Showtunes of the Day

The Mystery of Edwin Drood: 1985 Original Broadway cast recording (Holmes) The first release of the cast album - which has since gone out of print - had all of the murderers' "Out on a Limerick" and "Confession" tracks. The second release contained only one "Out on a Limerick" and two "Confession"s, but added the previously unavailable "Moonfall Quartet" and "Ceylon." I own the second release and thanks to some online friends (hi Irwin!) was able to obtain the missing tracks from the first release, which also included George Rose's spoken, "A Message from Your Chairman" and combine them with all of the tracks from the second release to one master album that mercifully fits on one disc.

Jimmy: 1969 Original Broadway cast recording (Jacob & Jacob). Frank Gorshin follows in the footsteps of Tom Bosley as the Mayor of New York City. Sort of. I didn't finish it. I turned off my iPod when I heard that Heath Ledger had died.

Oh God, no.

The news is spreading. Heath Ledger is dead. I'm numb.

Showtunes of the Day

Girl Crazy: 1943 Film soundtrack. (G. Gershwin/I. Gershwin) Judy Garland: Making Mickey Rooney tolerable since Love Finds Andy Hardy.

Preppies: 1983 Original Off-Broadway Cast(e) recording (Angelo, Portnoy). A friend recommended this as a guilty pleasure. Sample dialogue:

TEACHER: Math: If you bought a thousand shares of Standard Oil in 1920, and it's value increased at a compounded rate of 10% a year, what would you have now?

STUDENT: Old money.

High quality stuff.

Legally Blonde: 2007 Original Broadway cast recording (O'Keefe & Benjamin). Didn't get to the whole thing yesterday. Lotsa fun, but doesn't really stand up to scrutinization. Just like the movie.

Haiku Appreciation Is a Lost Art

Lately I've been obsessing over Pacific Overtures. I've the three studio-produced cast albums. I've got both published versions of the script. What I don't got is the video of the original Broadway production that was made for Japanese television, but never shown in the US. Now, I know a lot of collectors and I figure one of them has to have it and may be willing to make a copy for me. Here's how I posted my request:

The show-loving man
Having no film of his own
Asks the internet

When was the last time you saw someone post a request online for anything as a haiku?

See, Pacific Overtures is about Japan and the song "Welcome to Kanagawa" contains the following:

The nest-building bird

Seeing the tree without twigs,

Looks for new forests.

Several people responded to my post with suggestions, etc. as to how I can obtain this video. But not one single person commented on my haiku!

What the hell?

Showtunes of the Day

Kiss Me, Kate: 1987 Royal Shakespeare Theatre cast (Porter) Back to studio-produced cast albums of shows I know well-enough that I can actually pay attention to my job, while still absorbing the full effect of the recording. And since they just ended "Anopther Op'nin' of Another Show" with a "Yay!" I already know not to expect much from this one.

Mr. President: Original 1962 Broadway cast (Berlin) Robert Ryan. In a Broadway musical. Opposite Nanette Fabray.

Legally Blonde: Original 2007 Broadway cast. (O'Keefe & Benjamin) The opening number is called "Ohmigod, You Guys." It's delicious.

Showtunes of the Yesterday

I tried listening to the non-existent live recording of the 2001 Encores! A Connecticut Yankee. Didn't really work. I don't know the script at all, and couldn't pay attention to the dialogue since, y'know, I was working. Eh, bien.

Showtunes of the Day

It's now Showtunes of the Day. Musicals of the Day carried the implication that I would only be listening to show albums, which would negate...

Phyllis Diller: Born to Sing (1970, various). Mercifully, it's not a straight-up album of standards. She quips during the songs. Which is to say that she kills during the songs. "If I bought a hat, they'd cancel Easter."

Sugar Babies: 1979 Original Broadway cast recording (McHugh/Fields, Dubin) (mostly). Ann Miller and Mickey Rooney in a vaudeville revue. I have one of those candles in a tall jar, y'know what I mean?, that has a picture of Ann Miller pasted to it. It's AWESOME! The national tour starred Carol Channing and Robert Morse. Somewhere, there's gotta be one of those non-existant bootleg recordings of that tour. And find it, I will. Or won't, rather, because it doesn't exist.

Into the Woods: 1991 Original London cast recording (Sondheim). I discovered Into the Woods in 1993 and yet I've never heard this album. All because someone whose taste in shows I did not share and whom I haven't seen in years told me she didn't like it.

Prettybelle: 1982 cast album with most of the 1971 cast (Styne/Merrill) If you'd heard it, you wouldn't be able to stop listening to it either. Just to believe it.

Musicals of the Day: Jule Styne edition

Felt like revisiting some lesser known Styne today.

Fade Out - Fade In: 1964 Original Broadway cast recording (Styne/Comden & Green), Carol Burnett was not happy with this show

Hazel Flagg: 1953 Original Broadway cast recording (Styne/Hilliard), featuring Helen Gallagher as Carole Lombard

Prettybelle: 1982 cast album with most of the 1971 cast (Styne/Merrill) "A musical comedy tale of rape and resurrection starring Angela Lansbury as an alcoholic schizophrenic in a sanitarium? We'd be stupid not to do this!" For what it's worth, manic-depressives do do rewrites. We just get grumpy when forced to admit it wasn't right the first time.

Subways Are for Sleeping: 1961 Original Broadway cast album (Styne/Comden & Green), I've been in a Phyllis Newman kind of mood lately. Apparently.

Musicals of the Day

I can listen to my ipod at work, which is pretty danged awesome. With the trading and downloading of OOP cast albums that I don't do because that would be wrong, I've gotten really behind in my show tunes. So, while I theoretically could listen to non-theatre music, I probably won't. Hence, "Musicals of the Day," instead of "On the iPod Today" or "Arts & Crafts with Linnea Quigley."

Pacific Overtures: Original Broadway cast recording (1976, Sondheim) This isn't a new one, I just needed something to wash the taste of the 1987 ENO recording out of my mouth.

The Madwoman of Central Park West: Original Broadway cast (1979, various) The OBC was composed entirely of Phyllis Newman. I've been looking for this one for a long time, so me happy.

State Fair: 1962 Film soundtrack (Rodgers/Hammerstein) Ann-Margret.

Scrooge: Film soundtrack (1970, Bricusse) I listened to this last week, but can't remember a single song, which either means it was really boring, I was actually paying attention to my work, or both. Figured I should give it another whirl before burning and shelving. (update: boring)