b. Elizabeth Basya Cohen, 3 May 1915, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA, d. 23 November 2006, New York, USA. After graduating with a degree in science, Betty Comden strove to find work as an actress. During this period, the late 30s, she met Adolph Green (b. 2 December 1915, the Bronx, New York City, New York, USA, d. 24 October 2002, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA), who was also seeking work in the theatre. Unsuccessful in their attempts to find acting jobs, Comden and Green formed their own troupe, together with another struggling actress, Judy Holliday. In the absence of suitable material, Comden and Green began creating their own and discovered an ability to write librettos and lyrics. At first their success was only limited, but in the early 40s they were invited by a mutual friend, Leonard Bernstein, to work on the book and lyrics of a musical he planned to adapt from his ballet score Fancy Free. The show, in which Comden and Green also appeared, was retitled On The Town (1944), and became a huge success.

Listen to Betty Comden at Finetune.

• The Party's Over
• On My Own
• Overture
• If You Hadn't, But You Did
• Some Other Time

• Original Cast
• Jerry Hadley
• Sarah Brightman
• Original Broadway Cast
• Luciano Pavarotti
• Amy Winehouse
• Andrea Bocelli
• Antonio Lotti
• Celine Dion
• Christa Ludwig
• Clay Aiken
• John Mayer
• Josh Groban
• Joshua Payne
• Metropolitan Opera Orchestra
• Norah Jones
• Sarah McLachlan
• Tori Amos
• Alexandre Desplat
• Berliner Philharmoniker/Sir Simon Rattle

• eddielin11