SHOWTUNE: Celebrating The Words & Music of Jerry Herman Musical revue in 2 acts. Composer/Lyricist: Jerry Herman: Conceived by: Paul Gilger: Piano & Vocal Arrangements by: James Followell Showtune was originally titled Tune the Grand Up, and premiered 1 May, 1985 as a cabaret production at The 1177 Club on Nob Hill in San Francisco, California. Original production in London under the title "The Best of Times" - Bridewell Theatre, 1998. Transferred to Vaudeville Theatre, London 1998 For full details of productions and casts visit Wikipedia SYNOPSIS A revue celebrating the words and music of Jerry Herman, composer and lyricist for some of Broadway's greatest shows, including "Hello, Dolly!," "Mame" and La Cage Aux Folles." Incorporating hit song after hit song, this revue is sure to please audiences young and old alike with its toe-tapping music and it's witty and knowing lyrics. A small cast and a grand piano make this the perfect intimate revue for any slot in your season... or as a great fund-raiser! Two versions of the show exist – The complete 2-act version, and the abridged 1-act. STORY We are welcomed to the world of Jerry Herman, one of the Golden Age of Broadway’s pre-eminent tunesmiths, with the glittering opening number from Mame – “It’s Today!” Also included in this dazzling opening number is yet another optimistic view of life in Show Biz - “Big Time” from the 1974 hit Mack and Mabel – originally starring Robert Preston and Bernadette Peters. “We Need A Little Christmas” opens the next section and tells us how to deal with the bad news we seem to find everywhere. If thinking of Christmas doesn’t help, then all you have to do is “Put On Your Sunday Clothes!” The number ends with the cast in their Sunday finery simulating a train with the men’s bowler hats becoming smokestacks and the ladies’ parasols acting as the wheels. We’re taken backstage to a Cabaret where we find an actor sitting in front of his makeup mirror. He is in the process of making no ordinary transformation – he is preparing to become “Zaza” the star of La Cage Aux Folles! (“A Little More Mascara”). Zaza makes “herself ” right at home as a crescent moon descends for “The Man in the Moon” and deftly performs the obbligato. The scene ends with the full cast declaring the right of each individual to live their own life in “I Am What I Am.” “The Four Seasons” is the theme for a view of Herman’s unique outlook on love. In the “Spring” of love we hear the plaintive “I Won’t Send Roses” with both sides of the couples thoughts on the matter represented; the anticipation of love in “Ribbons Down My Back” and the preparation for dating with instruction in “Dancing.” A battle of the sexes ensues as we reach the hot “Summer” of love as the men sing the chauvinistic “It Takes A Woman” driving the women to announce that they’re going “Wherever He Ain’t!” The men counter with the fact that there are “Hundreds of Girls” to be had and take out their little black books as proof. The address books are quickly confiscated as the ladies bid the men “So Long, Dearie” and we approach the more reflective nature of “Autumn.” Recounting a memory of love we hear one woman confide to the others “And I Was Beautiful” prompting a gentleman to suggest that someone “Kiss Her Now” (While She’s Young). The cast interlocks their thoughts and sing both songs in counterpoint segueing to the “Winter” of love where we discover that “Time Heals Everything.” What’s that I hear down the street? Is that a parade? We’d better go and taste Saturday’s high life “Before the Parade Passes By!” We quickly find out that “One Person” can beat a drum and change the world and that we
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