Burton Lane

Back to see the latest instalment in the 92Y Lyrics & Lyricists series and tonight we celebrated Burton Lane, composer of FINIAN'S RAINBOW and ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN SEE FOREVER as well as some great movie standards like "How About You?", "Everything I Have Is Yours", "The Lady's In Love With You", "Too Late Now" and "How Could You Believe Me When I Said I Loved You When You Know I've Been a Liar All My Life?"

 Arranged and orchestrated by David Loud who also provided the hilarious narration, this was a most stylish evening, elegantly staged by Patricia Wilcox. The company worked seamlessly as a team and shone as soloists.

You could have heard a pin drop during Liz Callaway's ethereal performances of "On a Clear Day.." and
"How Are Things in Glocca Morra?" (which left tt a weeping wreck)...

Heidi Blickenstaff (from [title of show]) almost stole the evening with a feather light "Look To The Rainbow".

James Clow was very funny in "Madam, I Love Your Crepe Suzette" from the film version of DUBARRY WAS A LADY, a song in which (David Loud pointed out) the music is actually funnier than the lyric.

Joshua Henry (of the late lamented SCOTTSBORO BOYS) led the company in the joyous "Headin' For New Orleans" with lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner from an unproduced film version of HUCKLEBERRY FINN (1951) which...if memory serves...I think was meant to star Gene Kelly and Danny Kaye as the King and The Duke.

Michele Ragusa (who replaced Megan Mullally in YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN) sizzled with "Old Devil Moon" and nailed every laugh in "Why Him?" from the 1979 flop CARMELINA.

The icing on the cake was the original star of ON A CLEAR DAY...., the wonderful John Cullum, now celebrating his 50th year on Broadway who made the years fall away when he reprised the glorious ballad "Melinda" and told hair raising stories about replacing original  ON A CLEAR DAY star Louis Jourdan out of town at four days' notice.

A very satisfying evening. There's a Comden and Green concert hosted by Phyllis Newman coming up in May...we've already got our tickets!!