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#1

Kander and Ebb and "screamers"

Just an interesting thing I discovered Friday night...I was at Town Hall for "A Tribute to Kander and Ebb" and throughout the night anecdotes and other notes were told to us about the famous duo. But one aspect was very interesting. When describing K&E's belting songs, the host said they sometimes referred to these songs as "screamers" and often the subject matter of the song was something ****ty had just happened in a character's life or life was sucking but the song was about how they were gonna keep on going, with a new desire to overcome the obstacle, etc.(sound familiar?)The host said Kander himself said something like when ppl hear these songs, they think of K&E or these songs can be attributed to them or something like that.

Obviously this can apply to several songs off the top of my head--Defying Gravity, Astonishing, etc. I just never knew/thought of these songs as being attributed to K&E, but it's very interesting. Any thoughts?
"If there was a Mount Rushmore for Broadway scores, "West Side Story" would be front and center. It snaps, it crackles it pops! It surges with a roar, its energy and sheer life undiminished by the years" - NYPost reviewer Elisabeth Vincentelli
#2

re: Kander and Ebb and 'screamers'

Wow. I would never think of any Kander and Ebb song as something that could be referred to as a "screamer."
Have I ever shown you my Shattered Dreams box? It's in my Disappointment Closet. - Marge Simpson
#4

re: Kander and Ebb and 'screamers'

Well I think according to the host, that was a quote from Kander, or something close to it.
"If there was a Mount Rushmore for Broadway scores, "West Side Story" would be front and center. It snaps, it crackles it pops! It surges with a roar, its energy and sheer life undiminished by the years" - NYPost reviewer Elisabeth Vincentelli
#5

re: Kander and Ebb and 'screamers'

i guess the title songs of "kiss of the spider woman" and "cabaret" are screamers.
"People have their opinions and that doesn't mean that their opinions are wrong or right. I just take it with a grain of salt because opinions are like as*holes, everyone has one". -Felicia Finley-

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