“N.Y.C.” (1977)
The musical Annie (1977) was based on a comic strip about a little orphan girl. It was a great Broadway success and was later made into a big-budget (but unsuccessful) film. The most-remembered…
“Native New Yorker” (1977)
"Native New Yorker," from a group called Odyssey, is often described as a "disco" hit. However, it's also Carribean - the singers are from the Virgin Islands!…
“Never judge a book by its movie”
"You can't judge a book by its cover" -- meaning that outward appearance isn't everything -- is a proverb that dates to at least 1929. "Never judge a book by its…
“Never meet your heroes” (entertainment adage)
An entertainment adage holds that one should "never meet your heroes" (or "never meet your idols"). A hero on a stage or a movie screen can be very different in real life.…
“Never read the last line of a play at a rehearsal” (theatre superstition)
Entry in progress -- BP Toby SimkinTheatre Superstition The Last LineIt has been considered bad luck to say the final line of a show before it opens. Therefore, many rehearsals skip the final line…
“Never sing in the shower. Singing leads to dancing. Dancing leads to slipping…”
"Never sing in the shower. Singing leads to dancing. Dancing leads to slipping, and slipping leads to paramedics seeing you naked. So remember, don't sing!" is a jocular saying that…
“Never swear at a prop boy. You may be working for him tomorrow” (entertainment adage)
There are many different ways of the business saying: "Be kind to those working under you; you might be working under them some day." "Do not antagonize the newsboy today -- you may…
“Never work with children or animals” (show business adage)
"Never work with children or animals" is an old show business adage. Children and animals can behave unpredictably on the stage or movie set. Once the movie is made, the audience always…
“New York City (Such a Beautiful Disease)”
"New York City (Such a Beautiful Disease)" is a popular song by a real New Yorker, Norah Jones. The book Songs in the City needs to be updated for this one. I hear the Norah Jones song…
“New York Groove” (1978)
Ace Frehley (of the rock group KISS) did a solo album in 1978. "New York Groove" was his big hit from the album. The lyrics ""I'm back in the New York groove" occur…
“New York has been the Big Apple for several decades (in jazz)” (New York Times, 1967)
John S. Wilson (1913-2002) was a music critic for the New York (NY) Times and one of the country's leading jazz authorities. He wrote about New York City's role in the jazz world in…
“New York stabs you in the heart; Los Angeles stabs you in the back”
Actors and musicians have a saying about the difference between New York City (Broadway) and Los Angeles (Hollywood): "In New York, they tell you that you suck and they stab you in the heart.…
“New York State of Mind” (1975)
"New York State of Mind" (1975) was written and performed by Billy Joel. It appears on his album Turnstiles. Hillary Clinton used this song during her 2000 New York Senate run. Arguably,…
“New York, New York (It’s a Helluva Town)” (1945)
"New York, New York (It's a Helluva Town)" (1945) (or "It's a Wonderful Town," for those who prefer these lyrics) was written by Leonard Bernstein, Betty Comden, and…
“New York, New York, the Big Apple” (The Last Poets, 1969-1970)
The Original Last Poets (later called The Last Poets) formed on May 19, 1968 (Malcolm X's birthday), at Mount Morris Park (now known as Marcus Garvey Park) in East Harlem. The Last Poets…
“New York, New York” (1977)
"New York, New York" (1977) by composer John Kander and lyricist Fred Ebb was written for the 1977 Martin Scosese film, New York. The film starred Robert De Niro and Liza Minnelli (who…
“New York, the ‘Big Apple,’ the jazz mecca” (Hart’s Guide to New York City, 1964)
"New York, the 'Big Apple,' the jazz mecca" was printed in a New York City guide book. This was printed in Hart's Guide to New York City (1964) by Harold H. Hart:…
“New York: For the Time of Your Life” (2005)
NYC & Co. (the city's tourist bureau) commissioned Frank Wildhorn (of several low-grade Broadway musicals, such as Jekyll and Hyde and Dracula: The Musical) to write a song to promote…
“New York’s alright if you like saxophones”
The group Fear recorded a song in 1982 titled "New York's alright if you like saxophones." The song didn't have very nice things to say about New York City. Then again, Fear is…
“New York’s My Home” (1956)
"New York's My Home" (1956) was composed by Gordon Jenkins and performed by Sammy Davis, Jr. It contains the lyric "When you leave New York, man, you don't go…