MUSIC & LYRICS: MICHAEL BITTERMAN What can you say about a show that opens with the closing song, ends with a song called "HOW CAN YOU WRITE A SONG ABOUT MANHATTAN WHEN THEY'VE ALL BEEN WRITTEN BEFORE?" which parodies New York songs ranging from Rodgers & Hart, Bernstein to Sondheim, has a song sung by the spirits of the actors supposedly when the audience leaves, as well as a song by Rauol & Loretta Sturgeon, the Underwater Brother & Sister Dance Team, who sing "IF WE SPENT OUR LIVES IN A FISHBOWL", plus a song sung by a ranting, raving woman who's fed up with 25 years of marriage to the same lunkhead and a song that clearly shows we are nothing but a product of our parents and we won't clearly see ourselves until we see our children - THE PERFECT IMBALANCE. You can say that the show is called "FIVE AFTER EIGHT" and it opened Off Broadway at the Cubiculo Theatre in New York in November 1979 for a limited run of three weeks, breaking all existing house records for that theater. Songs from the show have been performed in all the top cabarets in New York including THE BOTTOM LINE, Reno Sweeneys, Ted Hook's ON STAGE, TRAMPS, and even on an ABC-TV special starring Gabe Kaplan. "FIVE AFTER EIGHT" is a show business show about five actors who have just completed a long run of a musical. From there they all try to find other jobs (hopefully in the theater) and, seeing an ad in Show Business one day, they all try out for the same show called "FIVE AFTER EIGHT". They go through auditions and call backs and, well, you'll just have to see it to find out what happens. The original Cast album has been recorded with the original cast and the original band and oddly enough, released on Original Cast Records. The bright and witty score is by Michael Bitterman, the book, by Richard Morton.