To call Cy Coleman a "genius" understates the case. He wore many hats brilliantly: child piano prodigy, jazz performer, composer of hit songs and Broadway shows, publisher, shrewd businessman, generous mentor to upcoming musical talents. Those of my friends who knew him also tell me he was really nice, with absolutely no pretentiousness, even though he was a legend in his lifetime. When he passed away in 2004, Coleman had won the Tony, Grammy, and Emmy Awards, as well as just about every other honor that could be bestowed on a pop composer. Andy Propst's "You Fascinate Me So: The Life and Times of Cy Coleman" is the first book length biography of this exciting, fun loving man. Actually "fascinating" understates the quality of Propst's book. It is compelling to read, entertaining and comprehensive.
At the age of seven, Coleman (born Seymour Kaufman in a tenement in the Bronx) won the prestigious piano competition at Manhattan's Town Hall. Although he was trained for a career in classical music, he gravitated toward jazz, which became his life long love. His Cy Coleman Trio headlined at some of the top night clubs in the country, recorded best selling albums, and made numerous television appearances.
It was a natural jump from performing to composing and soon Coleman was writing pop hits with the same ease at which he played the piano. Here are just a few of his standards: "Firefly," "Witchcraft," "The Best Is Yet to Come," "Big Spender," "Pass Me By," "I've Got Your Number," "Hey, Look Me Over," "It Amazes Me," "The Rules of the Road." (The title of Propst's book "You Fascinate Me So" is taken from one of Coleman's biggest hit songs.) Artists like Peggy Lee, Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra, and Barbra Streisand regularly recorded his songs.
Broadway beckoned and Coleman answered, with shows like "Wildcat," "Sweet Charity," "Barnum" "I Love My Wife," "Seesaw," "The Will Rogers Follies," "City of Angels," and several others. But he didn't just write routine scores for these shows, as a lesser composer might do. He introduced jazz harmonies and rhythms to the theater, creating complex and exciting music. As I write this, a revival of his show, "On the Twentieth Century," starring Kristin Chenoweth, is playing to sold out houses on Broadway. A few years ago, I saw an off Broadway revue of Coleman's work, put together by one of his lyricist collaborators, David Zippel. Although I had admired Coleman for decades --- "Sweet Charity" is one of my favorite musicals --- I was astonished at the depth and variety of Coleman's compositions , which the revue disclosed.
Coleman also scored films, like "Father Goose," "The Heartbreak Kid," (1972 version), "Sweet Charity," and others.
He worked with Lucille Ball, Cary Grant, Bob Fosse, Gwen Verdon, Neil Simon, Tommy Tune, Harold Prince, Betty Comden and Adolph Green, Shirley MacLaine, Sammy Davis, Jr. His lyricist collaborators included Carolyn Leigh, Dorothy Fields, Sheldon Harnick, Comden and Green, Alan and Marilyn Bergman, and David Zippel.
Coleman realized he could exercise much more control over his music and make more money by forming his own publishing and recording companies: Notable Music and Notable Records, which, to this day, still administer most of his copyrights. He organized a second company to publish songs by other writers.
Propst personally interviewed a "Who's Who" of Coleman's colleagues and friends: Keith Carradine, Valerie Harper, Liza Minelli, Harold Prince, Tommy Tune, Bebe Neuwirth, Chita Rivera. He had the full cooperation of Coleman's widow Shelby. If you love the Broadway musical theater, if you care about some of the best pop songs of the 20th century, if you dig jazz, you will love this book.
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