MISS: Broadway’s Women Songwriters
Hosts Kate Baldwin and Georgia Stitt have been friends, peers and frequent performing partners for 20 years. The two co-conceived and mounted this Lyrics and Lyricists production.
MISS takes a deep dive into the evolution of women’s admission to the ranks of Broadway lyricists/ composers. For many years the distaff side shared (often fake) credits with men In order to have songs accepted. In 1930, with Fine and Dandy, Kay Swift became the first female to score a complete hit musical. Kennedy Kanagawa performs a deftly understated “Can’t We Be Friends?” (with Paul James from The Little Show). The performer has a fine voice and apt manner for each lyric he presents.
Georgia Stitt, Kate Baldwin
“If she hadn’t been talking care of (her significant other) George Gershwin, what would her own writing have become?” Stitt rhetorically asks. Swift taught Gershwin about theory and counterpoint; he taught her about jazz. “After Swift, there was this big gap. Women might have as much talent, but men could go anywhere to plug their songs, women could not.”
The educational space welcomed women when other doors were closed. In one of many video clips, Lynn Ahrens (Ragtime, Once On This Island, A Man of No Importance) tells us she began as secretary at an ad agency and would use lunchtime to write with her guitar. One day, a passing executive said, “Hey honey, the agency is doing a new show called Schoolhouse Rock that needs songs. Wanna try to write for it?”
We hear a vivacious “Put It in the Piggy” (bank) from Dear Edwina (Zina Goldrich/ Marcy Heisler) as well as children’s songs by Carol Hall (from Free to Be You and Me), Carole King (from Chicken Soup with Rice), Lynn Ahrens (from Schoolhouse Rock), and Kirsten Childs’ “Straw into Gold” (from Funked Up Fairytales), a wonderfully playful vocal arrangement with back-up providing the thrum of the wheel.
Kate Baldwin, Bryonha Marie Parham, Emily Skeggs
Nicholas Rodriguez sings “Sweet Charity” showing neither surprise nor delight (Dorothy Fields with Cy Coleman from the musical of the same name); Baldwin performs a poignant, understated “The Party’s Over” (Betty Comden and Adolph Green with Jule Styne from Bells Are Ringing); Emily Skeggs gives us a loose-limbed, wide-eyed Princess Winifred in “Shy” (Mary Rodgers with Marshall Barer from Once Upon a Mattress); Bryonha Marie Parham ignites “The Other Side of the Tracks” (Carolyn Leigh with Cy Coleman from Little Me). The first and third are over directed.
We listen to and hear discourse on ground breakers Gretchen Cryer and Nancy Ford (I’m Getting My Act Together and Taking It On the Road). “Men didn’t know how to treat us. ‘Did you girls write that all by yourself?’ some said.” Baldwin and Stitt sing “Strong Woman Number” from the show: “I’m doing my strong woman number/I know I’ve got such self-esteem/I can handle any crisis/I’m so capable I could scream…” The world deemed it a feminist piece while its authors thought they were writing about “people.”
Micki Grant, is well served by Bryonha Marie Parham’s heady, gospel-tinged rendition of “If I Could’ve Been” (from Working). Jeanine Tesori/Lisa Kron’s endearing “Changing My Major” from Fun Home is credibly enacted by Emily Skaggs with astonishment and gratitude. Mary Rodgers, Lucy Simon and Marsha Norman (The Secret Garden) are also talking heads. We acknowledge the female writers of Kinky Boots (Cyndi Lauper), Waitress (Sara Bareilles) and Hadestown (Anais Mitchell) hearing songs from all. “When the Chips Are Down,” from the latter, is particularly infectious.
Georgia Stitt, Kate Baldwin, Kennedy Kanagawa, Emily Skeggs, Bryonha Marie Parham, Nicholas Rodriguez
Each performer answers an inquiry by Baldwin relating a story concerning a female composer or lyricist. Immigrant Kennedy Kanagawa replies with particular warmth and relevance.
Baldwin, Parham, and Skaggs give us Stitt’s “Before I Lose My Mind” (The Danger Year) which describes the vicissitudes of trying to have/juggle it all with specificity and cleverness. Crammed in at the end are numbers by Kate Anderson/Elyssa Samsel (Between the Lines), Erin McKeown/Auiara Alegria Hudes (Miss You Like Hell) and Shania Taub (As You Like It). Really, ladies, you can’t cover it all!
In an undoubted attempt to be comprehensive, the otherwise worthy evening is overstuffed by half an hour, repeating appearances by some authors, performing full songs when a medley might do, employing extensive dialogue and some mutual back-patting of its two hosts.
Choreography is blithe and attractive, dramatic direction sometimes affected.
Projections by Kylee Loera are appealing.
Photos by Richard Termine
Opening: Kate Baldwin, Emily Skaggs, Nicholas Rodriguez, Kennedy Kanagawa, Bryonha Marie Parham
NOTE: Stitt established an online directory for women and nonbinary musicians called MAESTRA MUSIC. It’s a not for profit deserving attention.
92Y Lyrics & Lyricists presents
MISS: Broadway’s Women Songwriters
Conceived, co-written and directed by Kate Baldwin
Conceived co-written, music direction, arrangement, piano by Georgia Stitt
Ann Klein-guitar, Adele Stein-cello, Sue Williams-bass, Mariana Remirez-drums
Theresa L. Kaufman Concert Hall 92 Y at Lexington Avenue
Coming Up: An Evening with Kelli O’Hara. O’Hara has established herself as one of the most gloriously gifted and versatile vocal and dramatic talents of any era, with the Tony win for her star turn in the Lincoln Center Theater revival of The King and I accompanied by Grammy, Emmy, Drama League, Outer Critics Circle and Olivier nominations for her wide-ranging work. She joins us with a small ensemble for a program to be announced. Thursday February 16, 2023.
What’s Going On?: Songs of Social Change: Music by Marvin Gaye, Nina Simone, and others whose songs of protest and cries for racial justice became anthems for generations are presented by some of Broadway’s most thrilling talent. Their performances blend music, dance, poetry and visual art in this riveting and revelatory production. Saturday March 25, 2023 and other dates.
