Le Jazz Hot

‘Victor/Victoria’ is one of my favourite film musicals, with a great score by Henry Mancini and Leslie Bricusse, and “Le Jazz Hot” is probably my favourite number from it (if I was forced to pick). Julie Andrews as Victoria Grant as Count Victor Grazinski performs the song at his/her sensational nightclub debut, and much gender identity hilarity ensues.

The film was later adapted as a stage musical and was originally scheduled to open in London, but this was postponed on Mancini’s death. The show eventually opened in New York in October 1995, again starring Julie Andrews in the title role.

The role is heavily associated with Andrews, but has also been played by Liza Minnelli (for 4 weeks while Andrews took a holiday), Raquel Welch (when Andrews left the show due to vocal problems) and Toni Tennille (of ‘Captain and’, on a US national tour in 1998-99).

(close 2nd favourite songs – “Crazy World” and “The Shady Dame From Seville”, which, unbelievably I think, was cut from the stage version)