I love words. I love language. I love learning about word origins. I love word puzzles.

Oscar Hammerstein was the undisputed master of lyric-writing, and partly because his craft is so deep and easy-seeming that most people don't even see the craft. Very few modern lyricists even approach his level.

Along with Douglas Carter Beane and Bruce Pomahac, I contributed quite a few lyrics to the 2013 Broadway Cinderella, and the greatest compliment I received was when RnH expert Ted Chapin attended a run-through, he expressed that every new lyric worked seamlessly with Hammerstein's original. Well, all of them except one. Ted took exception to a lyric in 'The Pursuit' where Prince Topher did a short reprise of 'Ten Minutes Ago':

^{We were dancing in the palace, of all places,
And her gown was like a cloud of snowy white.}

Ted didn't like the second line -- he thought it sounded like a parody of Hammerstein. Well, I admitted, it is Hammerstein, drawn from one of his rough drafts. Hmm, said Ted -- I understand why he rejected it! Anyway, since it was actual Hammerstein, Ted allowed it to stay in the show.

I have no pretenses: I have no desire to be original as a lyricist, but I do love writing parody lyrics, and I've done it in quite a few contexts, especially for the Boston Pops, and for the World Science Festival, which is the only time in my professional life that my biology degree has come in handy.