Too Durn Hot, Even In The Shade...

110 In The Shade

is based on The Rainmaker, a play by N. Richard Nash

(originally on Broadway back in 1954),

and made into that Burt Lancaster/Katherine Hepburn flick

2 years later.

By 1963, Harvey Schmidt and Tom Jones

(fresh from their success with The Fantasticks)

cooked it into a musical,

with an almost operatic score.

It starred Robert Horton, Inga Swenson, Stephen Douglass,

Will Geer and Lesley Ann Warren.

 It ran for 330 performances,

but the critics weren't impressed;

Howard Taubman of the NY Times said,

“There is no danger even a lightning bolt could ignite it,” 

Below, a pic of the original production...

Come 2007, it was time for a revival

with a great cast:

Audra McDonald, John Cullum, and Steve Kazee starred,

with Lonny Price directing,

and some wonderful Jonathan Tunick arrangements.

(Above, a pic from 2016's Ford Theatre production,

and below, Audra with John Cullum.)

The revival's run lasted 94 performances.

Ben Brantly of the NY Times loved Audra. 

Unfortunately not much more...

"Well, if Ms. McDonald doesn’t qualify as a lightning bolt, 

I don’t know who does. 

But it’s true that while she does provide a blazing center, 

the temperature of the show around her remains steadily lukewarm."

He described her further as 

"ravishing of voice and Olympian of stature, 

she’s an overwhelming presence in an underwhelming show."

I guess Audra was just TOOOO good, if that's possible.

Above, John Cullum (H.C.),

Christoper Innvar (as File)

and Audra (as Lizzie).

Ben B. went on to say that the brooding Innvar

might have made a better Starbuck

than Steve Kazee (below).

Two Drama Desk Awards,

one for Best Revival and one for Ms. McDonald.

"In the Good Old Summer Time" was released in 1903, 

the work of George Evans and Ren Shields,

and we'll hear one of the first renditions of that hit; 
The Haydn Quartet (later spelled as Hayden) 

was a close harmony group, originally named the Edison Quartet 

(well, they recorded for Edison Records, so...).

 Other hot licks from this quartet of many names

were "Sweet Adeline",

"How'd You Like To Spoon With Me",

and "Take Me Out To The Ball Game".

 Looks like a fun-loving group of guys, right? 

(Party at Dudley's crib tonight, yo!)

Okay, so maybe it won't actually be 

"Too Darn Hot"

on Sunday, but the 1999 revival of Kiss Me, Kate

did a fantastic job with this number,

and I don't want to wait one more week to play it!

Choreography was by Kathleen Marshall, 

and featured Stanley Wayne Mathis.

Pardon me,

but they don't look too dang HOT,

just frickin' happy! 

Of course,

Ann Miller (as Lois Lane and Bianca)

got to sing this song

in the movie version of 1953.

It's performed in Fred Graham's apartment

as an audition in front of Fred (Howard Keel)

 and Lili Vanessi (Kathryn Grayson).

Let's just say, if looks could kill...

Ragtime launched on Broadway in 2000, 

with music by Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens, 

based on the novel by E.L. Doctorow. 

This was 11 years after the movie, with 

Jeff Daniels, Fran Descher, James Cagney, Pat O'Brien,

Elizabeth McGovern, Howard E. Rollins, Jr., and Mandy Patinkin.

The staged, musical version feature an incredible cast as well:

Brian Stokes Mitchell and Audra McDonald starred,

 along with Marin Mazzie, Peter Friedman, Judy Kaye, and Mark Jacoby. 

The set was amazing,

and it better have been...with a $10 million budget!

Fireworks and a working Model T Ford on stage.

13 Tony nominations,

but the show lost all but 4 awards

to The Lion King! 

We'll hear

"Make Them Hear You"

sung by the brilliant Brian!