George M. Cohan: anyone else write/star in a Broadway Musical
George M. Cohan: anyone else write/star in a Broadway Musical
ErinDillyFan
Broadway Star Joined: 7/14/06
#0George M. Cohan: anyone else write/star in a Broadway Musical
Posted: 7/21/06 at 8:53amBesides George M. Cohan anyone else (write, compose) and star in a Broadway Musical?
flamingo
Understudy Joined: 5/18/03
#1re: George M. Cohan: anyone else write/star in a Broadway Musical
Posted: 7/21/06 at 9:07am
Peter Allen, wrote the music and lyrics and starred in "Legs Diamond"
I think this show was not considered sucessful.
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Smaxie
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/26/05
#2re: George M. Cohan: anyone else write/star in a Broadway Musical
Posted: 7/21/06 at 9:12amThere's Gerome Ragni and James Rado, who wrote the book and lyrics for Hair, and also starred in it.
Begin at the beginning and go on till you come to the end: then stop.
#3re: George M. Cohan: anyone else write/star in a Broadway Musical
Posted: 7/21/06 at 9:37am
Anthony Newley --- Stop the World... and The Roar of the Greasepaint...
And of course Noel Coward, who did it about 3,000 times, at least.
"Jaws is the Citizen Kane of movies."
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Updated On: 7/21/06 at 09:37 AM
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MargoChanning
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/5/04
#4re: George M. Cohan: anyone else write/star in a Broadway Musical
Posted: 7/21/06 at 9:39amAnthony Newley wrote the book, lyrics, score, directed and starred in STOP THE WORLD I WANT TO GET OFF and THE ROAR OF THE GREASEPAINT, THE SMELL OF THE CROWD
"What a story........ everything but the bloodhounds snappin' at her rear end." -- Birdie
[http://margochanning.broadwayworld.com/]
"The Devil Be Hittin' Me" -- Whitney
ErinDillyFan
Broadway Star Joined: 7/14/06
#5re: George M. Cohan: anyone else write/star in a Broadway Musical
Posted: 7/21/06 at 10:41am
I should have remembered Anthony Newley. I have both of these.
I guess I have never read the liner notes for Hair.
Broadway Star Joined: 12/31/69
#6re: George M. Cohan: anyone else write/star in a Broadway Musical
Posted: 7/21/06 at 10:43amBob Martin... kind of
Jon
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/20/04
#7re: George M. Cohan: anyone else write/star in a Broadway Musical
Posted: 7/21/06 at 10:57amGretchen Cryer co-wrote and starred in the Off-Broadway show I'M GETTING MY ACT TOGETHER AND TAKING IT ON THE ROAD.
#8re: George M. Cohan: anyone else write/star in a Broadway Musical
Posted: 7/21/06 at 11:06amIrving Berlin starred in "This Is The Army" in 1943, singing "Oh How I Hat To Get Up In The Morning" with 250 soldiers, sailors and airmen.
http://www.broadwayworld.com/board/readmessage.cfm?thread=972787#3631451
http://www.broadwayworld.com/board/readmessage.cfm?thread=963561#3533883
http://www.broadwayworld.com/board/readmessage.cfm?thread=955158#3440952
http://www.broadwayworld.com/board/readmessage.cfm?thread=954269#3427915
http://www.broadwayworld.com/board/readmessage.cfm?thread=955012#3441622
http://www.broadwayworld.com/board/readmessage.cfm?thread=954344#3428699
#9re: George M. Cohan: anyone else write/star in a Broadway Musical
Posted: 7/21/06 at 11:23amBetty Comden and Adolph Green wrote both book & lyrics, and starred in On the Town.
"Jaws is the Citizen Kane of movies."
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
#10re: George M. Cohan: anyone else write/star in a Broadway Musical
Posted: 7/21/06 at 11:45am
Digging around, I also discovered that both Eddie Cantor and Al Jolson wrote (either music, lyrics or some songs for) and starred in a couple of Broadway shows each.
Also Eubie Blake, Aubrey Lyles and Noble Sissle with "Shuffle Along."
EDIT: Also Avon Long with "Bubbling Brown Sugar."
And although he wasn't in the original cast, Roger Miller wrote "Big River" and stepped in as a replacement for Pap Finn during the run.
"Jaws is the Citizen Kane of movies."
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
Updated On: 7/21/06 at 11:45 AM
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
#11re: George M. Cohan: anyone else write/star in a Broadway Musical
Posted: 7/21/06 at 1:19pm
allofmylife, I was gonna say Irving Berlin in "This is the Army" too!
Dang, beat me to it.
"Cages or wings, which do you prefer?"-- Tick, Tick...BOOM!
#12re: George M. Cohan: anyone else write/star in a Broadway Musical
Posted: 7/21/06 at 1:42pm
Didn't Comden also do a stint in On The 20th Century?
JRB performed his own song in Urban Cowboy
and off broadway, there's always [title of show] 
[title of show] on Broadway. it's time. believe.
TxTwoStep
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/24/03
#13re: George M. Cohan: anyone else write/star in a Broadway Musical
Posted: 7/21/06 at 1:45pmfor off-Broadway, there are legion. But notable lately is MUSICAL OF MUSICALS (though I'm not a fan of the writer/composers as performers).
Will: They don't give out awards for helping people be gay... unless you count the Tonys.
"I guarantee that we'll have tough
times. I guarantee that at some point
one or both of us will want to get out.
But I also guarantee that if I don't
ask you to be mine, I'll regret it for
the rest of my life..."
TxTwoStep
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/24/03
#14re: George M. Cohan: anyone else write/star in a Broadway Musical
Posted: 7/21/06 at 1:48pmSchmidt and Jones have also appeared in their own works (mainly off-b'way, but also GROVER'S CORNERS near Chicago). Jones will direct and act in the newest version of THE FANTASTICKS opening later this month...he also acted under a pseudonym for the original off-B'way production, causing remarks that a promising actor would have a better career ahead than the writer.
Will: They don't give out awards for helping people be gay... unless you count the Tonys.
"I guarantee that we'll have tough
times. I guarantee that at some point
one or both of us will want to get out.
But I also guarantee that if I don't
ask you to be mine, I'll regret it for
the rest of my life..."
CurtainPullDowner
Broadway Legend Joined: 11/4/04
#15re: George M. Cohan: anyone else write/star in a Broadway Musical
Posted: 7/21/06 at 1:52pmUpdated On: 7/21/06 at 01:52 PM
Sluggy
Featured Actor Joined: 7/15/04
#16re: George M. Cohan: anyone else write/star in a Broadway Musical
Posted: 7/21/06 at 2:38pmHershey Felder wrote and starred in "George Gershwin Alone", but of course he didn't write the music!
"Which way do you want these pleats turned?"
"Toward Mecca."
Smaxie
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/26/05
#17re: George M. Cohan: anyone else write/star in a Broadway Musical
Posted: 7/21/06 at 2:42pmThere's also Michael Rupert, who wrote the music for Mail, and also starred in it.
Begin at the beginning and go on till you come to the end: then stop.
TxTwoStep
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/24/03
#18re: George M. Cohan: anyone else write/star in a Broadway Musical
Posted: 7/21/06 at 4:52pmspeaking of Ruperts, Rupert Holmes wrote and appeared in ACCOMPLICE on Broadway. But it was not one of his musicals (DROOD, REMEMBER WENN, the forthcoming CURTAINS). He also wrote and recorded "The Pina Colada Song."
Will: They don't give out awards for helping people be gay... unless you count the Tonys.
"I guarantee that we'll have tough
times. I guarantee that at some point
one or both of us will want to get out.
But I also guarantee that if I don't
ask you to be mine, I'll regret it for
the rest of my life..."
#19re: George M. Cohan: anyone else write/star in a Broadway Musical
Posted: 7/21/06 at 5:09pm
Also you could count Lebo M for "The Lion King." He wrote some of the choral music and lyrics and incidental music for the stage show of "The Lion King" as well as appeared in the OBC.
Also several from the "New Faces" Broadway shows... Leonard Stillman and James Shelton wrote songs and/or sketches for the 1934 (first) version, as well as starred in it. June Carroll and Ronny Graham wrote songs and sketches for "New Faces of 1952" as well as starred in it, and Paul Lynde was in it and also credited with "additional text." John Lund wrote book and lyrics for the 1943 installment, plus starred in it. Probably others I'm missing, but you get the idea!
"Jaws is the Citizen Kane of movies."
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
Mr Roxy
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/17/03
#20re: George M. Cohan: anyone else write/star in a Broadway Musical
Posted: 7/21/06 at 5:12pmI am not sure but Rado & Ragni might have been off broadway's Rainbow"
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Tirso de Molina
Featured Actor Joined: 1/1/05
#21re: George M. Cohan: anyone else write/star in a Broadway Musical
Posted: 7/21/06 at 9:44pmthis was off-Broadway, but Phyllis Newman co-wrote the book (with Arthur Laurents) for her semi-autobiographical musical The Madwoman of Central Park West, which featured songs from various composers. Newman reprised "Don't Laugh" from that show (Sondheim's lyrics) at the Wall To Wall Sondheim event in March 2005.
"Sweet summer evenings, hot wine and bread /
Sharing your supper, sharing your bed /
Simple joys have a simple voice:
It says why not go ahead?"
BroadwayBulldog
Broadway Star Joined: 6/5/06
Smaxie
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/26/05
#23re: George M. Cohan: anyone else write/star in a Broadway Musical
Posted: 7/21/06 at 11:56pm
"Don't Laugh" was actually originally written for Hot Spot, the failed Judy Holliday musical.
And The Madwoman of Central Park West played a bizarre little Broadway theatre called the 22 Steps, which used to stand on 48th Street on the triangle between Seventh Avenue and Broadway. The 22 Steps was later renamed the Princess, hosting flop after flop, until Pump Boys and Dinettes played there.
Begin at the beginning and go on till you come to the end: then stop.
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