During the 1950s, the music of Broadway was the popular music of the western world. Every season brought a fresh crop of classic hit musicals that were eagerly awaited and celebrated by the general public. Great stories, told with memorable songs and dances were the order of the day, resulting in such unforgettable hits as “The King and I.” These musicals were shaped by three key elements: Composers, Directors and Female stars.
Musician and Composer, Cole Porter (1891-1964) was born in Peru, Indiana. He studied music from an early age, and began composing as a teenager. At Yale University, he was voted “most entertaining man,” though he went on to law school at Harvard University, his interest remained in music. Some of the cleverest, funniest and most romantic songs ever written came from his pen. He was unmatched as a tunesmith, and his Broadway musicals – from “Kiss Me Kate” and “Anything Goes” to “Silk Stockings” and “Can Can.”
Join me for the first “Tuesday With Fran” on Mar. 11 at noon, at the Carnegie Hall Auditorium for a half hour of insights and music of some of Cole Porter’s wonderful songs, the first of the spring series entitled “The Best Loved Songs of The American Stage.”
By Fran Belin