything, because we hadn't written it. There was nothing we had come up with in the course of our work from the start to fill those vacant places. We were stymied, too young and inexperienced."

There are references to Charlap-Leigh songs that didn't get in the show, but at several points it's more or less stated that they hadn't really written a full-length score.

[Scripps2]

Posted: 11/8/08 at 6:03pm

"What is disappointing about it? I still can't believe it even exists."

I'm glad it exists as well but it does sound thin and under-powered, as do some of the other recordings from that company - The Bakers Wife and Carmelina also spring to mind. I'm glad they all exist as they are great scores and the performances are superb but they do sound as though they were done on a limited budget.

[nobodyhome]

Posted: 11/9/08 at 1:16am

I'd forgotten about Prettybelle. That has some really lovely, very touching songs in it, along with one great uptempo comedy number ("Manic Depressives"). And Bob Merrill's non-rhymes make more sense in this show (though sometimes they do get to be a bit much). Some of the numbers are not so good, but there's a whole bunch of really fine ones.