FLASHBACK FRIDAY: Music Made by Marvin

Misty, Watercolored Marvin

Today, we are taking a look at some classic clips featuring the music and arrangements and conducting of legendary Maestro Marvin Hamlisch. Mr. Hamlisch is also a subject of this week's InDepth InterView so there is no better time than now to showcase some of his lesser known - and endlessly entertaining - appearances on television in the 70s with clips from Johnny Carson's TONIGHT SHOW alongside Bing Crosby and Ray Bolger doing "The Entertaininer" from THE STING, as well as Barbra Streisand's legendary television concert FROM FUNNY GIRL TO FUNNY LADY in which she performs perhaps the best ever rendition of Hamlisch's legendary Oscar-winning title song from THE WAY WE WERE. Plus, an extra-special treat from the Tony Awards performance of SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS! On all accounts, one thing's for sure: the music is sensational!

Smiles We Gave To One Another

Melodies seem to freely flow from the remarkable pen of composer Marvin Hamlisch. His scores for A CHORUS LINE and SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS are among the most innovative, provocative and interesting of any score of the last fifty years on Broadway or beyond. His other scores - whether originating on Broadway or in the West End, in Hollywood or on the concert stage - are also quite remarkable and to list them all here would take up far too much room so a brief summary shall suffice. From Woody Allen's 1969 TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN BANANAS to his recent work on Steven Soderbergh's delightful 2009 film THE INFORMANT! starring Matt Damon as well as his lesser known musical theatre scores of the 80s and 90s like Jean Seberg, SMILE and THE GOODBYE GIRL (both, vastly different versions). All his twenty-first century work - such as SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS - is on the same stratospherically high level as his work nearly forty years ago on his Oscar-winning contributions to THE WAY WE WERE and THE STING. The only other person as highly rewarded as Mr. Hamlisch was Richard Rodgers himself and to call him merely the twenty-first century answer to Richard Rodgers would discredit his considerate contributions to film, television and the concert stage - though he is an admitted Broadway baby at his composorial core. Mr. Hamlisch continues to impress with many appearances and new achievements, for proof look no further than his florid piano accompaniment to Idina Menzel's thrilling vocal on "What I Did For Love" from A CHORUS LINE on Monday night's White House Salutes Broadway concert, with the SOUND OFF review at the bottom of this page. Additionally, the future looks bright, with the PBS premiere of both the WHITE HOUSE SALUTES BROADWAY in October and Marvin Hamlisch PRESENTS: THE WAY WE WERE, THE MUSIC OF THE SEVENTIES next month. Be sure to check your local listings for dates and times! Until then, here are some carefully selected clips you may have not seen before showcasing his music - and the memories. Don't miss them!

Johnny Carson. Bing Crosby. Ray Bolger. Marvin Hamlisch. Need I say any more? I thought not. Just watch this. Wow, right? Right.

The 1975 TV spectacular FROM FUNNY GIRL TO FUNNY LADY is perhaps Barbra Streisand's finest concert appearance of the 1970s and the fact that it is not available on DVD is a crime against all that is good and great and fabulous. Despite that fact, YouTube has a few samples on display. This performance of "The Way We Were" - complete with original oh-so-seventies-style wicky-waa guitar - is the "greatest voice" of her generation - in Mr. Hamlisch's own words to me on Tuesday - performing perhaps his finest song to date. Or, one of them. I mean, how can you choose? One thing is crystal clear: This is a lesson to every singer. Ever. Now and always. Note: the absolutely insane applause at the beginning following Dick Cavett's classy intro certainly signifies Streisand's worldwide star power, then and now. Forever.

Finally, here's a special treat: the original Broadway cast of 2002's SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS starring the Tony-winning John Lithgow in Marvin Hamlisch's most recent masterpiece written with Craig Carnelia and John Guare. This is "Dirt" - with a small snippet of the propulsive, pulsating "The Column" - and is a fine example of the 50s era sexy, noir-ish stylization concocted by Hamlisch and company for this fine score with many dazzling delights to behold. Click and enjoy!

That's all for this week. Please remember that if you have discovered a particularly thrilling, unique, bizarre or hilarious Broadway-related clip to please send us a line at the link below. Until next week…