Monotonous (song)
Encyclopedia
'Monotonous' is a popular song written by June Carroll
and Arthur Siegel
for Leonard Sillman
's Broadway revue New Faces of 1952
. The song was written based on the experiences of its singer Eartha Kitt
. It was performed, on the insistence of Kitt on three chaise longues (Kitt tried originally for six and given three in compromise), crawling cat-like from one to the other, demonstrating her flexibility and her dance training from the Katherine Dunham
Company. The song also includes references to many well-known people of the 1950s. People referenced in the song include:
June Carroll
June Carroll was an American lyricist, singer and actress.Born June Sillman in Detroit, Michigan, Carroll appeared in the Broadway musical New Faces of 1952, singing the Murray Grand standard, Guess Who I Saw Today, as well as two songs that she also wrote: Penny Candy and Love is a Simple...
and Arthur Siegel
Arthur Siegel
Arthur Siegel was an American songwriter.Born on December 31, 1923 in Lakewood Township, New Jersey, he grew up in Asbury Park, New Jersey...
for Leonard Sillman
Leonard Sillman
Leonard Sillman was an American Broadway producer. Born in Detroit, Michigan on May 9, 1908, he was the brother of June Carroll, the brother-in-law of Sidney Carroll and the uncle of Steve Reich and Jonathan Carroll...
's Broadway revue New Faces of 1952
New Faces of 1952
New Faces of 1952 is a musical revue with songs and comedy skits. It ran on Broadway for nearly a year in 1952 and was then made into a motion picture in 1954...
. The song was written based on the experiences of its singer Eartha Kitt
Eartha Kitt
Eartha Mae Kitt was an American singer, actress, and cabaret star. She was perhaps best known for her highly distinctive singing style and her 1953 hit recordings of "C'est Si Bon" and the enduring Christmas novelty smash "Santa Baby." Orson Welles once called her the "most exciting woman in the...
. It was performed, on the insistence of Kitt on three chaise longues (Kitt tried originally for six and given three in compromise), crawling cat-like from one to the other, demonstrating her flexibility and her dance training from the Katherine Dunham
Katherine Dunham
Katherine Mary Dunham was an American dancer, choreographer, songwriter, author, educator, and activist...
Company. The song also includes references to many well-known people of the 1950s. People referenced in the song include:
- Montgomery CliftMontgomery CliftEdward Montgomery Clift was an American film and stage actor. The New York Times’ obituary noted his portrayal of "moody, sensitive young men"....
- Jacques FathJacques FathJacques Fath was a French fashion designer who was considered one of the three dominant influences on postwar haute couture, the others being Christian Dior and Pierre Balmain.-Career:The son of André Fath, an Alsatian-Flemish insurance agent, Fath came from a creative family...
(the song states that he made a new style for Eartha Kitt, and based on when she opened the club Le Perroquet, and Fath provided her with a completely new wardrobe as he admired her body). - Johnnie RayJohnnie RayJohnnie Ray was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Popular for most of the 1950s, Ray has been cited by critics as a major precursor of what would become rock and roll, for his jazz and blues-influenced music and his animated stage personality.-Early life:John Alvin Ray was born in...
- Harry S. TrumanHarry S. TrumanHarry S. Truman was the 33rd President of the United States . As President Franklin D. Roosevelt's third vice president and the 34th Vice President of the United States , he succeeded to the presidency on April 12, 1945, when President Roosevelt died less than three months after beginning his...
- T. S. EliotT. S. EliotThomas Stearns "T. S." Eliot OM was a playwright, literary critic, and arguably the most important English-language poet of the 20th century. Although he was born an American he moved to the United Kingdom in 1914 and was naturalised as a British subject in 1927 at age 39.The poem that made his...
- Farouk of EgyptFarouk of EgyptFarouk I of Egypt , was the tenth ruler from the Muhammad Ali Dynasty and the penultimate King of Egypt and Sudan, succeeding his father, Fuad I, in 1936....
- Sherman BillingsleySherman BillingsleySherman Billingsley was an American nightclub owner and former bootlegger who was the founder and owner of New York's Stork Club....
- Chiang Kai-ShekChiang Kai-shekChiang Kai-shek was a political and military leader of 20th century China. He is known as Jiǎng Jièshí or Jiǎng Zhōngzhèng in Mandarin....
- Gayelord HauserGayelord HauserDr. Benjamin Gayelord Hauser , popularly known as Gayelord Hauser, was an American nutritionist and self-help author, who promoted the 'natural way of eating' during the mid-20th century. He promoted foods rich in vitamin B and discouraged consumption of sugar and white flour...
- Dwight David Eisenhower, referred to as "Ike"