the fairly recent revised PaperMill version of the book is slightly better, but they didn't go far enough. They also added another great song, but unfortunately it's another ballad in Act Two, which was already ballad-heavy (it's called END OF SUMMER, a trio for the three principal ladies). i have heard the libretto struggled with Arlene's decision about her late-life pregnancy, and the choices she might make...the new version tries to be a bit clearer, but still walks a line to not offend the pro-life/pro-choice divide. It is almost ambigous enough (depending on costuming) to let the actress/director decide the outcome, which is interesting.
i had heard the pre-PMP workshop for revision was better than the eventual production, but that's all subjective, and it's hard to track what changes went in/got cut.
It is also interesting that one of the best ballads, Nick's AT NIGHT SHE COMES HOME TO ME, has different lyric versions between different editions and the cast recording (and it's Vidonic singing it wonderfully there). i have worked on this show at least four times, as many theatres choose it for the score and the relatively small, actor-centric cast. There are great variations in the vocal books too, with back-up vocals for some songs from the ensemble floating in and out. The score remains terrific, and still plays very well these days.
i think i heard the librettist, Sybille Pearson (sp?) was working on another fairly high-profile project, but can't recall what it was.
i'm also most interested in Maltby/Shire's TAKE FLIGHT (i think that's the latest title), which so far i believe has only had workshops/staged readings. Their two revues, the previously mentioned CLOSER THAN EVER and the wonderful STARTING HERE STARTING NOW, have been highly influential (in my opinion) to modern musical theatre songwriters. They remind me in some ways of Sondheim, but with a more conventional song structure, hook-heavy, with very pop music flavors.
i believe i'm correct that the pop hit duet WITH YOU I'M BORN AGAIN (which in some ways is very similar to the BABY duets WHAT IF WE HAD LOVED LIKE THAT or WITH YOU) is at least partially written by the team, perhaps with another lyricist (though some sources also credit the hit to its singer, Billy Preston). Maltby/Shire have a reputation for writing terrific, character-driven (but still "lift-able") duets.
TMI, i know...sorry about that. Wish i could have seen the B'way original. i agree it turned me into a life-long Liz Callaway fan...and led me to her sister as well. She sounds just as wonderful more recently, as you can hear in the SPITFIRE GRILL cast recording. Sis, Ann Hampton Callaway, is going to be singing a local gala soon that i'm attending just for her, as i did a pops symphony concert last season. She is also a great writer/arranger, as evidenced in the SWING score. It's great, as you study the BABY score, to realize how the team wrote to Liz's voice, ending most of Lizzie's (yes, named for her) numbers on the C an octave above middle C, which she belted wonderfully. In those days, the musical theatre female belt didn't have to go all the way up another fourth or fifth the way it does now. Callaway's creamy, throaty lower register is also shown off in the score, along with her pop lower belt in some duets with Danny. The hardest female voicing line is Pam's, which is not only rangy and has odd interval jumps, but in most harmony cases has the middle note in some odd chords (though you can adjust that with Arlene and Lizzie if needed---the last time i did the show, my three ladies were so vocally proficient they traded off who sang which harmony lines in chords just to keep their voices in good technique---amazing harmony ears on all of them). Pam is also asked to belt a lot and then float for some ballads. It's a tough assignment.
In general, the choral writing for the six leads and the ensemble (not sure who to credit that too) is terrific, and fun to sing (if you're not Pam).
Again, sorry, can you tell i'm somewhat obsessed?!?!?
Will: They don't give out awards for helping people be gay... unless you count the Tonys.
"I guarantee that we'll have tough
times. I guarantee that at some point
one or both of us will want to get out.
But I also guarantee that if I don't
ask you to be mine, I'll regret it for
the rest of my life..."
Updated On: 10/30/08 at 07:48 AM
