1. Overture 2. Stranded Again/Saddle Up the Horse/On the Twenieth Century - George Coe, John Cullum, 3. I Rise Again - John Cullum 4. Veronique - George Coe, , Madeline Kahn 5. Together - John Cullum, Madeline Kahn 6. Never - Imogene Coca 7. Our Private World - John Cullum, 8. Repent 9. Mine 10. I've Got It All - John Cullum, Madeline Kahn 11. Five Zeros - Imogene Coca, George Coe, John Cullum, 12. Sextet - Imogene Coca, George Coe, John Cullum, , Madeline Kahn, 13. She's a Nut 14. Babette - Madeline Kahn 15. Legacy - John Cullum 16. Lily, Oscar - John Cullum, Madeline Kahn 17. Life Is Like a Train 18. Legacy - Hal Norman, Charles Rule, Stanley Simmonds 19. Lily, Oscar 20. On the Twentieth Century (Reprise) - Madeline Kahn
The star of the show was the set Submitted on: 2008-11-25
I saw this show in July, 1979, at the Aire Crown Theater in Chicago. The original touring company of the show starred Judy Kaye as Lily, Imogene Coca as Mrs. Primrose and (are you ready for this one) Rock Hudson as Oscar Jaffe. All of the actors gave impeccable performances and the show was riotously funny--but my vote must go to the Robin Wagner set. Case in point: A 60-second section of "She's A Nut"--Mrs. Primrose is being chased through the train by her nephew and hospital attendants to take her back to the mental institution where she had escaped--blackout--the lights come up to reveal a life-size replica of the engine with Mrs. Primrose waving from the engineer's cabin--blackout--then stars twinkling and two trains passing each other in the night far in the distance--blackout--the blinding light on the front of yet another life-size engine races towards the audience with Mrs. Primrose standing on the cowcatcher hanging on for dear life--the set spins around to reveal the rear deck of the observation car with Mrs. Primrose waving as the train races away into the night--blackout--and the lights return and we're back inside of the train and the chase continues. All of this within 60 seconds--a VERY expensive set of transitions--and worth every penny. In fact--most of the underscoring music for this is on the recording.
My date for this show was a set designer for a community theater--she thought she'd died and gone to heaven. Truly a memorable evening at the theater.
Life and Love and Luck May Be Changed... Submitted on: 2008-11-07
With the advent of CDs, I found myself listening less and less to my albums, and eventually got rid of my turntable altogether. Which meant there was a whole slue of Broadway cast LPs that sat around gathering dust. Slowly, I've started replacing the collection, and have started with the scores that have most stuck in my head. One of those was "On the Twentieth Century." Why Cy Coleman isn't more highly regarded as one of the all-time great Broadway composers is a bit of a mystery to me. True, he won three Tony awards, but doesn't ever seem to be mentioned in the same breath as Richard Rodgers, Frederick Loewe or even John Kander. Perhaps because he worked with so many different lyricists and was never quite part of a writing team; perhaps because he was too versatile, composing in so many different styles that he never defined a voice for the general public to latch onto. Whatever the reason, "On the Twentieth Century" is further proof of Coleman's genius and versatility. The score combines different styles, ranging from mock-operetta to 1920s silent movie music, but never feels at odds with itself. "Saddle Up the Horse" (sounding straight out of a Keystone Kops chase scene) resides very happily next to "Our Private World" (pure Offenbach), which resides contentedly next to "Repent," which has its roots firmly in musical comedy. Not all of it works, and the Comden & Green lyrics strike me as being a bit too arch at times, but it's all highly enjoyable.
I remember John Cullum being brilliant in the show, and it's readily apparent on the recording; he channels John Barrymore to pitch-perfect, scenery chewing perfection. Imogene Coca is at her ditzy, inspired best, and Kevin Kline shines, despite little to do. (This mostly non-singing role made him a star, and rightly so.) One wishes Madeline Kahn's soprano were more clear; it's a heavy, sometimes hooting sound, the kind of Sunday luncheon women's club soprano that has been made fun of for years. As a comedienne, of course, Kahn was second to none, but one longs for someone like a Kristen Chenoweth (who has done concert versions of the show) or a Judy Kaye (who was Kahn's replacement) who could handle both the coloratura and the schtick. (Rumor has it that Bernadette Peters was Prince's first choice; though more of a belter, one can only imagine how marvelous she would have been in the role.)
Does "On the Twentieth Century" have a perfect score? Not by any means. But it's consistently intelligent, fun, and at times ravishing. I'd love to see it done again, maybe with Chenoweth, Kevin Kline (as Oscar) and Carol Burnett in the Coca role. Ah, well, if I only had 8 or 9 million...
"Hope Renewed and Fate Re-Arranged" Submitted on: 2008-09-17
ON THE TWENTIETH CENTURY was the first "original cast" album I bought 25 years ago. I've never been a particularly big fan of "stage musicals" - - even to this day I own only a handful of original cast albums. I bought this album mainly because I was a Carole Lombard fan and a big fan of the original film TWENTIETH CENTURY as well as an admirer of the great Madeline Kahn and I was curious about this musical. Well, it knocked me out so much I played it constantly for years. The songs are generally hilarious, the arrangements highly innovative and downright thrilling.
It's sad to hear of the backstage squabbles that led to Ms. Kahn's departure early on in the run - you certainly can't detect any undercurrents of tension in the record. I have never seen this musical even to this day but the songs are so vivid I can picture them all being performed easily in my mind - which I dare say is something the best "original cast" recordings should do. There is only one conventional "Broadway musical song" here, the sentimental OUR PRIVATE WORLD, it's not bad but it certainly can't hold a candle to the best tracks. The title number "On the Twentieth Century" is a vivid, rollicking number sung by the "cast" (ie: supporting chorus) as is the superb "Together" which vividly captures the frenzy of idolizing public and their infatuation with movie stars and as many have noted the overture is extraordinary.
The brillant Ms. Kahn who should have become one of the queens of Broadway musicals had this production been happier. She is outrageously funny in her tour de force biographical "Veronique" (save our city, let old Bismark have a look; save our parish, you'll look good in history book; ah but Veronique won't let him have a peak, Paris falling, boom one week!") Almost is great is the somewhat similar "Babette". She is also the spoiled bitch movie star to end all in "Never!" and has a witty audio feud with John Cullum in "I've Got it All", sort of a uptown answer to ANNIE GET YOUR GUN's "Anything You Can Do I Can Do Better". She and Cullum even have a MacDonald/Eddy parody with "Lily, Oscar".
And the there's that other peerless comedienne, Imogene Coca who is a hoot as the righteous Leticia who demands folks "Repent". There's also two delightful highly visual numbers virtually the whole cast participates in "Five Zeros" and "She's a Nut".
John Cullum is the male lead in the part made famous by John Barrymore on film - his songs and vocals are good but I think a bit in the shade by the ladies, as is Kevin Kline then at the beginning of his major career as Kahn's glamour boy lover. The guys may seem a bit overshadowed by the ladies on the CD but apparently were socko on the stage with the comic script as both won Tony awards for their performances (Kahn and Coca were nominated but lost to Liza Minnelli and Nell Carter, respectively.) The musical also won several other major Tonys but lost the award for Best Musical of the year.
This original cast album is so vivid and entertaining it's hard to believe the actual musical was something of a mild success and only ran for a year. If you want a original cast album that is truly entertaining to listen to "we point with the deepest pride" to ON THE TWENTIETH CENTURY.
Perhaps if I had seen it Submitted on: 2008-07-21
I listened to the overture and thought, "Wow! Another great musical!" Then, everything fell apart.
The professional reviewers wrote of the physical comedy, special effects, and flashbacks, all positively. But physical comedy, special effects, and flashbacks do not translate to sound recordings. So, what is left? Not much.
There is not a musical voice among the principals. Where is the John Cullum of "On a Clear Day ..." and "Shenandoah"? Madeline Kahn admitted that the role was beyond her musically, by asking for only limited performances. And Imogene Coca--truly a great comic, but who expected music from her?
Yes, the score received the Tony for the year. But, browse the list of musicals that season. Obviously, it was a very bleak season. Usually, when I listen to a cast album, I find myself whistling or humming something from it all day long. Here, I find myself just trying to remember any of the tunes.
The lyrics may be "some of the cleverest Comden and Green ever wrote." But they are enunciated so poorly that half of them cannot even be understood.
As Steven Suskin summarized, "'Twentieth Century' was simply not as good as the train, and it was a very expensive train ... to keep oiled and polished."
Again, perhaps if I had seen it. But I didn't. And this recording does nothing for me.
A delightful musical comedy romp! Submitted on: 2007-07-23
What a hysterical show! When you take the zany zing of Betty Comden and Adolph Green, the wonderful music of Cy Coleman and the antics of John Cullum, Kevin Kline, Madelaine Kahn and Immogene Coca, you're bound to have a delightfully funny romp, and indeed On the Twentieth Century is just that.
From the Overture to the last bar, it's non stop laughs, espeically from the self indulgent, hammy Oscar Jaffee character played by John Cullum. He is matched to perfection by Kevin Kline as a movie actor, Immogene Coca as a religious zealot and Madelaine Kahn as a movie starlett that once had an affair with Jaffee.
Comden and Green supply their usual witty lyrics and Coleman's music, written in the operetta style, is always great. Highly recommended!
The star of the show was the set
Life and Love and Luck May Be Changed...
Perhaps if I had seen it