When I think of the quintessential showtune, Jule Styne is one of the composers that comes to mind. There is a brassy boldness that instantly begins to fill the ears and swells the heart when recalling melodies such as “Everything’s Coming Up Roses,” “Don’t Rain on My Parade” and “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend.” And yet, Styne could be subtle, emotional, and break your heart with gentler tunes such as “The Party’s Over,” “Make Someone Happy,” and “Who Are You Now?” Working with many lyricists over his long career, Styne was a master of the infectious melody. Today, I’m celebrating this composer of Gentleman Prefer Blondes, Bells Are Ringing, Gypsy, and Funny Girl with a playlist that looks at songs from these, and a bountiful array of other titles. I hope you enjoy them and hopefully I didn’t miss too many that are close to your heart.
Playlist: Cy Coleman — A Broadway Celebration
Cy Coleman was always one of Broadway’s most eclectic composers, working with many lyricists and employing musical styles that stretch from jazz to operetta, country to pop. Even with all this variety, his music always had that key ingredient of every great showtune: it told a story. This playlist is a celebration of some of Coleman’s best ditties, culled from the likes of Little Me, Wildcat, Sweet Charity, Seesaw, On the Twentieth Century, I Love My Wife, Barnum, City of Angels, The Will Rogers Follies, and The Life. I hope you’ll enjoy his songs as much as I do.