Sunday April 27th, 2025

We went to Governor's Island today, Zora, Maira and I, to meet Stephanie now executive director of The Field, a children's parentless playground made of found objects, in the tradition of junkyards. There has been a documentary as the concept has existed over time in Europe. We sat at a table overlooking a cruise ship docked at red hook, departing at 4PM for the Bahamas, the same time as the Yard closed. Was the playground called the Field or the Yard? It is enclosed by a solid brick building currently empty, blocking the view of the East River and Brooklyn across the way. We arrived back home and I could go see the last minutes of Cafe Resistance, a storied production. Lissa Moira, while directing it, discovered her larengitis was a sign of a serious condition, cancer of the lungs, and what can that mean? She never smoked. She was weakening with each rehearsal. It was a miracle to see everyone pull together as an ensemble. The content of the piece paralleled the Vichy occupation with today. A country under seige, under the guise of a government. The ladies of The Blue Parrot did their part in support of the resistance. The songs became an obsession for me because Lissa's choices were so familiar yet powerful and personally resonant. My sister would sing You Made Me Love You, I enjoyed discovering Mama Cass's voice in Dream a Little Dream, and for some reason I knew Love for Sale from the Fred Waring recording that I believed was an early self-financed production of Cole Porter himself. With Love for Sale I came to understand it was indeed introduced on stage by Fred and his singers in a play about New York Stories featuring Jimmy Durante who also wrote some of the songs. Cole Porter wrote the rest of them and Love for Sale is even more outrageous when we hear the Fred Waring record of it. Lissa hired me as music director of Cafe Resistance, while also hiring a spectacular and capable pianist actor Tristan Cano to follow that direction. I will see how well the musical numbers progressed when I see the recording Sam made of this last performance. They also did a version of Cole Porter's I've Got You Under My Skin. I also worked with the singers and they were all amazing. My thought at this time turn to Zora who becomes more communicative and interesting. I find myself deferring to her taste. She enjoys what I can get to her but I am still challenged to offer something new, or something directly assigned, like reminding her to practice her piano assignment from her friendly teacher, Ilhan. She seems to like him a lot, and sometimes I think she likes me, but I often make her upset. She still climbs on me and I am recently amazed that the few times I've had debilitating back pain have faded into a distant past. My perceptions of the past are usually reconstructions. I'm not sure when I last felt back pain. In general I've been aware of physical ailments, but they seem like they're in the past. We'll see how long this lasts. I tend to return to my productivity. The need for doing so is a drive for discovering my own work at a later time. I need other people's encouragement because of the underlying selfishness of producing it. It shouldn't be just for me, but I do enjoy it. There's more to say about Zora but I'm off on describing my own personal mental function, which is easily summarized by the remembrance, we are meaning makers. I believe the reference quote from my EST training experience is, we are meaning making machines. Therefore I make meaning out of what I wrote, and I'll write more. Any breakthrough will come through collaboration, but I'll create as much as I can and then let it transform.

The Art of Comedy Recital Program, January 25, 2025

Theater for the New City and The Yip Harburg Lyrics Foundation present THE ART OF COMEDY WORKSHOP RECITAL SING-A-LONG! Noon Saturday, January 25, 2025 Novel Origin Songs from Yiddish Theater to Vaudeville to Early Musical Theater Workshop Leader Mark Marcante – Music Director/Pianist: Peter Dizozza Choreography by Elizabeth Ruf with Lenin Alevante, Vinny DeLeo, Ben Harburg, Susan Goodstein, Paul Korzinski, Larry Litt, Lola Lukas, Cheryl Siporin, Elizabeth Ruf & Lei Zhou Last semester we began with a procession from Abduction from Seraglio, by a great comedy composer, Mozart 1) Mozart Praeludium: LA CI DAREM LA MANO – w/ Elizabeth & Lenin, from “Don Giovanni.” Lyrics by Elizabeth Ruf after Lorenzo Da Ponte (Columbia University Prof. of Italian Literature). Music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, 1787 2) ALEXANDER'S RAGTIME BAND – Ben Harburg. The #1 song of 1911 Musicologist Peter Stampfel suggests that Irving Berlin wrote it to highlight the sound of the band of James Reece Europe. And if you want to hear the Swanee River played in ragtime, Come on and hear, Come on and hear, Alexander's Ragtime Band! 3) I'VE GOT RINGS ON MY FINGERS – Cheryl Siporin 1909 R. P. Weston and Fred J. Barnes, and music by Maurice Scott Sure I've got rings on my fingers, bells on my toes Elephants to ride upon, my little Irish rose So come to your Nabob, and next Patrick's Day be Mistress Mumbo Jumbo Jij ji boo J. O'Shea speaking for itself is a song by Irving Berlin: 4) COHEN OWES ME NINETY-SEVEN DOLLARS – Larry Litt 1915 Irving Berlin speaking for the folks of 1906: 5) I'D RATHER LOVE WHAT I CAN'T HAVE (THAN HAVE WHAT I COULD NEVER WANT) – Vinny DeLeo, not the 1911 song by writer/actor/composer Elsie Janis, but rather the 1906 song with words by William M. Hough and Frank R. Adams. Music by Joseph E. Howard (I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now). CHORUS: I'd rather love what I can't have than have what I could never love. I'd rather like some fellow's girl than have one I thought nothing of. I'd Rather just pretend she's mine, than pay for someone else's wine. For I would rather love what I can never have, than have what I could never love. If you can't be with the one you love, honey, love the one you're with. 6) WHEN I AM NOT NEAR THE GIRL THAT I LOVE (I LOVE THE GIRL I'M NEAR) – Ben Harburg, by Yip Harburg and Burton Lane (1947) Skit with Jokes into 7) Two by Shalom Secunda: OIB S'IZ BASHERT (Lyric: Molly Picon) & BAY MIR BISTU SHEYN (Lyric: Sammy Cahn/Saul Chaplin) 1932 Susan Goodstein and Lola Lukas Bay Mir Bistu SheynBay Mir Bistu Sheyn please let me explain. Bay Mir Bistu Sheyn means that you're grand. Bay Mir Bistu Sheyn, again I'll explain. It means you're the fairest in the land. I could say bella, bella, even sehr wunderbar, Each language Only helps me tell you how grand you are. I've tried to explain, Bay Mir Bistu Sheyn, So kiss me and say you understand also heard in the WB Cartoon One Froggy Night, and in the alien out of the diner patron in Spaceballs! 8) HELLO MY BABY Peter 1899 Ida Emerson and Joseph E. Howard Hello! Ma baby, Hello! Ma honey, Hello! Ma ragtime gal. Send me a kiss by wire, Baby my heart's on fire! If you refuse me, Honey, you'll lose me, Then you'll be left alone; oh baby, Telephone and tell me I'm your own. And we are nearby to... 9) THE BOWERY – Paul Korzinski 1891 music by Percy Gaunt and lyrics by Charles H. Hoyt, from A Trip to Chinatown The Bow'ry, the Bow'ry! They say such things, And they do such things On the Bow'ry! The Bow'ry! I'll never go there anymore! The original singing credit to this song goes to Sophie Tucker! 10) SOME OF THESE DAYS – Lola, Susan, Elizabeth 1910 Shelton Brooks Some of these days, you'll miss me honey. Some of these days, You're gonna feel so lonely. You'll miss my huggin', You'll miss my kissin'. You'll miss me honey when you're away. I feel so lonely, just for you only. For you know honey, You've had your way! And when you leave me, you know t'will grieve me You'll miss your little red hot mama, yes some of these days. Also sung by Ada Jones and Barbara Perkins 11) A Weber and Fields (Mike and Meyer) Sketch with Lei Zhou and Paul Korzinski, into I JUST CAN'T MAKE MY EYES BEHAVE – Lei Zhou. 1906 Will D. Cobb & Gus Edwards also from the Ziegfield Follies, also performed by Britney Spears, it's 12) I DON'T CARE – Elizabeth Ruf (Novel Song by Jean Lenox & Harry O. Sutton) 1905 and now from Charlot's revue of 1926 with Beatrice Lillie, Gertrude Lawrence and Jack Buchanan, it's. 13) A CUP OF COFFEE, A SANDWICH AND YOU Elizabeth, Lei and Cast 1925 Joseph Meyer, Al Dubin and Billy Rose A cup of coffee, a sandwich, and you, A cozy corner, a table for two, A chance to whisper and cuddle and coo, With lots of huggin' and kissin' in view. I don't need music, lobster, or wine Whenever your eyes look into mine. The things I long for are simple and few: A cup of coffee, a sandwich, and you! She's tough, here she is. Lenin and Larry bring her to life. 14) HARD HEARTED HANNAH, The vamp of Savannah GA, Lenin & Larry 1924 Jack Yellen, Milton Ager, Bob Bigelow and Charles Bates What follows Hard Hearted Hannah, is the #2 song of 1911, 2nd only to Alexander's Ragtime Band 15) a) I WANT A GIRL JUST LIKE THE GIRL THAT MARRIED DEAR OLD DAD – Ben Harburg. The #2 song of 1911 by William Dillon & Harry Von Tilzer I want a girl, just like the girl that married dear old Dad, She was a pearl and the only girl that daddy ever had, A good old fashioned girl with heart so true, One who'll love nobody else but you, I want a girl, just like the girl that married dear old Dad. And now from Georgia to Alabama, rounding out the recital with another Berlin song. 16) WHEN THAT MIDNIGHT CHOO CHOO LEAVES FOR ALABAM' Lenin 1912 Irving Berlin When that midnight choochoo leaves for Alabam', I'll be right there, I've got my fare! When I See that rusty-haired conductor man, I'll grab him By the collar, And I'll holler, "Alabam'! Alabam'!" That's where You'll stop your train that brings me back again, down home where I'll remain Where my honey lamb am! I will be right there with bells When that old conductor yells, "All aboard, all aboard, all aboard for Alabam!" Bringing us to the culminating work of Yip Harburg, writing with Sammy Fain of Disney's Alice and Peter Pan. 17) THE WORLD IS YOUR BALLOON – Ben Harburg and Chorus. Revisit from “Flahooley,” by Yip Harburg and Sammy Fain 1951 Love, love, when you're in love The world is your balloon. Rain is confetti rain; The moon's a lantern moon. Glowworms are footlights in the clover for they know Life's a bang-up show. Why should it irk us? Ain't it a circus? Yours is the gate that swings To clowns and tinker bells. Yours is the hope on wings The heart on carousels. Yours is the Earth to play with On a summer afternoon, For when girl loves boy The world is a toy balloon. MUSIC NOTE: The original sheet music versions of songs published more than 95 years ago are in the “public domain.” Changes made to that public domain sheet music can be copyrighted. The original sheet music versions are usually better.

Ken Russel's Lisztomania

https://archive.org/details/Listzomania This is a phenomenon of cinema. It seems like it's yelling for attention but if you lower the volume you'll find specific ideas worth considering throughout. I actually think it does help us make sense of the hundred years (1875-1975) that it tries to cover. However, it certainly continues the Ken Russell exploration of the importance and transcendence of music. With music he gives collaborators a further opportunity to create, since he needs music to guide the images he creates. In this movie Rick Wakeman gets the opportunity and, with help, Mr Wakeman creates a synthesizer score that sounds better than Tommy. In the prior movie, Tommy, Russell got Pete Townsend to expand The Who's original ground-floor recording, but Townsend's use of the synthesizer to do so saved on getting an orchestra to support everyone in the movie. In fact, the cast sang and played (with their groups) the entire soundtrack. My appreciation for that movie, too, continues to increase. For both 1975 movies it is also worth noting the preservation of the cast. They are perfect because of what they can do and also of who they are. The glaring example is Ringo Star in the Liszt movie. Yes, we know who he is and yes he is really, sincerely, accurately, playing the pope. Also Ken Russell's understanding of silent movies makes him a teacher for anyone interested in creating visually guided cinema. A quick note on Wagner's Nordic legend work. In addition to its length, its text, which is also by Wagner, reads like comic books. Heinrich Heine coined the term Lisztomania. People back then perceived manias more as contagious diseases than they do now. The book by Marie d'Agoult, called Lisztomania in the movie, she actually titled Nelida.