because it's so resolute in the way it
avoids kitsch."
A watershed production, On The
Town introduced Broadway to the tal-
ents of Comden and Green (it was the
first play they worked on together, writ-
ing the book and lyrics). It was also the
first Broadway effort for composer
Leonard Bernstein. Drawing its inspira-
tion from the Bernstein-Jerome Robbins
ballet Fancy Free, the musical also was
Robbins' first effort as a choreographer
on Broadway.
The story of
three innocent
young sailors on a
24-hour shore leave
in New York City
just before they
ship out for war,
On The Town
Adolph Green and Betty Comden A stunning collaboration of more than half a century.
CURT SCHLEIER
Special to The Jewish News
I
nterviewing Betty Comden and
Adolph Green is a lot like being in
the Navy. It's not a job — it's an
adventure. They finish each other's
sentences and act as cheerleaders for
each other, like a couple (which they're
not) married so long, they think as one.
It's to be expected. Comden and
Green have been together for well over
half a century — and in that time they
have produced some of the greatest
moments in American musical theater.
They wrote the libretto or lyrics for
Applause, Wonderful Town, Hallelujah
Curt Schleier is a New Jersey-based
freelance writer.
12/25
1998
en...
Baby, On the Twentieth Century and The
Will Rogers Follies. And those are just the
shows they've won Tonys for.
Other Broadway credits include Peter
Pan, The Bells Are Ringing, Subways A:.
For Sleeping and Do Re Mi.
Did someone say films? Their collab-
orations include Singing in the Rain,
Auntie Mame, The Band Wagon and It's
Always Fair Weather. The last two earned
the pair Academy Award nominations.
But the reason for this conversation is
On the Town, a revival of which recently
opened in New York to good reviews.
Here's what the New York Times had
to say: "On the Town has become a clas-
sic, but it certainly hasn't grown old.
That it can still refresh, surprise and
bring you close to tears (both of helpless
laughter and sweet melancholy) is
which she didn't appear to have had a
happy childhood.
"Well, I didn't like my looks," she
says.
Green: "But she came from a happy
home."
She: "But I didn't have a very unhap-
py childhood. I was a moody kid."
He: "Nice parents, really nice folks."
She: "I don't want to give the impres-
sion that I was sad. I was sort of a
moody kid. I had a nice childhood."
It's difficult to capture the conversa-
tion in print. In
fact, it's kind of
theatrical, kind of
like the snappy
dialogue the two
write for one of
their plays or
films.
Consider the
subject of their
Jewish upbringing
and how it
impacted their
work.
She: "We were observant. We had
two sets of dishes and observed the holi-
days."
He: "I was kosher, if you don't
mind."
She: "He'll get to you. We both grew
up with two sets of dishes."
Their traditional upbringing plays no
direct role in their work, Comden says,
"I can't say it informed our work other
than it formed us."
She: "Whatever served to make us
what we are, (He: "Yeah"), part of it is
our Jewish background (He: "Yeah). BLit
I don't think there's any specific incident
or specific references ["No"]. But we
were brought up, both of us ("Yeah"), in
families that mattered."
She: "We worked with Leonard
Bernstein and" — they both say togeth-
er, as though it was rehearsed: "Jule
Styne."
He: "Who was a terrific composer."-:::
She: "And Cy Coleman, both terrific
composers."
Yes, they did work with a number of
Jewish composers, hut, says Green, "not
by conscious effort."
"A lot of Jews happen to be com-
posers, except for Cole Porter," Comdei
notes.
A mutual friend introduced Comdr
and Green while she was still a student
at New York Universim They lost toucl
but subsequently met again after she
graduated and both were making the
rounds of theatrical offices looking for
work. They decided to team up. "We
worked as a night club act in the
Village," Green says.
Betty Comden and
Adolph Green
enjoy a revival
of their first
Broadway musical.
opened in 1944.
The Public Theater
(founded by Joseph
Papp) revived it last
summer in Central
Park. It was so well
received there, that it was decided to
bring it back to Broadway.
Although the choreography was
revamped (by Keith Young, making his
Broadway debut), the Comden/Green
work remains otherwise relatively
untouched.
"There were very few changes,"
Comden says. "We have a wonderful
director (George C. Wolfe, Bring In Da
Noise, Bring In Da Funk). And he had a
view of it that made it feel very contem-
porary. There's nothing nostalgic or
musty about it."
"That's the most important thing,"
Green says as Comden pauses for a
breath.
"It's just alive, as of today," Comden
finishes.
e're visiting in Comden's
room at a ritzy resident
hotel on Broadway.
There'd been a fire at her
apartment — she wasn't there at the
time -- so she's been relegated to new,
very comfortable-looking quarters since.
Dressed in sweater and skirt as
though she was going out for dinner at
21, Comden is the little picture in the
dictionary next to the word "elegant."
Elegant probably isn't the best
description of Green. Call him spry
for his age. While he gets around
really well, he spends much of the
interview sitting with his eyes closed,
chewing a wad of, appropriately,
green gum.
Comden recently wrote a memoir,
Of Stage (Simon & Schuster), in