Dorothy Fields was one of the greats in American musical theatre in the early and middle 20th century, and on this week’s Dress Circle (7/28 7:00 p.m.), we’re going to be celebrating her lyric-writing career with fifteen songs that doesn’t even scratch the surface of this incredible woman’s talents.
Born into a “showbusiness” family, Dorothy’s father was a comedian and, later, producer Lew Fields, and her two brothers were Herbert and Joseph Fields who wrote many “books” for musicals and shows both on stage and in film. Her career would last nearly five decades which included penning over 400 songs for 15 stage musicals and 26 films and many more for which she didn’t take credit. She was known to be one of the most caring and giving people in theatre.
Although her lyrics are known for their satire and wit, she also wrote standards that are uplifting and lovely such as “On the Sunny Side of the Street,” “I’m in the Mood for Love,” “The Way You Look Tonight,” “Close as Pages in a Book,” and “Remind Me.”
Of course, we’ll also be showcasing some of her boisterous and deceitfully charming songs like “I’m a Brass Band,” “I’d Rather Wake Up by Myself,” “There Must Be Somethin’ Better than Love,” and the wonderfully self-effacing “Nobody Does It Better than Me.”
Our performers include Ethel Waters, Barbara Cook, Julie London, Fred Astaire, Pearl Bailey, Elaine Delmar, Gwen Verdon, Richard Kiley, Ethel Merman, and Michele Lee among others.
If you don’t know Dorothy Fields’ work, please tune in for some of the greatest lyrics written for Broadway and Hollywood musicals. She is a national treasure who needs to be cherished.
