''We started to write out of necessity
, think this is a lasting work."
because we needed material," Comden
He: "I don't think when Shakespeare
adds. ''We were doing satirical reviews
wrote plays he was thinking that. He
and sketches and songs. One of the boys
wrote them to make a living."
[in the act] was a very good musician —
She: "It's not something we planned."
not Jewish by the way — and we all
The moment On the Town opened,
used to make up tunes and sing them.
the duo went to work on a second show,
(Another member of the troupe —
Million Dollar Baby. It was a grueling
called the Revuers — was Judy Tuvim,
schedule, since both appeared in major
who later changed her name to Judy
roles in On The Town, Green as one of
Holliday.) We were both very musical.
the sailors, Ozzie, and Comden as the
Adolph has one of the legendary musical
anthropologist Claire DeLoone.
memories. All of that helps us in our
"We wanted to do a second show
work."
because we didn't want this to be an
Their ambition back then was simply
accident," Green says. "We had to prove
to get a job," Green recalls.
to ourselves that we could do more."
She: "We didn't really think too far
She: "We had the time. We were in
ahead."
the show, but my husband (the late
He: "We never thought we'd be writ-
Steven Kyle, who died in 1979) was in
ing a show"
the Army, was at war. So we could meet
She: "We had a night club existence,
after the show and work or meet during
mainly in New York. It was a sophisti-
the day"
cated act. Very literate."
And they've been at it ever since.
He: "It was considered very"
They work from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
(both say together
almost every day
now) "special."
unless they
She: "We had a
approach a deadline.
fantastic audience at
Comden types
the Vanguard (a
the words on her
Greenwich Village
computer. "It used
night club) and at
to be a yellow pad,
the Blue Angel,
and then I used a
where people of the
typewriter."
literary world and
He: "I pace and
the musical world —
11. she does the writ-
.
, ,
everybody — used
i ng.
to come to see us.
The 1991
But we never played
Kennedy Center
the Copacabana. We Left to Right: Leonard Bernstein,
honorees have a
toured much
Jerome Robbins, Betty Comden and
show, A Party With
nd the country.
round
Adolph Green in a 1944 photo taken
[arou
Betty Comden and
There was a sophisti- while writing "On the Town."
Adolph Green,
cared literaryness to
they've periodically
our stuff. We were very funny"
revived since its 1958 Off-Broadway
He: "And we were also physical. We
opening, made up of the material
weren't just intellectual."
they've written over the years.
She: "We were very good performers
They plan to continue working
He: "Yes!"], singing, jumping around.
because "we still have to earn a living."
d because we were great friends of
says Comden.
onard Bernstein — Adolph had met
He: "We're not being coy about that.
im and brought him to the Vanguard
We have to earn a living."
u-id we all became close
several years
She: "There are two of us and we
t er, when the idea of adopting a full-
have to divide. We have two different
en
musical came up with Jerome
households (Green is married to actress
obbins, [Bernstein] insisted [we] write
Phyllis Newman) and families and we
he book and lyrics."
have obligations. [That's] outside of
They'd never written a show before
wanting to keep working, because we
hadn't even considered it, so as they
never want to stop.
:,;rote, Comden says, "We felt hopeless."
"It's what we do. Its as simple as
He: "We thought we'd get kicked out
that." LI
ny second."
They had no idea of the magnitude
On The Town is playing at the
f their success with On the Town until
Gershwin Theatre, 222 W. 51st
show's premiere, and they certainly
St., in New York City. Call (212)
ad no idea that they'd be part of a pro-
307-4100 or (800) (223) 7565.
cr that would endure to this day.
She: "You don't write something and
a
'D
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