Saturday, May 20, 2017

Basket of Adorables

Can-Can the MOVIE (released in 1960)
had little to do with Can-Can the MUSICAL:
several of the Cole Porter songs were tossed,
and other Cole Porter songs shuffled in.
The plot was overhauled, as well, with
Louis Jordan (the judge) becoming part of a love triangle
with Frank Sinatra and Shirley MacLaine (below).
Frank had to do it.
It cost a lot to make. 
It didn't make it back.

When the Brazilian Navy wants to Conga,
we Conga!
Roz Russell above in Wonderful Town.

Pearl Bailey as Madame Fleur in
House of Flowers, 1954.
Below with Gloria Vanderbilt and "lyricist" Truman Capote.


The cast of Groundhog Day:
John Sanders (who plays Ned Ryerson), Andy Karl (Phil Connors)
Barrett Doss (Rita Hanson) and Rebecca Faulkenberry (Nancy).
7 Tony Nominations for this show!
This Sunday we'll hear "Playing Nancy" with Rebecca.
Music and lyrics: Tim Minchin

Christian Borle and Andrew Rannells
as Marvin and Whizzer in Falsettos...
both are nominated for acting Tonys this season.
(You may remember Christian from Something Rotten
and Andrew from The Book Of Mormon.)

The odds-on favorite to win
Best Actor In A Musical:
Ben Platt, in Dear Evan Hansen.
The show has 9 nominations in all,
including Best Musical,
though Ben Brantley of the Times called it
"a rendering of a young adult novel".

 And then back to classic...
Phil Silvers and Nancy Walker
in Do Re Mi,
a Jule Styne/Comden and Green creation from 1960:
 "an average score that is worth the price just to hear Miss Walker describe her life of 'Adventure'."
Despite mixed reviews, it played 400 performances.
Not too shabby.

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