#1
Posted: 11/5/07 at 11:07am
I was first introduced to Jeff Blumenkrantz' songs a few years ago at a concert at the Gay and Lesbian etc. Center, where he performed "My Book" (which as I subsequently found out, was written for Audra McDonald's Seven Deadly Sins song cycle). As a journalist with ADD who should be finishing his Jan Lievens article now instead of posting on BroadwayWorld, it kinda struck a chord with me while I had to stop byself from laughing too hard. My theory with songwriters is "If they've written one song this good, there are more good ones to follow" and to say that this is true of Blumenkratz is an understatement. Few songwriters today have the craftsmanship to start you laughing then mid-song make you cry ("Toll") or just make you cry till it's almost too much ("I Won't Mind", "Hold My Hand") and set any number of poems by Edna St. Vincent Mallay to the most sumptuously romantic and haunting melodies.
Last nights concert at Birdland of Jeff's rarely or never-publicly-heard 'trunk' songs (mostly from abandoned projects) was both exhilarating yet maddeningly frustrating. One wanted to 'drag him over to his desk and chain him there' to force him to write a completed musical that would be cast and mounted now. Not later. NOW.
Wonderfully rendered by Jeff and his guests Adinah Alexander, Donna Lynn Champlin, Laura Patinkin, Alysha Umphress, all these 'trunk' songs were of a quality far and above most of which passes for new scores on Broadway. From the project HUSH about a neurotic gay Jewish musical theater composer (Jeff: "Sound familiar?") and his deaf boyfriend came two songs the dramatic "I Burn" and "Engraved in my Palm" (sung by the composer after his boyfriend scribbles his Email address on his hand). HUSH also contains "He'll Never Get What I Do", "Hold My Hand" and "It'll Work For You" Six great songs. Most musicals would be fortunate to have one or two as good.
From the still-in-progress HASHI (about a transplanted New Yorker in Maine and the nephew she never knew she had) came two songs, a "I'm So Excited I'm In Maine and Starting a New Life" song and a Lullaby, and from the proposal for a "CORINNA, CORINNA" musical came "Playing Piano For the Angels", a beautiful tearjerker in the vein of "I Won't Mind".
But the most tantalizing project was BETTY BOOP. I had known that Andrew Lippa had written songs for it, but I had not never heard that the project kept being shuttled between other songwriters as well. Jeff's contributions were devilishly witty and delightful (the complicated, wildly-inventive satiric and surprisingly dark book - which I won't go into here - seems to be a blend of ANYONE CAN WHISTLE and Bimbo's Initiation). Alas, I heard that the project is at a standstill.
Jeff also performed a deliciously bittersweet 'stand alone' song with a 1930s flavor called "Why Can't I Kiss You", a wet-dream song for any aspiring or seasoned cabaret performer - I imagine this morning Jeff is answering all his Emails requesting sheet music for it.
Last nights concert at Birdland of Jeff's rarely or never-publicly-heard 'trunk' songs (mostly from abandoned projects) was both exhilarating yet maddeningly frustrating. One wanted to 'drag him over to his desk and chain him there' to force him to write a completed musical that would be cast and mounted now. Not later. NOW.
Wonderfully rendered by Jeff and his guests Adinah Alexander, Donna Lynn Champlin, Laura Patinkin, Alysha Umphress, all these 'trunk' songs were of a quality far and above most of which passes for new scores on Broadway. From the project HUSH about a neurotic gay Jewish musical theater composer (Jeff: "Sound familiar?") and his deaf boyfriend came two songs the dramatic "I Burn" and "Engraved in my Palm" (sung by the composer after his boyfriend scribbles his Email address on his hand). HUSH also contains "He'll Never Get What I Do", "Hold My Hand" and "It'll Work For You" Six great songs. Most musicals would be fortunate to have one or two as good.
From the still-in-progress HASHI (about a transplanted New Yorker in Maine and the nephew she never knew she had) came two songs, a "I'm So Excited I'm In Maine and Starting a New Life" song and a Lullaby, and from the proposal for a "CORINNA, CORINNA" musical came "Playing Piano For the Angels", a beautiful tearjerker in the vein of "I Won't Mind".
But the most tantalizing project was BETTY BOOP. I had known that Andrew Lippa had written songs for it, but I had not never heard that the project kept being shuttled between other songwriters as well. Jeff's contributions were devilishly witty and delightful (the complicated, wildly-inventive satiric and surprisingly dark book - which I won't go into here - seems to be a blend of ANYONE CAN WHISTLE and Bimbo's Initiation). Alas, I heard that the project is at a standstill.
Jeff also performed a deliciously bittersweet 'stand alone' song with a 1930s flavor called "Why Can't I Kiss You", a wet-dream song for any aspiring or seasoned cabaret performer - I imagine this morning Jeff is answering all his Emails requesting sheet music for it.
"Christ, Bette Davis?!?!"
Updated On: 11/5/07 at 11:07 AM
