''Starting Here, Starting Now'' is a

musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the Character (arts), charac ...

revue A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatre, theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance, and sketch comedy, sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural pre ...

with lyrics by

Richard Maltby Jr. Richard Eldridge Maltby Jr. (born October 6, 1937) is an American theatre director and theatrical producer, producer, lyricist, and screenwriter. He conceived and directed the only two musical Revue, revues to win the Tony Award for Best Musical ...

and music by

David Shire David Lee Shire (born July 3, 1937) is an American songwriter and composer of stage musicals, film and television scores. Among his best known works are the motion picture soundtracks to '' The Big Bus'', '' The Taking of Pelham One Two Three' ...

. With a cast of three and three musicians, the revue explores a variety of romantic relationships.

Productions

The revue was first produced at the

Manhattan Theater Club Manhattan Theatre Club (MTC) is a theatre company located in New York City, affiliated with the League of Resident Theatres. Lynne Meadow has been the company’s Artistic Director and visionary since 1972. Barry Grove joined the company in 19 ...

in 1976 under the title ''Theater Songs by Maltby and Shire''. In March 1977, the show moved to the Barbarann Theater Restaurant in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

, where it ran for 120 performances. The cast featured Loni Ackerman, Margery Cohen and George Lee Andrews. The original cast album was nominated for a

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...

, and the 1993 London production also produced a cast album. The revue continues to be frequently produced. After Maltby and Shire graduated from Yale, they wrote many songs for shows that either closed out of town or were never produced. Their songs tend to be "story songs", each giving the character(s) a chance to explore a mini-drama. The two writers decided to assemble these songs into a revue, grouping them by theme.Description of the revue and its background
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Synopsis

Act I explores the humorous, joyful, melancholy and angry ups and downs of city romances. In Act II, the songs present characters who have had unlucky experiences in love and life and who have a chance at a new start.

Song list

*The Word Is Love * Starting Here, Starting Now *A Little Bit Off *We Can Talk To Each Other *Just Across The River *I Think I May Want to Remember Today *Today Is the First Day Of The Rest Of My Life *Beautiful *Crossword Puzzle *Autumn *I Don't Remember Christmas *I Don't Believe It *I'm Going To Make You Beautiful *You Can't Let Down Your Fans *A Girl You Should Know *Travel *Watching The Big Parade Go By *What About Today *One Step *Barbara *Song Of Me *A New Life Coming *Pleased with Myself *Flair *I Hear Bells The Original Cast recording was released in 1977 by RCA (ASIN: B000002W3D).

Notes

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References

Article describing the show's history and where the songs came from

External links

''Starting Here, Starting Now''
at the Music Theatre International website

at guidetomusicaltheatre
amazon.com listingMusical Heaven
1976 musicals