Wednesday, July 22, 2009

"Tea on the Terrace" by Sam Coslow


You know how I found that old sheet music for "I'm a Little Teapot" a few weeks back? Well, that set me on an eBay scavenger hunt to unearth other old songs related to teatime, so hopefully I'll be acquiring more.

"Tea on the Terrace" (1936) with words and music by Sam Coslow, was intriguing to me for the graphic design on the cover (pretty except for that cigarette! yikes!) and the song itself, which I'd never heard of. Have any of you? It begins like this: "Other lovers need starlight, Or an ev'ning in June. Rippling waters reflecting the light of the moon. I'm romantic by daylight, All the world is in tune, Let me give you my idea of a perfect afternoon. Tea on the terrace, service for two. Me on the terrace looking at you. I'll be too busy to notice the view, While having tea on the terrace with you ..."

I got so excited over discovering all this old tea-themed sheet music, I told my husband I had what I thought was a great idea: How about a "tea musical" where all the songs pertain to tea? Wouldn't that be fun to go to the theatre to see? DH just looked at me and said, very deliberately, "I think you'll be lonely." But *you* would want to come to my tea musical, wouldn't you?

9 comments:

  1. Yes! I would be there and would gladly bring my own teacup to drink a nice cuppa at intermission.

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  2. Yes, I'd join you too and I'll bet I could round up several tea loving friends to come with me! I love music and when it's paired with tea what could be better? In August I'll be hosting my third annual musical tea in honor of my daughter's birthday. This year's theme is "All that Jazz," but it would be fun to do a musical tea featuring tea songs. Hummm...you've got my wheels turning for next year's theme!

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  3. I dunno', Angela...your husband might be right...the Broadway play "Tea and Sympathy" still is done on occasion, and no tea songs there, and overall remains a rather stark play. Now if Billy Rose or Busby Berkeley (sp?) were around, there MIGHT be a chance for success, especially with "Gold Diggers of 1939" look for one the numbers (you'd need a lot of white pianos and tea sets for that one, though). I suppose you could call on Billy Wilder and Marilyn Monroe, change the booze to tea, and do an homage to "How to Marry a Millionaire"...Neil Diamond MIGHT be willing to do "Suzanne" with all those 'tea and oranges from China'....hmmm...and if he did that, maybe, just maybe the pièce de résistance could be a finale consisting of a brand new tea offering from Newnan's own Alan Jackson, Doug Stone, et al...let's ruminate on this one...YOU just might be able to pull it off!

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  4. I'd never heard of Tea on the Terrace, but it has been fun trying to find a recording of it online. No luck with that. I did find some other videos, like The Tea For Two Cha Cha by Tommy Dorsey and his orchestra.

    Wouldn't a tea musical be fun? I'll take an advance ticket please.

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  5. What fun! You come up with the best stuff.

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  6. What a neat sounding song. I would love to hear it but like ParTeaLady I can't find it. And I think your musical would be fun even it only appealed to a small group.

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  7. Actually, I was thinking of a tea dance pavilion with tea music. That would work so well in the house you mention on April 1st.

    Now for sure there will continue to be Rose Tea Jelly on www.marmaladys.com, but I am also think of a lavender jelly too.

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  8. Yes, of course! I do believe Marilyn has hit upon a real winner! How is the contract coming for that fabulous buy of April 1?

    What a venue! We could invite the neighbors to provide some of the entertainment!

    She (Marilyn) could have "Lavender Jam is Blue, dilly dilly
    Lavender tea is green, dilly dilly" as a signature song!

    Unlike "The Great Gatsby" we could charge for the parties each fortnight, and by golly, just might make the mortgage payments...

    Way to go Marilyn!

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  9. An all-tea-music musical sounds great, Angela!!! Maybe you should give Andrew Lloyd Webber a call!!

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