The Ultimate American Composer: a Standing
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February 5, 2008 Jazz The Ultimate American Composer rock 'n' roll to Broadway. Forty A STANDING years later, the merging of show tunes and rap seemed a logical OVATION step. Of course, the big love song FOR STROUSE in "Birdie," "One Boy," showed a subtler, if no less skillful, side of BY WILL FRIEDWALD the composer's abilities. It's a grand, soaring, romantic number In 1999, when Jay-Z recorded in the tradition of Jerome Kern, and shot a video for "Hard or even Puccini, even more so in Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)," a the lush orchestration supplied by rap interpretation of a Broadway Johnny Green for the movie show tune, "It's a Hard Knock version (there were many more Life," from "Annie," he wasn't strings in Hollywood than could just being ironic by parading his fit into the orchestra pit at the "ghetto anthem" in front of a Martin Beck Theatre). Like Kern choir of Caucasian moppets and before him, Mr. Strouse's using their whiteness to primary musical influences were emphasize his blackness. Really, the great European symphonists; the rapper was only amplifying he studied with Aaron Copland and anthematizing the antisocial and Nadia Boulanger. feeling that songwriter Charles Charles Strouse Strouse had instilled in the song Still, his music was immediately in 1977, when he captured the adopted by the jazz and pop aggression of a gang of future the Allen Room (as part of communities. The score to his delinquents who were kicked Lincoln Center's American next show, 1962's "All rather than kissed. The hapless Songbook series) by the singer- American," was recorded in its orphans suffering under the iron pianist Eric Comstock in a entirety by both Duke Ellington fist of the despotic Miss program called "This is the Life: and Clark Terry. Two years later, Hannigan already know well Eric Comstock Salutes Charles "Golden Boy," which told the "from nightmares of a lonely Strouse @ 80," and whose classic story of a young black athlete cell, my only hell." 1970 musical "Applause" is (played by Sammy Davis Jr.) being staged this weekend by struggling to find himself in a For his part, Mr. Strouse lent hip- City Center Encores! white world, was subsequently hop a harmonic and melodic recorded by black bands and depth it seldom boasts of Mr. Strouse's first full-length singers such as the Jazz elsewhere. Still, this ghetto show, 1960's "Bye Bye Birdie" Messengers, the Jazz Crusaders, anthem seems an entirely logical (with lyrics by Lee Adams, who and Nina Simone. destination for the career of the would become his longtime composer, whose 80th birthday collaborator) is widely credited Fittingly, Mr. Strouse began his will be celebrated Wednesday at (or blamed) as the first to bring career as a rehearsal pianist for Harold Arlen, whose music also "Golden Boy," which was an stage fright. With the help of Mr. had both an operatic side and a even purer example of a score Adams's lyrics and an expert jazz-blues side. As the composer that was Carnegie Hall and 125th book by Betty Comden and told The New York Sun in a Street at the same time. They Adolph Green, Mr. Strouse phone interview last week, "I followed it with "It's a Bird, It's a crafted a brilliantly integrated was in the pit [for 'Saratoga'] Plane, It's Superman," which piece of musical storytelling. when the stage manager, Ed played 129 performances; Mr. Though the show failed to Padula, who had never produced Strouse feels that the high-camp produce a hit single, many of the a show, asked me: 'I hear you're a "Batman" TV show, which had songs are heard frequently in composer. I have an idea for a launched two months earlier, cabaret; here also, Mr. Strouse's show. Would you like to talk "took some of the air out" of music for "Applause" alternated about it?' It was about teenagers, their superhero musical. between classical and although it wasn't with an Elvis Nevertheless, the idea of putting contemporary, using power pop character yet." "Bye Bye Birdie" a comic strip on Broadway chords of the sort Stephen opens with a motion picture eventually paid off like Sondheim employed that same montage of Conrad Birdie, gangbusters with the 1977 season in "Company." singing idol of teenagers, whose megahit "Annie," which had resemblance to Presley — draft begun as a TV special to compete As he approaches 80 this June, notice included — is certainly with "The Wizard of Oz." Mr. Strouse is working on the not accidental. They were first commercial studio recording already at work on the show well of his songs and a memoir. He's before Presley was drafted into one of a tiny pantheon of the army in March 1958 Strouse is one of a composers representing the great (although by the time they tiny pantheon of living masters of traditional finished, in April 1960, the King musical theater, the others had already returned home composers including Sheldon Harnick, Jerry following his two-year hitch in representing the Herman, Fred Kander, and Mr. Germany). Sondheim. Yet one must wonder great living masters how "traditional" a Broadway Mr. Strouse's roots were in composer can really be if his classical music; at age 10, he of traditional music is associated with rock and actually wrote a song titled "The musical theater. rap. "I wouldn't call myself a Best Tunes of All Come From rock 'n' roll composer, although Carnegie Hall." It wasn't long we like to think we did it first," before this Eastman School of In between, Mr. Strouse landed he said. "I write in my own style. Music graduate began exploring his second of three Tony Awards I don't know what you call it. It rock and rhythm and blues. "I with 1970's "Applause!," which ain't 'Hair,' and it ain't 'Spring played in a lot of pickup bands," is commonly cited as his Awakening'!" he said, "traveled a lot in the masterpiece. One of the first South with some black acts. It stage musical adaptations of a [email protected] was a paying-your-dues time." A classic movie ("All About Eve"), side benefit of this exploratory "Applause" also brought to "This is the Life: Eric Comstock work came in 1958, when Mr. Broadway a legendary leading Salutes Charles Strouse @ 80" Strouse composed a chart hit, lady of the silver screen, whose will be performed tomorrow at "Born Too Late," for one of the vocal talent was hitherto 8:30 p.m. at the Allen Room (33 early rock-era girl groups, the unknown. W. 60th St., between Ninth Poni-Tails. Avenue and Broadway, 212-258- Today, Mr. Strouse 9800). After the Tony-winning and acknowledges that Lauren Hollywood-certified triumph of Bacall's singing ability was less and Adams's next success was of a problem than her chronic .