Why oh why oh why oh...

Why do we do it? Write musicals. Today I heard that the wonderfully innovative and artfully moving musical by Kander and Ebb and directed by Susan Stroman, The Scottsboro Boys was closing. I saw the show at the Vineyard before it moved to Broadway and was very impressed all around with it. There are some that claim the subject matter is not proper for a musical. These are the same people who claimed Sweeney Todd was also not material to sing about. All this begs the question why write a musical in this day and age when the money producers want shows by established pop or rock writers who haven't a clue what a musical is and probably would laugh if they saw a traditional musical. Be that as it may...why is the question. Why? Because we have to. I have to. What is the lure? Today, after a fruitful and interesting casting meeting with our director, casting director, producers and my collaborator, I went home and got to polish the script and lyrics of The Road to Qatar! Writing a new bridge to Mansour's song, Everything is Bigger in the Middle East to David's music...that's why. That's the fun of it. The work, the joy of knowing that someone will be on stage singing what we wrote. The lyric and music for the old bridge was fine but something nagged at me and I thought, well now's the time, baby. Write something new and better. So I asked David to take the lead and write a short release...he did. I wrote the lyrics, I asked for another syllable, he gave it to me. This is the why. This is the fun.

BUT YOU___ WILL NEVER BE GYPPED
WHEN MA___NSOUR IS IN CHARGE
I'M HONEST, (I'M FROM EGYPT)
WHERE A BOAT'S A BARGE
CAUSE WE'RE LIVING LARGE
YES,
EVERYTHING IS BIGGER IN THE MIDDLE EAST
IF YOU LET MISTER MANSOUR BE YOUR GUIDE etc.

So as I mourn the loss of a wonderful musical on Broadway, of what might be the last new Kander and Ebb show, of the backers who won't ever want to put money into a "serious" musical theatre piece (I can't even think about The Night of the Hunter), I work harder on our five character, one set, musical COMEDY! This is the time for it. And I think I have a great tag line for the promo ads...

Something VERY Funny is going on in the Middle East!

Makes me wanna buy a ticket.