Lyricist and author Michael Colby chatted about his upcoming “Holiday Regards” shows on December 7th and 8th at Urban Stages in New York.
How did “Holiday Regards” come about?
For some time now, I have been writing a show a year for the popular Winter Rhythms series at Urban Stages. One such show, OTHER LIVES: THE STORY SONGS OF MICHAEL COLBY, was so well received, JAY Records turned it into an album.
Last year, I did two shows based on my experiences growing up around the Algonquin Hotel (which my family owned from 1946-1987).
These shows—NIGHTS AT THE ALGONQUIN and CREATED AT THE ALGONQUIN—sold out and then were streamed twice by Urban Stages by popular demand.
The “Algonquin” shows were hard acts to follow. Yet, for this year’s show, I’ve come up with what I think is one of my most enjoyable concepts yet: HOLIDAY REGARDS.
Rather than just a Christmastime show, HOLIDAY REGARDS is an equivalent to the Irving Berlin movie, HOLIDAY INN, celebrating favorite holidays throughout the year.
What inspires you each day as an author and lyricist?
Lyric-writing has defined me my whole life. I was lousy at sports, average at academics, and was something of a shy outsider growing up. But I Ioved and listened to show albums from an early age.
Assimilating show albums—especially the work of Lorenz Hart (BABES IN ARMS) and E.Y. Harburg (FINIAN’S RAINBOW)—lyric writing has always been second nature to me.
I’ve written entire librettos (CHARLOTTE SWEET, LUDLOW LADD) in rhymed format. I’m not sure where it comes from, but lyrics just pop into my head.
Once I have a theme or a storyline, that’s all the inspiration I need to devise a lyric that defines a character, tells a story, or expresses my feelings on important issues.
Some of my happiest experiences are capturing such ideas in rhyme and wordplay, evoking feelings in precise language, and inventing fresh rhymes (hallmarks of Hart, Harburg, and Sondheim).
How does it feel to be a lyricist in the digital age? (now with streaming, technology, and social media being so prevalent)
I thank the Gods for the invention of “cutting and pasting,” rather than having to retype from scratch, as I did early on in my life. I’m also very grateful that so much of my work can easily be captured by an iPhone camera or on YouTube.
I only wish a time-machine could be invented so that I could go back and preserve the magic of certain performers—and performances of my work—that play on and on, only in my memory.
What do your plans for the future include?
This past year has been the most prolific of my career, with more and more cabaret singers doing my songs and several full shows being presented. However, today’s economics are not as conducive to creativity as they once were.
I was a founding member of the Stuart Ostrow/St. Clement’s Musical Theatre Lab, the first non-profit organization to develop new musicals.
We could put on a new musical for several thousand dollars and attract such talents as Raul Julia and Victor Garber to perform in them.
Now it takes upwards of $200,000 to just present a reading or workshop. And those are conservative figures. I hope somehow this system can be rethought to a more manageable arrangement.
Still, I’m glad to be as active as I have been. Recently, there was a well received staged reading of the “film noir” musical, DANGEROUS (for which I wrote lyrics).
I’ve written at least six beloved musicals I’d like to receive ongoing lives, among them a return of my shows CHARLOTTE SWEET (which has often come so close) and my musicalization of MRS. McTHING (a play that was the second biggest hit by the late Mary Chase, Pulitzer Prize winner for HARVEY).
Not long ago, we did a reading of MRS. McTHING and a critic wrote that it should be a perennial like ANNIE or PETER PAN (The play itself was extremely popular in its time). But it’s tough when the bottom-lines are money—and “getting a star”— rather than creative accomplishment.
Were there any moments in your career that have helped define you?
I was hailed as an up-and-coming lyricist and received a Drama Desk Award nomination when CHARLOTTE SWEET opened.
My work on MRS. McTHING beat out major competition for inclusion in the inaugural season at Goodspeed at Chester.
I became a protegée of the Lorenz Hart family, and did the research for the book by his sister-in-law, Dorothy Hart, Thou Swell, Thou Witty: The Life and Lyrics of Lorenz Hart.
Recently, my work at Urban Stages has received considerable attention too. In fact, because of the success of my shows there, I’ve just been made Vice President at Urban Stages.
What is your advice for young and aspiring authors and lyricists?
Be true to your values and visions—you can adapt to modern sensibilities but only if you don’t lose your own distinct voice.
Also, be kind and considerate to your collaborators and co-workers—they are as much a support system as anything you yourself can achieve.
Finally, have solid day jobs and outside skills in a business relying more on luck than talent and perseverance.
What does the word success mean to you? (My favorite question)
Of course, I’d welcome the cushion of a financially profitable show or song. But what is perhaps of even more value to me is witnessing how much my shows have meant to so many people.
That—and being a respected part of the theatre and cabaret communities—have meant the world to me. When I was growing up around the Algonquin, I venerated people in the Arts and their work.
That evolved into my actually collaborating with two of those revered figures on shows—Mary Chase and Dale Wasserman (the late Tony-winning librettist of MAN OF LA MANCHA).
Presently, I may not be top of the mountain, but I’m definitely a valued member among its inhabitants.
For more information on his “Holiday Regards” show, click here.
To learn more about Michael Colby, check out his official website.
