Sunday Heavy Hitters

Sweet Charity's creative roster reads like a Who's Who of Broadway Titans:

Music, Cy Coleman; Lyrics, Dorothy Fields; a book by Neil Simon; conceived, directed and choreographed by Bob Fosse.

It starred Bob's wife (and muse) Gwen Verdon and John McMartin, the latter of whom would repeat the role of Oscar in the film version.
 Above and below, the marvelous Gwen with "If My Friends Could See Me Now", with a signature Fosse top hat.

What faces!

Albert Linville, Nathaniel Frey, and Jimmy Komack as 3 big "Heart"-ed Washington Sentors in Damn Yankees.

Below, more Gwen as the original Lola, and a devilish Mr. Applegate, Ray Walston.

Julie Andrews was a green 22 years when she was cast as Eliza Doolittle, not quite ready to star with Rex Harrison. By the 2nd week of rehearsal, it was apparent that she needed help, and Alan Jay Lerner coached her in the role (lending her a bushel of confidence) over a long weekend of work. The cast returned to Monday to a stronger Eliza, ready to work with over-bearing Rex and Company!

OH, to be able to speak that line: "Gin was mother's milk to her!"

We'll also hear the title song from Mame, with Charles Braswell as Beauregard, above with Angela Lansbury...

...and below, Angela with Frankie Michaels as Patrick, the youngest actor to ever receive a Tony (at least at that time! He may have lost that record when Matilda came along).

Replacement/touring stars from Mame: above, Ginger Rodgers,

and below, Janet Blair (on the right) with Elaine Stritch as Vera (now THAT would have been a hoot!)

 

Playlist For April 11, 2011: Howzabout a Warm and Fuzzy?

Tra La, it's May, the lusty month of....oh, wait. It's not May yet, so table the lust. Cue Bambi and his "drip drip drop, little April showers." Which bring May flowers...there, THAT'S IT! Jeez these seasonal songs get tangled in my brain (under my Easter Bonnet) and they all simultaneously "yearn to breathe free." And there I go, there I go, there I go....AGAIN!

Before I forget (or go on another riff...or Bernardo! HAH!), the MGM movie musical edition last Sunday was very well received. Soooo I'm thinking of doing more MGM editions, say one every month or two (Alert: Send me your favorites!). There are so many MGM gems, and most are lined up in my (and your?) prefrontal cortex, so I know all the words and remember the dance breaks and those memories are warm and fuzzy, like grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup on a morose Monday.  That's what my mother would make anyway. Or cheeseburgers ("Velveeta is NOT cheese" says my dad in these memories) and chef salads (cue the Wishbone Italian, circa 1965) on a Saturday night, the only night we could eat on TV trays in the living room and watch Jackie Gleason. Man, that was great. Maybe I should find the Jackie Gleason theme music and go all melty on Sunday. (Yes, cheese is still my "thing".)

How sweet it is!

BUT WAIT! THIS Sunday is Pledge Drive Time in the OK Corral! I'll be spinning Broadway Block Busters. Jackie's "Live From Miami Beach" theme will have to wait! First I visit Otto Bruno's show, and irritate him, and beg YOU for donations. And then I'll have trusty Carol Peterson (bike riding partner extraordinaire) to help me host 2 On The Aisle. We REALLY need donations this year, cuz ...well, it's been a frickin' challenging year, especially for you and me and small radio stations just to stay in business. So if you want Broadway (and MGM!) to brighten your Sundays, now is the time to come to the aid of your...community radio station.

 

I'll have plenty of rice in the studio, to kneel on, and promise not to sound too desperate. I'll play it up like a Broadway Party, which you can allll be a part of for a few dimes or centuries, whatever makes you have grilled cheese warm and fuzzies. Be there! :)

 

Mame (Charles Braswell, Company, Mame)

Friendship (Joel Grey, Sutton Foster, Anything Goes)

It's De-Lovely (Collin Donnell, Laura Osnes, Anything Goes)

If My Friends Could See Me Now (Gwen Verdon, Sweet Charity)

I'm Sitting On Top Of The World (Zach Braff, Bullets Over Broadway)

Get Happy (Judy Garland, Summer Stock)

Adelaide's Lament (Vivian Blaine, Guys And Dolls)

Marry The Man Today (Faith Prince, Josie de Guzman, Guys And Dolls)

I Cain't Say No (Gloria Grahame, Oklahoma!)

The Surrey With The Fringe On Top (Gordon MacRae, Oklahoma!)

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

I Could Have Danced All Night (Julie Andrews, Rex Harrison, My Fair Lady)

A Hymn To Him (Rex Harrison, Robert Coote, My Fair Lady)

Wonderful You (Audra McDonald, Build A Bridge)

Thataway! (Karen Ziemba, Noah Racey, Ensemble, Curtains)

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

Heart (Russ Brown, Nathaniel Frey, Albert Linville, Jimmy Komack, Damn Yankees)

Who's Got The Pain? (Gwen Verdon, Ensemble, Damn Yankees)

A Little Brains, A Little Talent (Gwen Verdon, Ray Walston, Damn Yankees)

Jet Song (Ensemble, West Side Story)

The Dance At The Gym (Instrumental, West Side Story)

Last Night When We Were Young (Judy Garland, In The Good Old Summertime)

Good Morning Baltimore (Marissa Jaret Winokur, Hairspray)

It's an MGM Easter Basket!

The cast of The Band Wagon, defying gravity it seems!

Jack Buchanan (in one crazy belted jacket), Nanette Fabray, Fred Astaire,

and a very detractive Oscar Levant (but so charming in a snide way),

front and center.

Betty Comden and Adolph Green wrote the screenplay (with help from Alan Jay Lerner, yes that My Fair Lady dude),

and modeled Nan's and Oscar's characters on themselves.

Did I say that right?

Anyway...they pulled songs from several different Arthur Schwartz/Howard Dietz musicals to great success for this MGM classic...

 

...like "Triplets" which was originally from Between The Devil,

a show that ran on Broadway back in 1937.

Ethel Barrymore jumping outta that cake (again and again!)

in Singin' In The Rain.

Ethel of course played by Debbie Reynolds, who was 20 years old at the time.

This scene was a hit with my kids, who saw it 45 years after its 1952 release.

We played it over and over again until the VHS tape gave out!

That's the wonderful Jean Hagen at left,

the only cast member to receive even an Oscar nom for this flick. Insane!

"Make 'Em Laugh"

was totally stolen from "Be A Clown" from The Pirate,

though fortunately Cole Porter never bothered to sue.

Stanley Donen (co-director of Singin' In The Rain) requested a "cheer up" song for Donald O'Connor to sing to a sulky Gene Kelly,

and screenwriters Betty Comden & Adolph Green served him up 

"Make 'Em Laugh."

We'll play 'em both on Sunday, and you can be Judge Judy!

Irving Berlin, Judy (in a wonderful blouse...I want it!), and Fred

on the set of Easter Parade.

That "Fella With An Umbrella" is Peter Lawford, of course, a guy who can sing and shelter simultaneously.

"A Couple Of Swells" in Easter Parade,

a song that Irving wrote (as the Hollywood story goes) in an hour.

He was requested to write a song that would show off Judy's comedic talent...we needed reminding? 

But yeah, we like the reminder! :)

Above, that iconic Easter Parade scene (and man, can we please get back to that FASHION! Beats baseball caps and Walmart pajamas, right?)

and below, Ann Miller "Shaking The Blues Away."

From In The Good Old Summertime,

we'll hear an also ran tune called "Play That Barbershop Chord",

written by Lewis Muir and William Tracey.

Like She Loves Me, it was based on The Shop Around The Corner,

transplanted from Budapest parfumerie to a music shop.

Along with Judy, it starred Van Johnson, a cameo by baby Liza, and some

helpful staging by Buster Keaton!

Playlist For Sunday, April 5, 2021: I'm putting all my musicals in one basket!

And it's time for one BIG HUZZAH! In just 3 days, the dreary 90-day slog from New Year's to April Fool's will be over (I probably should make that FOOL plural). I have survived another winter. But get this: this next week will be filled with snow, shorts, sandals, boots, parkas, shoveling ANNNNND possible biking. WOW. NYS does it again weather-wise, so keep your wardrobe on a revolving...thing...cuz you'll need all of it, everything from sweaters and mufflers to tank tops and sunscreen. Well, maybe. I can dream. Make that hallucinate.

 

And of course, perfect timing for Easter. I remember the Easters of my youth, all dolled up in my new Easter Dress, patent leather Mary Janes, a fluffy hat with plastic flowers, and sometimes a matching spring coat (in vibrant 60s lime or coral or something)...replaced (natch) with a snow jacket on that most likely freezing Sunday morning, ultimately ruining the outfit and my MOOD (the hollow chocolate bunnies didn't help either). So I just expect the entire month of April to be some sort of reincarnation of that depressing Easter at ages 8, 4, 7 and 11.

 

Yup, that's me and my daughter in our BEST EVER Easter Hats that we made for the Easter Parade, maybe 15 or 16 years ago. We OF COURSE participated in the New York City Easter Parade for many years. Where would I have been without my trusty glue gun?

 

But my mood has begun to effervesce slightly because a.) more light...more color and light! (Yes, a Sunday in the Park reffff), thanks to that time change, and b.) I've decided to shove the Broadway this week and focus on Hollywood. Yup, it's time for Hollywood at its Best, cuz movie theatres have aisles, too. At least I think they did. Can't remember when I was last IN ONE. But just for fun, the spotlight will be on those magnificent 7 or 17 or 70 MGM Musicals...so this week, it's Broadway And Beyond.  Lots of Fred and Gene and Judy! A little Nanette and Ann and Donald! Stairways to climb, anchors to weigh, shoes to shine, rain to dance (and sing) in, and of course Easter Parades on parade!

Think of it as one big basket of Cadbury's and peeps and SOLID chocolate bunnies. Ain't we worth it? :)

That's Entertainment (Fred Astaire, Jack Buchanan, Nanette Fabray, Oscar Levant, The Band Wagon)

All I Do Is Dream Of You (Ensemble, Singin' In The Rain)

Fit As a Fiddle (And Ready To Love) (Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor, Singin' In The Rain)

Singin' In The Rain (Gene Kelly, Singin' In The Rain)

You Are My Lucky Star (Gene Kelly, Betty Noyes, Singin' In The Rain)

Mr. Monotony (Judy Garland, Easter Parade)

A Fella With An Umbrella (Peter Lawford, Easter Parade)

I  Want To Go Back To Michigan (Judy Garland, Easter Parade)

We're A Couple Of Swells (Fred Astaire, Judy Garland, Easter Parade)

I Love Luisa (Fred Astaire, Nanette Fabray, Oscar Levant, The Band Wagon)

The Triplets (Fred Astaire, Nanette Fabray, Jack Buchanan, The Band Wagon)

I Guess I'll Have To Change My Plan (Fred Astaire, Jack Buchanan, The Band Wagon)

A Shine On Your Shoes (Fred Astaire, The Band Wagon)

If You Knew Susie (Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Anchors Aweigh)

O'Brien To Ryan To Goldberg (Frank Sinatra, Gene Kelly, Jules Munshin, Take Me Out To The Ball Game)

Siberia (Joseph Buloff, Peter Lorre, Jules Munshin, Silk Stockings)

Be A Clown (Gene Kelly, Judy Garland, The Pirate)

Make 'Em Laugh (Donald McDonald, Singin' In The Rain)

Mack The Black (Judy Garland, The Pirate)

How Could You Believe Me When I Said I Love You When You Know I've Been A Liar All My Life (Fred Astaire, Jane Powell, Royal Wedding)

Lazy (Marilyn Monroe, Donald O'Connor, Mitzi Gaynor, There's No Business Like Show Business)

Play That Barbershop Chord (Judy Garland, Ensemble, In The Good Old Summertime)

Shaking The Blues Away (Ann Miller, Easter Parade)

I Got Rhythm (Gene Kelly, An American In Paris)

S'Wonderful (Gene Kelly, Georges Guetary, An American In Paris) 

I'll Build A Stairway To Paradise (Georges Guetary, An American In Paris)

Under The Bamboo Tree (Judy Garland, Margaret O'Brien, Easter Parade)

Goin' Co'tin' (Jane Powell, Ensemble, Seven Brides For Seven Brothers)

Count On Me (Frank Sinatra, Betty Garrett, Jules Munshin, Ann Miller, Alice Pearce, On The Town)

Brush Up Your Shakespeare (James Whitmore, Keenan Wynn, Kiss Me Kate)

Over The Rainbow (Judy Garland, The Wizard Of Oz)

Easter Parade (Judy Garland, Fred Astaire, Easter Parade)

Broadway Melody Ballet (Gene Kelly, Singin' In The Rain)

 

Betty and Adolph and Len, oh my!

Betty Comden (above) and below with her lyric-writing buddy, 

Adolph Green.

Contrary to popular opinion, they weren't married to each other,

just a match made in Broadway Wordsmith Heaven! 

Adolph was born in the Bronx, Betty in Brooklyn,

and they met while looking for acting jobs.

They soon formed "The Revuers" with Judith Tuvim (soon to be Judy Holliday), Alvin Hammer, and John Frank,

performing songs and skits at the Village Vanguard.

Judy would leave to find work in Hollywood,

but Comden and Green (and their young collaborator, Leonard Bernstein) would find more success "On The Town" in NYC!

Above, the recording session for On The Town,

with Nancy Walker, Leonard, Adolph, and Betty.

BTW these 2 smarties, while writing the lyrics, created roles for themselves in this show! Why not? 

Wonderful Town (below, with Rosalind Russell and Edie Adams)

was another Bernstein/Comden/Green smash, done in 1953.

 

In 1951, B&C began working with Jule Styne (below), creating a long list of 50s and 60s hits:

Peter Pan (1954), Bells Are Ringing (1956), Say, Darling (1958), Do Re Mi (1960), Subways Are for Sleeping (1961), Fade Out–Fade In (1964), Hallelujah, Baby! (1967), and Lorelei (1974).

(Not to mention On The Twentieth Century, they did THAT one with 

Cy Coleman!)

Below, Betty on the set of Do Re Mi with Nancy Walker (1960).

And below, because I couldn't resist,

more shots of The Revuers...

Leonard B. would sometimes accompany them for rehearsals and gigs.

 

Playlist For Sunday, March 28, 2021: Gold, Silver, and Bronze...the Olympic Editition?

Okay, so I just NOW found out what is specifically meant by The Golden Age Of Broadway. It's from 1944 to 1964. Oklahoma (!) to Fiddler On The Roof. That's the Gold. So that would include On The Town, Guys And Dolls, Kiss Me Kate, West Side Story...you get the idea. With Fiddler slamming down the fire-retardant curtain on an entire era (ear-a). So even tho I'm going to try and pass this week's show off as GOLDEN, a good part of it is maybe tarnished Silver.  Subways Are For Sleeping (1961, but hardly a classic), Do Re Mi (1960...can anyone hum the ONE song that survived?), and Wonderful Town (1953) all sorta qualify time-wise, but It's A Bird...It's A Plane...It's a...forget it, Clark! And Seesaw? An also ran from 1973. Doesn't fit. Doesn't work. See(saw) what I mean about tarnished? 

 

 

But for some reason, Seesaw hangs on a droopy bough, like a gaudy Coleman Christmas ornament, right next to Subways, and Do Re Mi tangles up its "Adventure" with On The Town (thanks to Nancy Walker, I guess)...and Bells Are Ringing has Judy Holiday who Revue-ed with those same creative titans of the 1950s, Comden/Green/and Bernstein. So there you are, the overlapping, intersecting Venn Diagrams/ nee spreading, shedding Christmas tree called My Mind. Gold sharing branches (and extension cords) with Silver/Bronze/and cheap plastic. Hand me the polish and the glitter glue, please!
 

 But what do they ALL have in common? The "common" thread is: I love them all. The pithy lyrics (well, we have floss for that!), the quirky melodies...the fantastic arrangements. And the character actors who wouldn't go all American Idol on you in the 11th hour. The sets? Do Re Mi had, yes, a giant juke box background, a "stained glass" curtain, and cardboard cutouts as the nightclub patrons. Like "How To Succeed", some of the set was drawn on! But I think it worked. (Time Machine set to 1960, Mr. Peabody!)

 

So we'll see how it all hangs together. Nothing FRESH. Nothing Brand Spanking New. Just appreciating the Musical History here, folks. Soaking up the Broadway of Adolph and Jule and Lenny and Cy. They wrote "the book" and the tunes as well. Join me Sunday! :) 

 

Seesaw (Ensemble, Seesaw)

I Feel Like I'm Not Out Of Bed Yet/New York, New York (Cris Alexander, John Battles, Adolph Green, On The Town)

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

I Understand (Robert Chisholm, On The Town)

Some Other Time (Betty Comden, Nancy Walker, Adolph Green, Cris Alexander, On The Town)

Waiting, Waiting (Nancy Walker, Do Re Mi)

Make Someone Happy (John Reardon, Nancy Dussault, Do Re Mi)

Adventure (Phil Silvers, Nancy Walker, Do Re Mi)

Doing Good (Bob Holiday, It's A Bird, It's A Plane, It's Superman)

You've Got Possibilities (Linda Lavin, It's A Bird, It's A Plane, It's Superman)

Revenge (Michael O'Sullivan, It's A Bird, It's A Plane, It's Superman)

Subway Directions - Ride Through The Night (Sydney Chaplin, Carol Lawrence, Subways Are For Sleeping)

Strange Duet (Orson Bean, Phyllis Newman, Subways Are For Sleeping)

I Was A Shoe-In (Phyllis Newman, Subways Are For Sleeping)

Welcome To Holiday Inn (Michele Lee, Seesaw)

We've Got It (Ken Howard, Michele Lee, Seesaw)

In Tune (Ensemble, Seesaw)

It's Not Where You Start, It's Where You Finish (Tommy Tune, Seesaw)

Ohio (Edie Adams, Rosalind Russell, Wonderful Town)

What A Waste (George Gaynes, Wonderful Town)

Swing! (Rosalind Russell, Ensemble, Wonderful Town)

Somewhere That's Green/Suddenly Seymour (Faith Prince, Alex Rybeck, Total Faith)

On My Own (Sydney Chaplin, Bells Are Ringing)

Is It A Crime?(Judy Holliday, Bells Are Ringing)

Just In Time (Sydney Chaplin, Judy Holiday, Bells Are Ringing)

Hello/Fancy Dress (Bob Martin, Georgia Engel, Company, The Drowsy Chaperone)

Show Off (Sutton Foster, The Drowsy Chaperone)

I Am Adolpho (Danny Burstein, Beth Level, The Drowsy Chaperone)

Cheers! Sondheim on Random

Turning 91 years old come March 22, 2021...

"Broadway's Music Man" Stephen Sondheim. 

Winner of an Oscar, 8 Tony Awards, 8 Grammy Awards, a Pultizer Prize, a Laurence Olivier Award, and a Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Annnnd 2 theatres have been renamed for him: Henry Miller's Theatre on Broadway and the Queen's Theatre in the West End. Not too shabby!

And a few pics from his Broadway successes (and errant flops!)...

above, Company (1970),

with Larry Kurt as Bobbie (replacing Dean Jones).

Follies (1971)... with Gene Nelson, Alexis Smith, Dorothy Collins,

John McMartin, and Yvonne DeCarlo.

At the 1985 Lincoln Center concert version of Follies,

with George Hearn, Lee Remick, Barbara Cook, and Mandy Patinkin.

Again with Mandy, and Bernadette Peters, circa their working together on

Sunday In The Park With George (1984).

 

With Len Cariou and Angela Lansbury,

on opening night of Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street (1979).

Below, with the cast and creative team for 

Merrily We Roll Along (1981),

including George Furth (book) and Hal Prince (direction),

and below them, Jim Walton, Ann Morrison, and Lonny Price.

With Sab Shimono on the opening night of 

Pacific Overtures (1976)

And not to forget: 

A Funny Thing Happened On The Way to The Forum (1962),

A Little Night Music (1973)

Into The Woods (1987)

Passion (1994)

Assassins (1990)

Anyone Can Whistle (1964)

Lyric writing for West Side Story, Gypsy, and Do I Hear A Waltz?

And he's "Still Here"... Huzzah!