Promises, Promises

[promisesx2]

Apparently, following the presentation of the show at Encores, "I Say a Little Prayer" has been shoe-horned into the revival of Promises, Promises. Does anyone know at which point in the show the song has been inserted, or how it is justified with regard to plot and character? I love the song, but Promises, Promises is a score that doesn't need fixing. The insertion of the song seems like pandering. My first thought is that it might be included at the finale in order to get the audience to sing and clap along---reminiscent of the film My Best Friend's Wedding.











-reminiscent of My Best Friend's Wedding.

[nymusicalsguy]

I'm insanely disappointed that the director of the upcoming revival trusts the score so little that he feels the need to interpolate "I Say A Little Prayer" into it. Apparently the song WAS performed in the recent workshop presentation which led to this revival, and so it WILL be included. The production is staying mum, but I imagine it will be used as an opening number for Ms. Chenoweth. The feeling is most likely that she, as a star, needs a solo opener (as opposed to "You'll Think of Someone") and that the audience will enjoy this familiar tune with lyrics that seem to indicate a single girl preparing for her day at the office. I fear it will have the exact opposite effect, though -- pulling audience members right out of this story. It conjures up thoughts of "My Best Friend's Wedding", or Dionne, or Aretha...The score to PROMISES, PROMISES does not need to be improved upon. It (including "You've Got It All Wrong" which was written jointly by Bacharach & David with Neil Simon's blessing) is more than enough to satisfy the theatergoing audience...I'm a big fan of much of Rob Ashford's previous work, and certainly of Kristin's, too. But this just screams cheap pandering -- I truly hope I'm proved wrong, because there's nobody rooting for the success of this production more than I am.

(My second worry is whether Jonathan Tunick's orchestrations will be reduced, and my third is about the new dance arrangements being provided by David Chase in place of Harold Wheeler's stunning originals. Time, too, will tell whether these worries are founded...)

[BachtoBacharach]

It does indeed sound like pandering to me as well. I think the producers were so afraid that a younger audience would not be as familiar with the tunes in the show as they would with "Prayer" and I think you are dead on the money about "Prayer" and the "My Best Friend's Wedding" effect...now I wonder what Dionne and Burt would have to say about this? Neither would probably mind as it would only give more exposure to the great tunes from the original score which Dionne had two big hits with and expose another of her biggest Bacharach/David hits which wasn't in the show to another genertation. Still, though, it's just a ploy to insert a better known tune into the show where it really has no context...still makes me think they had not quite enough faith in the original score...oh well. Guess that's us purists who object so...but I think the inclusion will only help if they are after a bigger audience which will ensure a profitable run.

[promisesx2]

Thanks nymusicalguy and BachtoBacharach.
Is it your understanding that "You'll Think of Someone" has been cut and replaced with "Prayer?"
Am I misreading your post, nymusicalguy?

[ron hertel]

If adding "I Say A Little Prayer" can help to expose the younger generation to BB/HD and contribute to the commercial success of the revival ............. I can reluctantly go along with that decision .............. I am; however, ...... saying a little prayer ...... that they do not try to inject "That's What Friends Are For" which is even MORE familiar to the younger set!

[nymusicalsguy]

Hi -- sorry for the confusion. "You'll Think of Someone" is currently Fran's first song (a duet with Chuck) in the show...I can picture the director squeezing in a scene prior to that song, in which Fran could sing "I Say A Little Prayer" as her opening number. The lyrics could work in that situation. Again, this is just pure conjecture on my part. I don't think any of the existing songs, including "You'll Think of Someone", will be altered in any way...other than new dance music, which is a crime since "Turkey Lurkey" and "A Fact Can Be A Beautiful Thing" both have AMAZING dance arrangements.

For what it's worth, Hal David and Neil Simon are both closely involved and attending rehearsals. I hope the Maestro at least makes it to opening night.

[An Enormous BB Fan]

I don't know what to think, really. A part of me thinks that it's absolutely ridiculous to simply add a great Bacharach/David song to a great Broadway musical that doesn't need it. I mean, why don't they add "Do You Know The Way To San Jose?" into the show, and while they're at it, throw in "Anyone Who Had A Heart"? Am I such a purist? Maybe I am. I don't know. But something about this is, I suppose, bothering me. And I'm sitting here asking myself, "Why do I care?" Is it because I'm averse to making changes to a great musical? Not really. For example, if Burt and Hal decided to write a NEW song for the show, then it wouldn't bother me at all. But I think the word "pandering" is so accurate in its description of what is going on here. For one thing, the show doesn't need it--the score is wonderful as it is; and for another thing, I think astute theatre-goers will feel very cheated -- yes, cheated! -- because they'll realize that the song does NOT belong in this show and they will feel pandered, too -- no doubt about it. And let me add this: I saw the original Broadway show -- so I admit to being very biased. I want people to see "Promises, Promises" as I saw it -- with the same songs and the same great arrangements. I cannot believe that someone is writing new arrangements. If they are writing new arrangements because it's a smaller orchestra, then I really feel sorry for the theatre-goers. Then they are really getting cheated, and it's a shame because they're not getting in for free, that's for sure. They should experience the same full orchestra that I experienced and with the same great arrangements. The end of "Turkey Lurkey Time" was worth the price of admission alone. And "A Fact Can Be A Beautiful Thing" works so well in the show and is a song that people don't know and one that they should know! Everyone knows "I Say A Little Prayer." They don't need to hear it in this show! One last thing: To me, a revival is just that! You're reviving what went before. Let them do just that.

I want the show to be a smash success. Getting good reviews is important to having a smash success. I wonder if the reviewers will negatively mention the fact that "I Say A Little Prayer" was added here because the producers did not have total faith in the original. And I'm wondering what Burt and Hal's reaction was to this addition. If they're okay with it, then why should I have a problem with it? Right?

[nymusicalsguy]

Totally agreed, BB Fan.

I will stress that Jonathan Tunick is still orchestrating...it remains to be seen whether he will be reducing his original orchestrations (highly likely, and very unfortunate) or the production is simply using his originals, and enlisting him to write a new orchestration for "I Say A Little Prayer."

The new dance arrangements totally boggle my mind, though. The originals simply cannot be improved upon. If that makes me a purist, too, then so be it.

[ron hertel]

I also saw the original in New York back in October of 1970 - and - the more I think about it - no added numbers are needed or wanted!

[BachtoBacharach]

I agree, the original is best...however, both Burt and Neil Simon are involved in this production and apparently they had no problem with the inclusion of I Say A Little Prayer or if they did, they didn't get far or had less involvement than I thought. Of course, in the sixties, I often felt the same about any original Bacharach/David/Warwick tune that someone else chose to cover but I have learned to appreciate in the years since those covers which Bacharach didn't have a hand in...there are some gems out there that sometimes though not often improve upon the originals. I really do hate to see the original score padded though but if this thing catches fire, think of all the folks who will rediscover real music.

[pljms]

Sadly, it's now very common for revivals of hit shows to feature hit songs by the same songwriter (s) which weren't in the original production. A few years ago I went to see a new production in London of Cole Porter's legendary 'Anything Goes', which in 1934 introduced to the world 'You're the Top', 'I Get a Kick Out of You', 'Blow Gabriel Blow', 'All Through the Night' and the sassy title song. Not satisfied with those hits, the jittery producers of the revival felt the need to shoehorn in 'Just one of those things', 'It's D'lovely' and 'Easy to Love', which replaced three of the 'lesser' songs of the original score. As for the new production of 'Promises Promises', I'll be very surprised if the producers stop at 'I say a little Prayer' when it comes to the inclusion of B&D hits. I've seen a couple of productions of 'PP' since the mid-90s, both of which thankfully didn't include outside hits, and the one I enjoyed the most included one of the numbers dropped from the original production,'Tick Tock Goes the Clock', which is not only a terrific song but with the long instrumental break in the middle is also a great dance number. It replaced the, in my view, very expendable 'It's Our Little Secret'.

[Steve Schenck]

I certainly agree with others here that this score needs no additives, thank you very much! While I like ISALP as much as anyone, it's "pedigree" is not from Promises, Promises and it shouldn't be tacked on. Regarding where the song will go, the revival's webpage just says that the song will be inserted in the first act; exactly where hasn't been mentioned, from what I can tell. I don't think they will cut any existing song in order to accommodate ISALP; that could cause major resistance from the authors. I'm thinking that maybe they'll put it in some place where it can reflect her (Fran Kubelik, the Chenoweth character) emphatuation with her boss. When he refuses to leave his wife she ends up attempting suicide in the second act, so it could be a poignant complement to that movement in the script. We'll just have to wait and see.

[steveo_1965]

Everytime they revive a show or bring something back after so many years, they always
do this sort of stuff, thinking it will beef up this or that, even adding songs that weren't
in the original production. They did this with Irving Berlin and some of the Astaire movies, etc...
It seems bizzare to me that they would add "Say a Little Prayer"...mainly because I remember the history of the song...but I guess for the younger folk, a lot of them will not know where
the song came from, etc.

Steveo

[Sara D]

I agree that as soon as 'hits' are added to a score then a show loses its integrity, and I'm dismayed that the producers have decided to include I say a Little Prayer in the new Broadway production of Promises Promises.

I saw the 1996 London fringe production of PP that pljms alludes to in his post and I have to say that within the context of the show the four key songs are the ones that have gone on to have a life of their own beyond the original Broadway run, I'll Never Fall in Love Again, Knowing When to Leave, Whoever You Are I Love You and the title song. Six of the other songs which haven't gone on to become hits but also worked really well in the show were Half as Big as Life, She Likes Basketball, Turkey Lurkey Time, A Young Pretty Girl Like You, You'll Think of Someone and the brilliant Tick Tock Goes the Clock. Bacharach's use of incidental music (mostly motifs and arrangemental hooks from the songs) in a Broadway show was a real innovation for 1968 and which I thought worked very well in the production I saw, lending it added atmosphere and a real sense of movement which hardly let-up.

[promisesx2]

Hi, Sara D,do you recall where Tick Tock Goes the Clock was placed in the London Production?