I think Elmore is referring to a footnote on page 131 of Corpse. Either that, or he's stayed remarkably young for much longer than we've suspected, and has probably forgotten more than most of us will ever know!
(In fact, that latter is probably true no matter what!)
DRSWW, what a sweet thing to say!
Actually, I have had my gripes with Mr Mordden since the publication of his book on Rodgers & Hammerstein. When Ted Chapin learned I knew Ethan, he asked me to make an introduction since he was interested in talking to Ethan about a book on R&H. Ethan met me at the Drama Book Shop, we taxied to Mr Chapin's office, then on 57th and Madison, I recall. The luncheon was lovely, Ted liked Ethan, and a couple of years later Abrams published the book. My good ex-friend Mr Mordden thanked everybody in his acknowledgements to the R&H book except the person who introduced him to Mr Chapin and who called Mr Chapin regularly to see how the possibility of Ethan's doing the book was progressing.
In THE HAPPIEST CORPSE . . . Mr Mordden can't get his information straight on the history of The New Amsterdam Theatre Company's rise and fall, even if he were on its board, much less the death of its producer and our mutual friend Bill Tynes. When it comes to JUBILEE, his information is incorrect, and in SING FOR YOUR SUPPER, he totally ignores me, even though his information on JUBILEE's score is heavily reliant on the photocopy of my newly created vocal score I gave him in 1986! He makes an offhand comment about all current versions performing "There's Nothing Like Swimming," an interpolation Tommy Krasker and I made, since the music for "Gather Ye Autographs" (a number he never mentions) is lost and it's now unperformable in the show. On the other hand, we felt as well that the Autograph number was one more name dropper in a score filled with name dropping and that the Swimming number was a good idea for the leading comedienne.
Interestingly, he talks positively about the worst version of JUBILEE I've seen of four: Carnegie Hall, 1998, directed by Herb Ross, who was a horror, as was a miscast Sandy Duncan, who managed to screw up both her big numbers "Begin the Beguine" and "Just One of Those Things."
He also makes a few rude and incorrect comments on the Milton Aborn revival of BABES IN TOYLAND, which slight Mr Aborn, and show he didn't do enough homework.
