The FAB-ULOUS Broadway Thread

#24) Gypsy - Original Broadway Cast (1959)


Various Artists - Gypsy - album cover


Again pretty essential choice: subtitled "a musical fable", Gypsy remains a dream role for an actress opening the door often to a Tony. In fact, actresses who have portrayed Rose have won a Tony three times (Angela Lansbury in 1974, Tyne Daley in 1990, Patti Lupone in 2008). Interestingly, the two actresses who arguably were best in the role, Ethel Merman (seen here) and Bernadette Peters were both nominated but didn't win. Even the current Elizabeth in The Crown, Imelda Staunton won an Olivier Award for a 2015 London revival.

Gypsy itself was nominated in 1960 for Best Musical but lost out to Tony's only tie in the category - The Sound of Music and Fiorello!

Merman is of course outstanding here and all subsequent actresses have structured their performance on how different than Merman they could depict the lead.

Fun fact: though not on the soundtrack much (as he didn't sing much in the role), Jack Klugman portrayed Herbie, Rose's love interest.
 
#25) Bye Bye Birdie (Original Broadway Cast) - (1960)

Various Artists - Bye Bye Birdie - album cover


While relatively light fare about a teen idol about to go into the military (wonder where they got the inspiration ;)), Bye Bye Birdie had such a winning cast (Dick Van Dyke, Chita Rivera, Paul Lynde and some great humor, it won the Tony for Best Musical for 1960. The film version made several plot changes (and chose Janet Leigh as an, um, less ethnic substitution for Rivera (who granted didn't have the film cache)) and essentially changed it into a vehicle for a young Ann Margaret (who, granted, was stunning). The musical remains however a common staple for high school/community theater productions.
 
26) Camelot (Original Broadway Cast) - 1960

Various Artists - Camelot - album cover


Lerner and Loewe's last Broadway collaboration (they did work on a couple of movies including Gigi afterward) is wonderful with Julie Andrews Guinevere and Richard Burton's Arthur both outstanding (Burton speak-sings but still is fine and won the Tony for Best Actor). Filling out the cast is Robert Goulet's Lancelot (who gets the standard "If Ever I Should Leave You") and Roddy McDowell's Mordred.

On a side note, McDowell in the 70s seemed so ubiquitous not only in the Planet of the Apes series but on shows like McMillan & Wife, Love Boat, and Fantasy Island (taking on Mr. Roarke as Mephistopheles). Generally likeable, it seems just wrong to picture him as Mordred here :)
I particularly enjoyed him in the original Fright Night battling the Yuppie vampire.
 
27) The Fantasticks (Original Off-Broadway Cast Album) (1960)
28) The Unsinkable Molly Brown (Original Broadway Cast Album) (1960)
Various Artists - The Fantasticks - album cover
Various Artists - The Unsinkable Molly Brown - album cover


The Fantasticks, based on Rostand's play The Romancers, about two neighboring fathers pretending to feud to manipulate their children in falling in love, is a musical I've surprisingly never seen considering how long it played (from 1960-2002) in NYC throughout my life there before moving down south. Passed the theatre and signs for it so many times, but not sure why it never drew me in when I saw so many musicals during that time. In reality, the soundtrack is pretty light (and the less said about "You Get What You Pay For" the better - though it's frequent singing of "rape" admittedly refers to the "abduction" definition - alternate lyrics have appeared since). "Try to Remember" is timeless but most of the songs don't grab you. It's here because of the enduring nature - the longest musical ever - and it's where Broadway legend (and TV cop) Jerry Orbach got his start.

The Unsinkable Molly Brown would probably be in the bottom third of my ranked 100 musicals list - it has the sound of the departing 1950s musicals, big, brassy but old fashioned, though its story of the Titanic survivor is a clever one. Not many of the songs grab you (no big show stoppers) but benefits from the Tony award winning charm of Tammy Grimes (who would marry Christopher Plummer, mother of Amanda Plummer). Eventually made into the Debbie Reynolds movie of the same name.
 
Zeeba Neighba said:
27) The Fantasticks (Original Off-Broadway Cast Album) (1960)
28) The Unsinkable Molly Brown (Original Broadway Cast Album) (1960)
Various Artists - The Fantasticks - album cover
Various Artists - The Unsinkable Molly Brown - album cover


The Fantasticks, based on Rostand's play The Romancers, about two neighboring fathers pretending to feud to manipulate their children in falling in love, is a musical I've surprisingly never seen considering how long it played (from 1960-2002) in NYC throughout my life there before moving down south. Passed the theatre and signs for it so many times, but not sure why it never drew me in when I saw so many musicals during that time. In reality, the soundtrack is pretty light (and the less said about "You Get What You Pay For" the better - though it's frequent singing of "rape" admittedly refers to the "abduction" definition - alternate lyrics have appeared since). "Try to Remember" is timeless but most of the songs don't grab you. It's here because of the enduring nature - the longest musical ever - and it's where Broadway legend (and TV cop) Jerry Orbach got his start.

The Unsinkable Molly Brown would probably be in the bottom third of my ranked 100 musicals list - it has the sound of the departing 1950s musicals, big, brassy but old fashioned, though its story of the Titanic survivor is a clever one. Not many of the songs grab you (no big show stoppers) but benefits from the Tony award winning charm of Tammy Grimes (who would marry Christopher Plummer, mother of Amanda Plummer). Eventually made into the Debbie Reynolds movie of the same name.
Click to expand...

"Belly Up to the Bar, Boys" is not a show stopper? :mrgreen: :lala:
 
Original Broadway Cast - Two Gentlemen Of Verona (1971)


MzQtMzY5MS5qcGVn.jpeg

This lively Shakespeare update ran for 614 performances, picking up a Tony for Best Musical with a racially mixed cast and a funk/rock sound. Raul Julia stole the show as the despicable Proteus.
 
Ojai Sam said:
Original Broadway Cast - Two Gentlemen Of Verona (1971)


MzQtMzY5MS5qcGVn.jpeg

This lively Shakespeare update ran for 614 performances, picking up a Tony for Best Musical with a racially mixed cast and a funk/rock sound. Raul Julia stole the show as the despicable Proteus.
Click to expand...

I never saw this production, and would love to have seen it, but I did see a Shakespeare in The Park production at Griffith Park.

That version, complete with an electric Jazz-type trio, was hilarious.

Despicable Proteus is despicable.

 
29) How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1961)

Various Artists - How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying - album cover


Office place musicals aren't as popular any more (still waiting for the TV show The Office to be adapted into a musical) probably because the classic office romances that were once all the rage on stage (or in films like The Apartment) would not fly too well from an HR in the 21st century. But in the 1950s-1960s, musicals like The Pajama Game, Promises, Promises (an adaptation of The Apartment) and How to Succeed... all had successful runs. It's telling that a revival of Promises Promises even in the wake of Mad Men's popularity was not warmly received despite a great cast (I saw it and enjoyed it). But How to Succeed... has succeeded in lasting through the decades with two big revivals (with Matthew Broderick in 1995 and Daniel Radcliffe in 2011 in the wonderful title role of J. Pierrepont Finch. Original lead Robert Morse (later to be seen in Mad Men - it all comes full circle) and Broderick won Tony's for Lead Actor with Featured Actor Tonys won by Charles Nelson Reilly (yep) in 1962 and John Larroquette in 2011.

The songs like "How to Succeed", "Brotherhood of Man", and "I Believe in You" are wonderful and the book charting the intention rise of J. Pierrepont from window washer to chairman of the board of the World Wide Wicket Company is hilarious. Morse would return for the 1967 film adaptation as would crooner Rudy Vallee as company president J.B. Biggley. Though outside my top 10, definitely a winner.
 
30) Oliver! (Original Broadway Cast Recording) - 1962

Various Artists - Oliver! - album cover


Carol Reed's 1968 film Oliver! despite winning the Best Picture Oscar was at the tail end of the "movie musical" era (in fact it was the last musical to win Best Picture until 2002's Chicago. Though a length film and an older style than the new generation of films coming out in the late 1960s, looking back, it's still quite a wonderful film. Much of that is that the source musical is great mixing Dickensian humor and tragedy with several timeless songs ("Food Glorious Film", "Consider Yourself", the beautiful "As Long as He Needs Me"). Though Ron Moody is more iconic in the role of Fagin (from original London, London revival, and film) but Clive Revill does a great job here too.
Trivia nugget: although Michael Goodman is Artful Dodger on the cast recording (and on the national US tour), the original Broadway cast the character was played by future Monkee Davy Jones
 
31) A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum (Original Broadway Cast Recording) - (1962)

Stephen Sondheim - A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum - album cover


Aside from a lesser-known musical called Saturday Night (in 1954), this marked Stephen Sondheim's return (after West Side Story and Gypsy) to writing both music and lyrics - which would continue in all but one musical for the rest of his life. From a listening/cast album standpoint, not my favorite Sondheim. It's really a wonderful oft-revived musical great to watch especially with the juicy lead Plautus (here Zero Mostel but other portrayals include Nathan Lane, Phil Silvers, Whoopi Goldberg). But the songs are IMO just OK except of course for the classic "Comedy Tonight"
 
32) She Loves Me (Original Broadway Cast) - (1963)

Various Artists - She Loves Me - album cover


Of course there's a musical adaptation of The Shop Around the Corner (adding to adaptations which include In the Good Old Summertime and You've Got Mail). Overall some wonderful melodies - an enjoyable solid musical throughout with two Broadway revivals in 1993 and 2016.
Jack Cassidy, father of David and Shaun, won the Tony for Featured Actor in a Musical for this one. The musical itself was nominated but faced tough competition against Funny Girl and winner Hello Dolly.
 
33) Fiddler on the Roof (Original Broadway Cast) - (1964)

Various Artists - Fiddler on the Roof - album cover


More Mostel!
Slam dunk - wonderful story, iconic songs, and Tevye is a helluva iconic Broadway role. Soundtrack remains very listenable.
Have seen it twice - both on tour. The film version by Norman Jewison has its fans, but I've always found it over-long. The show OTOH I love.
Mostel is amazing (Bernardi and Topol also were great). Plus the original has Bea Arthur and Bert Convy - bonus :)
 
JazzyRandy said:
Zeebs, wondering about your thoughts on ...


Went to see it with my middle kid Thursday and we had a blast. I hadn't heard any of the esongs before but we enjoyed all, and have ordered the CD already.
View attachment 10136
Click to expand...
Very enjoyable - perhaps my daughter’s favorite. I’ve seen it twice once in the West End. Lot of great songs and some songs that really call for great voices. Did not see the original duo of Menzel and Chenowith which would have been amazing, but did see Kristin Chenowith in concert and she did some of her songs from the musical.

Original had Joel Grey as the Wizard - so he was in the original Cabaret, Chicago, and Wicked - wow!

Gotta get back to this thread - later on down the road, Wicked will appear.

Glad you had a great time :thumbsup:
 
Today we have not one but two "Vinyl Rips Of The Day" featuring songs from the same Tony-winning Broadway musical. "The Music Man" was a huge hit in 1957, so much so that it spawned two "tribute" albums by its own composer, Meredith Willson.

The following year, Capitol released "The Music From Meredith Willson's 'The Music Man' Conducted by Meredith Willson".

OTUtNzMxNC5qcGVn.jpeg


Despite the cheery cover, this record is merely a batch of rather bland orchestral versions of the songs from the show. Shorn of their context and presented out-of-order, it is difficult to see the album as anything other than martini music.

Maybe Willson himself was disappointed with the results, because in 1959 he tried again with "...and Then I Wrote The Music Man".

MzgtMjc2Mi5qcGVn.jpeg


This time, the composer hit a home run. Meredith and his wife (Rini Zarova, a Russian soprano of some note) present the narrative of the play interspersed with the songs (in order!) accompanied by piano. The atmosphere is loose and friendly, with Wilson's Iowa roots showing through as he shares the tale of Professor Harold Hill late of River City. I grew up not far from where the Willsons lived in Mandeville Canyon. But sadly, I was never invited for one of their soirees even though I portrayed the good Professor in the 6th grade "Culmination" at Bellagio Road School to rave reviews a short time later. :worm:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top