Perfectly Frank

1980

Perfectly Frank
Music and Lyrics by Frank Loesser

“‘Perfectly Frank’ is a sparkling musical evening! It is one of the most startling, creative, energetic and totally joyous musical treats I’ve had this season!”

– Rex Reed, The New York Observer

Songs of Frank Loesser, who wrote for many Hollywood films as well as Broadway’s Where’s Charley?, Guys and Dolls, How to Succeed… and The Most Happy Fella.

Synopsis
Act I

This generous bouquet of some of the greatest songs from Loesser’s fertile words and/or music talent mixes many numbers from his Broadway successes with songs he contributed to Hollywood productions, together with hit-parade numbers that especially recall the ‘GI War’ from 1941 to 1945.

And it is in the ambience of a show for the troops that Perfectly Frank starts. The cast members kid around as they recall those days with They’re Either Too Young or Too Old, What Did You Do in the Infantry? and Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition. Two songs from Where’s Charley?, presented as a duet-rehearsal, bring two characters together in a duet, then a dance sequence and then in Loesser’s classic and uproarious seduction scene Baby, It’s Cold Outside – only, unusually, this time the boy/girl relationship switches halfway through and it’s he who – not Loo reluctantly agrees to stay ‘nice and warm’. One chorus each from another eight songs, at least some of which are bound to make you exclaim ‘Did he write that? and the first act is over.

Act II

The second act is packed with the ‘high spots’ of the great musicals; and group of songs about marriage, including Happy To Keep His Dinner Warm from How To Succeed in Business Without Really Tryingand a haunting rarity Never Will I Marry from Greenwillow, then a major segment of four songs from The Most Happy Fella climaxing in the soaring, operatic My Heart Is So Full of You. The extended finale sequence for the whole company features no fewer than five numbers from Guys and Dolls, two from Hans Christian Andersen and after two film songs that Loesser wrote with Burton Lane, we play out with the memorable phrase Call it sad, call it funny/ But it’s better that even money/ That the guy’s only doin’ it for some doll – and the curtain falls, leaving us happy for the time we have spent with the genius of Frank Loesser.

Song List

ACT 1

  1. Prologue Three Cornered Tune (from GUYS AND DOLLS) – Company
  2. I Hear Music (from DANCING ON A DIME film) (Music by Burton Lane) – Company
  3. Kiss the Boys Goodbye (from KISS THE BOYS GOODBYE film) (Music by VictorSchertzinger) – Virginia Sandifur
  4. Snug as a Bug in a Rug (from THE GRACIE ALLEN MURDER CASE film) (Music by Matt Malneck) – Virginia Sandifur
  5. The Moon of Manakoora (from THE HURRICANE film) (Music by Alfred Newman) – Virginia Sandifur
  6. The Boys in the Backroom (from DESTRY RIDES AGAIN film) (Music by Frederick Hollander) – Virginia Sandifur
  7. Murder, He Says (from HAPPY GO LUCKY film) (Music by Jimmy McHugh) – Jill Cook, Wayne Cilento
  8. Some Like It Hot (from SOME LIKE IT HOT film) (Music by Gene Krupa and Remo Biondi)
  9. I Don’t Want to Walk Without You (from SWEATER GIRL film) (Music by Jule Styne) – Debbie Shapiro
  10. Roseanna (from ROSEANNA McCOY film) – Jan Walton
  11. I Wish I Didn’t Love You So (from THE PERILS OF PAULINE film) – David Holliday
  12. Where Are You Now (That I Need You?) (from RED, HOT AND BLUE film) – David Holliday
  13. They’re Either Too Young or Too Old (from THANK YOUR LUCKY STARS film) (Music by Arthur Schwartz) – Andrea Akers
  14. What Do You Do in the Infantry? – Andrea Akers, Men
  15. Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition – David Holliday
  16. Spring Will Be a Little Late This Year – Jo Sullivan
  17. I Believe in You (from HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS …) – David Ruprecht, Men
  18. Make a Miracle (from WHERE’S CHARLEY?) – Don Correia, Jill Cook
  19. My Darling, My Darling (from WHERE’S CHARLEY?) – Don Correia, Jill Cook
  20. My Time of Day (from GUYS AND DOLLS) – David Holliday
  21. Two Sleepy People (from THANKS FOR THE MEMORY film) (Music by Hoagy Carmichael) – Andrea Akers, David Ruprecht
  22. No Two People (from HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN film) – Don Correia, Jill Cook
  23. Baby, It’s Cold Outside (from NEPTUNE’S DAUGHTER film) – Virginia Sandifur, Jan Walton
  24. Luck Be a Lady (from GUYS AND DOLLS) – David Holliday
  25. Fugue for Tinhorns (from GUYS AND DOLLS) – Debbie Shapiro, Wayne Cilento, David Holliday
  26. Take Back Your Mink (from GUYS AND DOLLS) – Virginia Sandifur
  27. How’dja Like to Love Me? (from COLLEGE SWING film) (Music by Burton Lane) – Jill Cook
  28. The Lady’s in Love With You (from SOME LIKE IT HOT film) (Music by Burton Lane) – Debbie Shapiro
  29. Guys and Dolls (from GUYS AND DOLLS) – Company
  30. I’ve Never Been in Love Before (from GUYS AND DOLLS) – David Holliday, Company

 

ACT 2

  1. Entr’acte: Medley from HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN film
  2. Rumble, Rumble, Rumble (from THE PERILS OF PAULINE film) – Debbie Shapiro, Jan Walton, Jill Cook
  3. Standing on the Corner (from THE MOST HAPPY FELLA) – David Ruprecht, Wayne Cilento, Jan Walton
  4. Once in Love With Amy (from WHERE’S CHARLEY?) – Wayne Cilento
  5. Marry the Man Today (from GUYS AND DOLLS) – Virginia Sandifur, Andrea Akers, Jill Cook
  6. Happy To Keep His Dinner Warm (from HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS ..) – Virginia Sandifur
  7. Never Will I Marry (from GREENWILLOW) – Jan Walton
  8. Adelaide’s Lament (from GUYS AND DOLLS) – Andrea Akers
  9. Ooh, My Feet! I Like Everybody
  10. I Don’t Know Nothing About You (The Letter) – Jo Sullivan, David Holliday
  11. Somebody Somewhere – Jo Sullivan
  12. Rosabella – David Holliday
  13. Warm All Over – Jo Sullivan
  14. Like a Woman Loves a Man – Jo Sullivan
  15. My Heart Is So Full of You – David Holliday
    (all of the above from THE MOST HAPPY FELLA)
  16. Central Park Duck – Jo Sullivan
  17. Can’t Get Out of This Mood (from SEVEN DAYS LEAVE film) (Music by Jimmy McHugh) – Virginia Sandifur
  18. Luck Be a Lady Dance (from GUYS AND DOLLS) – Debbie Shapiro, Don Correia
  19. Junk Man (Music by Joseph Meyer) – Debbie Shapiro
  20. More I Cannot Wish You (from GUYS AND DOLLS) – Company
  21. If I Were a Bell (from GUYS AND DOLLS) – Virginia Sandifur, David Holliday
  22. Hoop-Dee-Do (Music by Milton Delugg) – Wayne Cilento, Virginia Sandifur, Don Correia, Jill Cook
  23. Just Another Polka (Music by Milton Delugg) – Company
  24. The New Ashmolean Marching Society and Students Conservatory Band (from WHERE’S CHARLEY?) – Company
  25. Bubbles in the Wine (Music by Lawrence Welk) – David Ruprecht
  26. What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve? – David Holliday, Debbie Shapiro
  27. Sposalizio (from THE MOST HAPPY FELLA) – Company
  28. Jingle, Jangle, Jingle (from THE FOREST RANGERS film) (Music by Joseph J. Lilley) – Wayne Cilento, Don Correia
  29. Big D (from THE MOST HAPPY FELLA) – Jill Cook, Wayne Cilento, Don Correia, Debbie Shapiro
  30. Anywhere I Wander (from HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN film) – Jo Sullivan
  31. Sand in My Shoes (from KISS THE BOYS GOODBYE film) (Music by Victor Schertzinger) – Andrea Akers
  32. Sing a Tropical Song (from HAPPY GO LUCKY film) (Music by Jimmy McHugh) – David Ruprecht, Andrea Akers
  33. Dolores (from LAS VEGAS NIGHTS film) (Music by Louis Alter) – David Holliday, Men
  34. Sit Down You’re Rockin’ the Boat (from GUYS AND DOLLS) – Company
  35. Brotherhood of Man (from HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS ..) – Company
  36. On a Slow Boat to China – Virginia Sandifur
  37. Small Fry (from SING YOU SINNERS film) (Music by Hoagy Carmichael) – Jill Cook
  38. A Bushel and a Peck (from GUYS AND DOLLS) – Andrea Akers
  39. Heart and Soul (from A SONG IS BORN film short) (Music by Hoagy Carmichael) – Company