'Till The Clouds Roll By, 1917 Broadway hit by Jerome Kern & P.G. Wodehouse, musical Oh, Boy! скачать в хорошем качестве

'Till The Clouds Roll By, 1917 Broadway hit by Jerome Kern & P.G. Wodehouse, musical Oh, Boy!

Classic Broadway song by composer Jerome Kern and English writer P.G. Wodehouse, "'Till The Clouds Roll By" was one of the great songs from the Princess Theatre musical "Oh, Boy!" The Princess Theatre shows are remembered for being a high point in American musical theatre development up to that time, with their excellent music by Kern (incorporating popular foxtrot meters), clever, plot-driven lyrics by Wodehouse (with the best English-language wordplay since William S. Gilbert), contemporary settings, carefully chosen stars and choruses, and scenic limitation of a single set per act, forcing a dependence on careful comic writing by Guy Bolton and Wodehouse leaning toward farce (for those who are fans of Wodehouse's Bertie Wooster and Jeeves, it's a similar sensibility, albeit onstage and American). #broadwaymusical #1910smusic #broadway #jeromekern #pgwodehouse Of course, the song still stands on its own without the historical context, so even without all that, this is still a beautiful song that expresses the ambivalence of spring showers. You may be surprised to know that in the context of "Oh, Boy!," it is not sung by a romantic couple. The story of "Oh, Boy!" concerns a couple returning from their elopement, George and Lou Ellen, who must temporarily separate while they determine how to tell their guardians. Complications ensue when Jackie Sampson, "madcap actress" (as delightfully described by Bloom & Vlastnick in the 1st edition of Broadway Musicals: The 101 Greatest Shows of All Time), seeks shelter in George's house, having narrowly escaped from a nearby party where, after she resisted the advances of an older gentleman, a riot ensued, during which she lost her handbag and gave a policeman a black eye. When the policeman arrives looking for Jackie, she pretends to be George's wife. The policeman believes the story, but to support her alibi, she must spend the night at George's house, which means that for propriety's sake, George needs to sneak out, despite the rain, and stay with his friend Jim. This is the cue for "'Till the Clouds Roll By." See, it is all very innocent! The song is a duet; as written, George and Jackie trade phrases in the verse (with Jackie worrying about rudely sending George out into the rain and George gallantly insisting it's no trouble at all), and they sing the chorus together. I've marked that in the lyrics below in the description in case you're interested in seeing who is supposed to sing what! Pay attention as well to the internal rhymes in Wodehouse's lyric, such as, "What bad luck it's coming down in buckets". Jackie safely spends the night alone, and after many more complications, George and Lou Ellen are able to announce their marriage, and Jackie is paired off with Jim. I'd love to see a real-life production of "Oh, Boy!" someday; who knows if I ever will! "'Till The Clouds Roll By" is also the name of the not-very-historically-accurate biopic of Jerome Kern (I recall reading that Kern's life wasn't interesting enough by Hollywood standards, so they had to invent career obstacles just for the movie), where the song is featured, performed by June Allyson and Ray McDonald, dancing in onstage rain and backed by a chorus (and in a musical production number utterly unlike the small scale, 2-character performance of the original Broadway performance of "'Till the Clouds Roll By," which was in an absolutely dry living room setting!). Lyric: (Jackie) I’m so sad to think that I have had to Drive you from your home so coolly. (George) I’ve be gaining nothing by remaining, What would Missus Grundy say? Her conventions, kindly recollect them! We must please respect them, duly. (Jackie) My intrusion needs explaining: I felt my courage waning. (George) Please, I beg don’t mention it! I should not mind a bit, But it has started raining Chorus Oh, the rain comes a pitter, patter, And I’d like to be safe in bed. Skies are weeping While the world is sleeping Trouble heaping On our head. It is vain to remain and chatter And to wait for a clearer sky; Helter skelter I must fly for shelter Till the clouds roll by. [Verse 2] (Jackie) What bad luck, it’s coming down in buckets; Have you an umbrella handy? (George) I’ve a warm coat, water proof, a storm coat, I shall be all right I know. Later on, too, I will ward the grippe off, With a little nip of brandy (Jackie) Or a glass of toddy draining, You’d find that more sustaining, (George) Don’t be worried, I entreat, I’ve rubbers for my feet, So I don’t mind it raining. Chorus Oh, the rain comes a pitter, patter, And I’d like to be safe in bed. Skies are weeping While the world is sleeping Trouble heaping On our head. It is vain to remain and chatter And to wait for a clearer sky; Helter skelter I must fly for shelter Till the clouds roll by.