Curtain up!

 That Another Op'nin' quartet,

tho here they're probably in singing of Padua

("We Open In Venice")!

Cole Porter's, Kiss Me Kate

with Patricia Morison, Alfred Drake, Lisa Kirk, and Howard Lang.

 Cole evidently created this musical

in response to R&H's Oklahoma! 

THAT blockbuster had music integrated into the plot,

so why couldn't Cole do the same?

He did, and Kate turned out to be his most popular musical.

First Best Musical Tony Winner, 1949.

 Here you get a feeling for the costumes and set 

for that original 1948 production, 

all of which were designed by Lemuel Ayers.

 Kate was supposedly inspired by the battling Lunt/Fontanne duo;

Alfred and Lynn had their fair share of fights

while acting in The Taming Of The Shrew back in 1935.

So Fred Graham and Lilli Vanessi were modeled

on a real husband and wife team

(although hopefully THEY never came to spanking!).

And BTW, writing the book for the show...

Bella and Samuel Spewack, who had their own marital woes.

 Then there was the opener for Fiddler...

"Tradition"

with Zero Mostel leading this iconic Bock and Harnick show. 

But what a switch up!

Yup, we're tied to our traditions,

they keep us and "Anetevka" from falling apart,

but the show was all about Change!

  Above, the incredible Zero Mostel as Tevye,

who drove (probably) every director he worked with nuts,

with his lean towards improv and HAM!

Below, the very successful Yiddish version of Fiddler,

currently running in NYC.

"Six Months Out Of Every Year"

opened Damn Yankees,

with Shannon Bolin complaining about her hubby's

obsession with baseball.

Above, Shannon with Ray Walston (Mr. Applegate)

and Robert Shafer (Joe Boyd).

 

 The opening number of Gypsy (above)

was "Let (or some say MAY) We Entertain You",

which comes back to haunt us in Act 2 quite differently!

Above, Ethel M in lovely plaid (and big buttons!)

with Karen Moore who played young Louise 

and Jacqueline Mayro as Baby June 

in the original 1959 production.

Below, the real Gypsy Rose Lee, in full (or is it half full?) drape! :)

 Thanks to Cy Coleman (above)

and lyrics by David Zippel,

we have the super score for City Of Angels,

starring James Naughton in a fetching fedora below.

That show's opening number,

Prologue/Theme for City Of Angels,

should have a better title.

How 'bout Sleezy Saxes? (Curvaceous Cornets?)

 A Martha Swope photo of 1776's cast from 1969:

Ken Howard (Jefferson), William Daniels (Adams),

Henry LeClaire (Livingston), David Vosburgh (Sherman),

 and Howard DaSilva (Franklin).

Of course the opener for this show was "Sit Down, John!",

even though all of these lads seem to be up and dancing.

Below, Lin-Manuel Miranda and William Daniels,

a musical theatre Alexander Hamilton and John Adams

reunited (and it feels so good)!