Tapestry of New York

Joy’s Aria
from American Romance
Music and text by Harry Lawrence Freeman

In Act I of H.L. Freeman’s jazz opera, “American Romance”, the young Joy recounts a chance encounter with a handsome stranger on the subway.

Joy:
I boarded the subway at Eighty-Sixth Street
Of course there was no seat.
So I braced myself for a nice, long stand:
never hold on, for it tires my hand.
At the very next stop, someone else got on,
Struggling bravely to preserve his balance.
The warm blood began to crimson my cheek.
Tho’ I did not look up, I felt his glance.
Forgetting where I was, I began to jazz…
you know the effect that a wild party has.
Without looking up, I could tell he was tall,
And I wanted to see just how hard he would fall.
The train gave a lunge,
And I gave a plunge,
And landed straight in somebody’s arms!
And oh! the strength of those wonderful arms.
Tender, yet firm as steel;
A mighty shelter from vague alarms.
Yet I wiggled and wanted to squeal.
Then I glanced up at last, straight into his eyes;
And knew then and there I had me my fate.
I loved him then, and always will;
Even beyond the Golden Gate.Shall I see him again, I wonder?
If not I should worry!
So what are the odds when one is fair,
And Jazz is here, And the silver flask!
Aye! What are the odds when every night
In the golden stream of pleasure we bask!
Say then! What are the odds!
Oh, isn’t love grand!

“Loisaida, my love”
Music by Jessie Montgomery
Text by Bimbo Rivas, courtesy of his daughter Sandra Rivas

In 1974, Puerto Rican artist and community activist Bimbo Rivas penned this love letter to the Lower East Side. In 1992, in honor of his work, Avenue C became known as Loisaida Ave.

Lower East Side I love you
you’re my lady fair.
No matter where I am, I think of you
The mountains and the valleys cannot compare,
my love to you.
Loisaida, I love you!
I dig the way you talk,
I dig the way you look.
Me vacila tu cantar
y yo me las juego
fria pa’ que vivas
para siempre.
En mi mente, mi amada,
yo to llamo Leisaida
Cuando estoy lejos de ti se me acaba mi esperanza
En tu calles yo me Siento muy feliz y saludable
Loisaida, yo te quiero
Increible
una mezcla la perfecta
una gente bien decente
de to ‘as rasas
que estiman que te adoran
que no saben explicar
lo que le pasa
cuando ausente de
tus calles peligrosas
si te aman.A ti, mi hermosa Loisaida.
O what a town…
even with you drug-infested pocket parks,
playgrounds where your young bloods
hang around
waiting, hoping that
one day when they too
get well and smile again
your love is all
they need to come around.
Loisaida, I love you.
Your buildings are
burning up
that we got to stop!
Loisaida, my dear,
Te amo.

“Perfect Boy” from As One
Music by Laura Kaminksy
Text by Mark Campbell & Kimberly Reed

“As One” is a chamber opera that chronicles the inner journey of its sole transgender protagonist, Hannah, as she endeavors to resolve the discord between herself and the outside world.

Hannah before:
I must—must!—be
The perfect boy:
The fastest, The smartest, The strongest, The best, The perfect boy.
I need to Out-achieve Out-accomplish Out-perform Out-run, Out-scramble, Out-do,
Everyone;
The perfect boy. Class president, Straight “As,” Star quarterback, Honor roll, All of it.
Most likely to Succeed, Win the game, Score the point, Make the grade, Never get in
trouble, Never do wrong, Ever upstanding,
Always the best, Perfect, Perfect.
And no one will know.
I must run so fast, Succeed so much, Do so well,
No one will know, No one will know.
Class president, Straight “As,” Star quarterback, Honor roll, All of it.
Most likely to Succeed, Win the game, Score the point, Make the grade, Never get in
trouble, Never do wrong, Ever upstanding, Always the best, Perfect, perfect
Achieve, Accomplish, Perform, Run, Scramble, Run, Scramble, Perfect Game, Run
Point, Run, Grade, Run, And no one will know,
I will run so fast, Succeed so much, Do so well,No one will know,
No one will know,
No one will ever know.
Not even me

“New York, New York”
from On The Town
by Leonard Bernstein
Lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green

In Act I of this 1944 musical, a sailor excitedly describes the city he is about to explore during his 24 hours of shore leave. 

New York, New York, it’s a helluva town!
We’ve got one day here, and not another minute to see the famous sights;
we’ll find the romance and danger waiting in it beneath the Broadway lights;
but we’ve hair on our chest, so what we like the best are the nights.
Sights! Lights! Nights!
New York, New York, a helluva town, the Bronx is up but the Battery’s down,
the people ride in a hole in the ground.
New York, New York, it’s a helluva town!

The famous places to visit are so many, or so the guidebooks say;
I promised daddy I wouldn’t miss on any, and we have just one day;
gotta see the whole town right from Yonkers on down the bay in just one day.
New York, New York, a visitor’s place, where no one lives on account of the pace,
but seven millions are screaming for space.
New York, New York, it’s a visitor’s place!

Manhattan women are dressed in silk and satin, or so the fellas say;
there’s just one thing that’s important in Manhattan when you have just one day;
gotta pick up a date, maybe seven or eight on your way, in just one day.
New York, New York, a helluva town, the Bronx is up but the Battery’s down,
the people ride in a hole in the ground.
New York, New York, it’s a helluva town

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