The Lyrics of the Night: Don't Miss Today's Weekly Blast!Who are Andrew Lloyd Webber's best wordsmiths?
This is a FREE preview issue of The Broadway Maven’s Weekly Blast. The full paid version is $5/month or $36/year.
This week, The Broadway Maven looks at two Andrew Lloyd Webber shows: Evita and The Phantom of the Opera.• On Sunday, August 21 at Noon ET and Monday, August 22 at Noon and 7 pm ET there will be a FREE class on Evita, the exhilarating show about Argentina’s first lady. Register here.• On Thursday, August 25 at Noon and 7 pm ET we’ll conclude our Andrew Lloyd Webber series with a class on Phantom. $5. Register here.• This Weekly Blast includes:A) an ESSAY about Andrew Lloyd Webber’s best lyricists (included FREE in this preview issue);B) a RAVE about a Broadway newsletter worth subscribing to (included FREE in this preview issue);C) a QUIZ about Andrew Lloyd Webber trivia (included FREE in this preview issue);D) a YouTube GEM about Phantom chandeliers around the world;E) a POLL about favorite Broadway characters; andF) LAST BLASTS about Company and Legally Blonde.(Last Blasts are a new FREE Weekly Blast feature: quick witty, thought-provoking, or challenging thoughts about Broadway shows.)
Andrew Lloyd Webber, perhaps Broadway’s most beloved living composer, has long struggled with finding just the right lyricist. Here are the five best: Fifth Place: Don Black. While Black contributed to several of Lloyd Webber’s flops (Aspects of Love, Stephen Ward the Musical) he also helped pen the lyrics for the supreme Sunset Boulevard and the touching Tell Me on a Sunday, with its affecting “Unexpected Song.” Fourth Place: Glenn Slater. While Phantom of the Opera sequel Love Never Dies was not successful (it never even came to Broadway), I consider School of Rock to be a real triumph, a herald that Lloyd Webber is back. Third Place: David Zippel. And not just because he was an outstanding guest at The Broadway Maven two weeks ago! Zippel’s work on Lloyd Webber’s current project, a re-telling of Cinderella, is quite promising for the future of their partnership. Their song “Bad Cinderella” (about an “unpleasant peasant”) is worth the price of admission alone. Second Place: Tim Rice. Lloyd Webber’s working relationship with his first lyricist created three beautiful shows: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Jesus Christ Superstar, and Evita. Now, Rice also had some clunkers (see my Joseph video), but from “Jacob & Sons” to “Oh, What a Circus” he showed a playfulness with language and a flair for clever rhymes that future collaborators had a hard time matching. First Place: T. S. Eliot. Need I explain? RAVE: My favorite Broadway newsletter (other than this one!) is The Scene. The Scene targets theatre educators but anyone interested in theatre can enjoy its articles, briefs, and links dealing both with the craft and today’s Broadway scene. Examples: this preview of nine important shows and revivals coming to Broadway this season; and this interview with Clue playwright Sandy Rustin. It has my wholehearted endorsement. You can sign up below. QUIZ: How well do you know the master of the music of the night? Here’s a 10-question quiz to test your knowledge about Andrew Lloyd Webber and his shows.
Evita, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s third collaboration together, is their most mature and perhaps their most accomplished. We’ll look at the history of the show; how well it reflects Eva Peron’s actual life; and some of the brilliant lyrics and performances that have enhanced Andrew Lloyd Webber’s virtuoso music. This FREE class meets Sunday, August 21 at Noon ET and Monday, August 22 at Noon and 7 pm ET. ALL ACCESS Passholders do not need to sign up.
Why has The Phantom of the Opera become the longest-running show in Broadway history? We’ll explore that question in a Broadway Maven class that will meet Thursday, August 25 at Noon and 7 pm ET. $5 tuition.
What’s the meaning of the enigmatic lyric “Don’t Cry For Me, Argentina”? Here are some of my theories, explain your own in the comments.  For the Phantom class, watch this video and evaluate the performances of these six teen Phantoms. Consider not only voice but costumes, sets, and props. Identify your favorite and explain why you chose him in the comments. 
Last Blast: In Company, Bobby accidentally calls his flight-attendant one-night stand “June” even though her name is April. Perhaps he’s telling her “I thought you were more mature than you actually are.” Last Blast: The main character in Legally Blonde is a first-year law student, which makes her name (ELLE Woods) interesting - a first-year law student is often called a “One L.”
Note: links to register for ALL classes are ALWAYS available at TheBroadwayMaven.com.• Sunday, August 21 Evita (Noon ET, FREE) • Monday, August 22 Evita (Noon and 7 pm ET, FREE) • Tuesday, August 23 Trivia Party (Noon and 7 pm ET, ALL-ACCESS Exclusive) • Thursday, August 25 The Phantom of the Opera (Noon and 7 pm ET, $5) • Sunday, August 28 Into the Woods (Noon ET, FREE) • Monday, August 29 Into the Woods (Noon and 7 pm ET, FREE) • Thursday, September 1 Little Shop of Horrors (Noon and 7 pm ET, $5) Reminder: ALL-ACCESS Passholders do not need to sign up or pay for anything. Just show up!The Broadway Maven, David Benkof, helps students further their appreciation of musical theater through his classes, his YouTube Channel, and his Weekly Blast. Contact him at DavidBenkof@gmail.com.
© 2022 David Benkof
|
The Lyrics of the Night: Don't Miss Today's Weekly Blast!
August 17, 2022
0
