Friday Night is Music Night - Frank Loesser Tribute

Friday Night is Music Night celebrates the life and work of composer Frank Loesser in this his centenary year. Paul Gambaccini presents a show recorded at London's Mermaid Theatre, with the BBC Concert Orchestra conducted by Larry Blank, and special guests Brian Conley, Jenna Russell and Imelda Staunton. Frank Loesser was born on 29th June 1910 in New York. He made his first attempts at songwriting during the Second World War with morale-boosting titles like 'Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition'. In 1948 he wrote the vaudeville favourite 'On a Slow Boat to China'. In his lifetime he wrote over 700 songs. After the war he moved to Hollywood and wrote songs to order for various films including 'Heart and Soul' for 'A Song Is Born', 'I Don't Want to Walk Without You' from 'Sweater Girl' and 'Baby It's Cold Outside' for 'Neptune's Daughter' - the song that won Loesser an Academy Award for Best Song in 1950. His first stage success came in 1948 with a musical based on Brandon Thomas' farce 'Charley's Aunt' - the musical was called 'Where's Charley?' Then two years later Loesser produced his most successful musical based on a tale by Damon Runyon - 'Guys and Dolls'. Tonight's show features songs from 'Where's Charley' and 'Guys and Dolls', as well as 'Hans Christian Anderson', 'The Most Happy Fella' and 'How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying'.