A parody of the highest level! Praise to the constructors and hats off to performers Paul Ford, pianist accompanist supreme and Miss Bacall who delivers the roast with the right combination of irony and admiration. The final stanza actually touching the heart. It urged Mr. Bernstein to write more for an audience lacking his incredible talent.
This was SO clever and delivered in such a knowing, sly manner by Ms. Bacall! The original "Saga of Jenny" is rather dark but "The Saga of Lenny" was a delight :)
Lauren Bacall singing Weill/Sondheim/Gershwin in tribute to Bernstein (spectacularly) is just fabulous. Wish she also got to sing "I'm Still Here" in full, She's probably doing it on the other side :) Not anyone can whistle, but they'd try for you, Lauren.
People shouldn't be surprised that Bacall is so adept a performer. Besides all those movies she made in the 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970's and 1980's (and beyond), she also won TWO Broadway Tony Awards ("Applause" and "Woman of the Year"). She was an outstanding actress and personality.
I saw this back in '88 and never forgot it. She is so gorgeous! And that sultry voice. Lenny doesn't have a lot of time left here, and he looks very frail. I wish the song his kids did was on here. I found a very bad copy of the concert dubbed in German, with the sound coming out of one side.
In a word: No. The man coined "The hands on the clock turn but don't sing a nocturne" in a lyric that somehow sounds utterly unforced and makes perfect sense.
LOL I felt the same way when I heard her sing this song. She mentioned in her autobiography that she wished she had had a better singing voice when she starred in APPLAUSE. After I heard the soundtrack to that musical, I wished so too.
Beverly Sills could have sung this much better than Lauren Bacall. Beverly retired from opera too early. She could have kept singing for another few years after she did in 1981.
I have to disagree; Ms Sills admitted that be attempting the "Tudor Trilogy" she was hastening an end to her vocal career. Even prior her resources were waning and the lady was nothing is nor realistic about her voice. If you need proof seek out the early tape (it is on You Tube--unless it has since been removed--)and compare it to her later recordings.
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So glad Lauren Bacall made up her mind to do this number. Brava!
BRILLIANT. Sondheim's brilliant; Bernstein's brilliant; Betty Bacall is brilliant! and Paul Ford is brilliant. What a Friend's Circle!!
Paul Ford has a whole delightful chapter on working with Bacall in his book "Lord Knows, At Least I Was There: Working with Stephen Sondheim."
Wonderful, especially now that both are gone. We will love and revere them forever.
A parody of the highest level! Praise to the constructors and hats off to performers Paul Ford, pianist accompanist supreme and Miss Bacall who delivers the roast with the right combination of irony and admiration. The final stanza actually touching the heart. It urged Mr. Bernstein to write more for an audience lacking his incredible talent.
This was SO clever and delivered in such a knowing, sly manner by Ms. Bacall! The original "Saga of Jenny" is rather dark but "The Saga of Lenny" was a delight :)
Fabulous lyrics, fabulous honoree, fabulous Bacall.
Lauren Bacall singing Weill/Sondheim/Gershwin in tribute to Bernstein (spectacularly) is just fabulous. Wish she also got to sing "I'm Still Here" in full, She's probably doing it on the other side :) Not anyone can whistle, but they'd try for you, Lauren.
People shouldn't be surprised that Bacall is so adept a performer. Besides all those movies she made in the 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970's and 1980's (and beyond), she also won TWO Broadway Tony Awards ("Applause" and "Woman of the Year").
She was an outstanding actress and personality.
With a dubious sense of timing! 😖😁
She stunk!
paul ford is a brilliant accompanist.
This is so great on so many levels! ! ! !
this is amazing! didn't know Lauren was such a good singer, I love her voice!
She did a fair amount of work on the Broadway stage winning I believe at least two Tony awards for musicals.
I saw this back in '88 and never forgot it. She is so gorgeous! And that sultry voice. Lenny doesn't have a lot of time left here, and he looks very frail. I wish the song his kids did was on here. I found a very bad copy of the concert dubbed in German, with the sound coming out of one side.
Bernstein, Weill, Sondheim...what's not to like?!
Great stuff. Fun and touching tribute to his versatility.
Lauren looks lovely!
Never more gorgeous than in this!
I waited on LB at my uncles' seafood restaurant, and he was conducting the conversation of his party throughout.
Happy 100th birthday, Lenny!
Thank you so much for posting this!
"This will take a Weill."
After seeing this I keep wondering why Bacall never did Night Music or Follies. I can here her in both
great singing by Lauren Bacall here
R.I.P. Lauren :(
Oh, the "art". The "ART" is overwhelming....
*to show how bad the curse is, we'll need a lot of verses, and take a little Weill* tee hee!!
The line addressed to Jennie, Bernstein's mother, is particularly sharp because she was sitting right next to him! Eventually he "made up his mind".
Is there anybody who can rhyme better than Sondheim?
In a word: No. The man coined "The hands on the clock turn but don't sing a nocturne" in a lyric that somehow sounds utterly unforced and makes perfect sense.
The tribe celebrates itself...so cleverly...
too bad Lotte Lenya didn't live long enough to see this
Just brilliant (of course, already, it's Sondheim!) A pity about the transcript "lyrics" though...
Ooh that schlemiel or shiksa joke was a bit close to the bone ...
Lauren... Can actually sing? I just remember her shouting the whole recording of Applause.
LOL I felt the same way when I heard her sing this song. She mentioned in her autobiography that she wished she had had a better singing voice when she starred in APPLAUSE. After I heard the soundtrack to that musical, I wished so too.
Beverly Sills could have sung this much better than Lauren Bacall. Beverly retired from opera too early. She could have kept singing for another few years after she did in 1981.
I have to disagree; Ms Sills admitted that be attempting the "Tudor Trilogy" she was hastening an end to her vocal career. Even prior her resources were waning and the lady was nothing is nor realistic about her voice. If you need proof seek out the early tape (it is on You Tube--unless it has since been removed--)and compare it to her later recordings.
Bacall was Magic. RIP
But, that song is Creepy.
OMG. x a million. 🤍🖤🤍