My Review of the Stage Musical -- Comparison of Songs

This post is the fourth in a series, following:

1) My Review of the Stage Musical -- General

2) My Review of the Stage Musical -- Race

3) My Review of the Stage Musical -- Romance

=====

The program given to the stage musical's audience listed the following songs. I have highlighted the songs that are not in the 1987 movie.

This Magic Moment

Merengue

You Do Something to Me

You’re the Cream in My Coffee

There Will Never Be Another You

Johnny’s Mambo

Do You Love Me?

Love Man

Honey Love

Infectious Cha Cha

An Original Waltz/Penny’s Waltz

Viva Ia Quince Brigada

This Land Is Your Land

We Shall Overcome

Stubborn Kind of Fellow

Wipeout

Hungry Eyes

Overload

Hey! Baby

Johnny’s Tango

To the Sheldrake

De Todo Un Poco

Maybe

The Way Life Goes

These Arms of Mine

Cry to Me

[Intermission between Act One and Act Two]

Dawn Interlude

Blow the Man Down

Besame Mucho

Save the Last Dance for Me

If You Were the Only Girl

Magic Hour Serenade

Duke of Earl

Love is Strange

You Don't Own Me

Nunca

Lisa's Hula

Yes!

In the Still of the Night

Nocturando

Someone Like You

She's Like the Wind

Kellerman's Anthem

Time of My Life

I have not listed songs that the program says are incidental. When a song is sung more than once, I list only the major occasion.

The songs in the 1987 movie, along with their circumstances, are listed on that webpage.

======

The following songs are in the 1987 movie but are not in the stage musical.

Be My Baby

Big Girls Don't Cry

Trot The Fox

Stay

Some Kind of Wonderful

Will You Love Me Tomorrow?

=====

A remark in the program highlights two songs:

A number of songs Eleanor Bergstein tried very hard and unsuccessfully to obtain for the movie we have been able to obtain for our production and put in the places originally intended, including “Save the Last Dance for Me” (The Drifters) and “Stubborn Kind of Fellow” (Marvin Gaye).

Since Bergstein tried to include these two songs in the 1987 movie, I will inform you about them here.

======

I don't remember, from watching the stage musical, where exactly the song "Save the Last Dance for Me" was placed in the stage musical. However, it is early in Act Two, a few songs before "Love Is Strange".

The song's placement in the stage musical and the song's lyrics indicate to me that the 1987 movie was supposed to play the song during a dance in the hotel's ballroom on the night of Friday, August 30. Baby Houseman became sexual with Johnny Castle in his cabin for the first time during the night of Thursday-Friday. On Friday morning, her father said at breakfast that the family was departing a day early, but then changed his mind. During the rainy afternoon, Baby went back to Johnny's cabin to be sexual with him again.

Later that evening, there must have been a dance in the ballroom, where the song "Save the Last Dance for Me" was sung.

Still later that night, Baby and her sister Lisa talk in bed about Lisa's decision to "go all the way" with Robbie.

The song's lyrics:

You can dance every dance
With the guy who gives you the eye --
Let him hold you tight.
You can smile every smile
For the man who held your hand
Beneath the pale moonlight

But don't forget who's taking you home,
And in whose arms you're gonna be.
So darling, save the last dance for me.

Oh, I know that the music's fine,
Like sparkling wine.
Go and have your fun.
Laugh and sing.

But while we're apart
Don't give your heart
To anyone

Baby, don't you know I love you so?
Can't you feel it when we touch?
I will never, never let you go
I love you, oh, so much

You can dance.
Go and carry on
Till the night is gone,
And it's time to go

If he asks
If you're all alone,
Can he take you home,
You must tell him no.

======

I don't remember exactly where the song "Stubborn Kind of Fellow" was placed in the stage musical. However, the program lists it right after "We Shall Overcome", which was sung at a party singing folk songs around a campfire by the lake.

At the end of that party, Baby gives the $250 to Penny Johnson, and then the decision is made that Baby will replace Penny at the Sheldrake Hotel. So, I think that Bergstein wanted the 1987 movie to play "Stubborn Kind of Fellow" as Baby was walking through the dancers to give the $250 to Penny.

(Click on the below video's image and then click on the words Watch this video on YouTube.)

The song'y lyrics:

I try to put my arms around you,
All because I want to hold you tight,
But every time I reach for you, baby,
Trying to kiss you,
You're just jumping out of sight.

Oh, I've got news for you:
Baby, that I've made plans for two.
I guess I'm just a stubborn kind of fellow --
Got my mind made up to love you

I'm gonna love you in every way.

With other girls I've wanted,
I've made it just a moment.
With you I'll share each day.

Now I know you've heard about me,
Bad things about me,
Baby, please let me explain.

Oh, I have kissed a few.
I tell you,
A few have kissed me too.

Instead of "Stubborn Kind of Fellow", the 1987 movie in this scene plays the song "Stay".

The below video clip is from a movie biography of Marvin Gaye.

======

I will continue my review of the stage musical in future posts.