Shakespeare's Greatest Hits

These songs based on Shakespeare’s plays were written for different projects. Most were created for my musical The Singing Mountains, presented in the summer of 1981. (Two other songs in that score were about Shakespeare but didn’t use his words: “Shakespeare, Shakespeare” and “The Kid Is a-Comin’ with Me.” They are included in Disc 7 of my Original Songs.) “All the World’s a Stage” was written at the same time but not used in the show. In 1986 they were performed at The Players theatrical club in New York—and in various editions of my musical revues at The Players called Broadway: A Hundred Years Ago. “Lord, What Fools These Mortals Be” was written for the 1988 edition.

I later wrote a treatment for a television special to be called “Shakespeare’s Greatest Hits” using all these songs. The concept was to introduce Shakespeare to young audiences by John Schneider and Tom Wopat (stars of “The Dukes of Hazzard”) with comedian George Burns singing “All the World’s a Stage.” The project was rejected. When I was asked to provide a musical show for the Actors Fund Home in Englewood, New Jersey, I gathered my Players cast and presented the songs under the title Shakespeare’s Greatest Hits. In the audience was Helen Hayes, mouthing the lyrics to songs she’d never heard. This recording features that cast and “orchestrations” I created in the studio on a synthesizer.

Tracks

Lord, What Fools These Mortals Be 4:20

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To Thine Own Self Be True 4:26

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Goodnight, Goodnight 3:42

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All the World’s a Stage 3:33

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I Will Marry You 2:35

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Double, Double, Toil & Trouble 2:54

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What a Piece of Work Is Man 2:21

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Credits (PDF)

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