Michael Jeter, 1952–2003 April 6, 2008
Posted by Jeff in 1990s to present, In memoriam, Movies, Musicals, Theater.add a comment
From the Tony Award telecast of June 3, 1990, Brent Barrett and Michael Jeter perform “We’ll Take A Glass Together” from the musical Grand Hotel:
Forgotten Broadway classics: Brigadoon February 3, 2008
Posted by Jeff in Musicals, Theater.add a comment
Maybe not exactly forgotten, but if all you know of Lerner and Loewe‘s first Broadway hit is the lousy MGM movie or even the disappointing abridged original cast album, check this out.
Forgotten Broadway classics: Bloomer Girl February 1, 2008
Posted by Jeff in Harold Arlen, Musicals, Theater.2 comments
Obviously influenced by the success of Oklahoma!, this 1944 musical featured two of that show’s stars, Celeste Holm and Joan McCracken, and its choreographer Agnes De Mille, in a show with music by Harold Arlen and lyrics by Yip Harburg, the team best remembered for The Wizard of Oz.
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Forgotten Broadway classics: Golden Boy January 31, 2008
Posted by Jeff in Musicals, Theater.add a comment
A washed-up Pulitzer-Prize-winning playwright gets hired to adapt his most famous work into a musical … thirty years after the original. And he dies before rehearsals have begun.
The star is best known for his Vegas act, and he’s never appeared on Broadway.
The producer will probably be best remembered for this.
The songwriters had a big hit four seasons before — a bubblegum-rock musical.
What a recipe for disaster.
What an unexpected surprise.
Forgotten Broadway classics: St. Louis Woman January 30, 2008
Posted by Jeff in Harold Arlen, Musicals, Nicholas Brothers, Theater.3 comments
Forgotten by myself, amongst others.
When I did my series of non-posts about the Nicholas Brothers, I forgot that they co-starred in a musical by one of my favorite Broadway composers.
Forgotten Broadway classics: The Golden Apple January 29, 2008
Posted by Jeff in Musicals, Theater.1 comment so far
After a look at Offenbach’s take on the Iliad, we segue to a unique Broadway take on both the Iliad and the Odyssey, an all-but-forgotten masterpiece that Offenbach himself would have been proud to have authored.
Forgotten Broadway classics: Greenwillow January 28, 2008
Posted by Jeff in Musicals, Theater.1 comment so far
Don’t click the More… tab until you’ve listened to this sound clip:
Click this link if the widget doesn’t work
The singer (and star of the show) is making his only appearance in a Broadway musical. Who is he?
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“Manhattan” January 27, 2008
Posted by Jeff in 1961 through 1989, George Gershwin, Movies.add a comment
There once was a time when I made a point of seeing every Woody Allen movie the day it opened. Why? Because I remember breaking down in tears at this …
A no-longer-forgotten Broadway classic: Sunday In The Park With George January 25, 2008
Posted by Jeff in Musicals, Theater.add a comment
“Sunday”, the electrifying first-act finale to Stephen Sondheim’s masterwork, performed by the original Broadway cast including Mandy Patinkin as George and Bernadette Peters as Dot.
“That’s the song of Paris” January 10, 2008
Posted by Jeff in 1929 through WWII, Movies, Musicals, Richard Rodgers.add a comment
I celebrated Valentine’s Day by posting “Isn’t It Romantic” from Love Me Tonight (1932).
Here we see the remarkable opening sequence from this bubbly and innovative Rodgers and Hart movie musical directed by Rouben Mamoulian.
Duck Soup, part 4 January 1, 2008
Posted by Jeff in 1929 through WWII, Duck Soup, Movies, Musicals, Weirdness.add a comment
Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby, who receive story credit on Duck Soup as well as Animal Crackers and Horse Feathers, were best known as a songwriting team responsible for such songs as “Who’s Sorry Now?”, “I Wanna Be Loved by You”, “I Love You So Much”, “Nevertheless” and “A Kiss to Build a Dream On”. They were portrayed by Fred Astaire and Red Skelton in the 1950 musical biography named after their biggest hit song, Three Little Words.
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Duck Soup, part 3 December 31, 2007
Posted by Jeff in 1929 through WWII, Duck Soup, Movies, Musicals, Weirdness.add a comment
The mirror sequence (seen in the second of today’s clips) may be the most famous routine in Duck Soup, but it wasn’t original.
Duck Soup, part 2 December 30, 2007
Posted by Jeff in 1929 through WWII, Duck Soup, Movies, Musicals, Weirdness.add a comment
Duck Soup was the last movie made by Herbert (“Zeppo”) Marx (1901-1979), the youngest of the Marx Brothers. Contrary to conventional wisdom Zeppo did not leave acting because he was any less talented than Groucho, Harpo or Chico; offstage he was known as being every bit as funny as his brothers, who tended to be very businesslike and deadpan about their humor. He had understudied all three on Broadway and was said to have done Groucho so well that even the backstage crew mistook him for the real thing.
Duck Soup, part 1 December 29, 2007
Posted by Jeff in 1929 through WWII, Duck Soup, Movies, Musicals, Weirdness.add a comment
From 1933, the Marx Brothers’ masterpiece.
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