Culture she ain’t got

by chuckofish

Today marks the 122nd birthday of the composer Richard Rodgers (1902-1979). With 43 Broadway musicals and over 900 songs to his credit, Rodgers was one of the most well-known American composers of the 20th century. I mean his songbook is beyond impressive. Rodgers was the first person to win all four of the top American entertainment awards in theater, film, recording, and television–an EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony). He also won a Pulitzer.

Born and raised in Queens, he attended Columbia University where he met collaborators Lorenz Hart and Oscar Hammerstein II. The rest is history. What a remarkable career! To celebrate, I suggest you choose one of his many great musicals to watch: Jumbo, On Your Toes, Pal Joey, Oklahoma, South Pacific, Carousel, The King and I, The Sound of Music…the list goes on and on.

Funnily enough the first song by Rodgers that came to my mind was this one with lyrics by Lorenz Hart sung by the wonderful Jimmy Durante. It brings tears to my eyes!

It is also the birthday of cartoonist George Booth (1926-2022), who has always been a favorite of mine. I think daughter #1 can probably relate to this:

And, hey, Mel Brooks was born on the exact same day as Booth in 1926. Like Booth, Brooks served in WWII as an 18-year old. He participated in the Battle of the Bulge. His battalion was responsible for clearing booby-trapped buildings and defusing land mines as the Allies advanced into Nazi Germany. Zut alors! When he returned to the U.S. following the war, he commenced his comedic career. So if you’re not in the mood for watching a broadway musical, you could choose one of Brooks’s many good movies, such as To Be or Not to Be (1983).

Not quite Lubitsch, but close.

Meanwhile this scrappy little guy is burning it up at soccer camp.

Have a good day–stay hydrated!