This recording takes you back in time, to the hot moment right after Maury finished what was to become an iconic Broadway (and Hollywood) song and laid the track down - singing it himself. He would then send it out to producers. And the rest is history: his musical Nine, which went on to win Tony’s and become a big, beautiful Hollywood movie.
Maury Yeston is a legend to many who love musical theatre. Of the four shows he’s had on Broadway, two have won Tony awards - Nine and Titanic. He’s also been nominated for Oscars and Grammy’s.
Maury, pencil at the ready, to help BMI writers be better writers.
Maury believes in supporting writers. For years, he led the BMI Advanced Musical Theatre Workshop, where he trained many of today’s most successful musical theatre writers. The photo above shows him in action, lyric from one of us aspiring writers before him, kindly pencil at the ready.
His pithy aphorisms still ring in my mind. “Never underestimate the likability of actors.” “The groove is deceptively slow.” If you remember others, share in the Comments below :)
Maury remains a mentor, a mensch - and prolific writer. Stay tuned for his next musical (shhh, can’t say what it’s about). But we all know it will be a winner.
Titanic! This ship sailed Maury into Tony Harbor.