The Best Is Yet to Come: Cy Coleman Songs — Page 2

Which proves absolutely nothing. For the record, City Of Angels as a show is, like its score, not very good.

What record? I mean, if you have some sort of research that supports your opinion, then I'd be very interested to see it. Adding "for the record" doesn't change your opinion to fact.

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Certainly The Enchanted Hunter has a problem with reality.

"The chauvinistic 'sexiness' of THE LIFE is strictly old-school, written by two guys well into their senior years. In fact, Cy Coleman was the house musician for a tv show called Playboy's Penthouse. And it goes a long way to explain why the show was an outright flop, given its dated, antique attitudes toward women and sex."

The Life was a period piece - did you even see it? It did not take place in the 42nd Street of 1997, but an earlier time. I don't recall any "sexiness" - that was not what the show was about. I know Mr. Coleman was on Playboy's Penthouse - so what? An outright flop? While it did not make its investment back, the show ran 466 performances and won Tonys for Best Musical, Best Book, and Best Score. Not exactly an "outright flop." But then you knew that, didn't you? Its dated antique attitudes towards women and sex were very much a part of the period the show is set in, rather like Showboat's dated, antique attitudes about race. Context, dear boy, is everything.

It's okay not to like The Life. It is not okay to make inane pronouncements about the show that have no basis in reality.

Anything from Welcome to the Club?

Peter Schifter was nominated for a Tony Award for directing. He lost out to Jerry Robbins, who won for Jerome Robbins' Broadway.

The only thing "unconscionable" in this thread is The Enchanted Cunter's melodramatic high dudgeon.

And I think they should have included "Here's to Us."

Here's Judy's unaired "Here's to Us" from the final show of her series:

http://youtu.be/6J3spaSdgjs

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"The only thing "unconscionable" in this thread is The Enchanted Cunter's melodramatic high dudgeon."

Just the kind of low-rent comment one would expect from someone who hasn't even seen the show. You're a piece of work, Slappy!

bk, the show takes place in the 80s. But its sexual politics is strictly Eisenhower-era fused with musical comedy naivete. The show's very subject matter reeks of sexism targeted for the tired businessman, circa 1960. As to 'sexiness,' if you think a show built around the lives of prostitutes and their johns, which features songs with titles like My Body and The Oldest Profession, doesn't have sex and titillation of the most puerile kind on its mind, well, I don't know what does.

Updated On: 5/24/11 at 06:02 PM

As you guys probably know I'm a huge Coleman fan. And I think his later work is just as strong (and in some cases stronger) than his early work. From Playbill this is the song list:

THE BEST IS YET TO COME
CAST
Lyrics: Carolyn Leigh

NOBODY DOES IT LIKE ME
SALLY MAYES
Lyrics: Dorothy Fields

YOU CAN ALWAYS COUNT ON ME
RACHEL YORK, LILLIAS WHITE, SALLY MAYES
Lyrics: David Zippel

YOU FASCINATE ME SO
HOWARD McGILLIN
Lyrics: Carolyn Leigh

DON'T ASK A LADY
LILLIAS WHITE
Lyrics: Carolyn Leigh

I'VE GOT YOUR NUMBER
DAVID BURNHAM
Lyrics: Carolyn Leigh

WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW ABOUT WOMEN
SALLY MAYES, RACHEL YORK
Lyrics: David Zippel

COME SUMMER
RACHEL YORK
Lyrics: Carolyn Leigh

IT AMAZES ME
BILLY STRITCH
Lyrics: Carolyn Leigh

MONEY MEDLEY:
SALLY MAYES, RACHEL YORK, HOWARD MCGILLIN, DAVID BURNHAM
FIVE ZEROES
Lyrics: Betty Comden and Adolph Green
ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE TRACKS
Lyrics: Carolyn Leigh
BIG SPENDER
Lyrics: Dorothy Fields
NEVER ENOUGH
Lyrics: David Zippel
I WANNA BE YOURS
Lyrics: Carolyn Leigh

NEVER MET A MAN I DIDN'T LIKE
LILLIAS WHITE
Lyrics: Betty Comden and Adolph Green

THE OLDEST PROFESSION
LILLIAS WHITE
Lyrics: Ira Gasman

ONLY THE REST OF MY LIFE
RACHEL YORK, DAVID BURNHAM
Lyrics: David Zippel

LITTLE ME
BILLY STRITCH, LILLIAS WHITE
Lyrics: Carolyn Leigh

THE MEASURE OF LOVE
SALLY MAYES, HOWARD MCGILLIN
Lyrics: David Zippel

SOME KIND OF MUSIC
BILLY STRITCH
Lyrics: Carolyn Leigh

WITH EVERY BREATH I TAKE
SALLY MAYES
Lyrics: David Zippel

HEY, LOOK ME OVER
RACHEL YORK
Lyrics: Carolyn Leigh

THE DOODLING SONG
RACHEL YORK
Lyrics: Carolyn Leigh

WITCHCRAFT
DAVID BURNHAM
Lyrics: Carolyn Leigh

I'D GIVE THE WORLD
HOWARD MCGILLIN
Lyrics: David Zippel

THOSE HANDS
LILLIAS WHITE, CAST
Lyrics: Marilyn and Alan Bergman

IT STARTED WITH A DREAM
CAST
Lyrics: David Zippel

MEGAMIX:
CAST
IT'S NOT WHERE YOU START
Lyrics: Dorothy Fields
IF MY FRIENDS COULD SEE ME NOW
Lyrics: Dorothy Fields
HEY THERE, GOOD TIMES
Lyrics: Michael Stewart
WE'RE NOTHING WITHOUT YOU
Lyrics: David Zippel


THE BEST IS YET TO COME
CAST
Lyrics: Carolyn Leigh

I'm surprised that Sweet Charity is so under-represented (only two songs, both part of a medley?).

Also would have loved to have more Twentieth Century (Our Private World, Never, and Repent would have been great inclusions).

Nothing from Welcome To The Club, which is a shame because that score has some amazing songs (seek out The Name Of Love is you've never heard it. A fantastic song).

And I'm very surprised they didn't include No Man Left For Me from Will Roger's Follies with Nobody Does It Like Me and You Can Always Count On Me in the beginning. It's a perfect fit and a great song.


Link

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^

I don't think it's a bad title. "Hey, Look me Over!" would also have been a good one.

I too am a fan of Cy Coleman's work. I prefer his first three scores to his later ones, though I like those as well.

charles,

I wholly understood what tazber was referring to, but many thanks for pointing it out to me.

The fact is the title can refer to the songs the the audience is about to hear on the program, and in that regard, I don't think it's a bad title at all, especially since it's equally the title of one of Coelman's most famous songs.