In the film, The Goodbye Girl, the two romantic leads battle over their rights in their shared apartment. The job of lyricist David Zippel and composer Marvin Hamlisch, turning the movie into a theater piece, was to translate the spoken film fight into a live stage duet. Their successful “before” (projected in a film clip) and “after,” titled “My Rules” and performed live on stage, was part of the instructive enjoyment at the February edition of Lyrics & Lyricists, at the 92nd Street Y, featuring Zippel and his works. Another highlight: a fast-paced song-duel between a crime writer and his imagined private eye, each claiming “You’re Nothing Without Me,” written by Zippel and Cy Coleman for their Broadway hit, City of Angels. Zippel, as the L&L evening’s host and artistic director, exhibited 21 examples of his witty word-smithing for theater and animated films, paired to music by Coleman, Hamlisch, Alan Menken and others. In addition, paying homage to songs that influenced his own work, Zippel presented 15 classic popular pieces featuring lyrics by Ebb, Comden and Green, Sammy Cahn, Hammerstein, Sondheim and other masters. Providing fine vocals were Kate Baldwin, Kevin Earley, Debbie Gravitte, Danny Gurwin and—a dynamic standout—Lillias White, with smart band backup led by musical director Christopher Marlowe.
Peter Haas
Cabaret Scenes
February 22, 2009
www.cabaretscenes.org
|
