Susan Watson THE MUSIC NEVER ENDS Orchestrated and Arranged by Michele Brourman & Stephan Oberhoff Having spent over seven decades on this planet, I can say: The Songs of My Story 1 n Old Friends 3 n My Ship (music & lyrics by Stephen Sondheim) (music by Kurt Weill; lyrics by Ira Gershwin) NO COMPLAINTS AND NO REGRETS I STILL BELIEVE IN CHASING DREAMS AND PLACING BETS This CD is for my “old friends,” you know Many a romance starts with a dream AND I HAVE LEARNED THAT ALL YOU GIVE IS ALL YOU GET who you are, and I love you all a lot! AGLOW WITH A MILLION PEARLS? SO GIVE IT ALL YOU’VE GOT. But — (Artie Butler’s song: “Here’s To Life”) Music by Artie Butler | Lyrics by Phyllis Molinary BUT US, OLD FRIEND, THAT DREAM NEED NEVER BE WHAT’S TO DISCUSS, OLD FRIEND? IF THE SHIP I SING, HERE’S TO US – WHO’S LIKE US? DOESN’T ALSO BRING This CD is about the romances that we’ve all DAMN FEW!” MY OWN TRUE LOVE TO ME. had — the flirtations, the “getting serious,” getting married, getting un-married, It was Stephen Sondheim who got me onto My dream started in London ... rebounding, and the resilience of the human the wicked stage when his West Side Story heart. It’s about friends and lovers, looking lured me from New York’s Julliard School of 4 n A Foggy Day (In London Town) for Mr. Right, maybe falling for Mr. Right Music to join the show’s London company. (music by George Gershwin; lyrics by Ira Gershwin) Now, and in my case, eventually finding the Onstage nightly with Stephen’s lyrics genuine Mr. Wright. and Leonard Bernstein’s music, I never Even in London with West Side Story, looked back! a twenty-year-old girl can get homesick, For all of us, my thought is still: and I did. “GIVE IT ALL YOU’VE GOT!” 2 n Starting Here, Starting Now (music by David Shire; lyrics by Richard Maltby, Jr.) WHAT TO DO? WHAT TO DO? WHAT TO DO? David & Richard, so wise, know how romance begins for the young BUT SUDDENLY, I SAW YOU THERE. and for the young at heart. AND THROUGH FOGGY LONDON TOWN TAKE MY HAND THE SUN WAS SHINING FOR THE GREATEST JOURNEY EVERYWHERE. HEAVEN WILL ALLOW, STARTING LOVE, An old boyfriend reappeared. Good company! STARTING HERE, STARTING NOW. More than hand-holding! 5 n Nobody Else But Me 7 n Let Yourself Go 9 n Long Ago And Far Away (music by Jerome Kern; lyrics Oscar Hammerstein) (music & lyrics by Irving Berlin) (music by Jerome Kern; lyrics by Ira Gershwin) Puppy love ... Roseland Ballroom, New York City. 1964 ... and so we got married! dancing together to big, swinging orchestras! HE THINKS I’M GRAND – CHILLS RUN UP AND DOWN MY SPINE THAT’S GRAND FOR ME AS YOU LISTEN TO THE BAND, ALADDIN’S LAMP IS MINE HE MAY BE WRONG DON’T YOU GET A BUBBLE? THE DREAM I DREAMED BUT WE GET ALONG AS YOU LISTEN TO THEM PLAY, WAS NOT DENIED ME WHAT DO WE CARE, SAY WE. DON’T YOU GET A GLOW? JUST ONE LOOK AND THEN I KNEW THAT ALL I LONGED FOR 6 n They Were You 8 n Beyond Compare LONG AGO WAS YOU. (lyrics by Tom Jones; music by Harvey Schmidt) (lyrics by Marshall Barer: music by David Colin Ross) 10 n It Had To Be You Returning to NYC for bigger roles in The Falling deeply in love. Maybe this will be (lyrics by Gus Kahn; music Isham Jones) Fantasticks, Bye, Bye Birdie, Carnival, Ben Mr. Right? Franklin In Paris, A Joyful Noise, Celebration, Rough patches in every marriage. Had I and No, No, Nanette, another beau courted me. SHALL I, MY LOVE, COMPARE THEE wed Mr. Right or Mr. Right Now? TO – BABA AU RHUM Only a flirtation at first – but then things OR SUMMER’S DAY? “got serious!” HANDEL CHORALE OR MALIBU? – SEEMS LIKE DREAMS LIKE I RUBENS, RAVEL, OR MEL TORMÉ? ALWAYS HAD COULD BE, WITHOUT YOU NEAR ME, SHOULD BE MAKING ME GLAD I CAN’T SEE. WHY AM I BLUE? WHEN YOU’RE NEAR ME, IT’S UP TO YOU TO EXPLAIN WONDERFUL THINGS I’M THINKING MAYBE, BABY, COME TO BE I’LL GO AWAY SOME DAY, SOME WAY YOU’LL COME AND SAY IT’S YOU I NEED – AND YOU’LL BE PLEADING IN VAIN 11 n How Do You Keep 12 n Old Friend 13 n Old Love 14 n Here’s To Life The Music Playing> (lyrics by Gretchen Cryer: music by Nancy Ford) (lyrics by Amanda McBroom; (music by Artie Butler; lyrics by Phyllis Molinary) (lyrics by Marilyn & Alan Bergman; music by Michele Brourman) music by Michel Legrand) Love is rare, life is strange This “farewell toast” ends my story. Nothing lasts, people change. Right out of a Norman Rockwell Thanks for listening. Breaking up ... illustration, the happiest of endings! EVERY TIME Love, I KNOW I’VE LOST ANOTHER LOVER AND DO YOU REMEMBER THE WAY I FEEL FOR YOU I CALL UP MY OLD FRIEND THE FIRST BOY YOU KISSED Susan IS NOW OR NEVER AND I SAY LET’S GET TOGETHER OUT BEHIND THE OLD GYM? THE MORE I LOVE, I’M UNDER THE WEATHER SHE SAID THE MORE THAT I’M AFRAID ANOTHER LOVE “YOU ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT IN YOUR EYES HAS COME TO AN END. YOUR VERY FIRST BEAU” MAY ALL YOUR STORMS I MAY NOT SEE FOREVER AND HE SAID, BE WEATHERED FOREVER… “WELL, YOU’RE TALKIN’ TO HIM.” AND ALL THAT’S GOOD, GET BETTER IT WAS OLD LOVE… OLD LOVE HERE’S TO LIFE SO LONG AGO AND YET, HERE’S TO LOVE THROUGH THE TIME AND HERE’S TO YOU.” AND THE TEARS AND THE PASSAGE OF YEARS SOME THINGS A HEART CAN’T FORGET. DOUG HAVERTY … Designing the cover and text for this “The Music Never Ends” CD, Doug MICHELE & STEPHAN … Creating the music is a renaissance man uniquely gifted as a graphic of this CD is the Producer Team of Michele Bro- designer, art director, playwright, librettist, and urman & Stephan Oberhoff, unique artists in that actor. With flare for all that is theatrical, Doug My Thanks both are stellar orchestrators, arrangers, compos- has shaped this CD’s extended “booklet” in words ers, songwriters, performers, and musicians – and and photographs that illuminate in autobiograph- oh so much fun to work with! ... I loved getting ic song my lifetime of romances – perhaps so like together with Michele in her Los Angeles studio yours – from youthful flirtations to passionate to a Fabulous Team to explore song possibilities, try out different ap- affairs to getting married to getting unmarried to proaches, keys, and tempos, and over a period of rebounding! An aficionado of Broadway musicals, several weeks determine this CD’s song selections. Doug designed my first CD, “EarthlyParadise/The of Multi-Talented Michele has directorial talents that inspire. It’s not Songs of Tom Jones & Harvey Schmidt.” Now, in enough to summarize a song with “It’s about a designing “The Music Never Ends”, he has illu- girl falling for a boy.” Michele lights up the lyrics minated some of the best times of my life. It’s so with images of a beloved adorned in warm fudge comforting to a have such a longtime friend as my Artists ... sauce – and do I ever want to devour him! The remarkably talented print-and-picture biographer. song takes off and so do I! Then, flash forward to DANIEL REICHERT … Just the best portrait Stephan Oberhoff’s Pasadena recording studiophotographer ever and a superb actor in his own where in his audio engineer mode, Stephan first right! In his Los Angeles studio, Daniel creates a records my piano-only accompaniment with Mi- safe environment where all sorts of positive and chele. Genuine musical magic follows as Michele enjoyable photographic accidents can happen. No and Stephan, over a period of several days, create posing here! Just the playfulness of a Director and the orchestration and arrangement for the song. his camera getting us into the truth of the moment. As multi-talented musicians they provide the CD’s And the magic is that his photographs have the full range of strings, woodwinds, brass, and per- immediacy and look of fine-art portraiture. What cussion. Michele occasionally improvises jazz licks a good time is generated by my fellow-actor and on piano (my jazzhead husband, Norton, loved friend, Daniel Reichert (better known in some jazz these moments) – and Stephan’s Chris Botti-like, circles as “Jonesy”)! muted flugelhorn coda at the end of “Here’sTo Life” is so lovely we get outright weepy. The ful- NORTON WRIGHT … My Co-Executive Pro- ly-arranged songs grow and glow and on their ducer on this CD. His other lives encompass that completion I am captivated by the beauty and va- of a TV producer, AbEx painter, jazzhead, airplane riety of what Michele and Stephan have created. pilot, long-distance runner, great dad, and my To be cared for so superbly by such dear friends husband for over five decades … He is the genuine is a joy! “Mr. Right.” OLD FRIENDS [from the Broadway musical Merrily We Roll Along] (by Stephen Sondheim) Published by WB Music Corp, o/b/o Rilting Music Inc. (ASCAP) n STARTING HERE (by David Shire & Richard Maltby) Published by Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., o/b/o Chappell-Co-Inc. (ASCAP) n MY SHIP (by Kurt Weill & Ira PRODUCER STAFF: The Music Never Ends Gershwin) Published by Hampshire House Publishing Corp & WB Music Corp o/b/o Ira Gershwin Music (ASCAP) Produced by Stephan Oberhoff & Michele Brourman.