1 post tagged “theater”

There was a song running through my head all morning today, but I wasn't clear on some of the lyrics.  It was a song from the stage version of Carole King's Really Rosie (I don't believe it was in the cartoon, but I hated the cartoon).  I grew up with, and still have, the cast recording with Angela Coin as Rosie and the wonderful April Lerman as Kathy.  I guess this was recorded after Tisha Campbell left the cast...  anyway, the song was a solo about playing the wife of Dracula in the movies.  When I looked online for the correct lyrics, I was in for a surprise.  Somewhere between the recording of the cast album I had (which I believe was from the 1970s) and now, Rosie was given this song, "The Awful Truth."

To me, this is an awful truth.  You see, Rosie had the songs "Really Rosie," "Simple Humble Neighborhood," "Screaming and Yelling," "Avenue P," and several others. Rosie didn't need any more. It's about fairness, the sort of fairness and justice I thought the world should have when I was a child. The other kids had their little solo songs. It was only fair that Kathy's big turn was "The Awful Truth," with which she tried to convince Rosie that she'd make a better Star than Secretary.  The way April Lerman sang it on the recording, it sounded to me like Kathy blew Rosie out of the water with talent, but she didn't have the creativity or bossiness that Rosie did-- Rosie was the leader.  Kathy had a gorgeous voice, but Rosie was unquestionably the leader. 

Rosie had enough fine songs of her own, though.  "The Awful Truth" was Kathy's song.  And the Kathy lyrics deserve to be on the internet, so I'm going to put them here now.