LMLMusic.com

About There’s No Place Like Hollywood…

“A delightful find!” – Steve Ramm, IN THE GROOVE

“The songs by Wayne Moore (“Freeway Dreams”) wittily capture and often skewer icons including Nelson Eddy and Jeanette McDonald (“Jeanette And I”), Mae West, Bette Davis and Greta Garbo (“Divas”), Gone With The Wind’s Hattie McDaniel (“Listen To Mammy”), “Busby Berkeley”, gossip queen Louella Parsons (“Louella’s Got To Know”), Rita Hayworth, Hedy Lamarr and Betty Grable (“Pin-Up Girl”), Carmen Miranda (“Bananas”) and Elvis (“Bump”). The material sparkles.” – Show Music

“THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOLLYWOOD” opened June 1st, 2001 at the Stella Adler Theater in Los Angeles and earned great reviews and full houses. An original farce about the history of Hollywood and Movie Stars, the show takes place in the dreams of a girl named Dorothy from Kansas (not that one … exactly!) and moves through time from Charlie Chaplin to Carmen Miranda to Cher, with Dorothy meeting seemingly every Movie Star in between. The talented cast plays multiple roles in this fast-paced romp. (There are 110 costume changes!)

Original production directed and choreographed by RICK SPARKS.

Songs:
“There’s No Place Like Hollywood” – Dorothy & Ensemble
“Special” – Dorothy
“Don’t Think Small” – Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford
“Kiss Me, My Fool” Theda Bara
“Jeanette And I” – Nelson Eddy and Jeanette McDonald
“Diva” – Mae West, Greta Garbo and Bette Davis
“”Listen To Mammy” – Hattie McDaniel
“Busby Berkeley” – Busby Berkeley, Fred Astaire & Ensemble
“Louella’s Got To Know” – Louella Parsons
“Pin-Up Girl” – Rita Hayworth, Hedy Lamarr & Betty Grable
“Bananas” – Carmen Miranda
“Sci-Fi Movie” – Dorothy & Ensemble
“Bump!” – Elvis Presley
“Be Careful What You Wish For” – Marilyn Monroe & James Dean
“The Bottom Line” – Studio Executives
“Finale” – Ensemble
Bonus Tracks:
“A Night Like This (the Hollywood Canteen) – Wayne Moore
“Larger Than Life” – Barbara Streisand and Cher
“Once Again, I’m In Love” – 4 movie fans

Praise for There’s No Place Like Hollywood…

• “THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOLLYWOOD (Ducy Lee Recordings) is an affectionate spoof that had three months of weekend performances at Los Angeles’ Stella Adler Theatre starting June 1, 2001. Dan Berkowitz and Shirley Hillard’s book has visiting movie-struck tourist Dorothy (from Kansas, of course, wearing red sneakers) knocked unconscious in front of Grauman’s Chinese Theater. Awakening, she is taken on a whirlwind journey through Hollywood history, an impetus for visits by singing movie legends from Theda Bara (“Kiss Me, My Fool”) to Marilyn Monroe and James Dean (“Be Careful What You Wish For”). The songs by Wayne Moore (Freeway Dreams) wittily capture and often skewer icons including Nelson Eddy and Jeanette McDonald (“Jeanette And I”), Mae West, Bette Davis and Greta Garbo (“Divas”), Gone With The Wind’s Hattie McDaniel (“Listen To Mammy”), “Busby Berkeley”, gossip queen Louella Parsons (“Louella’s Got To Know”), Rita Hayworth, Hedy Lamarr and Betty Grable (“Pin-Up Girl”), Carmen Miranda (“Bananas”) and Elvis (“Bump”). The dropped “A Night Like This”, “Larger Than Life” (with the show’s Clay Adkins as Cher and Barbra) and the nostalgic “Once Again I’m In Love” are bonus tracks. Including Adkins, the cast – Heidi Godt, Stephanie Andersen, David Barnathan, Melissa Brandzel, Amy Collette, Scott Davidson, Patti Diamond and Jeff Griggs – gives the material added sparkle.”

  — SHOW MUSIC MAGAZINE

• “And now on to a few discs which you might not have seen but are fun to listen to. I recently discovered a small label from California which issues original cast albums of small “revues”. One that caught my eye is titled There’s No Place Like Hollywood (Ducy Lee Recordings). In the vein of the series of “Forbidden Broadway” revues still running in New York, this show pokes fun at the mannerisms of celebrities. The plot device (described in the liner notes) is corny but the 20 songs present a “short history of Hollywood”. There is sufficient fun made of Busby Berkeley movies, Mae West, and Carmen Miranda to tickle the funnybone of any fan of these entertainment icons. Jeanette McDonald and Nelson Eddy get ribbed also. And the fate of minority actors in early films is entertainingly, and honestly, addressed as the Hattie McDaniel character sings “Listen To Mammy”. More recent stars like Elvis and James Dean appear later in the show. Performed cabaret style (meaning keyboards – played here by the show’s composer Wayne Moore – and percussion), the lyrics are clear and the cast’s voices are pretty. It’s a delightful find!”

  — Steve Ramm, IN THE GROOVE

Leave a review

More from Ducy Lee Recordings…