Theater Talk- Cy Coleman

Interviewed on the eve of the revival's opening, composer Cy Coleman recalls the original transformation in 1962 of Patrick Dennis' bestselling comic novel into the musical with book by Neil Simon and direction by Bob Fosse.

He remembers the show's brilliant original star Sid Caesar, who was grappling with a substance abuse problem at the time, and his volatile lyricist Carolyn Leigh with whom he created the show's hit tunes: "I've Got Your Number," "The Other Side of The Tracks," and "Real Live Girl."

Coleman also recalls how he came to write "Hey, Look Me Over" for superstar Lucille Ball in Wildcat, his first Broadway musical and comments on the current state of musicals on Broadway.

Tape Date: 11/13/1998

Theater Talk is a series devoted to the world of the stage. It began on New York television in 1993 and is co-hosted by Michael Riedel (Broadway columnist for the New York Post) and series producer Susan Haskins.

The program is one of the few independent productions on PBS and now airs weekly on Thirteen/WNET in New York and WGBH in Boston. Now, CUNY TV offers New York City viewers additional opportunities to catch each week's show. (Of course, Theater Talk is no stranger to CUNY TV, since the show is taped here each week before its first airing on Thirteen/WNET.)

The series is produced by Theater Talk Productions, a not-for-profit corporation and is funded by contributions from private foundations and individuals, as well as The New York State Council on the Arts.

[mds]

One of the best song writers of all time.

[matthough]

Should have been a two-hour show to cover all of the great musical scores this man has written. How I miss his style of songwriting!