March 22 - Stephen Sondheim; Andrew Lloyd Webber (The Musical Birthday Series, 8th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for March 22nd may be found here: Stephen Sondheim & Andrew Lloyd Webber (2019), Gerard Hoffnung.(2020), Stephen Sondheim (2021),  Stephen Sondheim (2023), Stephen Sondheim (2023), Stephen Sondheim (2024), and Stephen Sondheim; Andrew Lloyd Webber (2025)

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Stephen Sondheim (22 March 1930 – 26 November 2021) was an American composer and lyricist.  

Andrew Lloyd Webber (b. 22 March 1948) is an English composer and impresario of musical theater.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aries Arise!

The fact that such differing greats

Share birthdays together creates

A case where astrology

Should prepare an apology

For the faults of the stars and the fates.

 

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March 18 - John Kander (The Musical Birthday Series, 8th Annual Cycle)

Previous postings for March 18th may be found here: Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (2019), John Kirkpatrick (2020), Adam Levine (2021), John Kander (2022), John IV of Portugal (2023), Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (2024), and Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (2025)

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John Kander (b. 18 March 1927) is an American composer, who with lyricist Fred Ebb, wrote successful Broadway shows including Cabaret and Chicago.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How Do You Solve a Problem?

If you're aiming to do Cabaret

In most controversial way,

You could make Ebb and Kander

Insipid and blander

In a Rodgers and Hammerstein way.

 

 

 

 

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February 28 - Bernadette Peters (The Musical Birthday Series, 7th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for February 28th are here: Jean-Baptiste Arban (2020), Geraldine Farrar (2021), Tommy Tune; John Alden Carpenter (2022), Bernadette Peters (2023), and Jake Bugg; Charles Bernstein (2024)

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Bernadette Peters (b. 28 February 1948) is an American actress, singer, and children's book author.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dot.com

Sondheim has said of Peters, "Like very few others, she sings and acts at the same time," he says. "Most performers act and then sing, act and then sing ... Bernadette is flawless as far as I'm concerned. I can't think of anything negative." -- Wikipedia

When Peters sang Sondheim you found

Such a wedding of lyrics and sound

That shows that were tops

Could have ended as flops

With no Bernadette Peters around.

 

If you enjoy these posts, please help me, and consider sharing.  [Also, please visit my other blog: Alternate Takes: Great Art Repurposed.] 

 

February 14 - Florence Henderson (The Musical Birthday Series, 7th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for February 14th are here: Renée Fleming (2020), Aida Overton Walker (2021), Francesco Cavalli; Alexander Dargomyzhsky (2022), Francesco Cavalli; Fernando Sor (2023), Michael Costa; Irving Gordon (2024), and Víkingur Ólafsson; Fred Scott (2025)

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Florence Henderson (14 February 1934 – 24 November 2016) was an American singer and actress. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other Voices, Other Rooms

She debuted on Broadway in the musical Wish You Were Here in 1952, and later starred on Broadway in the long-running 1954 musical, Fanny (888 performances) in which she originated the title role. – Wikipedia

The Brady Bunch defined her career,

So some forget, or very near,

Her talents in another sphere;

Neglecting how she, year by year,

Would go to Broadway and appear,

With Playbills as a souvenir.

I'd never criticize or jeer

At Carol Brady, and won't smear

A sitcom mom whose so sincere;

Nor never would I want to sneer

At TV shows that some revere.

I only want to make it clear

Why Florence Henderson is here,

Where music is the subject we're

Commit strictly to adhere

To when we give a birthday cheer.

 

 

If you enjoy these posts, please help me, and consider sharing.  [Also, please visit my other blog: Alternate Takes: Great Art Repurposed.] 

 

 

January 30 - Mitch Leigh; Thomas Tallis (The Musical Birthday Series, 7th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for January 30th are here: Johann Joachim Quantz; Thomas Tallis (2020), Johann Joachim Quantz (2021), Thomas Tallis; Harold Prince (2022), Thomas Tallis (2023), Johann Joachim Quantz (2024), and Charles Haubiel (2025)

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Mitch Leigh (30 January 1928 – 16 March 2014) was an American composer and theatrical producer,  best known for the musical Man of La Mancha.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Everybody Doesn't Like Something 

He [Mitch Leigh] never apologized for working in advertising, and he did not give it up just because he had a couple of Tonys on his mantel. – NYT obituary

Mitch Leigh's television music included the commercial jingle "Nobody Doesn't Like Sara Lee," and the Benson & Hedges theme "The Dis-Advantages of You." –  adapted from Wikipedia

Mitch Leigh who composed the empowering theme

For the Man of La Mancha's "Impossible Dream,"

Was never ashamed of his gig on the side,

In fact, writing jingles had filled him with pride,

And there's art in these jingles (as heard on TV),

For Benson & Hedges, and sweet Sara Lee!

 

 

♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪  

 

Thomas Tallis (c. 1505 – 23 November 1585) was an extremely important English composer. We do not, in fact, know when he was born, but some sources cite tentative evidence pointing to 30 January, so... why not?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Man, a Plan: The Writing of "Spem in alium" 

When Thomas Tallis filled his pen to start

   Writing

His famous feast of mesmerizing part-

   Writing

He had a careful plan for off-the-chart

   Writing,

And thus avoided horse-before-the-cart

   Writing.

 

If you enjoy these posts, please help me, and consider sharing.  [Also, please visit my other blog: Alternate Takes: Great Art Repurposed.]