April 30 - Sheldon Harnick (The Musical Birthday Series, 7th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for April 30th may be found here: Franz Lehár (2019), Sheldon Harnick (2020), Robert Shaw; Alfred Gaul (2021), Merrill Osmond (2022), Franz Lehár (2023), and Robert Shaw (2024)

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Sheldon Harnick (30 April 1924 – 23 June 2023) was an American lyricist and songwriter, best known for his musicals written with Jerry Bock.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Encore

It's always a bit of a shock

That the theater public will flock

To greet the arrival

Of the umpteenth revival

Of Fiddler by Harnick and Bock.

 

 

 

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March 22 - Stephen Sondheim; Andrew Lloyd Webber (The Musical Birthday Series, 7th 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), and Stephen Sondheim (2024)

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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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Little Things You Do Together

The divide between Stephen Sondheim and Andrew Lloyd Webber fans often boils down to a preference for different musical styles and theatrical approaches, with Sondheim's work often lauded for its intellectual complexity and Webber's for its broad appeal and grand spectacle. — AI summary from Google search "Sondheim fans vs. Lloyd Webber fans"

When you're part of a musical cult,

The often unnerving result,

Is the need to conceal

All the zeal that you feel

From another more stable adult.

 

 

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March 2 - Kurt Weill; Bedřich Smetana (The Musical Birthday Series, 5th Annual Cycle)

Previous entries for March 2nd can be found here: Kurt Weill (2021); Bedřich Smetana (2020);  Kurt Weill and Marc Blitzstein (2019), and Desi Arnaz (2022)

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Kurt Weill (2 (March 1900 – 3 April 1950) was a German (later American) composer, especially for the musical theater.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 An’nem schönen blauen Sonntag

"Moritat vom Mackie Messer" ("Mack the Knife") was a last-minute addition that was inserted before its premiere in 1928. -- Wikipedia

The song has become a popular standard recorded by many artists after it was recorded by Louis Armstrong in 1955. The most popular version of the song was by bobby Darin in 1959, whose recording became a number one hit in the US and UK and earned him two Grammys. Ella Fitzgerald also received a Grammy for her performance of the song in 1961. -- Wikipedia

 When Weill composed his "Mackie Messer"

    Also known as "Mack the Knife"

It would have been a savvy guesser

    Who reckoned covers would be rife,

And Weill would be the shrewd possessor

    Of royalties throughout his life.

 

 

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

 

 

Bedřich Smetana (2 March 1824 – 12 May 1884) was an important Czech composer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On Smetana

The program note says one expects

That patriotic pride infects

His melodies, and one suspects

That they derive piquant effects

From favorite folk songs of the Czechs.

 

 

 

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March 2 - Kurt Weill (The Musical Birthday Series, 3rd Annual Cycle)

Kurt Weill (2 (March 1900 – 3 April 1950) was a German (later American) composer, especially for the musical theater.

[Previous entries for March 2 can be found here: 

• Bedřich Smetana (2020)
  
• Kurt Weill and Marc Blitzstein (2019)]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Two Variations on a Theme of Kurt Weill

(1)

There are those who have said of Kurt Weill,

When he gave Tin Pan Alley a trial,

That his music with Brecht

Had been rather more echt

Than his new North American style.

(2)

Mister Weill was a little bit hurt

When anyone said to him, “Kurt,

On your musical menu,

The stuff you wrote when you

Moved to the States is dessert.”

 

 

 

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