Duke: Two's Company

 
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VERNON DUKE / OGDEN NASH
Duke: Two's Company
Bette Davis, Bill Callahan / Original Broadway Cast

[ Sepia / CD ]

Release Date: Monday 17 May 1993

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Two's Company is a musical revue with principal sketches by Charles Sherman and Peter DeVries, principal lyrics by Ogden Nash and Sammy Cahn, and principal music by Vernon Duke.

The evening consisted of a series of show business-themed comedy sketches and song-and-dance routines tailored for the talents of its centerpiece, Bette Davis, who accepted the challenge of an eight-shows-a-week schedule when good film roles failed to follow her triumph in All About Eve.

The out-of-town tryout opened at the Shubert Theatre in Detroit on October 19, 1952. In the middle of the third chorus of her first song, an overworked Davis collapsed. Revived by her then-husband Gary Merrill, she walked to the apron of the stage and with a smile commented to the audience, "Well, you can't say I didn't fall for you!," winning over both them and the critics, whose reviews were kind. From there the show moved to Pittsburgh, where it was met with less enthusiasm, and the creative team began reshaping it on a nightly basis. By the time it reached Boston it was in serious trouble, and noted play doctor and Davis friend John Murray Anderson was called in for consultation. Roles were recast, sketches were eliminated and new ones added, and musical sequences were rearranged. Several songs were contributed by others, including Sheldon Harnick, and Horton Foote was among those who wrote additional sketch material.

Recorded in Manhattan Centre, New York City, on January 16 and 18, 1953

Bonus tracks recorded in 1952 and 1958

Tracks:

1 Orchestra- Overture 4:29
2 Bill Callahan - Theatre Is A Lady 2:48
3 Bette Davis- Turn Me Loose On Broadway 2:24
4 Peter Kelley & Deborah Remsen- It Just Occurred To Me 3:36
5 Hiram Sherman- A Man's Home 3:00
6 Ellen Hanley- Roundabout 3:17
7 Bette Davis & Hiram Sherman- Roll Along, Sadie 4:48
8 Peter Kelley & Sue Hight- Out Of The Clear Blue Sky 3:10
9 David Burns - Esther 2:27
10 Ellen Hanley- Haunted Hot Spot 2:51
11 Bette Davis & Hiram Sherman- Purple Rose 6:00
12 Bette Davis- Just Like A Man 4:36
13 Bette Davis and The Company*- Finale 1:21

Bonus Tracks: Vernon Duke Plays Vernon Duke
14.a Vernon Duke- I Like The Likes Of You
Vocals - Dorothy Richards
14.b Vernon Duke- What Is There To Say
Vocals - Dorothy Richards
14.c Vernon Duke- I Can't Get Started With You
Vocals - Dorothy Richards
14.d Vernon Duke- Who's To Blame
Vocals - Dorothy Richards
15.a Vernon Duke- Cabin In The Sky
15.b Vernon Duke- Honey In The Honeycomb
Vocals - Dorothy Richards
15.c Vernon Duke- Taking A Chance On Love
15.d Vernon Duke- The Love I Longed For
Vocals - Dorothy Richards
16.a Vernon Duke- Out Of The Clear Blue Sky
16.b Vernon Duke- Roundabout
Vocals - Dorothy Richards
16.c Vernon Duke- Autumn In New York
16.d Vernon Duke- Island In The West Indies
Vocals - Dorothy Richards
17.a Vernon Duke- Introduction
17.b Vernon Duke- April In Paris
17.c Vernon Duke- Rendezvous Sans Addresse
Vocals - Huguette Ferly
17.d Vernon Duke- Summer Is A-Comin' In
17.e Vernon Duke- La Musique Avant Toutes Choses
Vocals - Huguette Ferly
17.f Vernon Duke- April In Paris
Vocals - Huguette Ferly

Bonus Tracks
18 Nancy Walker- I Can't Get Started
Piano - David Baker, John Morris
5:04
19 Jack Smith with Lawrence Welk And His Orchestra- I'm Gonna Ring The Bell Tonight 2:37