A Smidge of Diz...

 Jimmy MacDonald who did voices and special audio effects

for several Disney movies...

including Jacques, Bruno and Gus from Cinderella,

Chip of Chip an' Dale

and Mickey.

(Photo: buzzfeed.com)

 Mary Costa voiced the part of Aurora in Sleeping Beauty, 1959,

and went on to perform in operas, 

television shows(with Frank and Dean)

and sang at JFK's memorial service.

(the art of sleeping beauty.com)

 Peggy Lee and Sonny Burke,

who wrote the score for Lady And The Tramp.

I wonder if she always composed with a hat on.

 (peggylee.com)

 Lea Salonga provided the singing voice for Fa Mulan

in Mulan, 1998.

Ming-Na Wen did the speaking part.

(sodahead.com)

Danny Devito,

the voice AND inspiration for Philoctetes

in Hercules, 1997.

Definitely a resemblance, tho I've spared you the shirtless "take"! 

(popcrush.com)

On the Twentieth Century!

 On The Twentieth landed on Broadway in 1978...

and reappeared in 2015, with this marvelous set.

 (Photo: The New York Times)

 The "Veronique" flashback...Madeline goes

from dowdy secretary, Mildred Plotnik, 

to femme fatale/drum majorette, Lily Garland.

(Madelinekahns.tumblr.com)

 All Aboard!

John Cullum as ne're do well director, Oscar Jaffee,

and Madeline as Lily, the star he created.

(Photo: Fanpop.com)

 Kevin Kline and Madeline,

with the musical team...

Cy Coleman, Adolph Green and Betty Comden.

(Photo: Moviefone.com)

Couldn't resist this photo, from the 1970s:

Liza, Madeline, Eartha, and Francis Sternhagen

(Madelinekahns.tumblr.com)

Playlist for Sunday, March 13, 2016: Addle-Pated

Maybe it's the first waft of spring I'm getting from my opened windows, working its ADHD randomness on my brain. Maybe it's the 62 degree temps, tempting me to run outside and pick up sticks, shingles and other winter detritus, open my shed, and think "lawn chairs." Maybe it's the looming time change, with its promise of longer days and lower electric bills.  Whatever it is, this is one wacky playlist. It has everything but Alan Sherman and the King Sisters (tho I could always add).

Seemingly on random, we have It Ain't Nothin' But The Blues, Pal Joey, Funny Girl and The Lion King (please, someone find SOMETHING in common with these desperate desperadoes!). Ballads that won't leave a dry eye, by Elaine, Audra, Babs, and the Calloway gals (both Liz and Ann Hampton). Madeline Kahn and a crazy "Veronique" from On the Twentieth Century...Ron Taylor doin' a mean "I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man"...and a Disney corner?  May the gods of musical theatre let me off with a mere warning slap.

Me, I don't mind the seemingly random picks. Perhaps there is a method to my madness (and if you figure it out, be the 5th caller and win BIG!). Like shuffling the tarot deck of Broadway, I draw the Fool. And that's a frickin' great card!


The Thrill Is Gone (C.E. Smith, It Ain't Nothin' But The Blues)
I'm The Greatest Star (Barbra Streisand, Funny Girl)
Who Taught Her Everything? (Kay Medford, Danny Meehan, Funny Girl)
The Music That Makes Me Dance (Barbra Streisand, Funny Girl)
Stranded Again (Charles Rule, Hal Norman, Ensemble, On The Twentieth   
         Century)
Mine (John Cullum, Kevin Kline, On The Twentieth Century)
Veronique (Madeline Kahn, John Cullum, On The Twentieth Century)
There's A Small Hotel (Frank Sinatra, Pal Joey)
My Funny Valentine (Trudi Erwin, dubbing for Kim Novak, Pal Joey)
Zip (Jo Ann Greer, dubbing for Rita Hayworth, Pal Joey)
That Terrific Rainbow (Ensemble, Pal Joey)
Stars And The Moon (Audra McDonald, Way Back To Paradise)
A Million Windows And I (Ann Hampton Calloway, Shoe String Revue)
I Never Know When (Elaine Stritch, Goldilocks)
Since You Stayed Here (Liz Calloway, Brownstone)
Circle Of Life (Ensemble, Lion King)
Work Song (Jimmy MacDonald, Mouse Chorus, Cinderella)
The Siamese Cat Song (Peggy Lee, The Lady And The Tramp)
Honor To Us All (Lea Salonga, Freda Foh Shen, Marni Nixon, Ensemble,
        Mulan           
One Last Hope (Danny Devito, Hercules)
Daarlin' Man (Melvyn Douglas, Jack MacGowran, Juno)
Song Of The Ma (Shirley Booth, Juno)
We're Alive (Ensemble, Juno)
Good Morning, Good Day (Ensemble, She Loves Me)
Tonight At Eight (Daniel Massey, She Loves Me)
Ilona (Jack Cassidy, Ensemble, She Loves Me)
A Trip To The Library (Barbara Baxley, She Loves Me)
Sweet Home Chicago (Gregory Porter, C.E. Smith, It Ain't Nothin' But The
         Blues)
Fever (Carter Calvert, It Ain't Nothin' But The Blues)
I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man (Ron Taylor, It Ain't Nothin' But The Blues)

FOSSE FOSSE FOSSE (last ones, I swear!)

In no apparent order,

more of my homage to Bob...

above on the right, with VERY high waisted pants.

My favorite Cabaret number,

Mein Herr.

Fosse, checking camera angles with 

Hey Big Spender,

from Sweet Charity.

Roy Scheider as the main character in

All That Jazz...

modelled on Bob, of course...

for not being a dancer, he did a fantastic job with the role.

 Classic Fosse pose by Ann Reinking, Fosse's girlfriend,
playing "Fosse's girlfriend"

in All That Jazz, which was called by Variety

"a self-important, egomaniacal, wonderfully choreographed,
often compelling film.
"

Two photos from Dancin',

a 1978 revue...Fosse choreography to pop, rock,

classical, swing...anything but original score.

He said he didn't want the "midnight hour meetings"

with an artistic partner.

Fosse is in the center of the lower pic.

FOSSE FOSSE!

 Kiss Me Kate and the 30 seconds that changed the dance world...

Hermes Pan let Bob "Hortensio" Fosse choreograph his own section 

of "From This Moment On" with Carol Haney.

Makes Bobby Van look like a 3rd Grader.

It was 1953, and Fosse was 26 yrs. old,

yet his style was already thoroughly baked.

 Speaking of which, there's Bobby Van getting his ear tweaked.

Tommy Rall, Ann Miller....and at right, Bob.

"Tom, Dick or Harry"

 He liked desert boots...

 but evidently NOT his hands...

hence the addition of gloves in several routines.

 And don't forget Lenny,

which Fosse directed, released in 1974.

In the midst of Cabaret filming, 

Dustin Hoffman visits the set.

What a triumvirate. 

FOSSE!

Robert Louis Fosse was born in Chicago in 1927,

one of six children. 

The story goes that he had to take his sister to tap class,

well, CAJOLE her into going. 

Once there...and the rest is show biz history!

 The caption on this photo is:

Fosse...age 9, when he was already

1/2 of "The Riff Brothers,"

along with partner Charlie Grass.

When you own your own tux (and your own act) at 9,

what the hell else are you going to grow up to be?

 Head shots from Bob's early Hollywood Days.

He began in New York, with his new wife (and partner), Mary Ann Niles,

hoping to be the next Fred Astaire.

They were "noticed" by Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin,

who got them a shot on The Colgate Hour.

An MGM contract for Bob came next.

 My Sister Eileen with Janet Lee,

in released in 1955
(that's him, in position Number 2).

He also choreographed, and had a chance to do a wonderful

back-alley dance with Tommy Rall.

 In 1952...he was on Broadway as the lead

in Pal Joey.

 Damn Yankees with Gwen Verdon.

He got to partner her in the film version of 

"Who's Got The Pain?"

 With Shirley McClaine

in the movie version of Sweet Charity, 1969.

Disaster at the box office!

 Just in case you wanted to try! :)

 With Liza on the set of Cabaret...1972. 

 sssssSnake in the Grass...

in The Little Prince, 1974.

Playlist for Sunday, March 6, 2016: Fosse, Fosse, Fosse

 Do you see it? Right there, in fine print, on your calendar...yup, there it is. March 6th, Bob Fosse Day. Your calendar doesn't have it? Sheesh. You really ought to stay up with the times. Well, don't worry, I'll take care of it for you...

...with two hours of his stuff. This comes from a request from an avid listener, so just like Lola in Damn Yankees, that listener will get what she wants. We'll feature musicals Bob conceived of, choreographed, directed, advised on, and/or performed in. That's Redhead, How To Succeed, Pajama Game, Chicago...a cameo in The Little Prince, lots of Liza (with a Z, not an S, cuz zzzzzzzzz not....well, you get it), and of course Tom, Dick or Harry (actually Hortensio!). I only wish I could run the video clips for you, but this is radio, man, and I am unfortunately not Robert Osborne. So you're going to have to visualize the knee slides, the gloved finger snaps, the hat tilts, the Razzle Dazzle...the moves that made Fosse Fosse.


Hey Big Spender (Ann Reinking, Ensemble, Fosse)
Steam Heat (Carol Haney and "The Box Boys," Pajama Game)
I'll Never Be Jealous Again (Michael McKean, Roz Ryan, Pajama Game)
A Little Brains, A Little Talent (Gwen Verdon, Damn Yankees)
Who's Got the Pain? (Gwen Verdon, Damn Yankees)
Tom, Dick, Or Harry (Ann Miller, Tommy Rall, Bobby Van, Bob Fosse, Kiss Me
         Kate)
Overture (Instrumental, Kiss Me Kate)
From This Moment On (Ann Miller, Tommy Rall, Bobby Van, Bob Fosse, Kiss
         Me Kate)
If My Friends Could See Me Now (Gwen Verdon, Sweet Charity)
I Love To Cry At Weddings (Helen Gallagher, Thelma Oliver, James Luisi,
         Ensemble, Sweet Charity)
Rhythm Of Life (Sammy Davis, Jr., Ensemble, Sweet Charity)
Liza With A Z (Liza Minelli, Liza With A Z)
Take Off With Us (Ensemble, All That Jazz)
sssssSnake In The Grass (Bob Fosse, The Little Prince)
Bye Bye Blackbird (Liza Minelli, Liza With A Z)
The Right Finger Of My Left Hand (Gwen Verdon, Redhead)
Pick-Pocket Tango (Instrumental, Redhead)
Flings (Thelma Ritter, Lulu Bates, New Girl In Town)
I Believe In You (Robert Morse, How To Succeed In Business Without Really
        Trying)
A Secretary Is Not A Toy (Ensemble, How To Succeed In Business Without
        Really Trying)
No Time At All (Irene Ryan, Pippin)
Simple Joys (Ben Vereen, Ensemble, Pippin)
Mein Herr (Liza Minelli, Cabaret)
Two Ladies (Joel Grey, Cabaret)
Maybe This Time (Liza Minelli, Cabaret)
Nowadays (Renee Zellweger, Chicago)
Razzle Dazzle (Jerry Orbach, Chicago)
Cell Block Tango (Catherine Zeta-Jones, Chicago)