NEW Bacharach/Costello MUSICAL?

The Burt Bacharach Forum is a board to discuss the music and career of composer Burt Bacharach and performers associated with his songs.

Moderator: mark

Post Reply
ron hertel
Posts: 481
Joined: Tue Mar 16, 2004 7:08 pm

NEW Bacharach/Costello MUSICAL?

Post by ron hertel »

This morning the San Diego Union Tribune reported the following: ..... begin quote .......... "One of television's most successful sitcom writers is joining with Burt Bacharach and Elvis Costello to create a musical based on the artists 1998 album "Painted From Memory".

Bacharach said Chuck Lorre, creator of "Two and a Half Men" and "The Big Bang Theory" contacted him and said he wanted to write a story to go with the music.

The dark and lush album was an unusual collaboration between a pop classicist and an Englishman who usually traffics in rock 'n' roll. They earned a Grammy for one of its songs, "I Still Have That Other Girl." ....... end quote!
Blair N. Cummings
Posts: 1123
Joined: Fri Jun 11, 2004 4:14 pm

Re: NEW Bacharach/Costello MUSICAL?

Post by Blair N. Cummings »

This is easily one of the most god-awful ideas I`ve heard in quite a while. No musical should be based on existing songs. This is probably what helped to doom Some lovers. When will people learn?
And Jimmy Webb STILL can`t get an original show produced!
nymusicalsguy
Posts: 275
Joined: Fri May 05, 2006 10:39 am

Re: NEW Bacharach/Costello MUSICAL?

Post by nymusicalsguy »

Not sure what you mean about SOME LOVERS, Blair. The score was completely original and penned by Bacharach and Sater for the musical. It's just a sign of the long gestation period of musicals that a handful of songs were recorded before the show was actually staged.

Burt writes in his book that he and Elvis will be composing new songs for the PAINTED FROM MEMORY musical, and also confirms that they are collaborating with Mike Myers on an all-new, original score for Myers' proposed AUSTIN POWERS musical. (Myers will write lyrics.) That Burt is committing so much energy towards musical theatre - and is committed to writing so much new music - is only for the good. I had the opportunity to briefly speak with him earlier this week, and he seemed energized by these projects and by the ongoing development of SOME LOVERS. As far as PFM and AUSTIN POWERS, I can't imagine being disappointed by new Bacharach/Costello songs - on record or onstage. Whether Lorre will be able to weave the new and old songs into a viable narrative remains to be seen. But I'd put my money on that horse, and I sincerely hope it comes to fruition. (Steven Sater is collaborating with Lorre on the book.)

Best,

Joe
Blair N. Cummings
Posts: 1123
Joined: Fri Jun 11, 2004 4:14 pm

Re: NEW Bacharach/Costello MUSICAL?

Post by Blair N. Cummings »

If Elvis can coax from Burt the level of creativity he did before, I`m sure the results will be impressive.
My (mis-?)understanding regarding Some Lovers was that Sater was simply Bacharach`s latest lyricist and that somehow the idea to cram some songs into a musical theater piece arose.
I`m just cynical about a B`way "culture" that has produced nothing (Tarzan? Spider Man?) of value for decades and may well be moribund. I will be delighted to be proven wrong.
Martin Johnson
Posts: 462
Joined: Fri Sep 10, 2010 7:41 am

Re: NEW Bacharach/Costello MUSICAL?

Post by Martin Johnson »

From the BBC's entertainment news pages:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-22449975
Blair N. Cummings
Posts: 1123
Joined: Fri Jun 11, 2004 4:14 pm

Re: NEW Bacharach/Costello MUSICAL?

Post by Blair N. Cummings »

It`s interesting that the two most recent topics have generated little to no comment from our usually gabby and contentious "community."
The boxed set will be a real gem for novitiates but of little interest to most of us here.
In the end, I`d really prefer a new Bacharach/Costello album than a pointless staging of what are now classics. That`s just me. I`ll be back in NYC for the next few days and, since my only digital device is my desktop, I`ll be temporarily incommunicado.
Post Reply