Playlist For October 2, 2022: Hold the sprinkles!

First of all, MixCloud is not my friend. I haven't been able to publish a recorded 2 On The Aisle since Labor Day. MixCloud is evidently not happy with me or Broadway or the "cut of my jib", so I am returning the favor. UGH-ish feelings abound. As well as apologies, if you tried valiantly to hear a replay and were disappointed.

Well, that's the boring stuff.

 

The exciting stuff? Well, here it is, another rainy Monday. Karen Carpenter was right. (Don't look at the forecast. I mean it, just DON'T.) So we must rally, despite UGH-ish weather and moods, and look FORWARD...to bright skies, brighter Broadway, and hot fudge sundaes (and Sundays) to come!

 

Hold the sprinkles.

With that in mind, we do have some Libra birthdays to celebrate, namely Dame(ly) Julie Andrews, who turns 87 on October 1. And Len Cariou on September 30. And Groucho, October 2! How's that for a triumvirate of entertaining titans? So that means everything from Spoonfuls of Sugar to Sweeney slicing to...Lydia. Quite a sundae (Sunday) it will be. We'll also salute the musical that brought Julie to our sometimes-sunny shores, The Boy Friend, and the anniversary of Noel Coward's Sail Away (because when in a bad mood, I eat hot fudge sundaes, drink gin, swear like a sailor away-ing, and pretend I AM Elaine).

 

 

Anyhoo, catch ya on Sunday. I'll try not to get tongue-tied like I did last Sunday, which was sort of appropriate with all those patter songs. I'll try to push the right buttons at the right time. (Yes, I do have nightmares, real ones, of totally flummoxing that "radio" stuff!) And meanwhile, I'm going to have a  little "chat" with that mixed-up CLOUD! :) 

 

 

Thoroughly Modern Millie (Julie Andrews, Thoroughly Modern Millie)

Wouldn't It Be Loverly? (Julie Andrews, My Fair Lady)

The Simple Joys Of Maidenhood (Julie Andrews, Camelot)

Spoonful of Sugar (Julie Andrews, Mary Poppins)

Come To Me (Elaine Stritch, Company, Sail Away)

Sail Away (David Holliday, Sail Away)

Why Do The Wrong People Travel? (Elaine Stritch, Sail Away) 

One Of A Kind (Len Cariou, Lauren Bacall, Applause)

You Must Meet My Wife (Len Cariou, Glynis Johns, A Little Night Music)

It Would Have Been Wonderful (Len Cariou, Laurence Guittard, A Little Night Music)

A Lovely Night (Julie Andrews, Cinderella)

Jimmy (Julie Andrews, Thoroughly Modern Millie)

Burlington Bertie From Bow (Julie Andrews, Star!)

Perfect Young Ladies (Millicent Martin, Paulette Girard, Ann Wakefield, Stella Claire, The Boy Friend)

A Room In Bloomsbury (Julie Andrews, John Hewer, The Boy Friend)

Won't You Charleston With Me? (Bob Scheerer, Ann Wakefield, The Boy Friend)

My Friends (Len Cariou, Angela Lansbury, Sweeney Todd)

Pretty Women (Len Cariou, Edmund Lyndeck, Sweeney Todd)

Epiphany (Len Cariou, Angela Lansbury, Sweeney Todd)

Lydia The Tattooed Lady (Groucho Marx, At The Circus)

I'm Against It (Groucho Marx, Horse Feathers)

Everyone Says I Love You (The Marx Brothers, Horse Feathers)

I Have Confidence (Julie Andrews, The Sound Of Music)

Just You Wait (Julie Andrews, My Fair Lady) 

Whistling Away The Dark (Julie Andrews, Darling Lili)

Something Good (Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer, The Sound Of Music)

You And Me (Julie Andrews, Robert Preston, Victor/Victoria)

The Shady Dame (Robert Preston, Victor/Victoria)

I Have Dreamed (Julie Andrews)

Playlist For September 25, 2022: Patter...putta? (Only Burgers in the Building)

So I've been watching YouTube again (it's research...I'm bringing YOU the crazies!). And there's this person who takes on food challenges, like a 15 pound Irish breakfast that must be consumed in 30 minutes (we're talkin' 3 pound pancakes, bangers and mash, black pudding, hashbrowns, 12 slices of toast, 6 eggs...Geez Louise). Or 12 multi-topped hamburgers (with beer pairings?) in 45.  And she DOES IT. She breathes it in! I've seen only 1 video where she's defeated by the bushels and pecks of food placed in front of her. Otherwise it's winner winner LITERAL chicken dinner for her! 

 

Check out her channel: Katie Eats Kilos

 

 I get a strange vicarious thrill watching her, while I'M nibbling carrot sticks and ice cubes. I also seem to get full. Works for me. 

How the heck does that apply to Broadway? Not one jot. Or french fry. A mere interesting aside to show you the wacky characters out there...unless we can find a thread to ...possibly....connect?

And I did it! Character songs! Those quirky, cute, often-plot-useless tunes, sometimes delegated to the secondary characters. The charm songs. And we'll include in that category the PATTER song, because who doesn't love a tongue-twisting, pushin' the speed limit pitter patter (or as Steve Martin sings in a recently "murderous" HULU creation..."Pitta Putta")? 

 

 

So you can expect a model major general, some pick-a-little ladies, a gal who is not "getting married", and a speed test or 2. You can also expect a set or 2 of Tootsie, because a request came in from Joe Stockslader for that musical. And I always try to honor his requests, unless he wants Tommy. I draw a Tommy line! 

 

 

 Anyway, have fun listening in, hopefully while munching (moderately) on normal sized pancakes and civilized portions of pulled pork. Just like swimming in the ocean, you can't tap dance for 30 minutes after eating. ;)

Please Don't Monkey With Broadway (Fred Astaire, George Murphy, Broadway Melody of 1940)

Opening Number (Company, Tootsie) 

I Won't Let You Down (Santino Fontana, Tootsie)

Brush Up Your Shakespeare (Lee Wilkof, Michael Mulheren, Kiss Me, Kate)

Come Up To My Place (Nancy Walker, Cris Alexander, On The Town)

Gee, Officer Krupke (Russ Tamblyn, Ensemble, West Side Story)

Getting Married Today (Beth Howland, Steve Elmore, Company)

I Am The Very Model Of A Modern Major General (John Reed, The Pirates Of Penzance)

The Speed Test (Marc Kudisch, Sutton Foster, Thoroughly Modern Millie)

Her Is (Stanley Prager, Carol Haney, The Pajama Game)

Nice She Ain't (Boyd Gaines, Gypsy)

The Three Of Us (Michael McKean, The Pajama Game)

Yer My Friend, Ain't Cha? (Thelma Ritter, Cameron Prud'Homme, New Girl In Town)

Pick-A-Little, Talk-A-Little (Ensemble, The Music Man)

Erbie Fitch's Twitch (Gwen Verdon, Redhead) 

Tschaikowsky (And Other Russians) (Danny Kaye, Lady In The Dark)

Going To The Theatre (Ensemble, Scrambled Feet)

Nightlife (Anita Gillette, All American)

Gooch's Song (Jane Connell, Mame)

It's Not About Me (Beth Leavel, The Prom) 

Diva's Lament (Sara Ramirez, Spamalot)

All For The Best (Hunter Parrish, Wallace Smith, Godspell)

Both Sides Of The Coin (George Rose, Howard McGillin, The Mystery Of Edwin Drood

Therapy (Andrew Garfield, Alexandra Shipp, Tick Tick Boom)

I've Been Everywhere (Johnny Cash) 

Alto's Lament (Megan Hilty)

Audition Sequence (Fred Barton, Forbidden Broadway)

Audition Story (Elaine Stritch, Elaine Stritch At Liberty)

What's Gonna Happen (Sarah Stiles, Tootsie)

Gone, Gone, Gone (Lilli Cooper, Tootsie)

This Thing (John Behlmann, Tootsie)

The Most Important Night Of My Life (Company, Tootsie) 

 

 

Playlist For Sunday, September 18, 2022: Whirling, Waldorfs, and Siamese Twins

So it's been A Week. A social whirl. That means more than 3 1/2 social "dos" in one day. I'm really not used to this. I may need nap.

We're not talking BIG events. No galas or balls (Does anyone really go to balls? Even when the prince is throwing one?). We're talking whine/wine open houses with everything bagels (whine/wine buffering). We're talking lunches with bunches of relatives (Waldorf salad, anyone? A throwback maybe, but I'm old school). A weekend with hand-picked college alums that I still like and can spend said weekend hashing and re-hashing (and hash-browning, thank you Air Fryer!) old times/old school. I'm also counting an auto mechanic "date" for brakes (now my car actually stops!).

Supposedly the Waldorf (Astoria) still serves Waldorf!

 

And shopping. ALWAYS shopping. Weekend grand total:
3 new dresses, a footstool, 6 pairs of earrings (natch), 2 sweaters, a scarf, my 15th purse and 2 ceramic "objet" (see photo). Each "objet" would probably make a very King Of Siam 1940s lamp, but that's beyond my Ken (and Barbie).

 

 

I'm still in a fog after that all socializing, which was synchronizing quite well with the rainy weather, but now the sun is shining (wait 1/2 an hour, things could change) and guilt is now showering down, saying:...I should bike...I should mow the back 40...I should simply "Get Out There". But I'd rather enjoy a lingering "ahhhhh" and put my feet up. It IS September and the in-ground pool in my mind is closing up. Ambition/standards/activity levels are relaxing, like pool filters clogged with "Autumn Leaves". 

That said...Broadway. This coming Sunday, we have a Bacall Birthday to celebrate (September 16), a Flaherty Flahooley (which is kinda like a shindig, only with more Fla!) (September 18, btw), plus we simply MUST raise a glass to that La Mancha Man, because the anniversary of that Don Q musical happens on the 15th, its 2nd revival in 1977 starring AGAIN and almost ALWAYS, Richard Kiley. Yum! Wasn't he wonderful? You betcha. :) He made a career out of that character, much like Yul doing 100 years as a Siamese King.

  Richard in The Man Of La Mancha

and below with Diahann Carroll in No Strings. 

Not exactly sure where this photo comes from,

but Richard did do episodes of Gunsmoke and

How The West Was Won.

Below, Richard and Steven Warner in The Little Prince, 1974. 

From Garrison's Gorillas, a TV show I remember back in 1967.

It was based on The Dirty Dozen.

 

 

 And in Kismet, as the Caliph with Doretta Morrow? Hmmmm....

Richard was 34 years old when he captured this role.

(Way to rock the mascara, Rich!)

Okay, so I've now been sun-guilted enough and will attempt a lawn mow. See you on Sunday, tho, when I will rested from my whirl of a life. I'll wear a new dress (not like you can tell), a new set of earrings, a scarf or seven, and maybe I'll bring my new Siamese Twins to the station. They can conduct or simply glare. Upon Broadway. :))))

 

 

Twenty Million People (Evan Pappas, Company, My Favorite Year)

But Alive (Lauren Bacall, Applause)

Who's That Girl? (Lauren Bacall, Applause)

Applause (Bonnie Franklin, Applause)

Buffalo Nickel Photoplay Inc. (Peter Friedman, Ragtime)

Sarah Brown Eyes(Brian Stokes Mitchell, Audra McDonald, Ragtime)

Make Them Hear You (Brian Stokes Mitchell, Ragtime)

Man Of LaMancha (Richard Kiley, Irving Jacobson, Man Of La Mancha)

Little Bird, Little Bird(Ensemble, Man Of La Mancha)

Barber's Song/Golden Helmet (Gino Conforti, Richard Kiley, Irving Jacobson, Man Of La Mancha)

Dulcinea/The Impossible Dream (Joan Diener, Richard Kiley, Man Of La Mancha)

One Of The Boys (Lauren Bacall, Ensemble, Woman Of The Year)

The Grass Is Always Greener (Lauren Bacall, Marilyn Cooper, Woman Of The Year)

Art (Ensemble,  A Man Of No Importance)

The Burden Of Life (Faith Prince, Roger Rees, A Man Of No Importance) 

Love Who You Love (Sally Murphy, A Man Of No Importance)  

Rita's Confession (Mary Testa, Evan Pappas, Lucky Stiff)

Monte Carlo! (Patrick Quinn, Lucky Stiff)

Speaking French (Deborah Gravitte, Lucky Stiff) 

Journey To The Past (Christy Altomare, Anastasia)

Paris Holds The Key (To Your Heart) (John Bolton, Derek Klena, Christy Altomare, Anastasia)

Once Upon A December (Christy Altomare, Anastasia)

Night Of My Nights (Richard Kiley, Kismet)

The Sweetest Sounds (Richard Kiley, Diahann Carroll, No Strings)

My Girl Is Just Enough Woman For Me (Richard Kiley, Redhead)

Stranger In Paradise (Richard Kiley, Kismet)

Welcome To Brooklyn (Lainie Kazan, Evan Pappas, Tim Curry, Ensemble, My Favorite Year)

The King Kaiser Comedy Cavalcade (Ensemble, My Favorite Year)

The Gospel According To King (Tom Mardirosian, Ensemble, My Favorite Year)

Professional Show Business Comedy (Andrea Martin, My Favorite Year)

 

Playlist For Sunday, Sept. 11, 2022: Once Upon, Dance Cards, et Maurice!

So of course I am presently Chapter 37-deep into "Shy, The Alarmingly Outspoken Memoirs Of Mary Rodgers". It's not so shocking that you can't read it alone in the dark, or need your dropped jaw rewired, but she does name names, talk one-night stands, slice and dice, and how could she not? Raised by Daddy Richard and "Uncle" Oscar (Ockie), crushing on Steve (the love of her life?), making music with (looney tune) Marshall and Lenny...I mean, she was in the presence of god-esque talent, and for the most part, found herself wanting. So she writes self-effacing and hilarious and open stuff from page-boy bangs to Broadway influencer. To that end, she blames herself for Do I Hear A Waltz! Yup, blames herself for the entire flop...enticing her dad to write the music, coercing Sondheim to collaborate, and knowing from the "2nd key change" that it was doomed to failure. That part she got right. 

 

2 with dad...different ages, but same piano?

With lyricist Marshall Barer and Hal Prince (above)

and below with life-long buddy, Stephen Sondheim. 

Loving it.

So we'll play some of her Once Upon A Mattress creations. Not to say that's all she did...she wrote for Lenny Bernstein's Young People Concerts, The Mad Show, TV shows, doctored Cinderella. Then there was Freaky Friday and Summer Switch. And raising 5 kids. And taking pills (name 'em, she took 'em). And cavorting (or slogging) thru adult music-making camps, 2 husbands, hits, flops, screenplays and "foundations".

Read it! If you're a Broadway-phile, you'll need this kinda fodder for your next Auntie Mame-esque cocktail party. Everyone will know these spicy tidbits and you don't wanna be stuck by the punch bowl, alone and dumb. 

 

See? THEY know!

 

All that to say, here's the playlist:

Mattress, royalty, dance and lots of balls to attend...oh, and a birthday salute to Maurice, so there'll be a Chevalier niche of Louise, et. al. So bring your dance card, wear appropriate dressage, practice your schottishe, and let's do this. :)

 

An Opening For A Princess (Joseph Bova, Company, Once Upon A Mattress)

The Prince Is Giving A Ball (Ensemble, Cinderella)

On The Steps Of The Palace (Kim Crosby, Into The Woods)

Is That My Prince? (Shirley Booth, Albert Linville, A Tree Grows In Brooklyn)

Cinderella, Darling (Bonnie Scott, How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying)

Louise (Maurice Chevalier, Innocents In Paris)

You Brought A New Kind Of Love To Me (Maurice Chevalier, The Big Pond)

Just One Of Those Things (Maurice Chevalier, Can-Can)

Song Of Love (Carol Burnett, Joseph Bova, Once Upon A Mattress)

Sensitivity (Jane White, Once Upon A Mattress)

Very Soft Shoes (Matt Mattox, Once Upon A Mattress)

The Clouds Will Soon Roll By (Elsie Carlisle and The Ambrose Orchestra)

Sweeping The Clouds Away (Maurice Chevalier, Oh Boy!)

Till The Clouds Roll By (Rebecca Luker, George Dvorsky)

Castle On A Cloud (Donna Vivino, Les Miserables)

Clouds (Company, Snoopy!)

Three Little Maids From School (Ensemble, The Mikado)

Three Little Maids From School (Ensemble, Hot Mikado)

Beauty School Dropout (Marya Small, Alan Paul, Grease)

Everybody Dance (Ensemble, Steel Pier)

Shall We Dance? (Bobby Short, Bobby Short Is K-Ra-Zy For Gershwin) 

Shall We Dance? (Kelli O'Hara, Ken Watanabe, The King And I)

The More We Dance (John Lithgow, Sherie Rene Scott, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels)

Dancing (Carol Channing, Ensemble, Hello, Dolly!)

Gotta Dance (Harold Lang, Look Ma, I'm Dancing)

Go Into Your Dance (Scarlett Strallen, The New Yorker)

Something To Dance About (Ethel Merman, Call Me Madam)

Dance With Me (Tonight At The Mardi Gras)(The New York Voices, Louisiana Purchase)

The Very Last Dance Hall In L.A. (Bill and Laura Pursell)

The Hookers Ball (Vernal Bagneris, The Life)

After The Ball (Barbara Cook, Show Boat)

At The Codfish Ball (Shirley Temple, Captain January)

At The Check Apron Ball (Ensemble, New Girl In Town)

At The Red Rose Cotillion (Pamela Gale, Terence Cooper, Where's Charley?)