Madeline Kahn sings Fred Barton's arrangement of Rodgers' & Hart's "Bewitched" at the Drama League Benefit, 1995. All the lyrics Larry Hart wrote for this song are included. (Fred Barton, piano.) Madeline Kahn tragically died in 1999.
As soon as I saw that Madeline Kahn was singing "Bewitched," I knew automatically that she would sing all the uncut lyrics. And as a bonus, she even included the reprise. She was fantastic, and her early death, like Judy Holliday's, was a major loss to Broadway and the entire entertainment world. God, I miss her!
She said to me, "All they want me to be is FUNNY at these things." So I laid out *almost* all the lyrics there are, to let her tell the story of the whole relationship and show a lot more than just "funny" -and created the modulations both to reflect the arc of the story and use all the interesting registers and timbres of her voice - the weary sophisticate to start, then giddy "young" sound, and then back down to her mature lower tones as the romance falls apart and her cynicism returns. She loved the arrangement. When they laughed right off the bat at the first line, she turned slightly back to me with a hilarious eye movement which said "See what I mean?" But then the had them on the hook, chorus after chorus, story point after story point, and when the final downbeat ended, the place went WILD.
That's so lovely that she shared what she intended to do with you in advance. (My sister also had ovarian cancer, but it didn't metastasize. Still, it's another reason why I can relate to all that Madeline's friends and loved ones, as well as Madeline herself, suffered.)
Madeline Kahn,a true talent and a symbol beauty,grace,and charisma.I pray that as the years come and go that we will never ever forget Madeline Gail Kahn. September 29,1942-December 3,1999.
Sheer genius with a voice that tells the whole story of a relationship without the artist moving an inch. Madeline Khan mesmerizes the listener into the tale of a flawed affair without one second of self pity. She makes me feel for her all the more. Incredible!
Ironically, some of the Powers-That-Be in charge of that event absolutely HATED what I worked out for her to do, and the night before, they demanded I change it to the typical cheap verse-chorus-chorus-and-out. I refused, and paid a stiff price for that refusal. But she loved the routine and what it let her do, and the audience loved it, and that's what ultimately counts.
An amazing talent that left this earth way too soon. I have always loved her in movies and on TV, but she was also an amazing singer as well, not to mention a gorgeous redhead to boot!!!
She was great.Sadley she died very young(1942-99).Her vocal range was very big.She was of the best Broadway sopranos and Kristyn Chenoweth favourite singer. If she hadnt died so soon she could have been one of the greatest.She like ,Andrews,Cook,,Chenoweth,Mc Donald and many others had a operatic traning and prefered to be in the musicals and movies.Marveleus and unforegettable
This is honestly my favourite rendition of this song. And because I know someone here's bound to want this: After one whole quart of brandy like a daisy, I awake With no bromo seltzer handy I don't even shake Men are not a new sensation I've done pretty well, I think but this half pint imitation put me on the blink I'm wild again beguiled again a simpering, whimpering child again bewitched, bothered and bewildered am I Couldn't sleep and wouldn't sleep until I could sleep where I shouldn't sleep bewitched, bothered and bewildered am I Lost my heart but what of it my mistake, I agree he's a laugh, but I love it because the laugh's on me a pill, he is but still, he is all mine and I'll keep him until he is bewitched, bothered and bewildered, like me Sweet again petite again and on my proverbial seat again bewitched, bothered and bewildered am I What am I half shot am I to think that he loves me, so hot am I bewitched, bothered and bewildered am I Though at first, we said no sir now we're two little dears you might say we are closer than robuck is to sear's I'm dumb again and numb again a rich, ready, ripe little plum again bewitched, bothered and bewildered am I Seen a lot I mean a lot but now I'm like sweet seventeen a lot bewitched, bothered and bewildered am I I'll sing to him Each spring to him and worship the trousers that cling to him bewitched, bothered and bewildered am I When he talks, he is speaking words to get of his chest horizontally speaking he's at his very best I'm vexed again perplexed again and thank God I can be oversexed again bewitched, bothered and bewildered am I You know it really is quite funny just how quickly he learns how to spend all the money that my husband earns He's kept enough and slept enough and yet where it counts, he's adept enough bewitched, bothered and bewildered am I Wise, at last my eyes at last are cutting you down to your size at last bewitched, bothered and bewildered, no more Burned a lot but learned a lot and now you are broke, though you earned a lot bewitched, bothered and bewildered, no more Couldn't eat, was dyspeptic life was so hard to bare now my heart's antiseptic since you've moved out of there Romance, finis your chance, finis those ants that invaded my pants, finis bewitched, bothered and bewildered, no more
I have heard nothing but great things about this talented woman, in so many ways. Is there any way she could be nominated for sainthood for artistic skills and performance?
watching her singing irving berlins, youd be suprised,reminded me of fanny brice. she could have held her own (as the old saying goes ) in the old days. a great entertainer and a great human being.
This is a treasure. I am so grateful to have the opportunity to see this performance. Madeline is my all time favorite and I miss her, miss her, miss her. My thanks to you for the post.
I'm amazed that I can't find a collection of recordings that she's done. Can anyone help? There's a song here and there, but why isn't there a 'greatest hits' of some sort. What a talent!
@RaWrZzZz, I simply meant that no present-day Broadway composers have even come close to touching the greatness of the classic Broadway composers -- Richard Rodgers, George Gershwin, Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, Kurt Weill, Leonard Bernstein, Frank Loesser, Harold Arlen, Jerome Kern, etc. Their music is timeless.
@bunnywabba Not only is that a testament to Madeline Kahn's charisma as a performer, it is also a testament to the song itself, and to Rodgers and Hart that it can hold its own without a flashy performance. Compare that to "Defying Gravity" from "Wicked'.
wicked sucked is absolutely right. i wish someone would post videos of madeline kahn in 20th century if anything exists. and also her tour of dolly. truth about the music on stage these days. flat and not very memorable, like most of the performers. technically they're good, but no one has the fire or soul anymore. stick around patti and mandy. we miss you madeline.
@RaWrZzZz, Let someone just stand there and sing "Defying Gravity" without all the glitz and special effects, and I guarantee you that no matter it is who's singing it, it'll bomb. It's a second-rate song from a second-rate show that is nothing without all the crap behind it. "Bewitched, Bothered, And Bewildered" has stood the test of time because it is quality. The song doesn't need "flash" to be good. It stands on its own merits.
What speed she takes it at! The words are all but unintelligible, but she has done an amazing job on the coloratura. The last high E flat was a bit lacking - but if it was okay with Bernstein, that's fine with me. This is an athletic feat.
Well, she does it quite a bit slower than Vivienne Segal's original, and very close to Helen Forrest's tempo, which was identical with Anita O'Day's.... of course many chanteuses have done it very slowly. Regarding Bernstein, he was long dead at the time, as were Rodgers & Hart who wrote the song.
