Showtunes of the Day: February 18, 2008

The Supremes Sing Rodgers & Hart: 1967. Haley, these Chocodiles, Oh my God. These Chocodiles, Oh my God. Oh my God, Haley, these Chocodiles.

George M!: 1968 original Broadway cast (Cohan): It goes well with Don't Know Much About History, the book I'm reading. It's no secret that we did horrible things to the Native Americans when we got here, but what everyone conveniently forgets is that they were totally stealing cable. Also, it has Bernadette Peters.

Company: 2001 Brazilian cast. (Sondheim) I don't speak a word of Portugeuse. And yet, I know that the actress playing Amy overplayed the "suicide note" line in "Getting Married Today." Yes, dear, your chatacter is neurotic. We get it.

Now if only I could get my hands on Diana Ross and The Supremes Sing and Perform Funny Girl...

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

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

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)