Billy Stritch returns to Crazy Coqs with a band new show spotlighting the music of legendary tunesmith, Cy Coleman.
He’ll be joined this time by a swinging jazz trio – all the better to perfectly celebrate one of Broadway and pop music’s jazziest composers.
The show will include Cy’s biggest pop hits (‘The Best Is Yet To Come’, ‘Witchcraft’), songs from his Broadway shows (‘Sweet Charity’, ‘City Of Angels’) and many undiscovered and unknown gems.
Cy Coleman was the composer of a dozen Broadway scores and a multitude of “stand-alone” pop songs in addition to being a world-class jazz pianist.
Billy Stritch said: “This show is one that I’ve been thinking about for a long time. I first met Cy Coleman in the late 80s when I was part of the vocal trio Montgomery, Plant and Stritch. The trio worked numerous times in London, notably at Pizza On The Park, Ronnie Scott’s and one very memorable engagement at The Ritz Hotel in 1988 when they were presenting cabaret acts. I’m pretty sure Cy saw us during one of our engagements at the Algonquin Hotel Oak Room in New York.
“It wasn’t until late in 1991 that I really got to know him. I had met Liza Minnelli in March of that year and she started giving regular parties in her apartment that fall. Always great guests – I remember Sammy Cahn, Tony Bennett, Annie Ross were all regulars, as was Cy. After an informal supper and cocktails, Liza and I would lead everyone into her great music room and the evening would really start! Everyone performed, it was so informal and low-key, and always lots of laughter and stories and great music. Cy was a born performer and fabulous pianist so he would always do at least three or four songs. So would I! We just became really good friends over the next few years and he would always be there in the audience whenever I opened a solo show or one with Liza. It was really an incredible time.
“One of the most wonderful benefits of his friendship was the series of afternoons I spent with him in the music room/studio of his east side town house. He would spend hours telling me great stories about shows he’s written or been involved with – but mainly he would play all these wonderful tunes that he’d written for shows or for singers, most of which had been cut or repurposed or never heard. If I particularly liked something he’d make sure his assistant Terre sent me home with a copy of the music. Before long, I’d amassed a pretty impressive stack of Cy’s undiscovered music.
“Cy passed away quite unexpectedly in 2004 and from that point on I’ve made it a point to include at least one of his songs in just about every show I’ve done. They are naturals for my style of playing and performing. I curated and hosted an evening of these ‘undiscovered’ gems for the prestigious Lyrics and Lyricists series at the 92nd Street Y a few years back but haven’t done a solo evening of this material until this year. I premiered it in Palm Springs in June and am doing it at 54 Below here in New York on Sept 23th and 24th, right before bringing it to Crazy Coqs.”
Billy Stritch: Cy Coleman Revisited is at Crazy Coqs, London Thursday 29 September, 2022 at 9.15pm and Saturday 1 October at 7pm
