Bacall, Cook, Ebersole, Stritch, et al. Pay Tribute to Betty Comden

A public memorial tribute to the late songwriter Betty Comden, entitled Great Women Salute A Great Woman: Betty Comden — in the words of Comden and Green, was held at 2pm on Tuesday, September 18 at the Majestic Theater.

The event began with opening remarks by Comden’s longtime friend pal Lauren Bacall, and ended with an audience sing-along of “Make Someone Happy.” In between were performances of songs written by Comden and Adolph Green by Stephanie J. Block, Beth Leavel, and Karen Ziemba (“New York, New York”), Lucie Arnaz (“100 Easy Ways to Lose a Man”), Judith Blazer and Mary Testa (“Ohio”), Ann Hampton Callaway and Liz Callaway (“Never Never Land”), Carolee Carmello (“I’m Going Back”), Barbara Cook (“Some Other Time”), Christine Ebersole (“Our Private World”), Amanda Green (“If’), Lypsinka (“Thanks A Lot, But No Thanks”), Phyllis Newman (“I Was a Shoo-In”), Elaine Stritch (“I Like Myself”), Leslie Uggams (“My Own Morning”), and a wheelchair-bound Lillias White (“I Can Cook Too”).

Comden died on November 23, 2006 at the age of 89. With Green, she helped create such iconic musicals as Bells Are Ringing, Wonderful Town, On the Town, On the Twentieth Century, Hallelujah, Baby!, Applause, Peter Pan, Do Re Mi, and The Will Rogers Follies. The pair also enjoyed success as screenwriters with the films Singin’ in the Rain, The Band Wagon, It’s Always Fair Weather, Take Me Out to the Ball Game, and The Barkleys of Broadway.