20 Great Broadway Songs of the Past 10 Years: “Forget About the Boy”

I honestly haven’t heard enough of Jeanine Tesori’s music to get a feel for her style. Because there’s nothing like hearing a score for the first time on stage, I keep waiting to catch a production of Caroline, or Change before buying the CD. Since a production close to me won’t be mounted for almost another year, I’ll focus on a gem from Thoroughly Modern Millie with lyrics by Dick Scanlan.

“Forget About the Boy” really is about as great, old fashioned as you can get without recycling a song from another show. It has an irresistible melody with fun, catchy lyrics that express character.

Another gem from the show, “Gimme, Gimme” is particularly remarkable because it caps off a wild and wacky night of fun with heartfelt, passionate emotion. A typical ballad would have been the wrong moment, so Tesori finds a balance in a high-energy song that perfectly complements Scanlan’s clever lyrics (“Here I am, St. Valentine / My bags are packed; I’m first in line! / Aphrodite, don’t forget me / Romeo and Juliet me”). Thoroughly Modern Millie required the use of songs from a variety of sources, but from hearing “Forget About the Boy” and “Gimme, Gimme” alone, it would be exciting to see Tesori and Scanlan tackle an entirely original score.

the Broadway Mouth
May 29, 2008