Many happy returns today to one of the few remaining composers from the classic era of musicals - the 83-year-old Charles Strouse.
With a back catalogue of Broadway productions that includes Bye Bye Birdie, Golden Boy, Nick & Nora and of course the timeless classic Annie, as well as numerous revues for stars such as Chita Rivera, film soundtracks for Bonnie and Clyde and The Night They Raided Minsky's, and standards such as Once Upon a Time and Born Too Late, he certainly has a track record to be proud of!
Not least for this, in my opinion his campest meisterwork:
Applause, written by Mr Strouse, Betty Comden and Adolph Green with Lauren Bacall in mind, is of course a musical adaptation of every queen's favourite Bette Davis movie All About Eve. A delight...
http://www.charlesstrouse.com/
The CD of Applause is available from Dress Circle (of course!)