'Poor Little Person' from HENRY, SWEET, HENRY- Page 2

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 12/7/12 at 9:22pm

And musically Turkey Lurkey is far from simple--it's impressive how he managed to choreograph those *crazy* key changes (which Bacharach was known for).

The oddest show tune I get caught in my head and often find myself singing in the shower--I hope this doesn't mean something deeper--is Happily Ever After cut from Company.

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 12/7/12 at 9:26pm

I love this number with all my heart...Alice Playten was such the little powerhouse....what a voice on that girl!

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 12/7/12 at 10:07pm

I also get "Too Many Mornings" and "The Miller's Son" stuck in my head. But maybe that's just me.

As do I, but for different reasons, I would argue. My point wasn't to denigrate "Poor Little Person", just to say it is written appropriately for the character(s) who sing it.

But I must admit, as much as I would have loved Alice Playten in the 1960s, nowadays I listen and think, "Why are they making that poor child shout her way through that song?" I guess I've been spoiled by mike singing, but Playten's belting is NOT healthy for a still-developing adolescent's voice.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 12/7/12 at 10:52pm

It's just the way she sang. She lived and was healthy until she got sick and died last year, of pancreatic cancer.

Here's a 1970 appearance of her on the Mike Douglas Show, singing a kick-ass "I Happen to Like New York":

http://youtu.be/BS0JyYMX0g0

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 12/7/12 at 10:54pm

I guessher voice would still be developing, but Alice was 20 when she did Henry--not really a child.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 12/8/12 at 12:53am

Here's an audio of my favorite Alice Playten performance ever, singing an obscure Cole Porter song called "Pets":


Alice Playten Sings Cole Porter's 'Pets'

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 12/8/12 at 1:04am

I Loved her work in CAROLINE OR CHANGE.

[evic]

Posted: 12/8/12 at 1:38pm

The York theater did a terrific revival about 10 years ago with a cut down cast. Mark Nelson, who is great in Asher Lev, was a very funny Henry. The show has it's merits, but will never be redone on Broadway. I really love the orchestrations on the OBC

[evic]

Posted: 12/8/12 at 1:38pm

The York theater did a terrific revival about 10 years ago with a cut down cast. Mark Nelson, who is great in Asher Lev, was a very funny Henry. The show has it's merits, but will never be redone on Broadway. I really love the orchestrations on the OBC

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 12/8/12 at 2:02pm

And her heart-breaking "Capricious and Fickle" is a stunner.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQjjMqbOh60

Song stars around 2:15.

[sondheimboy2]

Posted: 12/9/12 at 8:25am

Not to threadjack, but I WISH that someone would put out a DVD of some of the Great Broadway performers and shows that appeared on the old Mike Douglas Show! Or, even better, some of flop shows that performed on the Mike Douglas Show! (Based in Philadelphia, shows that were in tryout in Philadelphia often did a number on his show.)

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 12/9/12 at 3:48pm

Thank you, Pal Joey and iluvtheatertrash, for the clips! I'm not a vocal coach, but to my ear she's already singing more smartly by 1970. Maybe the pushing was something they made her do for HENRY or maybe it was a character choice for "Poor Little Person".

What a glorious voice when she eases up just a tiny bit! I'm so sorry to hear of her death.

(Eric, I was told that female voices aren't fully mature until the late 20s, even though they may not change range with puberty as male voices do. But don't quote me. I'm certainly not an expert.)

[Charley Kringas Inc]

Posted: 7/20/18 at 6:42pm

Digging this out because I, too, became inexorably hooked on this song after stumbling across the video on YouTube. Something about the staging is so cunning, particularly that odd heel-toe stepping dance. I fished out the cast album but in cases like this I’m incurably insatiable and requested a copy of the libretto from the library here in Toronto and boy, it sure is lousy. Bennett’s staging probably propped it up in a few ways but it’s amazing how nothing in it that happens feels connected to anything beyond its own scene. This is the Bluebeard’s room of musical flops - don’t look beyond the Playten numbers and you’ll be okay.