Ahrens
& Flaherty -- American Songbook
Review
from Theatermania.com
April
2003
If there
is one contemporary link to the composers of classic Broadway
musical theater, it has to be the songwriting team of Lynn Ahrens
and Stephen Flaherty. They write with melody, wit, and style,
their approach to music and lyrics very much in the grand tradition
of such masters as Irving Berlin, the Gershwins, Cole Porter,
and Frank Loesser. Quite appropriately, the American Songbook
series at Lincoln Center, sponsored by AT&T, recently honored
Ahrens and Flaherty on the occasion of their 20th anniversary
as songwriting collaborators. And what better way to honor them
than have them perform their own material with the help of the
excellent singer/actors LaChanze, Judy Blazer, Eric Jordan Young,
and Steven Pasquale?
Some
of the most charming numbers of the evening were delivered by
Ahrens and Flaherty themselves, such as "Nice" (from Lucky
Stiff) and "Close But No Cigar" (from the unproduced Bedazzled).
The American Songbook concert at Lincoln Center's Kaplan Penthouse
had a casual air about it; it was more a party than a show, which
only heightened the sense of celebration. Songs from the team's
illustrious career were performed in no particular order but most
of their shows (produced and unproduced) and film scores were
represented, including Once on This Island, Seussical,
A Man of No Importance, Ragtime, Anastasia,
The Glorious Ones, and a work in progress titled Dessa
Rose.
The highlights
included Stephen Flaherty's solo piano version of Ragtime's
title number, Steven Pasquale's performances of "Streets of Dublin"
from A Man of No Importance and "I Was Here" from the
unproduced The Glorious Ones, and the LaChanze-Eric Jordan
Young duet on "Wheels of a Dream" from Ragtime. Speaking
of a dream, here's to another 20 -- make that 40 -- years of collaboration
between Ahrens and Flaherty.
Song
List from the American Songbook Concert-- April 2, 2003
At the
Beginning (from Anastasia) -- Lynn Ahrens & Stephen
Flaherty
Waiting
for Life / Mama Will Provide ( from Once on This Island)--
La Chanze
Solla
Sollew ( from Seussical)-- Eric Jordan Young
Times
Like This ( from Lucky Stiff)-- Judy Blazer
Streets
of Dublin ( from A Man of No Importance)-- Steven Pasquale
Rose (
from Dessa Rose)-- LaChanze
Once Upon
A December/ Journey to the Past ( from Anastasia)-- Judy
Blazer
Close
But No Cigar ( from Bedazzled) -- Lynn Ahrens & Stephen
Flaherty
Ragtime
( from Ragtime)-- Stephen Flaherty
Wheels
of a Dream ( from Ragtime) -- LaChanze & Eric Jordan
Young
I Was
Here ( from The Glorious Ones) -- Steven Pasquale
Nice--
( from Lucky Stiff)-- Lynn Ahrens & Stephen Flaherty
