Make Me a Song (musical)

Make Me a Song
The Music of William Finn
Logo for the off-Broadway production
MusicWilliam Finn
LyricsWilliam Finn
BookConcept by Rob Ruggiero
BasisMusic of William Finn
Productions2006 Hartford, Connecticut
2007 Off-Broadway
2008 London

Make Me a Song is a musical revue, with lyrics and music by William Finn, which was conceived by Rob Ruggiero in 2006.[1]

The revue includes songs from Finn's musicals In Trousers, Falsettos, A New Brain, Elegies: A Song Cycle, Romance in Hard Times, The Royal Family of Broadway, Songs of Innocence and Experience, musicals that were never professionally produced, and other unpublished songs, notably the title song. There is no dialogue or plot connecting the songs.[2]

Productions

Make Me a Song premiered in August 2006 as a regional production at Hartford's TheaterWorks, where Rob Ruggiero, who conceived of and directed the show, served as associate artistic director; previews began August 11, with the production opening August 18 and running through September 24.[3][4] The cast featured four singers: Sandy Binion, Joe Cassidy, Adam Heller and Sally Wilfert, as well as an on-stage singing pianist, John DiPinto.[5]

A transfer to the off-Broadway Zipper Theater was announced for April 19, 2007, but was cancelled because of scheduling issues.[6][7][8] Instead, the off-Broadway production began previews on October 30, 2007, and opened on November 12 at New World Stages; the show was cut down to 90 minutes and played without an intermission.[2][1] Binion, Heller and Wilfert reprised their roles in the updated production, joined by D. B. Bonds and Darren R. Cohen as the pianist.[9] The off-Broadway run lasted 55 performances before closing on December 30, 2007.[10]

A London production ran from March 6 to April 6, 2008, at the New Players Theatre, directed by Andrew MacBean. The cast included Louise Dearman, Sally Ann Triplett, Frances Ruffelle, Simon Thomas and Ian "H" Watkins.[11][12]

Song list

  • "Make Me a Song" – Adam (written for Mandy Patinkin for a proposed concert of Finn's songs, but never performed by Patinkin; the song debuted in Finn's Infinite Joy revue)[13][14][4]
  • "Heart and Music" (from A New Brain) – Company
  • "Hitchhiking Across America" – D. B. (written for an unfinished musical of the same name)[15]
  • "Republicans Part 1" – Adam
  • "Billy's Law of Genetics" (substitute lyric to "Gordo's Law of Genetics" from A New Brain) – D. B. & Company
  • "Passover" (from Elegies: A Song Cycle) – Sally
  • "Only One" (from Elegies: A Song Cycle) – Sandy
  • "Republicans Part 2" – Adam
  • "I'd Rather Be Sailing" (from A New Brain) / "Set Those Sails" (from In Trousers) – D. B. & Sally
  • "Change" (from A New Brain) – Sandy & Company
  • "I Have Found" (from The Royal Family of Broadway) – Sally
  • "Republicans Part 3" – Adam
  • "You're Even Better Than You Think You Are" (from Songs of Innocence and Experience) – Company
  • "Falsettos Suite" (new arrangement of songs from Falsettos) – Company
    • "Falsettoland"
    • "Four Jews in a Room Bitching"
    • "A Tight-Knit Family"
    • "Love Is Blind"
    • "My Father's a Homo"
    • "Trina's Song"
    • "March of the Falsettos"
    • "The Year of the Child"
    • "The Baseball Game"
    • "Something Bad Is Happening"
    • "Unlikely Lovers"
  • "All Fall Down" (from Romance in Hard Times, originally staged as America Kicks Up Its Heels) – Sandy[4][13]
  • "Republicans Part 4" – Adam
  • "Stupid Things I Won't Do" (from The Royal Family of Broadway) – Adam
  • "That's Enough for Me" (from Romance in Hard Times) – Sandy
  • "I Went Fishing With My Dad" (from Songs of Innocence and Experience) – D.B.
  • "When the Earth Stopped Turning" (from Elegies: A Song Cycle) – Adam
  • "Anytime (I Am There)" (cut from A New Brain during previews; later performed in Finn's Infinite Joy revue, then included in Elegies: A Song Cycle) – Sally[16][13]
  • "Song of Innocence and Experience" (from Songs of Innocence and Experience) – Company
  • "Finale" (reprise of "Heart and Music" from A New Brain) – Company[17]

Notes: "Heart and Music" and "Billy's Law of Genetics" were arranged by Jason Robert Brown; "Hitchhiking Across America" was arranged by Vadim Feichtner; "I'd Rather Be Sailing/Set Those Sails" was arranged by Darren Cohen and Carmel Dean; "Change" was arranged by Michael Morris; "You're Even Better Than You Think You Are" and "Falsettos Suite" were arranged by Michael Starobin, Carmel Dean and Michael Morris; and "I Went Fishing With My Dad" and "Song of Innocence and Experience" were arranged by Carmel Dean. All the other songs used the original arrangements.

Recording

An original cast recording of the off-Broadway cast was released on April 29, 2008, by Ghostlight Records.[18] The double disc set includes live recordings of every song in the revue, liner notes written by theatre writer Steven Suskin, and a bonus track of William Finn singing "Mister, Make Me a Song," which was played from a recording to open the show before transitioning into Heller's live rendition.[13]

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Result
2007-2008 Drama Desk AwardsOutstanding RevueNominated
Outer Critics Circle AwardsOutstanding New Off-Broadway MusicalNominated

References

  1. 1 2 "Make Me a Song (2007), New World Stages". Spectra. Retrieved July 13, 2026.
  2. 1 2 Jones, Kenneth. "Make Me a Song, Finn's Revue of 'Heart and Music', Opens in NYC", Playbill, November 12, 2007, accessed February 11, 2018
  3. ↑ Rizzo, Frank."Make Me a Song: The Music of William Finn", Variety, August 21, 2006, accessed February 11, 2018
  4. 1 2 3 Jones, Kenneth. "Make Me a Song, a Revue of William Finn Songs, Will Kick Up Its Heels in CT", Playbill, July 4, 2006, accessed July 6, 2026
  5. ↑ Rizzo, Frank."Make Me a Song: The Music of William Finn", Variety, August 21, 2006, accessed February 11, 2018
  6. ↑ "Make Me a Song: The Music of William Finn Set for April Start at Zipper", Broadway.com, February 23, 2007, accessed February 11, 2018
  7. ↑ "William Finn Revue Make Me a Song Headed to New World Stages", Broadway.com, September 18, 2007, accessed February 12, 2018
  8. ↑ "Review: 'Make Me a Song: The Music of William Finn'", Variety, November 12, 2007, accessed July 6, 2026
  9. ↑ Midgette, Anne. "A Songwriter's Gamut, Personal and Poignant With Notes in Between", The New York Times, November 21, 2007, accessed February 11, 2018
  10. ↑ Suskin, Steven (2010), Show Tunes: The Songs, Shows, and Careers of Broadway's Major Composers, 4th ed., Oxford University Press, pp. 370
  11. ↑ Shenton, Mark. "Finn's Make Me a Song Opens in London March 6", Playbill, March 6, 2008, accessed February 11, 2018
  12. ↑ Make Me a Song, Guide to Musical Theatre, accessed February 11, 2018
  13. 1 2 3 4 Suskin, Steven. "On the Record: Finn's Make Me a Song, Plus Studio Discs of South Pacific and Kiss Me, Kate", Playbill, April 28, 2008, accessed April 27, 2008
  14. ↑ Ruhlmann, William. "Make Me a Song: The Music of William Finn Original Off-Broadway Cast Recording", AllMusic.com, accessed February 12, 2018
  15. ↑ Simonson, Robert; Lefkowitz, David. "William Finn to Be Resident Artist at CT's Goodspeed Where He'll Take Up Hitchhiking", Playbill, September 10, 1998, accessed July 6, 2026
  16. ↑ "InDepth InterView: William Finn Talks Encores! A New Brain, Spelling Bee Reunion, Royal Family Update & More", BroadwayWorld, June 15, 2015, accessed July 6, 2026
  17. ↑ Make Me a Song: The Music of William Finn, Piano/Vocal Score, table of contents.
  18. ↑ Ruhlmann, William. "Make Me a Song: The Music of William Finn" Original Off-Broadway Cast Recording, AllMusic.com, accessed February 12, 2018
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