David Kolowitz, The Actor!

I wanted to post these photos before yesterday's show, but time got away from me, apologies! So Long, 174th Street opened on April 27th, 1976, played 16 performances and POOF! Gone! 

So many GOOD people were part of its creation.  As Clive Barnes wrote in his NYTimes review, "The people involved are talented enough...So what went wrong? How did Enter Laughing end up leaving us yawning?" Enter Laughing was the Carl Reiner novel it was based on, ANNND it starred Robert Morse, Loni Ackerman, and George S. Irving. What the heck did go wrong?
Composer/Lyricist Stan Daniels, evidently! He was a producer of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and had also written TV show theme songs. Guess that wasn't enough to create a successful Broadway musical. 

As Clive added, "[Stan] should stay where he is well off...when the music and lyrics do not work for a musical, the musical does not work."

Above, Robert and Loni...

and below, Robert doing the "David Kolowitz, The Actor" number with his fantasy fan base (which included Eleanor Roosevelt and the Pope)!

You can probably guess the plot. Young factory assistant has a dream of becoming an actor. He lands a part with a theatre troupe, imagines stardom, romantic dinners with starlets, penthouse apartments...well, he imagines A LOT! His parents and girlfriend want him to forget all those acting dreams, settle down, and be a druggist. Hmmmm...But despite a lousy opening night, which has David forgetting his lines and bumping into furniture, his parents and girl friend show up and finally understand his ambitions.

Happy ending. 

"Bolero On Rye" with (I believe) Robert, Arthur Rubin, and Patti Karr.

Frankly, none of the photos I could find are well labeled as far as the actors go!

 

The only song to transcend the show was "The Butler's Song" with George S. Irving doing the honors. 

A cast recording was done in 1981, five years after the production, with Kaye Ballard singing the Mrs. Kolowitz songs, like "My Son, The Druggist".

It was fearlessly revived (and renamed "Enter Laughing") at the York Theatre in 2008 and again in 2019.

Playlist For Sept. 5, 2021: Workin' It Out!

Done and dusted (well, I actually need to dust)! Biking trips completed (as of 2pm today), til I dream up another one. So back am I, to all the chores I left behind, to assuaging my peevish cat for leaving him, and to concocting new Broadway At Its Best playlists, all for you!

BUT what just happened? We've turned the corner (hopefully with our blinkers on) into FALL. Time for pumpkin spice and sweaters and warmer masks? I did have pumpkin spice lattes (and a latta it) on my last trip, and today feels like sweatta weatha, but you know September! Inconsistency, thy name is...September, okay? We'll no doubt have some last sticky/icky days again (and again), before true autumnal temps settle in, but meanwhile, hand me down that can O' pumpkin! (Paint Your Wagon, folks?)

 

BUT it's FOR SURE Labor Day weekend, so what else could this Sunday mean but The Labor Day Edition, in which we'll appropriately "work it out" with Broadway and salute it with labor-intensive tunes from Working (natch!), 9 To 5, How To Succeed, Waitress, Pump Boys...all those nose-to-the-grindstone shows. So put on your apron or your 3-piece suit and get to laborin'.

Meanwhile, I'm trading in the hammock for an afghan, and that margarita for red wine. And (for the moment) my bike shoes...for those detractive bedroom slippers. :) See ya on Sunday!

Slippers WITH red wine! :)

 

9 To 5 (Allison Janney, Stephanie J. Block, Megan Hilty, Ensemble, 9 To 5)

All The Live Long Day (Company, Working)

Neat To Be A Newsboy (John Rushton, Working)

Millwork (Patti LuPone, Don't Monkey With Broadway)

Nice Work If You Can Get It (Fred Astaire, Damsel In Distress)

It Needs Work (Kay McClelland, City Of Angels)

Workin' It Out (Robert Klein, Lucie Arnaz, They're Playin' Our Song)

It Isn't Working (Roderick Cook, Daren Kelly, Grace Keagy, Woman Of The Year)

Been A Long Day (Claudette Sutherland, Robert Morse, Bonnie Scott, How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying)

I Believe In You (Robert Morse, Bonnie Scott, How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying)

A Secretary Is Not A Toy (Ensemble, How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying)

Finaletto Act One (Bonnie Scott, Robert Morse, Charles Nelson Reilly, How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying)

Nice Work If You Can Get It (The Andrews Sisters)

Whistle While You Work (Adriana Caselotti, Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs)

The Work Song (Jimmy MacDonald and Chorus, Cinderella)

Seven-And-A-Half Cents (Company, The Pajama Game)

Working My Way Back To You (John Lloyd Young, Ensemble, Jersey Boys)

Around Here (Allison Janney, Megan Hilty, Stephanie J. Block, 9 To 5)

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

Coffee, Black (Daniel H. Jenkins, Jon Cypher, Clent Bowers, Jan Neuberger, Big)

David Kolowitz, The Actor (Robert Morse, So Long, 174th Street)

Bolero On Rye (Patti Karr, Robert Morse, Arthur Rubin, So Long, 174th Street)

My Son, The Druggist (Kaye Ballard, So Long, 174th Street)

Hot Cha Cha (Stan Daniels, So Long, 174th Street)

Opening Up (Jessie Mueller, Kimiko Glenn, Keala Settle, Waitress)

Ooh! My Feet! (Susan Johnson, The Most Happy Fella)

Sixteen Tons (David Engel, Ensemble, Forever Plaid)

Serve Yourself (Mark Hardwick, Pump Boys And Dinettes)

If I Could've Been (Company, Working)

Something To Point To (Company, Working)

Heigh-Ho (Ensemble, Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs)

 

 

uh....no playlist!

 

I'm off! A couple more biking excursions for the remainder of August will keep me away from 2 On The Aisle...so you'll have to save ME a seat for a change, okay? Preferably around the campfire! 

 

Back for a live show on Labor Day Weekend, when you'll no doubt be out BBQing and summering it up before Fall takes hold. But if you wanna tune in on Sept. 5, between s'mores, I'll be spinning the "Workin' It Out" edition on Jazz90.1. 

Have a grand couple of weeks. Meetcha on Broadway soon...And as the song says...

                                                    

Playlist For August 15, 2021: Vacation Advice!

Lessons Learned on Vacation (yes, even on a break, one can learn Life Lessons! Your brain, unless completely filled with sand and/or buffeted by balmy breezes can osmose important "stuff"):

1.) Attempt to sleep late. This is harder than you think. Your cat/dog/ferret may have you trained to get up at 5:02 am, even when you aren't home or the "one with the food". So there you are, in your cozy B&B, and you don't even need an alarm for this. You pop up, vertical, ready to go, anticipating Kitty's affectionate "bat", and ...you have to wait 3 hours for the rest of the world to rise and shine. At least you may have time later for a nap on the "veranda".

2.) Don't get hit by a car. This proved difficult for me. In Pittsford. Old guy in his black SUV. Stopped at an insection, I was wearing a neon, almost-glow-in-the-dark, lime green jacket, flashing helmet lights, and a boa (well, no, I actually wasn't wearing a boa, but it is now a consideration). Didn't help. Wham. I'm fine, folks, but that high-priced carbon bike frame fared less well. I would avoid this experience at all cost. And maybe just forget Pittsford altogether. 

3.) Maybe don't order the onion rings every night. If you're not used to that kind of Fried Everything, you'll pay a price. In fact, you should never take a vacation from salad! Salad is your friend. 

I've had these before...onion rings masquerading as donuts.

You only need 1, but you'll inhale 3.

 

4.) Don't over pack. Don't under pack. You don't need 17 pairs of earrings, but you WILL need shoes. And mascara. And PJs. (No embarrassing B&B "moments"!)

5.) Watch the dates. Dates have pits, okay? Tooth and pit collisions are almost as bad as SUV and bike smashups in Pittsford. What's that line from Man of La Mancha? When the vase meets the head, things aren't going to go well for the head? Something like that. Anyway, implant scheduled for September! 

 That's it. Maybe it's easier to stay home this week. And play SAFE Broadway. West Side stuff, Music(al) Men(Man), themes with Doris and Howard and Jerry, and definitely George (what a butler HE made!). My last LIVE show of August, hopefully back A-LIVE in September (yes, I'll be spinning the platters on Labor Day Weekend). Listen in if you can, with a plate of onion rings and pitless dates at the ready.  I'll safely/vicariously enjoy them with you, over the airwaves!

 

Put On Your Sunday Clothes (Charles Nelson Reilly, Carol Channing, Company,  Hello, Dolly!)

The Jet Song (Michael Callan, Ensemble, West Side Story)

Something's Coming (Larry Kert, West Side Story)

Cool (Michael Callan, West Side Story)

Put 'Em In A Box (Doris Day, Romance On The High Seas)

Put 'Em Back (Ensemble, L'il Abner)

Put The Blame On Mame (Anita Kert Ellis, Gilda)

Let's Put Out The Lights (And Go To Sleep)(Rudy Vallee)

Don't Put Your Daughter On The Stage, Mrs. Worthington (Noel Coward)

Puttin' On The Ritz (The Phil Spitalny Orchestra)

They Go Wild, Simply Wild (George S. Irving, Irene)

We're Getting Away With It (George S. Irving, Irene)

The Butler's Song (George S. Irving, So Long 174th Street)

Heart (Russ Brown, Nathaniel Frey, Jimmy Komack, Damn Yankees

Hey There (John Raitt, The Pajama Game)

Two Lost Souls (Gwen Verdon, Stephen Douglass, Damn Yankees)

Hernando's Hideaway (Ensemble, The Pajama Game)

That Old Black Magic (Jerry Lewis, The Nutty Professor)

That Old Black Magic (Marilyn Monroe, Don Murray, Bus Stop)

That Old Black Magic (Spike Jones)

Put Your Arms Around Me (Judy Garland, Van Johnson, In The Good Old Summertime)

Put Him Away (Danny Kaye, Ensemble, Two By Two)

Chromolume #7/Putting It Together (Mandy Patinkin, Ensemble, Sunday In The Park With George)

Rita's Confession (Mary Testa, Jason Graae, Lucky Stiff)

I'm Unlucky At Gambling (Kim Criswell, Fifty Million Frenchmen)

Politics And Poker (Howard DaSilva, Fiorello!)

Rock Island (Ensemble, The Music Man)

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

Marion The Librarian (Robert Preston, The Music Man)

Shipoopi (Iggy Wolfington, The Music Man)

Puttin' On The Ritz (Fred Astaire)

Puttin' On The Ritz (Gene Wilder, Peter Boyle, Young Frankenstein)

Puttin' On The Ritz (Roger Bart, Shuler Hensley, Young Frankenstein, The Musical)

Playlist For August 1, 2021: Sand Between My Toes

Back! Tanned, sandy, and 5 pounds up! All to be expected when you vacation for 8 days on the Jersey Shore, I guess. Fresh seafood, cinnamon buns, pink gin, consecutive beach days, late morning lie-ins, and mom-daughter heart to hearts. It was a great 8 days.

 

 But now back to reality, back on the bike, back on the scale, and back to Broadway. What other theme can we have but "The Sun, Sea, And Surf" Edition? Sea songs, farmer tans, deep oceans, "My Ship", and "Sit Down, You're Rockin' The Boat" chanteys. So that means you should lather on your SPF 30,000, park yourself on a blanket, and fend off those starving seagulls for 2 hours of beachy Broadway. 

 

 

 Join me. I'll save you some salt water taffy and a sandy seat on the shore...I mean On The Aisle! :) 

 

On A Sunday By The Sea (Jason Alexander, Company, Jerome Robbins' Broadway)

By The Beautiful Sea (Ensemble, Some Like It Hot)

By The Sea (Angela Lansbury, Len Cariou, Sweeney Todd)

The Call Of The Sea (Bobby Van, No, No, Nanette)

The Sea Song (Shirley Booth, By The Beautiful Sea)

Life Does A Man A Favor (When It Leads Him Down To The Sea)(Tony Randall, Oh, Captain!)

Sailor's Chanty (There'll Always Be A Lady Fair)("The Quartet", Anything Goes)

Dames At Sea (Company, Dames At Sea)

The Moon Is On The Sea (Ensemble, Oh, Kay!)

Under The Sea (Samuel E. Wright, The Little Mermaid)

Peach On The Beach (Susan Watson, No, No, Nanette)

Lazy Afternoon (Kaye Ballard, The Golden Apple)

Song On The Sand (Gene Barry, La Cage Aux Folles)

The Advantages Of Floating In The Middle Of The Sea (Mako, Pacific Overtures)

Papi Hears The Ocean (Etai Benson, The Band's Visit)

How Deep Is The Ocean (Kelly O'Malley, Stephen Bogardus, White Christmas)

Sun's Gonna Shine (Carmen Cusack, Dee Hoty, Stephen Bogardus, Bright Star)

There Will Be Sun (Ensemble, Groundhog Day)

Let The Sun Shine In (Company, Hair)

Little Mary Sunshine (Eileen Brennan, Little Mary Sunshine)

I Got The Sun In The Morning (Betty Hutton, Annie, Get Your Gun)

Sunshine (Yvonne Adair, Eric Brotherson, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes)

The Sun Has Got His Hat On (Robert Longden, Me And My Girl)

Spread A Little Sunshine (Leland Palmer, Pippin)

Out Of The Sun (Tony Danza, Honeymoon In Vegas)

On The Good Ship Lollypop (Shirley Temple, Bright Eyes)

Bon Voyage (Ensemble, Anything Goes)

Sail Away (James Hurst, Sail Away)

My Ship (Gertrude Lawrence, Lady In The Dark)

There's A Boat Dat's Leavin' Soon For New York (Damon Evans, Cynthia Hamon, Porgy And Bess)

Coney Island Boat (Shirley Booth, By The Beautiful Sea)

Farmer Tan (Mark Hardwick, Pump Boys And Dinettes)

Surfin' U.S.A. (The Beach Boys, Surfin' U.S.A.)

In The Same Boat (David Hyde Pierce, Curtains)

Day-O (The Banana Boat Song) (Harry Belafonte)

Sit Down, You're Rockin' The Boat (Walter Bobbie, Guys And Dolls)

Not Just For Jekkies!

Jekyll & Hyde has had a LOT of productions...2 on Broadway. The original production ran for almost 4 years and starred Robert Cuccioli, Linda Eder and Christiane Noll (below).

It didn't make money, which seems hard to believe with such a long run, but its cultish fans are myriad and call themselves "Jekkies".

Music was by Frank Wildhorn (The Scarlet Pimpernel, The Civil War, Dracula??), and lyrics by Leslie Bricesse (of Stop The World and Roar of the Greasepaint fame).

Above, the Broadway revival of 2013, starring Deborah Cox as the "cliche in a corset", to quote Charles Isherwood, and Constantine Maroulis (that's him waaaay at the top, uncomfortably attached to a chair).

Mr. Isherwood, in his NYTimes review, went on to say that, despite the smoke and mirrors "hokum" that pervades the show, he'd experienced "a happy goosepimple or two as Mr. Maroulis and Ms. Cox let loose during their impassioned solo songs."

On Sunday (7/11/21), we'll hear "Facade" which has (some say) a Carmina Burana feel, "No One Knows Who I Am", and "This Is The Moment."

 

Playlist For Sunday, July 11, 2021: Grind it, Mazeppa!

Ugh...back to work. I thought I retired about 2 years ago, but it seems the daily grind (bicycle gear reference, coffee reference, annnnnnd that "9 to 5" slog reference) won't let me go. The 4th Of  July hiatus has come and gone, folks, so that means we better make the best of the next 7 or 8 weeks of SUMMER! It'll be gone in a Bob Fosse snap.

 They did that movie 40 years ago? Holy cats!

 

This week's edition is...well, a 2 headed monster. Pretty apt for 2 On The Aisle, wouldn't you say? Act 1 will be filled with 1 classic (Pippin), 1 not so classic (a bit of a flop, actually, unless you're a Maury Yeston fan: Death Takes A Holiday), and 1 "never before heard on THIS program before" musical (Jekyll & Hyde). Act 2 will be devoted to Jerry Herman, cuz it's his birthday on July 10, so natal day huzzahs and baked goods for Jerry! Expect the usual suspects. 

 

Robert Cuccioli played Dr. Jekyll originally, but David Hasselhoff (above) replaced him. Behind him, a portrait of Edward Hyde.

Evidently the tied-backed hair versus loose locks 

signaled the change of characters.

Below Carol and Jerry doing their 2 headed monster pose,

"rehearsing" Dolly.

 

Also, I want to let you know that this will be the last LIVE 2 On The Aisle for July. I'll be back sporadically in August, carving out a couple of mini bike trips into that month's calendar. Otherwise, recorded shows. SORRY, but gotta take advantage of sun/fun/bike-able times! I'll be posting pics of said trips on my Facebook page (the Kim Corcoran one), so you can follow my travels/travails there if you wanna point and laugh. :) 

 

Meanwhile, have a gin fizz for me, watch those tan lines (bike shorts do NOT make for a pretty swimsuit presentation, lemme tell ya), and enjoy these lazy hazy crazy days. 

 

Overture (Instrumental, Mame)

Corner Of The Sky (John Rubinstein, Pippin)

Kind Of Woman (Jill Clayburgh, Pippin) 

No Time At All (Irene Ryan, Pippin)

Facade (Ensemble, Jekyll & Hyde)

No One Knows Who I Am (Linda Eder, Jekyll & Hyde)

This Is The Moment (Robert Cuccioli, Jekyll & Hyde) 

Alive! (Kevin Early, Death Takes A Holiday)

Life's A Joy (Simon Jones, Death Takes A Holiday)

Finale (Kevin Early, Jill Paice, Death Takes A Holiday)

You I Like (Michael Feinstein, Jerry Herman, Grand Tour)

I'll Be Here (Joel Grey, The Grand Tour)

Marianne (Michael Feinstein, The Grand Tour)

A Little More Mascara (George Hearn, La Cage Aux Folles)

La Cage Aux Folles (George Hearn, Elizabeth Parrish, Ensemble, La Cage Aux Folles)

It Takes A Woman (Cab Calloway, Hello, Dolly!)

Ribbons Down My Back (Kate Baldwin, Hello, Dolly!)

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

Shalom (Robert Weede, Mimi Benzell, Milk And Honey)

Miss Spectacular (Debbie Gravitte, Miss Spectacular)

The Next Time I Love (Fia Karin, Parade)

I Won't Send Roses (Bernadette Peters, Mack And Mabel)

Dear World (Angela Lansbury, Ensemble, Dear World)

Each Tomorrow Morning (Angela Lansbury, Dear World)

That's How Young I Feel (Angela Lansbury, Mame)

The Man In The Moon (Bea Arthur, Mame)

It's Today (Angela Lansbury, Mame)