fbpx
Wikipedia

Everything's Coming Up Roses

January 01, 1970

This article is about the 1959 Ethel Merman hit. For the 1987 song, see Black (singer).
For the Night Terrors of 1927 album, see Night Terrors of 1927.

"Everything's Coming Up Roses" is a song with music by Jule Styne and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, written initially for the 1959 Broadway musical Gypsy. Introduced in the show's inaugural production by Ethel Merman, "Everything's Coming Up Roses" became one of Merman's signature songs.

Overview edit

According to Sammy Cahn, the song had its genesis in the 1947 musical High Button Shoes, for which he was the lyricist. Cahn wrote lyrics to Jule Styne's music for a song titled "Betwixt and Between", to be sung by a female character who cannot decide between two men. The director of High Button Shoes decided the song did not fit well into the show and removed it.

When composing Gypsy, Styne decided to re-use the music for what became "Everything's Coming Up Roses", with new lyrics by Sondheim. It took Sondheim a week to come up with the title; the lyricist recalled: "The point was to [coin] a phrase that sounded as if it had been in the language for years but was in fact invented for the show." (The similar phrase, "come up smelling like a rose" has in fact been in general usage since the early 20th century, and the similar idiom "roses, roses all the way" derives from a Robert Browning poem The Patriot[1]) Director of the show Jerome Robbins responded to Sondheim's lyrics: "Everything's coming up Rose's what?" prompting Sondheim's assurance that "if anybody else has that confusion – anybody connected with the production, in the audience, any of your relatives – I will change the title."[2]

"Everything's Coming Up Roses" is performed at the end of the first act of Gypsy by stage mother Rose, upon learning her daughter June has eloped, abandoning the vaudeville act, and leaving Rose without a star for the show to which she has devoted her life. Rose's response is to make her other daughter Louise the object of her dubious star-making abilities. The title "Everything's Coming Up Roses" is a pun: Besides "roses" representing happiness, the title is referencing the possessive "Rose's" as in Rose's way or "Rose" as in Rose becoming a star herself, through her daughter.[citation needed]

Ethel Merman biographer Brian Kellow notes that while objectively "Everything's Coming Up Roses" seems "a big, brassy paean to the power of positive thinking ... done in the old, electric Merman style", within the context of the show "the song becomes a chilling illustration of blind ambition mixed with megalomania". Kellow quotes Stephen Sondheim to the effect that while Merman's comedic prowess was "nonpareil" as showcased in Gypsy's first act she lacked the dramatic precision to be fully effective as the play grew darker; thus, Sondheim recalled: "I wrote a song of the type that [Merman] had sung all her life, like [the Anything Goes number] 'Blow, Gabriel, Blow', which only requires a trumpet-voiced affirmation." However Sondheim added that Merman performed the song with an "intensity [which] came as a surprise."[3]

The emergence of "Everything's Coming Up Roses" as a Broadway anthem began with the song's melody being used to open and close the 14th Tony Awards ceremony on April 24, 1960. (Ironically Gypsy won none of its eight Tony nominations.)[4]

In 1974, Ethel Merman appeared in a television advertisement singing new lyrics to the tune of "Everything's Coming Up Roses" to promote the Colgate-Palmolive dishwashing liquid Vel. That same year Merman recorded "Everything's Coming Up Roses" for her album Merman Sings Merman recorded with Stanley Black & the London Festival Orchestra. She again recorded the song for The Ethel Merman Disco Album in 1979. In a cameo in the 1980 film Airplane!, Merman sings a few bars of "Everything's Coming Up Roses" in what became her final film appearance.

Notable covers edit

Other versions of "Everything's Coming Up Roses" include:

In popular culture edit

References edit

  1. ^ "roses, roses, all the way". TheFreeDictionary.com.
  2. ^ Citron, Stepen (2001). Sondheim and Lloyd-Webber: The New Musical. New York City: Oxford University Press. p. 92. ISBN 0-19-509601-0.
  3. ^ Brian Kellow. "Merman: A Life". Large print ed. Thorndike Press, Waterville ME (2008) ISBN 978-1-4104-0508-1 p.395-6
  4. ^ Caryl Flinn "Brass Diva: the life and legends of Ethel Merman" University of California Press Berkeley & LA CA (2007) ISBN 978-0-520-22942-6 p.309
  5. ^ Dick, Bernard F. (2006). Forever Mame: the life of Rosalind Russell. Jackson, MS: University Press of Mississippi. p. 209. ISBN 1-57806-890-8.

January 01, 1970
everything, coming, roses, this, article, about, 1959, ethel, merman, 1987, song, black, singer, night, terrors, 1927, album, night, terrors, 1927, song, with, music, jule, styne, lyrics, stephen, sondheim, written, initially, 1959, broadway, musical, gypsy, i. This article is about the 1959 Ethel Merman hit For the 1987 song see Black singer For the Night Terrors of 1927 album see Night Terrors of 1927 Everything s Coming Up Roses is a song with music by Jule Styne and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim written initially for the 1959 Broadway musical Gypsy Introduced in the show s inaugural production by Ethel Merman Everything s Coming Up Roses became one of Merman s signature songs Contents 1 Overview 2 Notable covers 3 In popular culture 4 ReferencesOverview editAccording to Sammy Cahn the song had its genesis in the 1947 musical High Button Shoes for which he was the lyricist Cahn wrote lyrics to Jule Styne s music for a song titled Betwixt and Between to be sung by a female character who cannot decide between two men The director of High Button Shoes decided the song did not fit well into the show and removed it When composing Gypsy Styne decided to re use the music for what became Everything s Coming Up Roses with new lyrics by Sondheim It took Sondheim a week to come up with the title the lyricist recalled The point was to coin a phrase that sounded as if it had been in the language for years but was in fact invented for the show The similar phrase come up smelling like a rose has in fact been in general usage since the early 20th century and the similar idiom roses roses all the way derives from a Robert Browning poem The Patriot 1 Director of the show Jerome Robbins responded to Sondheim s lyrics Everything s coming up Rose s what prompting Sondheim s assurance that if anybody else has that confusion anybody connected with the production in the audience any of your relatives I will change the title 2 Everything s Coming Up Roses is performed at the end of the first act of Gypsy by stage mother Rose upon learning her daughter June has eloped abandoning the vaudeville act and leaving Rose without a star for the show to which she has devoted her life Rose s response is to make her other daughter Louise the object of her dubious star making abilities The title Everything s Coming Up Roses is a pun Besides roses representing happiness the title is referencing the possessive Rose s as in Rose s way or Rose as in Rose becoming a star herself through her daughter citation needed Ethel Merman biographer Brian Kellow notes that while objectively Everything s Coming Up Roses seems a big brassy paean to the power of positive thinking done in the old electric Merman style within the context of the show the song becomes a chilling illustration of blind ambition mixed with megalomania Kellow quotes Stephen Sondheim to the effect that while Merman s comedic prowess was nonpareil as showcased in Gypsy s first act she lacked the dramatic precision to be fully effective as the play grew darker thus Sondheim recalled I wrote a song of the type that Merman had sung all her life like the Anything Goes number Blow Gabriel Blow which only requires a trumpet voiced affirmation However Sondheim added that Merman performed the song with an intensity which came as a surprise 3 The emergence of Everything s Coming Up Roses as a Broadway anthem began with the song s melody being used to open and close the 14th Tony Awards ceremony on April 24 1960 Ironically Gypsy won none of its eight Tony nominations 4 In 1974 Ethel Merman appeared in a television advertisement singing new lyrics to the tune of Everything s Coming Up Roses to promote the Colgate Palmolive dishwashing liquid Vel That same year Merman recorded Everything s Coming Up Roses for her album Merman Sings Merman recorded with Stanley Black amp the London Festival Orchestra She again recorded the song for The Ethel Merman Disco Album in 1979 In a cameo in the 1980 film Airplane Merman sings a few bars of Everything s Coming Up Roses in what became her final film appearance Notable covers editOther versions of Everything s Coming Up Roses include Annie Ross on her 1959 album Gypsy which comprises renditions of numbers from the stage musical Gypsy the album features Buddy Bregman amp his Orchestra Rosemary Clooney in medley with Clap Hands Here Comes Charley on her 1960 album Clap Hands Here Comes Rosie the lyrics of both songs were customized for Rosie Clooney and the track is accordingly titled Clap Hands Here Comes Rosie Everything s Coming Up Rosie Johnny Mathis on his 1960 album The Rhythms and Ballads of Broadway Rosalind Russell in the film Gypsy 1962 the track used in the film features Russell s own voice at the beginning with her vocal double Lisa Kirk taking over from the words Starting now in the first verse 5 Carol Burnett on her 1963 album Let Me Entertain You Carol Burnett Sings Tommy Steele on his 1964 album So This Is Broadway Shirley Bassey on her 1965 album Shirley Stops the Shows Rita Moreno performs the song in the film version of The Ritz 1976 Bette Midler in the 1993 TV film version of Gypsy Judy Kuhn on her 1995 album Just in Time Judy Kuhn Sings Jule Styne Ruthie Henshall on her 1996 album The Ruthie Henshall Album Liza Minnelli performed this on The Muppet Show 1979 Angela Lansbury Tyne Daly Bernadette Peters and Patti LuPone all performed the song on Broadway in revivals of Gypsy in 1974 1989 2003 and 2008 respectively Bernadette Peters sings this song in episode 7 of the musical TV show SmashIn popular culture editJack Paar used an instrumental version of this song as a personal theme of his It served as the theme to The Tonight Show during the time that he hosted that show as well as for his eponymous weekly prime time series that followed his tenure on Tonight Merman sang an excerpt of the song in the 1980 film Airplane Merman portrayed Lt Hurwitz a soldier suffering from shell shock believing he was Ethel Merman Rosemary Clooney had a 1977 album release titled Everything s Coming Up Rosie Clooney had recorded Everything s Coming Up Roses as Everything s Coming Up Rosie for her 1960 album Clap Hands Here Comes Rosie but her Everything s Coming Up Rosie album does not feature any version of Everything s Coming Up Roses The Pasadena City College Tournament of Roses Honor Band performs the song during the Rose Parade as their signature theme song The 1992 episode of Spitting Image immediately after the 1992 UK general election was ended by the puppet representing defeated outgoing British Labour party leader Neil Kinnock making an ironic performance of the song Kinnock s party having replaced the Red flag with the rose as its symbol The song appears in the first season of The Sandman TV series performed by John Cameron Mitchell Mitchell s character Hal Carter sings the song as part of a drag performance Molly Shannon performs the song during her 4 8 2023 monologue on Saturday Night Live eventually being joined by Martin Short and various cast members References edit roses roses all the way TheFreeDictionary com Citron Stepen 2001 Sondheim and Lloyd Webber The New Musical New York City Oxford University Press p 92 ISBN 0 19 509601 0 Brian Kellow Merman A Life Large print ed Thorndike Press Waterville ME 2008 ISBN 978 1 4104 0508 1 p 395 6 Caryl Flinn Brass Diva the life and legends of Ethel Merman University of California Press Berkeley amp LA CA 2007 ISBN 978 0 520 22942 6 p 309 Dick Bernard F 2006 Forever Mame the life of Rosalind Russell Jackson MS University Press of Mississippi p 209 ISBN 1 57806 890 8 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Everything 27s Coming Up Roses amp oldid 1151443965, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.