The Steve Lutvak Appreciation Thread (THIS one came thru)

[MasterLcZ]

Posted: 8/2/05 at 9:28pm

Over the past few months, I've become aquainted with the works of several bright up-and-coming musical theater composers, notably Jeff Blumenkrantz, Peter Mills and Steve Lutvak. I met Steve through his contribution to my favorite show of the year, SONGS FROM AN UNMADE BED (He sat next to me, and I turned and said "You'll really like this show, this is the fifth time I'm seeing it" and he replied "I co-wrote one of the songs in it - "Exit Right") As it was one of my favorites in the score, I used the LcZ rule that states that if someone wrote ONE good song, they've written other good ones too - and bought Steves solo CD, THE TIME IT TAKES. I guessed right - Imagine a gay, out Billy Joel with smarter lyrics and you will get some idea of his stuff: bright, tunes and equally catchy ballads. I was pleased to see that Lutvak had written the theme song for the film MAD HOT BALLROOM (which I'm surprised hasn't been mentioned as a potential Broadway musical) and I ran to see his show last Friday at the Duplex.

Happily, Lutvak has turned his attention to three new, soon-to-be-workshopped book musicals, THE WAYSIDE INN (co-written with Ron McGee) and two written in collabotration with lyricist Robert L. Freedman (Lutvak also contributed lyrics to all three shows): KIND HEARTS AND CORONETS (a musical adaptation in of the classic Alec Guinness film), and most intriguingly,
CAMPAIGN OF THE CENTURY, a political musical based on Upton Sinclair's unsucessful race to be Govenor of California in 1934 (the socialist-turned Democrat was the victim of an organized smear campagn orchestrated by William Randolph Heast and Louis B. Mayer, and Aimee McPherson and Shirley Temple - who had a 'no politics' clause in her Fox contract - were recruited to campaign against him). Lutvack, accompanied by singers
Catherine Walker and John Hellyer performed selections from the scores, the majority from CORONETS which sounds like a cross between DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS and Gilbert & Sullivan (and that's a compliment) and alone, Lutvak performed a number of solos, notably "Exit Right" (Lyrics by Mark Campbell), "The Dinner Party (Bagelmakers to the Czar)" "I'll Imagine You a Song" (Lyrics by Carol Hall; written in honor of Nancy LaMott) and a beautiful new lullaby to a sleeping lover that's not on CD yet. I don't know in what stages of development the other two musicals are, but on September 19, CAMPAIGN OF THE CENTURY will get a full reading and I plan on attending it.

Lutvak is performing the last Friday night of every month till December at the Duplex, and I don't care if you call me a shill - I highly recommend his show (which will be a bit different each month with diffrent guest stars). Go see him, he writes good stuff!

Updated On: 8/2/05 at 09:28 PM

[AuditioningWaitress]

Posted: 8/2/05 at 9:34pm

Steven Lutvak is an amazing songwriter! Listen to "Rewriting History" which he wrote with Stephen Schwartz... plus "Bagelmakers To The Czar". I love his work!

[MasterLcZ]

Posted: 8/2/05 at 9:37pm

"Rewriting History" is one of my favorites too!
I'm hoping he performs it at his next show.

[WChafin]

Posted: 8/2/05 at 9:53pm

I agree, not only is Steven a great & talented guy, but his collaborator Robert L. Freedman is also one of the nicest guys you will ever meet. In fact Robert is one of the people in my avatar! I posted this before, but I will re-post it here. You can hear a snippet of his and Robert's song 'Coming Home To You' from CAMPAIGN OF THE CENTURY on Michael's website. Link Below. I also take it you were at the Duplex Friday night. It was a great show!
Michael Rupert's Website

[MasterLcZ]

Posted: 8/2/05 at 10:00pm

I was there WChafin - I was the guy seated upfront by the left corner at the stage who looked like Cueball from DICK TRACY. Where were you? :)

[WChafin]

Posted: 8/2/05 at 10:11pm

The best to describe it was we were on the right side near the front but almost in the middle - if that makes any sense. Hadn't been to the Duplex in years. It was much smaller than I remember it.

[Yankeeboy]

Posted: 8/3/05 at 7:46pm

I was in correspondence with Steven this past year, and he really is like the nicest guy in the world. I'd sang "Bagelmakers to the Czar" a semester or two ago @ UArts, and I've been in love with his music ever since. He also sent me the music to "Museums," which is this hauntingly beautiful ballad about a father-son relationship that I hope to use in my cabaret class this coming year. I highly recommend anyone to purchase The Time It Takes, and keep an eye on this guy - he's gonna do great things.

[MasterLcZ]

Posted: 8/3/05 at 8:03pm

I gotta tell you, Yankeeboy, that for personal reasons, I can't listen to "Museums" very often. You know those songs that have an eerie resonance to ones own life where you feel the songwriter has been eavesdropping on your memories? "Museums" and "The House I Grew Up In" affect me that way. Whenever I listen to them, I turn into a sobbing mess...but wow, are they beautiful and moving songs - and "Museums" is a GREAT song for cabaret. I also love "Those Of Us Who Knew James", "I'll Imagine You A Song", "Debbie and Teddy and Me" and "The Time It Takes" among others. Now, we gotta get Blumenkrantz and Mills to put out some CDs!

It's not every songwriter who can tickle your funny bone one moment then unleash your tear ducts the next!

[justme2]

Posted: 8/3/05 at 8:11pm

He and Dee Hoty had a great cabaret act at the (now defunct?) Rainbow Room years ago. That's how I started listening to Lutvak...

[AuditioningWaitress]

Posted: 8/3/05 at 8:35pm

Wow! Thanks for the link! The song sound amazing! Wish the whole song was there! I think I might just have to try and attend one of these readings of the show. It sounds really interesting.