LOCAL NEWS I

oday,
Franklin.
Tomorrow,
Wimbledon.

Franklin's Junior Tennis Program

is open to members and non-members alike. Geared to those
between the ages of 5 and 18, instruction is provided on an
individual basis at all levels. Sessions fill up rapidly, so call and
register today or stop by at 29350 Northwestern, just west of
Franklin Road in Southfield.

Spring Session Begins
April 23rd

To register, or for more information, call:

Ext. 38.

Musical writers Betty Comden and Adolph Green.

Comden, Green Bring
Their 'Party' To Detroit

352-8000

STEVE HARTZ

Special to The Jewish News

F

FRANKLIN

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644-0525

18

FRIDAY, APRIL 20, 1990

or years, they've been
singin' in the rain. But
May 5 they'll be per-
formin' in the sun as the
Variety Club of Detroit has
its annual Celebrity Ball at
the Westin Hotel to benefit
Michigan's handicapped and
underprivileged children.
The team of Betty Comden
and Adolph Green, the
longest running creative
partnership in theater histo-
ry, will present a collection
of some of the songs they've
written over the years.
Comden, who grew up in
Brooklyn, and Green, who
grew up in the Bronx and
Manhattan; met in 1938.
"Neither of us came from
families that had anything
to do with show business,
but both of us always wanted
to be involved in the theater
in one way or another, so as
we were looking for work we
sort of bumped into each
other," Comden. said.
A year later, they formed
The Revuers, a group that
entertained in Greenwich
Village and included the late
Judy Holliday. After five
years, The Revuers broke up
— but Comden's and Green's
show-business careers as
performers and writers were
only beginning.
Their first production was
On the Town; it was also
Leonard Bernstein's and
Jerome Robbins' first show.
Comden and Green wrote
the book and lyrics and
played the leading roles —
Ozzie, the sailor, and Claire
de Loone, the an-
thropologist. It later became
a film musical .

They also wrote the books
and lyrics for Bells Are Ring-
ing; Hallelujah, Baby; Do Re
Mi; Subways Are for Sleep-
ing; and Peter Pan, to name a
few.
Their film musicals in-
clude The Band Wagon, It's
Always Fair Weather, Good
News and The Barkleys of
Broadway.
Do they have a favorite
movie that they wrote?
"We're very proud of Singin'
in the Rain. It plays all over
the world," Green said.
Although most of their
musicals were first staged in
the 1940s, '50s and '60s,
they are still successfully
performed today.
"On the Town was just
done in Washington a few
months ago," Comden said.
"Wonderful Town was
revived here and done in
London. Peter Pan has played
in every country in the
world. It's in Japan right
now. And Bells Are Ringing
plays all over the country."
Green, who is married to
actress-singer-comedian
Phyllis Newman, listed Judy
Holliday, Rosalind Russell,
Mary Martin and Lauren
Bacall as the entertainers he
has most enjoyed writing for.
"We've done very well with
our ladies," he said. And
Comden, who was married to
the late Stephen Kyle, add-
ed, "We've also done well
with the men in our movies
— Gene Kelly and Fred
Astaire."
Most recently on the silver
screen, Comden and Green
were featured in Garbo
Talks. Green played himself
and Comden appeared as
Garbo. "We really don't
think of ourselves so much
Continued on Page 20