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

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.

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.

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

I Loved her work in CAROLINE OR CHANGE.

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

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.)

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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.