Friday, January 26, 2007
Friday Night at the Movies
I received emails with quicktime versions of the edited film clips that will accompany the special material song that I wrote with my collaborator Matthew Ward for the Drama League Benefit on Feb. 5th. The song is being sung by Jim Dale and Joanna Gleason and it's about the 80 year disfunctional love affair between Broadway and Hollywood. The film clips are brilliantly edited by Harry Arends. This is the first time I have worked closely with Harry although we shared the bill on a few other Drama League Benefits beginning with our tribute to Liza Minnelli . In fact Harry and I shared a Liz Smith column in which she praised us both, saying that Harry should "get his own brand of Oscar" and that "the brilliant lyrics written to the tune of 'Deep in the Heart of Texas' were penned by the gifted Stephen Cole." Oh yes, that's me! Stephen Cole. Not the Stephen Cole who writes Dr. Who, but the Stephen Cole who wrote After the Fair, Casper, The Night of the Hunter, Dodsworth, That Book about That Girl, Aspire, The Road to Qatar and others...THAT Stephen Cole. Anyway, I am thrilled about the way we are going to combine live action and film in this show. That is what keeps me working on this. I know the audience is going to love it.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
Mr Cole, Mr Cole! I have read that your are travelling abroad as opposed to...well, I won't go there now)!
From an ardent fan Down Under, will we be able to read a transcript of your lyrics from the Drama League Benefit upon your return?
Travel safe! You must be the biggest thing in the UK now the Beckhams have set up camp in LA!
Dear Les aborigles...as per your request I will publish the lyric for the special material...It is entitled Dysfunctional Duet...please note that Jim is Jim Dale and Joanna is Joanna Gleason
VO
Ladies and Gentlemen, your hosts for this evening, Joanna Gleason and Jim Dale.
(Joanna and Jim enter to thunderous applause, but they are still applauding the Dreamgirls number)
JIM
Oh, Joanna! Wasn’t that simply marvelous? I just love the song from Dreamgirls. What a smashing movie.
JOANNA
Well, Jim, Dreamgirls was a Broadway musical.
JIM
Really? But I just saw the movie. It was show?
JOANNA
Yes, of course it was. It ran for four years. Didn’t you see it?
JIM
I was on hold with my agent. But it’s the movie that everyone knows. I mean musical films are the greatest American achievement. West Side Story, My Fair Lady, The Sound of Music, Oklahoma…
JOANNA
All of those came from Broadway. If it weren’t for Broadway there would be no Hollywood musical.
JIM
You don’t really believe that, do you?
JOANNA
Not only do I believe it, (Music begins) but I can prove it! With music!
WHERE WOULD THE HOLLYWOOD MUSICAL BE
WITHOUT THAT BROADWAY TOUCH?
WHEN THE FLICKERS LEARNED TO SING
THEY NEEDED SCHMALTZ AND SOUL
SO THEY CALLED UP THE SHUBERTS
AND THEY SENT FOR JOL-
SON
JIM
Well, perhaps the Shuberts were glad to get rid of him. Do you have any other wisdom to impart?
JOANNA
Yes!
WHEN THE SCREEN REQUIRED DANCE
THEY NEEDED STYLE AND FLAIR
SO THEY BECKONED TO BROADWAY
AND BUILT AN ASTAIRE-
WAY TO PARADISE
JIM
Joanna, did you know that Ginger Rogers did everything Fred did…but backwards and in heels.
JOANNA
Of course. She was from Broadway too!
THEY NEEDED MUSIC AND LYRICS
AND HAD MONEY TO BURN
SO THEY BOUGHT UP THE GERSHWINS
PLUS HAMMERSTEIN AND KERN
THEY CHEWED EM UP AND SPIT EM OUT
JIM
“THANK YOU SO MUCH”
JOANNA
BUT WHERE WOULD THE HOLLYWOOD MUSICAL BE
WITHOUT THEIR BROADWAY TOUCH?
JIM
THAT’S ALL VERY FINE
THAT’S ALL VERY TRUE
BUT HOLLYWOOD MIGHT TAKE
A VERY DIFF’RENT POINT OF VIEW
THEY HAD ROGER EDENS AND ARTHUR FREED
JUDY GARLAND AND KAY THOMPSON
WHAT MORE DID THEY NEED?
THEY GAVE US SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN
WITH THAT KELLY NAMED GENE
JOANNA
BUT THE WRITERS WERE FROM BROADWAY
THEY WERE COMDEN AND GREEN
AND SPEAKING OF THAT
BEFORE YOU’RE THRU
REMEMBER THAT GENE KELLY CAME FROM BROADWAY TOO
JIM
Well, that is true.
JOANNA
SO NO ONE WOULD SING IN THE RAIN YOU SEE
BOTH
(He admits it)
WITHOUT THAT BROADWAY CREW
JIM
Well, maybe you’re right Joanna.
JOANNA
Of course I am.
JIM
But a love story is like a bisexual on a nighttime soap…it has to go both ways. And recently the roles have been reversed. After all Hollywood has given Broadway…
HAIRSPRAY, THE PRODUCERS AND SOON LEGALLY BLONDE
PROVING HOLLYWOOD AND BROADWAY HAVE A SYMBIOTIC BOND
AND THO CHICAGO CAME FROM BROADWAY
DON’T FORGET IT GOT ITS START
AS A FILM WITH GINGER ROGERS
REMEMBER ROXIE HART
JOANNA
But that’s MY point. The movie was based on a little 1920s play called Chicago. Broadway! Broadway! Broadway!
JIM
(The music continues as the film begins and shows silent footage over the following)
Well, ever since the invention of film, Broadway and Hollywood have been involved in a violent, if long-distance flirtation.
JOANNA
But flirtations can only go so far when one of the lovers is silent.
JIM
But Hollywood had romance.
(Romantic silent clip-the music is It Can’t Be Wrong)
JOANNA
But Broadway could talk.
(Clip of a stage show with lots of talking-the music Pick-a-little-talk-a-little)
JIM
Hollywood had humor.
(Comedic pratfall clip-music is Be a Clown)
JOANNA
Broadway could sing!
(Clip of Broadway star singing-music is I Got Rhythm)
JIM
Hollywood had mystery!
(Clip of Vamps-music is silent screen vamp music)
JOANNA
(Starting to get personal now as if she were the personification of Broadway)
Broadway gave Hollywood the best years of her life. (Music is now tune of song again)
We gave you musicals and what did you do with them?
JIM
We made…silent musicals.
(Clips of silent musical numbers including Joan Crawford doing the Charleston)
Just look at that Joan Crawford. The epitome of a musical star…and you didn’t have to hear her sing. You must admit that was a gift.
JOANNA
But then Broadway gave you the biggest gift of all. We taught Hollywood how to talk…
(The film turns to Jolson in The Jazz Singer and for the first time we hear sound. Scratchy old sound)
JOLSON VO
Wait a minute! Wait a minute! You ain’t heard nothin’ yet!
(Film clips and music end)
JOANNA
(Getting a bit too upset)
Broadway put those words into Hollywood’s mouth. And what did you do with them? You spit it back in our face.
JIM
Now, Joanna…Hollywood loves Broadway…
JOANNA
Don’t touch me! All Hollywood has to offer is money, Oscars and Entertainment Tonight.
JIM
Joanna…
(He finally kisses her and she comes out of it. The music returns. The film turns to a montage of kisses and slaps and punches and kisses under the following reconciliation.)
BOTH
SO LET US AGREE TO DISAGREE
AND GO ON WITH THE SHOW
JIM
TONIGHT WE’LL CHART THE STORY
THAT IS TRULY TRANSCENDANT
JOANNA
PROVING BROADWAY AND HOLLYWOOD
ARE ALWAYS CO-DEPENDENT
BOTH
DISFUNCTIONAL PERHAPS
BUT IT’S LOVE ALL RIGHT!
SO LET CELEBRATE THEIR
80 YEAR DISFUNCTIONAL
LOVE AFFAIR
TONIGHT!
(They shake on it!)
ALL RIGHT!
(Film ends on button of song!)
Post a Comment