WALTER WILLISON sings "Sweet Danger" at The ASCAP Foundation/Richard Rodgers Award ceremony honoring Robert Wright & George Forrest, in recognition of outstanding contributions to the American Musical Theatre, on April 20, 1992. From Hollywood to Broadway to the Hit Parade of all-time standards, Robert "Bob" Wright and George "Chet" Forrest will forever be "The Uncontested Longest-Running Songwriting Collaboration in Show Business History!" "Sweet Danger", from "KEAN", has been one of my favorite Wright & Forrest songs since I first heard it sung by Alfred Drake on the original cast album, and by Judy Garland on TV, in concert, and on her hit 1964 recording. I was thrilled when Bob & Chet asked me to sing it on the auspicious occasion, and honored to share the stage with my longtime friend and Wright & Forrest's favorite leading lady, The Incomparable Judy Kaye, accompanied by Musical Director Jack Lee ["GRAND HOTEL", "MY ONE AND ONLY", "MY FAIR LADY", "PETER PAN", "IRENE", "SWEET CHARITY"], co-hosted by Marilyn Bergman and Mary Rodgers. Bob & Chet had a special fondness for their 1961 Broadway musical, the story of acclaimed English actor Edmund Kean, written for the Legendary Alfred Drake. Forced to close prematurely when Drake became ill, over the decades they had declined numerous request to mount the show, so I was deeply touched when, 39 years after the original closed [8 years after this performance], they generously offered me the opportunity to play Alfred's role in the first New York revival, an intimate Musicals in Mufti production at The York Theatre in January 2000, also starring Susan Watson, Christiane Noll, Robert Stella and a cast of Broadway stalwarts. ["KEAN" was also the first musical to open in New York in the New Millennium.] Adapted from the play by Jean-Paul Sartre, "KEAN" featured the first book for a Broadway musical by screenwriter Peter Stone ["Charade", "Taking of Pelham 1-2-3", "1776", "THE WILL ROGERS FOLLIES", "TITANIC"] who would later composer Richard Rodgers ["OKLAHOMA!," "CAROUSEL", "SOUTH PACIFIC"], and lyricist Martin Charnin ["ANNIE"] and write the book for the show in which I made my Tony-nominated Broadway musical debut, 'TWO BY TWO". The only sad thing about the first New York revival of "KEAN" was that Chet did not get to see it. He had passed on just two months earlier. Bob, however, with very much present to supervise rehearsals and at every performance. He also chose to honor his late partner by dedicating the production to Chet's memory. When Chet passed, on November 10, 1999, they were celebrating the 70th Anniversary of their collaboration. Bob followed him on July 27, 2005. They met in 1929, students at Miami High, at ages 14 and 15. In their teens, Bob played piano for the likes of Helen Morgan, had his own dance band, and was Musical Director of The Original Walt Disney's Micky Mouse Club, and Chet was Musical Director for notorious comedian/female impersonator Ray Bourbon, with whom they toured, arriving in Hollywood and MGM at ages 20 and 21. They wrote such standards as "The Donkey Serenade" [introduced by Allan Jones in "The Firefly"], and received Academy Award nominations for "Always and Always" [Joan Crawford in "Mannequin"]; "It's a Blue World" [Tony Martin in "Music In My Heart"]; and "Pennies for Pepino" ["Fiesta"]. and contributed songs and scores for over 60 films, from "The Our Gang Follies of 1938" to their series of classic Jeannette MacDonald & Nelson Eddy operettas ["Maytime", "Sweethearts", "Rose Marie", "I Married An Angel", etc.]. In 1942, they moved from Hollywood to New York, writing, producing and directing all-star revues at Camp Tamiment; a series of nightclub revues at the Copacabana; nightclub acts for stars such as Jane Froman, Celeste Holm, Anne Jeffreys and Robert Sterling; wrote and produced the radio program "U.S. Treasury Star Parade", with Janet Gaynor, Fredric March, Ethel Merman, Danny Kaye, Mary Martin; their own weekly 'IV variety show, "Star Time"; and landed on Broadway with "SONG OF NORWAY" ["Strange Music", "I Love You"], "MAGDALENA", their Tony Award·winning Best Score for "KISMET" ["Stranger in Paradise," "Baubles, Bangles and Beads," "And This is My Beloved"], "KEAN", "TIMBUKTU", and "THE GREAT WALTZ" at Drury Lane.. In 1989, they returned with their longest-running Broadway hit,the Landmark "GRAND HOTEL": The Musical, directed by Tommy Tune, winner of 5 Tony Awards, and one of Broadway's longest-running shows. Bob Wright & Chet Forrest were both true gentlemen of the theatre and are greatly missed, especially by those of us who loved them.
Walter Willison, 2010
[Tony Award nominee & Theatre World Award winner for "TWO BY TWO", "PIPPIN", "NORMAN, IS THAT YOU?", "GRAND HOTEL", "KEAN", Leonard Bernstein & Stephen Schwartz' "MASS", "McDuff, The Talking Dog", "Ziegfeld: The Man and His Women", "Harry and Walter Go To New York"]
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Judy Garland - Sweet Dangerby mr40sfan794 views
@JoeManelli -- And what a lovely thing to write. Thanks for making my day!
Best. WW
BroadwayGoldnAge 1 year ago
@showtunestarpower -- I'm flattered. And so glad you had a chance to see the show, as well.
Best, WW
BroadwayGoldnAge 1 year ago
I saw Mr. Willison in this performance at MUFTI. So great to have a filmed record of him doing the song!
showtunestarpower 1 year ago
Wow! This is amazing! What a gorgeous performance!
JoeManelli 1 year ago