As Director Roger De Bris in The Producers said about Springtime For Hitler's second act, "It's a bit depressing, they're losing the war! Gotta put something IN THERE!" Which brought about the 2-3 kick turns, and dancing SS men, and thigh high boots....well, that's what we got in the real Depression. Songs about the sunny side of the street, and that shine on your shoes, and coffee and pie and bowls of cherries. Some of the lightest and brightest shows on Broadway, and MGM movies that glittered with Ginger's marabou'ed gowns and Fred facing all that music (sideways, of course, show your best profile!) and dancing. So the Depression, music-wise, seems sorta H A double P Y.
But I've never been on an actual bread line. Or begged for change. So my perspective is all from the eye of a lens, the melody of a song, or the perspective of a musical (and that's true as hell, right?) But true or not, that's our show this Sunday: Music of the Depression Era, some from shows of the 30s, some just popular songs of the day...sung by Bing and Rudy and Sisters Boswell.
Along with that, we'll celebrate Betty Comden's birthday, who lyric-ed with the best of 'em, straight from Queens, NY (yup, Erasmus High), who teamed with Adolph Green for 7 Tony wins over the course of six decades. Good thing they weren't married. Screenplays, books for musicals, and of course all those wonderful pithy words for the tunes of Bernstein, Styne, and other biggies. Gotta a lot to pick from!
So shine up your loafers for Sunday, pour me another cuppa joe, and slice up that pie already.
A Shine On Your Shoes (Fred Astaire, The Band Wagon)
Pennies From Heaven (Bing Crosby, Pennies From Heaven)
Let's Misbehave (Irving Aaronson and His Commandeers)
You're The Cream In My Coffee (Annette Hanshaw)
Let's Have Another Cup Of Coffee (Enric Madriguera and His Hotel Biltmore
Orchestra)
I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair (Mary Martin, South Pacific)
Bloody Mary (Ensemble, South Pacific)
This Nearly Was Mine (Ezio Pinza, South Pacific)
Let's Face The Music And Dance (Fred Astaire, Follow The Fleet)
Brother, Can You Spare A Dime (Rudy Vallee)
Life Is Just A Bowl Of Cherries (Jack Hylton And His Orchestra)
It Don't Mean A Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing (The Boswell Sisters)
Double Talk (Gregg Edelman, City Of Angels
The Buddy System (Rene Auberjonois, City Of Angels)
With Every Breath I Take (Kay McClelland, City Of Angels)
On The Sunny Side Of The Street (Judy Garland)
On The Good Ship Lollipop (Shirley Temple, Bright Eyes)
I'm In The Mood For Love (Darla Hood, Our Gang)
Get Happy/Happy Days Are Here Again (Judy Garland, Barbra Streisand,
The Judy Garland Show)
Drop That Name (Judy Holliday, Ensemble, Bells Are Ringing)
Long Before I Knew You (Sydney Chaplin, Bells Are Ringing)
The Midas Touch (Ensemble, Bells Are Ringing)
The Party's Over (Judy Holliday, Bells Are Ringing)
Come Up To My Place (Nancy Walker, Cris Alexander, On The Town)
One Hundred Easy Ways (Rosalind Russell, Wonderful Town)
Wendy (Mary Martin, Ensemble, Peter Pan)
I Don't Know Where She Got It (Lillian Hayman, Hallelujah, Baby!)
All Of My Life (Phil Silvers, Do Re Mi)
All I Do Is Dream Of You (Ensemble, Singin' In The Rain)
Triplets (Fred Astaire, Jack Buchanan, Nanette Fabray, The Band Wagon)
Moses Supposes (Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor, Singin' In The Rain)
Smile, Girls (Patti Lupone, Gypsy)
If Momma Was Married (Laura Benanti, Leigh Ann Larkin, Gypsy)
Have An Eggroll, Mr. Goldstone (Patti Lupone, Boyd Gaines, Gypsy)
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