Each month, Jason Fortner spotlights one or more musical theatre composers and/or lyricists, offering his own unique perspective on the songwriting legends of musical theatre. Send your comments/questions on this column to happgood@aol.com.

Since June is now “Bustin' Out All Over” I thought we'd look at some of my favorite rhymes in the Broadway pantheon. It's that time of year where we wish to lighten our load, wear less clothing and loaf as much as possible, and in that spirit this column will be as light and airy as a summer movie. Here goes…

W.S. Gilbert Source: Wikipedia.org

When thinking of my favorite lyrics, my thoughts immediately turn to the opposite ends of a chronological timeline, with W. S. Gilbert on one end and Stephen Sondheim on the other.

 Gilbert, of Gilbert & Sullivan fame, created clever rhymes that had hitherto never existed, taking the listener on wild rollercoasters of cleverness. One of my favorites is sung by Koko the Lord High Executioner in THE MIKADO:

As some day it may happen that a victim must be found,
I've got a little list - I've got a little list
Of society offenders who might well be underground,
And who never would be missed - who never would be missed!
There's the pestilential nuisances who write for autographs -
All people who have flabby hands and irritating laughs -
All children who are up in dates, and floor you with 'em flat -
All persons who in shaking hands, shake hands with you like that -
And all third persons who on spoiling tête-á-têtes insist -
They'd none of 'em be missed - they'd none of 'em be missed!

Gene Kelly and Vivienne Segal in PAL JOEY (1940 Broadway production) Source: PBS.org

Gilbert influenced all of the lyric writers who were to follow him. Lorenz Hart loved the work of Gilbert and often wrote in his clever patter style, but was also skilled at turning out much more sophisticated lyrical phrasing as well.  Here's a lyric by Hart that always makes me smile. It's from PAL JOEY and was originally sung by Vivienne Segal, playing the role of “Vera” the woman who is “keeping” the much younger Joey, in the musical  PAL JOEY:

I'm wild again
Beguiled again
A simpering, whimpering child again
Bewitched, bothered and bewildered am I

Couldn't sleep
And wouldn't sleep
Until I could sleep where I shouldn't sleep
Bewitched, bothered and bewildered am I

Lost my heart but what of it?
My mistake I agree.
He's a laugh, but I like it
Because the laugh's on me.

A pill he is
But still he is
All mine and I'll keep him until he is
Bewitched, bothered and bewildered
Like me.

Seen a lot
I mean I lot
But now I'm like sweet seventeen a lot
Bewitched, bothered and bewildered am I

I'll sing to him
Each spring to him
And worship the trousers that cling to him
Bewitched, bothered and bewildered am I

When he talks he is seeking
Words to get off his chest.
Horizontally speaking
He's at his very best.

Vexed again
Perplexed again
Thank God I can't be over-sexed again
Bewitched, bothered and bewildered am I

Both the “trousers that cling to him” and the “horizontally speaking” line were often removed in pop versions of this song, owing to the risqué nature of the lyric, by 1940's standards at least.

Ira Gershwin is another of my favorites. Using a “pseudonym” (Arthur Francis) in his early writing to not cash in on the success of his younger brother George, Ira was a master wordsmith.  He created new ways of looking at words that hadn't been sung before. Here's a section of the song “S Wonderful” that truly is:

Don't mind telling you, in my humble fash
That you thrill me through, with a tender pash,
When you said you care, 'magine my emosh
I swore then and there, permanent devoshe
You made all other men seem blah
Just you alone filled me with ahhhhhhhh......

's wonderful, 's marvellous
You should care for me!
's awful nice, 's paradise,
's what I love to see.

You've made my life so glamorous,
You can't blame me for feeling amorous!
Oh 's wonderful, 's marvellous,
That you should care for me!

's magnificque, 's what I seek
You should care for me.
's elegant, 's what I want,
's what I love to see.

My dear, it's four leaf clover time,
From now on my heart's working overtime,
's exceptional, 's no bagatelle,
That you should care for me.

Melissa Errico as Eliza Doolittle in MY FAIR LADY (1993 Broadway Revival) Source: Melissa Errico.com

Each of these writers was able to write both comic and romantic songs, a skill often lost on modern writers. Alan Jay Lerner was another one of the greats, able to scribble off patter lyrics as well as lush ballads. Here's part of one of his songs for Henry Higgins in MY FAIR LADY entitled “Why Can't The English?” that exemplifies his clever turn of phrase:

An Englishman's way of speaking absolutely classifies him,
The moment he talks he makes some other Englishman despise him.
One common language I'm afraid we'll never get.
Oh, why can't the English learn to-
Set a  good example to people whose English is painful to your ears?
The Scotch and the Irish leave you close to tears.
There even are places where English completely disappears:
In America, they haven't used it for years!

Why can't the English teach their children how to speak?
Norwegians learn Norwegian; the Greeks have taught their Greek.
In France every Frenchman knows his language from "A" to "Zed"
(The French never care what they do, actually,
as long as they pronounce in properly.)

Arabians learn Arabian with the speed of summer lightning.
And Hebrews learn it backwards which is absolutely fright'ning.
But use proper English you're regarded as a freak.
Why can't the English learn to speak?

My list goes on and on with great examples, but I'm sure the beach or other summer destinations are calling you. So my final installment in the brief look at my favorite lyrics will be from my all time favorite, Stephen Sondheim.

Stephen Sondheim's gift for intricate manipulation of the English language is legendary, and coupled with his brilliant music, he creates instant classics of the musical theater. From simple lines like “the hands on the clock turn but don't sing a nocturne just yet”  in A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC to inventive uses like “should there be a marital squabble, available Bob'll be there with the glue” in COMPANY, Mr. Sondheim always exceeds my expectations.

Michael K. Lee and Paolo Montalban in PACIFIC OVERTURES (2004 Broadway Revival) Source: Broadway.com

Here's a favorite of mine  from PACIFIC OVERTURES, and more specifically the number “Please, Hello” in which the various country representatives are coming to set up business in Japan. This is the section from the British Admiral, bringing us full circle as it is set to emulate a Gilbert & Sullivan piece.

BRITISH ADMIRAL
Please, Hello, I come with letters from Her Majesty Victoria
Who, learning how you're trading now, sang "Hallelujah, Gloria!"
And sent me to convey to you her positive euphoria
As well as little gifts from Britain's various emporia.
(Offers a tin of tea to Abe)

ABE: Tea?

BRITISH ADMIRAL: For drink.

ABE: I see. I thank you -

BRITISH ADMIRAL
I think
Her letters do contain a few proposals to your Emperor
Which if, of course, he won't endorse, will put in her in a temper or,
More happily, should he agree, will serve to keep her placid, or
At least till I am followed by a permanent ambassador.

RECITER
A treaty port and, from the court, a permanent ambassador.
A treaty port and, from the court, a permanent ambassador.
A treaty port and, from the court, a permanent ambassador
And more.

BRITISH ADMIRAL _
Her Majesty considers the arrangements to be tentative
Until we ship a proper diplomatic representative.
We don't foresee that you will be the least bit argumentative,
So please ignore the man-of-war we brought as a preventative.