"Fame Becomes Me" Soundtrack Lyrics

"Fame Becomes Me (Original Broadway Cast Recording)" Soundtrack Description

Overview

What do you press to wax when the “autobiographical musical” is also a roast of itself? This album bottles the Broadway run of Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me — a revue-style “comedy musical” whose numbers toggle between shameless showbiz sendups and surprisingly tidy character parodies. The throughline: Martin Short’s persona(s), flanked by a small, virtuoso ensemble.

The recording (28 tracks, ~54 minutes) foregrounds new songs by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, the team behind Hairspray. The label credit sits with Ghostlight Records (a Sh-K-Boom imprint). Official outlets — Ghostlight Records, TheaterMania, and AllMusic — align on the April 10, 2007 street date and compact running time.

Questions & Answers

Is there an official cast album?

Yes. Fame Becomes Me (Original Broadway Cast Recording) was released April 10, 2007; 28 tracks, about 54 minutes.

Who wrote the score?

Music by Marc Shaiman; lyrics by Scott Wittman & Marc Shaiman.

Which label released it?

Ghostlight Records (Sh-K-Boom Records’ cast-album imprint).

Who’s on the album?

Martin Short with Brooks Ashmanskas, Mary Birdsong, Capathia Jenkins, and (on the disc) Donna Vivino; Shaiman appears at the piano/keys.

When was it recorded?

Cast sessions were held late in the run; press coverage cites a November 20, 2006 recording date with Ghostlight handling release prep.

How does it differ from a typical book musical album?

It’s revue-leaning: quick vignettes, character bits, and parody pastiches; more sketches-with-songs than plot-driven reprises.

Is the album on streaming services?

Yes. Major DSPs carry the full 28-track program.

Notes & Trivia

• Broadway run: previews from July 29, 2006; opened August 17, 2006; closed January 7, 2007 — 22 previews, 165 performances (IBDB).
• Mary Birdsong received a Theatre World Award for her performance (Theatre World Awards / Playbill tally).
• Album street date: April 10, 2007; Ghostlight Records release (TheaterMania announcement).
• The show’s “celebrity interview” bit used Short’s Jiminy Glick persona; on Broadway, a real guest was pulled from the audience nightly.
• Shaiman/Wittman pastiche styles wink at golden-age Broadway, rock oratorio, and TV-variety formats — then undercut them with punchlines.

Genres & Themes

Broadway pastiche → fame mythology. Big overtures and brassy interludes sell the self-mythologizing target before the lyric turns to puncture it.

Gospel/rock parody → “confessional” comedy. A mock-religious anthem (“Step Brother to Jesus”) lampoons the can-you-feel-it uplift of 1970s rock musicals.

Cabaret torch → side-character truth. Torch sketches let the ensemble steal focus and shade the star vehicle.

TV-variety DNA → quick cuts. Short scenes, cold opens, and tag buttons make the album play like a highlights reel, not a single arc.

Tracks & Scenes

“Another Curtain Goes Up” — Company
Where it plays: Opening salvo; a mock-heroic overture and curtain speech that spoofs the very idea of the one-man show.
Why it matters: Establishes the meta frame and the album’s quick-cut pacing.

“All I Ask (Is You Love Me)” — Martin Short
Where it plays: Early solo; earnest ballad form undercut by self-satire.
Why it matters: Plants the show’s favorite joke — sincerity as a setup for ego gags.

“Three Gorgeous Kids” — Martin Short
Where it plays: Early-mid show; celebrity-memoir patter about family mythology.
Why it matters: Turns humble-brag tropes into patter-song fuel.

“Big Titties” — Company feature
Where it plays: Mid-show; brash novelty number styled like a club burner.
Why it matters: Outrage humor meets tight rhythm writing — a quick crowd jolt.

“Sittin’ on the Fence” — Martin Short & Mary Birdsong
Where it plays: Dialogue-into-duet bit; cabaret swing with clockwork punchlines.
Why it matters: Gives the ensemble equal comic footing with the star.

“The Jackie Rogers Jr. Show” — In-character sketch
Where it plays: Talk-show spoof segment folded into the revue.
Why it matters: SCTV nostalgia repurposed for Broadway — variety TV on a cast album.

“Ba-Ba-Ba-Ba Broadway” — Company
Where it plays: Mid-show; a brisk chorus-boy sendup of Broadway bombast.
Why it matters: Pastiches the house style it lovingly mocks.

“The Strumpet of Samaria” — Company
Where it plays: Late-show comic pageant; mock-biblical melodrama.
Why it matters: Shows Shaiman/Wittman’s period-parody muscle.

“Step Brother to Jesus” — Martin Short & Brooks Ashmanskas
Where it plays: Late-show showstopper; a hair-tossing, Godspell/Hair-flavored rock-gospel parody.
Why it matters: The album’s viral calling card — precision parody with a giant button.

“Backstage Courtship” — Company
Where it plays: Transitional vignette; underscored banter into a quick lyric button.
Why it matters: Proof that even the “glue” cues land laughs on record.

“Married to Marty” — Company
Where it plays: Late-show nod to offstage life and legacy.
Why it matters: Grounds the carousel of characters with a personal sting.

Selections above reflect the Broadway album program; performer attributions and titles match label/DSP listings where available. Trusted sources cited: Ghostlight Records; Apple Music; AllMusic.

Music–Story Links

Persona vs. person. The overture and reprise bits keep asking whether the show’s “Martin” is a mask; duets with the ensemble puncture the mask on cue.

Reverence vs. ridicule. The pastiche writing loves Broadway’s sound — then twists it. That tension is the show’s main joke and its musical engine.

Ensemble as editors. Birdsong, Jenkins, Ashmanskas, and Vivino function like a Greek chorus with punchlines, redirecting adoration and undercutting monologues.

How It Was Made

Credits per production and album notes: music by Marc Shaiman; lyrics by Scott Wittman & Marc Shaiman; orchestrations by Larry Blank; music direction/keys by Charlie Alterman. IBDB logs the Broadway run and creative roster. Ghostlight handled the release; TheaterMania announced the April 10, 2007 street. Press photo coverage placed the main cast session on November 20, 2006, late in the run, a common timing for live-energy cast albums.

Reception & Quotes

“Hybrid evening — musical, revue, autobiography, improv, genre parody.” Variety

“Old-fashioned revue… serviceably melodic and often very funny.” Broadway.com critics’ wrap

“Ambitious mixture of satire, music and vaudeville… wildly uneven but full of big laughs.” The Hollywood Reporter (quoted via New York Theatre Guide)

Critical temperature ranged from amused skepticism to outright delight. The album benefits from that variety: it preserves the high-hit rate sketches and trims scenic connective tissue.

Additional Info

• Cast billing on the disc reflects late-run changes: Donna Vivino replaced Nicole Parker during the Broadway engagement.
• Mary Birdsong’s Jiminy-Glick-adjacent bits and Judy Garland send-ups are audience favorites in multiple reviews.
• Track count and timing on DSPs: 28 tracks, ~54 minutes (Apple Music/Spotify concordance).
• Ghostlight’s product page foregrounds two lightning-rod titles — “Big Titties” and “Step Brother to Jesus.”
• The show’s live “celebrity guest” interview (as Jiminy Glick) is not a fixed track — album favors musical material over improv.

Technical Info

• Title: Fame Becomes Me (Original Broadway Cast Recording)
• Year/Type: 2007 — Broadway cast album
• Composers/Lyricists: Marc Shaiman (music); Scott Wittman & Marc Shaiman (lyrics)
• Principal performers: Martin Short; Brooks Ashmanskas; Mary Birdsong; Capathia Jenkins; Donna Vivino
• Music direction/orchestrations: Charlie Alterman (music director/keys); Larry Blank (orchestrations)
• Label: Ghostlight Records (Sh-K-Boom)
• Runtime/format: 28 tracks; ~54 minutes; digital/CD
• Broadway context: Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre; previews 7/29/2006; opening 8/17/2006; closing 1/7/2007; 22 previews/165 performances
• Notable numbers (album): “Another Curtain Goes Up,” “All I Ask (Is You Love Me),” “Sittin’ on the Fence,” “Ba-Ba-Ba-Ba Broadway,” “Step Brother to Jesus”

Canonical Entities & Relations

Sources: Ghostlight Records; IBDB; TheaterMania; AllMusic; Broadway.com.

November, 09th 2025