B'WAY and JEWS

No voy a descubrir nada nuevo con esto, creo que hay incluso varios libros escritos sobre el tema, pero es que hasta que ayer vi completa la estupenda serie de seis horas producida por Granada Television en la que repasa la historia de Broadway desde 1893 hasta 2004, no había caído en la abrumadora presencia de personas de origen judío en el mundo del musical (independientemente de si eran/son religiosos o no), como letristas, compositores, libretistas, productores y directores. Quiero referirme a la parte creativa, por supuesto que también había actores y otros técnicos, pero me doy cuenta de que si se puede decir que el musical es americano, deberíamos decir más exactamente que es judío, desde los primeros creadores, emigrantes europeos o primera generación en suelo estadounidense (Gershwin, Irving Berlin, Loewe, Bernstein...) hasta las nuevas mentes como Sondheim, Marvin Hamslich, Maury Yeston, Don Black o Jonathan Larson.

Supongo que se me quedarán muchos en el tintero, pero los que más éxitos han cosechado son (sin orden ninguno): Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart, Oscar Hammerstein II, Leonard Bernstein, Frederick Loewe, Alan Jay Lerner, Marvin Hamslich, Fred Ebb, John Kander, Stephen Sondheim, Michael Bennett, Irving Berlin, George e Ira Gershwin, David Merrick, Harvey Fierstein, Jerry Herman, Charles Strouse, Lee Adams, Cy Coleman, Alan Menken, Howard Ashman, Stephen Schwartz, Betty Comden, Adolph Green...

Para que veáis lo que digo sobre la importancia del trabajo desarrollado por estos grandes creativos del mundo del espectáculo, aquí reproduzco una MUY INCOMPLETA lista por títulos. Después de leerla veréis que la historia del musical, sus grandes títulos y sus varios fracasos, está en sus manos.

w = words (letra) m = music (música)

ANNIE, Martin Charnin (w) and Charles Strouse (m)
ANNIE GET YOUR GUN, Irving Berlin (w&m)
APPLAUSE, Lee Adams (w) and Charles Strouse (m)
AS THOUSANDS CHEER, Irving Berlin (w&m)
BABES IN ARMS, Lorenz Hart (w) and Richard Rodgers (m)
BARNUM, Michael Stewart (w) and Cy Coleman (m)
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, Howard Ashman (w) and Alan Menken (m)
BELLS ARE RINGING, Betty Comden/Adolph Green (w) and Jule Styne (m)
THE BOYS FROM SYRACUSE, Lorenz Hart (w) and Richard Rodgers (m)
BRIGADOON, Alan Jay Lerner (w) and Frederick Loewe* (m)
BYE BYE BIRDIE, Lee Adams (w) and Charles Strouse (m)
CABARET, Fred Ebb (w) and John Kander (m)
CAMELOT, Alan Jay Lerner (w) and Frederick Loewe (m)
CANDIDE, Stephen Sondheim (w) and Leonard Bernstein (m) [lyrics also by Richard Wilbur (non-Jewish)]
CARNIVAL!, Bob Merrill (w&m)
CAROUSEL, Oscar Hammerstein II (w) and Richard Rodgers (m)
CHICAGO, Fred Ebb (w) and John Kander (m)
A CHORUS LINE, Edward Kleban (w) and Marvin Hamlisch (m)
CITY OF ANGELS, David Zippel (w) and Cy Coleman (m)
COMPANY, Stephen Sondheim (w&m)
A CONNECTICUT YANKEE, Lorenz Hart (w) and Richard Rodgers (m)
CRAZY FOR YOU, Ira Gershwin (w) and George Gershwin (m)
DAMN YANKEES, Richard Adler and Jerry Ross (w&m)
THE DESERT SONG, Oscar Hammerstein II/Otto Harbach 1/Frank Mandel 2 (w) and Sigmund Romberg (m)
DO I HEAR A WALTZ?, Stephen Sondheim (w) and Richard Rodgers (m)
DREAMGIRLS, Henry Krieger (m)
FALSETTOS, William Finn (w&m)
FAME, Jacques Levy (w) and Steve Margoshes (m)
FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, Sheldon Harnick (w) and Jerry Bock (m)
FINIAN'S RAINBOW, E. Y. Harburg (w) and Burton Lane (m)
FIORELLO, Sheldon Harnick (w) and Jerry Bock (m)
FLOWER DRUM SONG, Oscar Hammerstein II (w) and Richard Rodgers (m)
FOLLIES, Stephen Sondheim (w&m)
42ND STREET, Al Dubin (w) [music by Harry Warren (non-Jewish)]
FUNNY GIRL, Bob Merrill (w) and Jule Styne (m)
A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM, Stephen Sondheim (w&m)
GIGI, Alan Jay Lerner (w) and Frederick Loewe (m)
GODSPELL, Stephen Schwartz (w&m)
THE GOODBYE GIRL, David Zippel (w) and Marvin Hamlisch (m)
GUYS AND DOLLS, Frank Loesser (w&m)
GYPSY, Stephen Sondheim (w) and Jule Styne (m)
HELLO, DOLLY, Jerry Herman (w&m)
HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING, Frank Loesser (w&m)
JEKYLL AND HYDE, Frank Wildhorn (m)
THE KING AND I, Oscar Hammerstein II (w) and Richard Rodgers (m)
KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN, Fred Ebb (w) and John Kander (m)
LA CAGE AUX FOLLES, Jerry Herman (w&m)
LADY, BE GOOD!, Ira Gershwin (w) and George Gershwin (m)
LES MISERABLES, Alain Boublil 3/Herbert Kretzmer (w) and Claude-Michel Schönberg 3 (m)
A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC, Stephen Sondheim (w&m)
LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, Howard Ashman (w) and Alan Menken (m)
LOST IN THE STARS, Kurt Weill (m) [lyrics by Maxwell Anderson (non-Jewish)]
MAME, Jerry Herman (w&m)
MAN OF LA MANCHA, Joe Darion 4 (w) and Mitch Leigh 5 (m)
MARTIN GUERRE, Alain Boublil 3 (w) and Claude-Michel Schönberg 3 (m)
MARY POPPINS, Richard and Robert Sherman (w&m)
MILK AND HONEY, Jerry Herman (w&m)
MISS SAIGON, Alain Boublil 3 (w) and Claude-Michel Schönberg 3 (m)
THE MOST HAPPY FELLA, Frank Loesser (w&m)
MY FAIR LADY, Alan Jay Lerner (w) and Frederick Loewe* (m)
OKLAHOMA!, Oscar Hammerstein II (w) and Richard Rodgers (m)
OH, KAY!, Ira Gershwin (w) and George Gershwin (m)
OF THEE I SING, Ira Gershwin (w) and George Gershwin (m)
OLIVER!, Lionel Bart (w&m)
ON THE TOWN, Betty Comden/Adolph Green (w) and Leonard Bernstein (m)
ON THE TWENTIETH CENTURY, Betty Comden/Adolph Green (w) and Cy Coleman (m)
ON YOUR TOES, Lorenz Hart (w) and Richard Rodgers (m)
PAJAMA GAME, Richard Adler and Jerry Ross (w&m)
PAL JOEY, Lorenz Hart (w) and Richard Rodgers (m)
PAINT YOUR WAGON, Alan Jay Lerner (w) and Frederick Loewe (m)
PETER PAN, Betty Comden/Adolph Green/Carolyn Leigh (w) and Mark Charlap/Jule Styne (m)
PIPPIN, Stephen Schwartz (w&m)
PORGY AND BESS, Ira Gershwin (w) and George Gershwin (m) [lyrics also by Du Bose Heyward (non-Jewish)]
THE PRODUCERS, Mel Brooks (w&m)
PROMISES, PROMISES, Hal David (w) and Burt Bacharach (m)
PURLIE, Peter Udell (w) and Gary Geld (m)
RAGTIME, Lynn Ahrens (w) [music by Stephen Flaherty (non-Jewish)]
RENT, Jonathan Larson (w&m)
1776, Sherman Edwards (w&m)
SHENANDOAH, Peter Udell (w) and Gary Geld (m)
SHOW BOAT, Oscar Hammerstein II (w) and Jerome Kern (m)
THE SOUND OF MUSIC, Oscar Hammerstein II (w) and Richard Rodgers (m)
SOUTH PACIFIC, Oscar Hammerstein II (w) and Richard Rodgers (m)
STATE FAIR, Oscar Hammerstein II (w) and Richard Rodgers (m)
STRIKE UP THE BAND, Ira Gershwin (w) and George Gershwin (m)
SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE, Stephen Sondheim (w&m)
SUNSET BOULEVARD, Don Black 3 (w) [lyrics also by Christopher Hampton (non-Jewish) and music by Andrew Lloyd Webber (non-Jewish)]
SWEENEY TODD, Stephen Sondheim (w&m)
SWEET CHARITY, Dorothy Fields (w) and Cy Coleman (m)
THEY'RE PLAYING OUR SONG, Carole Bayer Sager (w) and Marvin Hamlisch (m)
THREEPENNY OPERA, Kurt Weill (m) [play and lyrics by Bertolt Brecht (non-Jewish)]
TITANIC, Maury Yeston (w&m)
UP IN CENTRAL PARK, Dorothy Fields (w) and Sigmund Romberg (m)
WEST SIDE STORY, Stephen Sondheim (w) and Leonard Bernstein (m)
THE WIZARD OF OZ, E. Y. Harburg (w) and Harold Arlen (m)
WONDERFUL TOWN, Betty Comden/Adolph Green (w) and Leonard Bernstein (m)
ZORBA, Fred Ebb (w) and John Kander (m)