PBS TRIBUTE TO BROADWAY COMPOSER LEGENDS RODGERS AND HART

Oznell · ‎11-08-2014

@QVCkitty1's thread on favorite songs got me thinking again about my favorite, the haunting standard "Where or When" by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart. Larry Hart, of course, was Rodgers' brilliant, troubled writing partner before Rodgers later teamed with Hammerstein.

PBS did a riveting tribute to Rodgers and Hart in 1999, with Brian d'Arcy James and Susan Egan performing "Where or When". I still think these two Broadway talents do the most luminous, poignant, charming rendition ever of "Where or When". You can feel the young love!

Don't you love the hair and costumes-- pitch-perfect for the Thirties:

In Rodgers and Hart's 1937 musical "Babes in Arms", two Depression-era young people meet, and experience an eerie, romantically compelling sort of "deja vu".

Even when Susan Egan looks away from him, singing, Brian d'Arcy James looks at her so ardently, his shyness and hesitancy dissipating-- oh, it's exquisite. If nothing else, give yourself the treat of watching their duet:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIYn4FLwubo

Incidentally, multi-award winning Brian d'Arcy James is still going strong and looking great in his fifties, too:

Here's the whole PBS special, "The Rodgers and Hart Story-- Thou Swell, Thou Witty", also streaming free on youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxruMAuctL0

But the Egan-James duet is the highlight, in my opinion!

drizzellla · ‎03-14-2010

Thank you for mentioning this. I did not know about the PBS tribute for Rogers and Hart.

I had bought a CD of Rogers and Harts songs after watching the movie with Andy Rooney.

And I know Susan Egan from the movie Hercules. The movie came out when I was working at Disney so I got to hear the soundtrack often. And loved it.

But I do not know Brian d'Arcy James. Will have to check out the video. Thanks for letting us know.

PS - Oznell - Just finished watching the tribute. Thank you! Thank you!. I am so glad that I took the time to watch it. Was well worth it. So well done.

Oznell · ‎11-08-2014

Oh, I'm so glad you liked it, @drizzellla -- as a connoisseur of great American musicals, you likely would. I was amazed that "Babes in Arms" was so packed with great "American Songbook" standards, some of the best ever written-- "Where or When", "My Funny Valentine", "The Lady is a Tramp", "Johnny One Note"....

Yes, Egan and James are so talented-- despite TV and film work, they seem to be most at home in theater. Fun fact about Brian D'arcy James' family-- his uncle was Brian Kelly, of "Flipper" fame, and his grandfather, Harry Kelly, was both governor of Michigan, and a justice of the Michigan Supreme Court....

cimeranrose · ‎03-10-2010

Very nice! Thanks for sharing @Oznell . (I could envision Gordon MacRae singing that to Doris Day in a movie - always loved them together in films and their voices worked so well together).

I have the Sound of Music CD and at the end of it there are interviews with Richard Rodgers, Robert Wise and Charmian Carr. Hammerstein had died before they did the movie version of the Sound of Music and there was at least one new song, maybe two, for the movie. Rodgers said he didn't want to/have time to break in a new partner so he ended up writing the words for the new song(s).

Oznell · ‎11-08-2014

Ditto to adorable Gordon MacRae and Doris Day, @cimeranrose !

It's neat you have those interviews. I've not seen many with Richard Rodgers, but from memoirs and other sources, he often seems to me a rather 'cool' character, somewhat aloof, in a way. The simmering genius that he was with his music just puts me in total awe!

spiderw · ‎06-14-2010

Rogers and Hart, musical geniuses! I enjoyed the video, love the song and words, so beautiful.

My favorite version of Where or When is the Sinatra version from one of his best albums, Only the Lonely. His style is perfect for such a song and he sings it with deep feeling. Th

I admire all song writers and composers, they are the ones who create the song and give it life no matter who interprets it.