July 2007
"On The Street Where You
Sing"
Summertime is a time for traveling, and as we traverse the many highways and
byways of the world this summer I got to thinking about streets, more
specifically show tunes about streets, roads and other thoroughfares. So travel
with me now as we take a little journey down the many roads of show tunes…
Our column title comes from Alan Jay Lerner & Frederick Loewe's MY FAIR
LADY, in which the street Freddy sings about is Wimpole Street in London,
more precisely Number 27-A. The opening number of ROBERT & ELIZABETH, a
1964 London musical about the Elizabeth Barrett & Robert Browning courtship,
elopement & marriage also takes place on Wimpole Street, setting up the
environment for the biographical tale. The score for ROBERT & ELIZABETH is by
Ron Grainer & Ronald Miller and has yet to be produced on Broadway. While still
in 19th Century London, we can't forget to visit BAKER STREET, the title
and location for the Sherlock Holmes musical by Marian Grudeff & Raymond Jessel. As all
good sleuths know, Mr. Holmes lived at 221 B Baker Street and was ably assisted
there by Dr. Watson.
Bobby Clark, Lou Costello and Bud Abbott in STREETS OF
PARIS
Source:
Aaron Nethery.com |
Crossing the English Channel we might traverse the "Champs-Elysees" in Paris,
also the title of a French pop song by Joe Dassin, that once you've heard it,
never leaves your head. Of course there have been lots of songs about the
streets of Paris, and even a show, STREETS OF PARIS, produced by Mike
Todd in 1940 for the New York World's Fair and starring Gypsy Rose Lee with
Abbott & Costello.
Speaking of New York, its colorful streets have proved inspiration for many a
show tune. Irving Berlin invited one and all to go "Slumming On Park Avenue" in
the film ON THE AVENUE while in the song "Easter Parade" he proposed that
we take a stroll "on the avenue, Fifth Avenue… The photographers will snap us,
and you'll find that you're in the rotogravure". The musical JIMMY, a
1970 Broadway flop about Mayor Jimmy Walker, featured a catchy tune called
"Riverside Drive", but that song alone couldn't make it a hit. In HAZEL FLAGG
we learned that "Ev'ry Street's A Boulevard in Old New York", as written by
Jule Styne & Bob Hilliard. Anyone who has ever seen WONDERFUL TOWN knows
that the opening number is "Christopher Street", a comic travelogue as created
by Bernstein, Comden & Green while fans of FUNNY GIRL know that Bob
Merrill & Jule Styne celebrated the joys of "Henry Street" in song.
John Tartaglia and Stephanie D'Abruzzo in AVENUE Q
Photo by Carol Rosegg
Source:
Playbill.com |
The human & puppet musical AVENUE Q lovingly spoofs SESAME STREET and
modern New York living, with a score by Robert Lopez & Jeff Marx. The Jerry
Herman/Michael Stewart musical HELLO, DOLLY! makes many references to New
York's 14th Street, including a lyric in the title song and ending Act One with
the 14th Street Association Parade. Of course, the most famous numerical street
in Manhattan is 42nd STREET, made famous by the Al Dubin & Harry Warren
song, featured in the Busby Berkeley film and the Gower Champion stage musical.
While still discussing New York thoroughfares we can't ignore Broadway, a
street named in hundreds of show tunes. From George M. Cohan's "Give My Regards
To Broadway" from LITTLE JOHNNY JONES to the pop song "On Broadway",
featured in SMOKEY JOE'S CAFÉ, Broadway is mentioned again and again.
Sondheim created "Broadway Baby" for FOLLIES, Kander & Ebb penned
"Broadway, My Street" for 70, GIRLS, 70, while songs like "Babes On
Broadway", "Broadway Rhythm" and "45 Minutes From Broadway" are only the tip of
the iceberg and Broadway will remain an inspiration.
Other streets that inspire show tunes include "Grant Avenue", a rousing
number celebrating San Francisco's Chinatown, penned by Rodgers & Hammerstein
for FLOWER DRUM SONG. Bernstein & Lerner titled their 1976 White House
epic 1600 PENNSYLVANIA AVE, but there was no title tune while Jazz
aficionados know famous streets in varied locales with songs like Basin Street
Blues (New Orleans), Beale Street Blues (Memphis) and the South Rampart Street
Parade (New Orleans). And who can forget the title songs to the Bing Crosby/Bob
Hope/Dorothy Lamour "Road" pictures, where one could find themselves on the
"Road to Morocco" or the "Road To Hong Kong", among others.
Judy Garland in THE WIZARD OF OZ
Source:
Yahoo.com |
Of course, not every street needs a name in their song. Benjamin Stone
laments "The Road You Didn't Take" in FOLLIES while lyricist Dorothy
Fields (paired with composer Jimmy McHugh) told us that "life can be so sweet"
on "The Sunny Side of The Street". In 1947, Kurt Weill composed a score for
STREET SCENE with lyrics by Langston Hughes and Jones & Schmidt wrote a
musical called ROADSIDE. In THE WIZARD OF OZ we are encouraged to
"Follow The Yellow Brick Road" while in THE WIZ we are invited to "Ease
On Down The Road" instead. Country singer Willie Nelson took us "On The Road
Again" while Mel Torme & Lucille Ball celebrated "Main Street USA" on her
series, THE LUCY SHOW.
Finally, I'll close this look at show tune roads with some directions… These
are from the opening number of the Albert Hague/Arnold Horwitt musical PLAIN
& FANCY, in which two New Yorkers are lost in Amish country, seeking a
little town called Bird In Hand… Enjoy!
MAN 2: PASS THE SECOND TRAFFIC LIGHT
YOU'LL SEE A BARN THAT'S BIG AND WHITE
TAKE THE HIGHWAY TO THE RIGHT
YOU CAN'T MISS IT!
JUST KEEP GOING TILL YOU SEE
NEAR A CORNER GROCERY
THERE'S A ROAD MARKED 203
YOU CAN'T MISS IT
PRETTY SOON THERE COMES A FORK IN THE ROAD LIKE THIS!
GO LEFT THEN RIGHT THEN LEFT THEN RIGHT!
IT YOU CAN'T MISS!
THEN YOU GO STRAIGHT AHEAD UNTIL YOU LAND
BY A FROZEN CUSTARD STAND
DAN: AND AFTER THAT COMES BIRD-IN-HAND?
ALL: YOU CAN'T MISS IT!
GIRL 2: THERE'S A SHORTCUT NO ONE KNOWS ABOUT
DOWN A BACK ROAD NO ONE USES
PAST A GATE HOUSE NO ONE'S LIVIN' IN
CROSS A DRAWBRIDGE OUT OF ORDER
BY THE LONG WAY TAKES AN HOUR
THIS WILL CUT OFF NEAR A THIRD OF IT…
RUTH: AND THAT LEADS US IN TO BIRD IN HAND?
GIRL 2: BIRD IN HAND? I NEVER HEARD OF IT!
