Frankly, I had almost forgotten how many extraordinary songs were written by Alan Jay Lerner. Fortunately, there is always Steve Ross to remind me.

"Confess," he asked, "how many songs do you know that are about accelerated plant growth?"

Hint – "Hurry, It's Lovely Up Here" (Lane) with wonderful rhymes like "Climb up geranium, it can’t be fun subterran-ium."

In his latest show at the Algonquin Oak Room, I Remember Him Well – The Songs of Alan Jay Lerner, Ross includes the familiar, Gigi, Camelot, and Lerner's most successful show, My Fair Lady (all with Frederick Loewe). He reminds us of songs less often heard, like "I Talk to the Trees" from Paint Your Wagon. He includes three unknown songs written by Lerner when he was living in London: "Try Love (When You've Done It All)," "I'm Dancing My Blues Away," and "I’ve Been Married,” all with composer Gerard Kenny. Lerner should know about this last tune, having been married eight times. "I’ve Been Married” includes lines like, "From counting minks instead of sheep/ I've been married." Too many marriages – too much alimony?

Reminding us of Lerner's rhymes of reason and romance, Ross approaches the work articulately and with perception. His timing is astute and he delves into the nuances of the song and its sentiment.

Alan Jay Lerner was born into the family of Lerner's, a popular women's clothing store. He had a privileged education and a strong love for musical theater that led him into writing lyrics and librettos. He is best remembered writing to the melodies of Frederick Loewe but he also collaborated with Kurt Weill and Burton Lane, as well as others. Steve Ross points out that Lerner was a romantic and most of his songs reflect the flush of blooming love, its helplessness and its humor, more than the despair of lost love. Two songs of regret by Lerner and Lane are the pensive "Too Late Now" (Royal Wedding) and "What Did I Have (I Don't Have Now)" from On A Clear Day You Can See Forever, with lines like "Why is the sequel never the equal?/ Why is there no encore?"

Ross's information about the breadth of the Lerner lyric book sets up songs as exquisite as "If Ever I Would Leave You" and "Heather On the Hill" (Loewe). With impeccable stress on words, he includes the many choruses of "Come Back to Me" (Lane) including, "Let your tub overflow/If a date waits below/Let him wait for Godot."

Steve Ross is never less than authoritative and required listening for everyone who loves good songs.

Steve Ross appears at The Algonquin Oak Room from Jan. 6 through Jan. 31, 2009.

Elizabeth Ahlfors
Cabaret Scenes
January 6, 2009
www.cabaretscenes.org