haines his way

04/30/2002:
"FORGOING THE FLOGGING"

Well, dear readers, this week’s Unseemly Trivia Contest was our most popular and, apparently, most difficult. We ultimately had a few High Winners, but not without clarifications and clues. I always think I’m being perfectly clear when I come up with these little questions, but I will endeavor to be even clearer so that our handy-dandy dear reader players won’t need clues and clarifications. I shall reveal all in just a few moments. Do you suppose “all” wants to be revealed in just a few moments? Did it ever occur to me that “all” might be modest? Here I am, ready to reveal “all” without even taking into account how “all” feels about it. That is simply heinous (heinous, do you hear me?) and I should flog myself like Judge Turpin whilst wearing leather pants. Fortunately, I don’t own any leather pants and I refuse to flog myself in anything other than leather pants, so I guess I will have to forego the flogging. What the hell am I talking about? Oh, yes, soon I will reveal all and all is just going to have to deal with it as best as all can.
I just saw the latest galley of my very own novel and I’m happy to report that outside of just a handful of minor errors that it finally looks great and I think it will be put to bed by week’s end. Mr. Mark Bakalor is finally going to get around to adding two brand spanking new sections to the site – one for The First Nudie Musical and one for my novel, Benjamin Kritzer. Isn’t that exciting? Isn’t that just too too? It should happen in the next couple of weeks, so keep your eyes peeled (no mean feat). If the new sections are not ready in the next couple of weeks, Mr. Mark Bakalor will not be foregoing the flogging, let me tell you that. First of all, isn’t Mr. Mark Bakalor just the type to have a pair of leather pants lying around?
I took some new-fangled prescription allergy pill (can’t remember the name) that someone thought I should try, but I must say it is not agreeing with me. I feel every thing and everyone should agree with me and yet these pills have the temerity to disagree with me and, in fact, to make me feel queasy. Back to the Actifed tomorrow.
Last night I watched a documentary on DVD, about the great film director, Akira Kurosawa. I really like many of his films and was looking forward to this documentary. It has its moments, but I’m afraid it’s one of these arty and pretentious things that appear to be more about the makers of the documentary than Mr. Kurosawa. The nice bits are the readings from Mr. Kurosawa’s Something Like and Autobiography, read by Mr. Paul Scofeld. Mr. Sam Shepard, who narrates, is a curious choice in many ways, mostly because he is a boring speaker. The documentary has several nice clips, but totally ignores several of my favorite Kurosawa films, including one of my top five – High and Low. Anyway, one does learn a bit about the man, and he’s an interesting study.
Well, I know you’re all ready to skip ahead anyway, to find out the answer to our handy-dandy Unseemly Trivia Contest question, so we all may as well click on the Unseemly Button below because all, who it turns out is not modest, is waiting to be revealed.

As I said, we finally had a few High Winners who answered the question correctly, but only one High Winner answered it correctly right off the bat, without any clarifications or clues. The question was:
One musical.
Two movie stars.
One up-and-coming choreographer/director in the cast who, shortly after doing this musical, would work with someone several times who would create a hugely successful musical on Broadway.
One co-star who would die during the performance of another musical on Broadway.
Name the musical, the two movie stars who were in it, the up-and-coming choreographer/director cast member, who the up-and-coming choreographer/director cast member worked with several times, and the co-star who died during a performance of another musical on Broadway.
The answer to the various components of the question are:
One musical: Anyone Can Whistle
Two movie stars: Angela Lansbury and Lee Remick
One up and coming choreographer/director: Alan Johnson
The person he worked with several times who would go on to create a hit Broadway musical: Mel Brooks – Mr. Johnson choreographed the film of The Producers, Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, etc. and directed Mr. Brooks and Anne Bancroft in the remake of To Be or Not to Be.
The co-star who died during a performance of another musical on Broadway: Arnold Soboloff, during a performance of the Sandy Duncan revival of Peter Pan.
I’m happy and surprised to say that no one got the answer to the tie-breaker question, which I thought everyone would get. That question was:
Who is the only musical director in the history of the Broadway musical, to have his name used in a show (at least consciously)? Lehman Engel, a character in A Class Act, doesn't count.
And the answer is:
Herbert (Herbie) Greene (who, ironically, was the musical director and conductor for the above-mentioned Anyone Can Whistle). Mr. Greene was the musical director and conductor of The Most Happy Fella, and someone Mr. Frank Loesser liked very much. So much, in fact, that he put his name into “The mail is coming” section of the title song, The Most Happy Fella. The postman sings:
“Van Pelt? Your sister had a baby girl!
Greene? Herbie Greene, say, who’s Pearl?”
The High Winners are Freedunit, Michael Shayne and Robert Armin. Our Highest Winner is the dear reader who answered correctly right off the bat – Mr. Steve Gurey. If Mr. Steve Gurey will send us his handy-dandy address, he will receive a sparkling prize.
I ran into my pal, Jim Ritz, at our benefit the other night, and Mr. Ritz was kind enough to bring me several reissue CDs he’s produced for Collector’s Choice, including several Joanie Sommers albums. I was lucky enough to produce Joanie’s last new album, back in 1990 or so, for Bay Cities. She’s really wonderful, and these Warner Bros. albums from the 60s are great. I fell in love with her voice the second I heard her first big hit song, Johnny Get Angry. I ran out and bought the 45 of it and played it until it would play no more. I still love that song, as politically incorrect as it may be. The gentleman who wrote it, Mr. Sherman Edwards, would go on to write the classic Broadway musical, 1776. If you haven’t heard Joanie, give the Johnny Get Angry album a try – it’s just delightful, and she does many standards on it, too, like A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square and Little Girl Blue. She also does a wonderful rendition of One Boy from Bye Bye Birdie, and a terrific vocal of the theme from A Summer Place.
Donald has an encore radio show up now, It’s a Small World, which he’d gotten a lot of requests. And hopefully Donald will stop by and post all about his trip and what and who he saw. Oh, and I discovered a new Meltz and Ernest song whilst rifling through some sheet music. It’s quite catchy – When I Eat a Cherry I Get Cheery is the title, and I’ll be printing the wonderful lyric right here in these notes tomorrow.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, see the people I see, drive the places I drive, and so on and so forth and also so forth and so on. We had a paltry amount of posts yesterday (and a really good topic of discussion, too) so let’s make up for it today, otherwise you shall all have to flog yourselves like Judge Turpin, whilst wearing leather pants. And if there aren’t a plethora of posts you will not be forgoing the flogging, dear readers, leather pants or no leather pants. Today’s topic of discussion: Yesterday we talked about our favorite standard pop vocalists. Today, let’s talk about our favorite rock and roll vocalists, but those from the innocent days – pre The Beatles. I was very taken with many of those vocalists and some of those records remain all-time favorites. So, I’ll start: Ricky Nelson (especially Poor Little Fool – a song I totally am smitten with), the already mentioned Joanie Sommers (she did have several rock and roll hits, so I’m including her), Connie Francis (especially Where the Boys Are), Skeeter Davis (The End of the World), Brain Hyland, Bill Haley, Fats Domino, Tommy Edwards, Elvis (all his pre 1960 records), and others I’m sure you’ll remind me of. And how could I leave off Johnny Mathis and Matt Monro in yesterday’s discussion? Your turn.

Replies: 38 Unseemly Comments

May I just say that I am tired and fed up of all of these questions which I cannot answer due to circumstances beyond my control? What do I know about rock and roll pre-Beatles? Nothing, that is what I know about rock and roll pre-Beatles. I suppose that I could educate myself by spending unseemly amounts of money on pre-Beatles rock and roll cds, but really, who does that when one already has to spend unseemly amounts of money on show and classical music cds, as well as cds produced by A Certain Person?
All right, I'm finished. I like Ricky Nelson, Roy Orbison, the good Elvis, and Fats Domino.
;)
Posted by Lolita @ 04/30/2002 09:35 AM PST

I for one, or even for two, love pre-beatles Rock and Roll. I dig Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard (no one did a better "Lawdy Miss Clawdy"), 60's Elvis, Otis Redding, Wanda Jackson.... and that's all I can think of off the top of my head. Frankly I am glad to be rid of them because the top of my head was getting sore.
Posted by Mattso @ 04/30/2002 09:43 AM PST

Okay, Mr. Smarty Pants who knows the answer to every trivia question in the world, who is Pearl?
And speaking of trivia, Mr(s) JMK posted a question on 4/25 of which I have read not one whit since, to wit:
"this performer starred in a 50s musical which was this performer's only 50s musical credit. This performer's spouse has the same name as ANOTHER performer who starred in a 50s musical, which was THAT performer's only 50s musical credit. Name the three people (only two names, since two of them have the same name) and two shows."
Any answers to that question yet?
Now on to sacks, drogues and rock'n'roll. (Did you know that the Esperanto for rock'n'roll is rokenrolo? I kid you not. Guess what ritmenbluzo means.)
Well, we have to put Bobby Darin into this category too, don't we? I'd even say Pat Boone, but I never really liked Pat Boone very much. And when he went through his mid-life crisis leather and chains thing, we were all kind of wondering, weren't we?
Actually, I never really liked rock and roll back prebeattles, before the earth's crust cooled. But now, I'd have to say, well, I'll just reserve judgement until the cast album of Hairspray comes out.
Posted by William F. Orr @ 04/30/2002 09:58 AM PST

okay....here's what I saw on my NYC trip:
Thoroughly Modern Millie
Sweet Smell Of Success
Oklahoma!
Metamorphoses
The Goat
Private Lives
Morning's At Seven
The Elephant Man
Elaine Stritch At Liberty
Urinetown (for a 2nd time)
I won't give my opinions, but I will say that, IMHO, some were better than I expected and some were much worse than I expected...
I have been working on a new radio show for this Sunday...more later in the week....should be a good listen
Posted by Donald @ 04/30/2002 10:20 AM PST

Don't like rock and roll enough to have a favorite.
But no one guessed at my weekend trivia question. :-(
What do the musicals Street Scene, She Loves Me and Anne of Green Gables have in common?
It is not that hard of a question. It is easy as "pi".
Posted by Michael Shayne @ 04/30/2002 10:34 AM PST

Now, now, Mr. Donald Feltham, we must have opinions. I have opinions and express them daily. Our dear readers have opinions and express them daily. Therefore, you must have opinions and express them. We simply must know what you thought of each and every show you listed and if you don't tell us you will be bitch-slapped from here to eternity and back again.
Yes, Pat Boone belongs in this category, I should think. I always liked his records, especially the early ones. And Darin was, of course, lots of fun with Splish Splash. Also liked Connie Stevens and 16 Reasons.
Posted by bk @ 04/30/2002 10:41 AM PST

Okay, Michael Shayne, I'm game to try some wrong answers.
They all take place in Budapest.
They are all based on plays by Langston Hughes.
They all have characters named Ann.
They all starred Barbara Cook.
They were all written by German composers.
Now I really feel stupid, as a math teacher, not to figure out your "pi" clue. :-(
Posted by William F. Orr @ 04/30/2002 10:54 AM PST

Maybe they were all seen by a descendant of Albert Einstein.
Posted by Ron Pulliam @ 04/30/2002 11:32 AM PST

Thank you, Mr. Orr, for mentioning that my trivia question still goes unanswered. I came this close on Bruce's this week, too--who knew there were TWO up and coming choreographer/directors in the cast (my choice was the other one, Lester Wilson).
I would just like my friends here at Haineshisway.com to know that I am currently notating the percussion parts of Bernstein's "Island Magic" (Scene VI) from "Trouble in Tahiti" for an upcoming cabaret performance by Susannah Mars, which in some alternative universe might qualify as pre-Beatles rock and roll. I would like my friends here to know that notating percussion is a tedious, hideous and many more "ous-es" experience that I feel will push me over the edge at any----AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH.
There, I feel better, thanks for letting me vent.
Posted by JMK @ 04/30/2002 12:09 PM PST

I bet none of them have any pre-beatles rock stars in them.
Speaking of which, I really liked Pat Boones mid-life crisis metal album. It is the funniest thing I have ever heard. I have always wanted to do lounge covers of metal tunes and I can't believe Pat Boone beat me to it. Maybe I should do metal covers of Pat Boone songs instead. Metallica sings "Wang Dang Candy Apple Tango"?
Posted by Mattso @ 04/30/2002 12:14 PM PST

Trivia answer: The all have songs called Ice Cream.
Posted by Robert Armin @ 04/30/2002 12:16 PM PST

Trivia answer: They all have songs called Ice Cream.
Posted by Robert Armin @ 04/30/2002 12:17 PM PST

P.S. William--call me Mister. And my wife also just back from NYC, where she and her Mother did the art museum thing and saw "Tale of the Allergist's Wife." They loved it so much they ran out and had a menage a trois with a Disney character on Times Square!
Posted by JMK @ 04/30/2002 12:17 PM PST

Just a note to Donald for all to read.
I am listening to the radio show in my office right now and really love it. I have a thing for foreign cast albums--it is nice to know that a lot of other people in the world appreciate one of the U.S.'s major art forms, even if all too many Americans don't.
But about Catalan. I think any Barcelonan will foam at the mouth if you call it a "dialect". It is a separate language with its own literature dating back to the middle ages. You know how minority language speakers get defensive about that. But isn't it interesting how many cast albums there are in Catalan? Makes you want to catch that flight to Barcelona and leave Bobby in the bed.
Posted by William F. Orr @ 04/30/2002 12:21 PM PST

Sorry for the double entry below -- tried to stop a typo and missed.
As for rock 'n' roll, I'm particularly fond of Connie Stevens' albums for Warner Bros, although most of her music was from film and Broadway. And, of course, Anthony Newley began his career as a rock 'n' roll singer before moving on to musical theatre (as did Tommy Steele).
Posted by Robert Armin @ 04/30/2002 12:22 PM PST

Dear Mr. Orr, you are absolutely correct about Catalan....that was a mistake on my part and I do apologize.
As for my opinions on the shows I saw, in no particular order...
"A wonderful cast acting their butts off and having a great time."
"A very fun, if somewhat slight, evening of theatre with great leading performances. Quite different from the last time I saw this show, but still very entertaining."
"Puzzling and emotionally distant. Very hard to warm up to despite a couple of great performances and intriguing scenic design."
"Tired and very boring. No chemistry between the leads and viturally no energy emanating from the stage at all. Nice sets though."
"Terrific revival with a whole new slant on the material, bolstered by two superb performances."
"A highly entertaining evening, although the emotional high points seem false and unnatural."
"One of my favorite shows. It makes me cry everytime I see it."
"Very funny, very inventive and a cast having a ball....who could ask for anything more?"
"I went into this with great trepidation having heard so many mixed responses, but was surprised at how funny it was and how startling the lead performances were."
"A muddled mess of a show. Tries far to hard to be pertinent and fails. It's not horrendous, but, even a fantastic central performance, can't salvage this show."
Now, you just need to match my quote/opinion with the correct show......this should be very interesting indeed!
Posted by Donald @ 04/30/2002 01:09 PM PST

Hey Donald,
Could this quote:
"Very funny, very inventive and a cast having a ball....who could ask for anything more?"
be describing Urinetown by chance?
Posted by Mattso @ 04/30/2002 01:34 PM PST

This is really my world! Buddy Holly still sounds great to me. I also love all those Snuff Garret produced singers (the production values of the recordings were probably why). Bobby Vee, Gene McDaniels,Johnny Burnette,Brian Hyland and Eddy Cochrane made some great recordings. Hard to beat the consistency of Connie's recordings but Brenda Lee provided some memorable hits too.I nearly forgot Orbison and Pitney - some wonderful records there as well.Duane Eddy, The Ventures and The Shadows (English group) are also well represented in my collection. Surely Elvis should be mentioned. Presley's "Latest Flame"/"Little Sister" disc rates along with Nelson's "Hello Mary Lou"/"Travelin' Man" as the greatest double sided hits.
Posted by Tom from OZ @ 04/30/2002 01:35 PM PST

MATTSO,
Yes, that one is correct!
Now, how about the other 9 quotes? Any guesses?
Posted by Donald @ 04/30/2002 01:47 PM PST

I don't necessarily hold these opinions, but here are my guesses. I know a couple of these are wrong:
Metamorphoses
A wonderful cast acting their butts off and having a great time."
Thoroughly Modern Millie
"A very fun, if somewhat slight, evening of theatre with great leading performances. Quite different from the last time I saw this show, but still very entertaining."
Oklahoma!
"Puzzling and emotionally distant. Very hard to warm up to despite a couple of great performances and intriguing scenic design."
The Elephant Man
"Tired and very boring. No chemistry between the leads and virtually no energy emanating from the stage at all. Nice sets though."
Private Lives
"Terrific revival with a whole new slant on the material, bolstered by two superb performances."
Elaine Stritch At Liberty
"A highly entertaining evening, although the emotional high points seem false and unnatural."
Morning's At Seven
"One of my favorite shows. It makes me cry every time I see it."
Urinetown (for a 2nd time)
"Very funny, very inventive and a cast having a ball....who could ask for anything more?"
The Goat
"I went into this with great trepidation having heard so many mixed responses, but was surprised at how funny it was and how startling the lead performances were."
Sweet Smell Of Success
"A muddled mess of a show. Tries far to hard to be pertinent and fails. It's not horrendous, but, even a fantastic central performance, can't salvage this show."
Posted by Robert Armin @ 04/30/2002 01:58 PM PST

Actually, I would switch Metamorphoses with Oklahoma.
Posted by Robert Armin @ 04/30/2002 02:06 PM PST

The following represent MY views:
Elaine Stritch At Liberty “The best thing on Broadway. A perfect evening in the theatre.”
Fortune’s Fool “Great acting makes this evening of Turgenev worth the visit.”
Metamorphoses “Intriguing set design; the cast is having a good time, but the evening is basically empty. Fun to watch, though.”
Oklahoma! “Nothing remarkable, but nothing particular bad either. Miscast leading woman, but a great Judd and entertaining dance numbers from Stroman that are often better than DeMille.”
Sweet Smell Of Success “Several good performances, but musically uninteresting with uninspired, sloppy choreography. John Guare’s book is actually very good.”
The Goat “Extremely powerful play from Albee, one of the few times I have been moved close to tears. The play is NOT about bestiality.”
Thoroughly Modern Millie “A terrific cast, clever songs, great dancing, surprisingly entertaining. Wish they had kept Jazz Baby and Tapioca, though.”
Urinetown “Entertaining, amusing and well performed. Probably the best new musical of the year in terms of originality and effectiveness.”
Posted by Robert Armin @ 04/30/2002 02:21 PM PST

Tom from OZ,
YES! I forgot about Bobby Vee (I love "Devil or Angel") and good old Gene Pitney. "Town without Pity" is one of my favorite karaoke numbers. Maybe I shouldn't admit that sort of thing..
Posted by Mattso @ 04/30/2002 02:21 PM PST

Here are my guesses for the mix-matching review game:
Metamorphoses
"I went into this with great trepidation having heard so many mixed responses, but was surprised at how funny it was and how startling the lead performances were."
Thoroughly Modern Millie
"Very funny, very inventive and a cast having a ball....who could ask for anything more?"
Oklahoma!
"One of my favorite shows. It makes me cry every time I see it."
The Elephant Man
"Tired and very boring. No chemistry between the leads and virtually no energy emanating from the stage at all. Nice sets though."
Private Lives
"Terrific revival with a whole new slant on the material, bolstered by two superb performances."
Elaine Stritch At Liberty
"A highly entertaining evening, although the emotional high points seem false and unnatural."
Morning's At Seven
A wonderful cast acting their butts off and having a great time."
Urinetown (for a 2nd time)
"A very fun, if somewhat slight, evening of theatre with great leading performances. Quite different from the last time I saw this show, but still very entertaining."
The Goat
"Puzzling and emotionally distant. Very hard to warm up to despite a couple of great performances and intriguing scenic design."
Sweet Smell Of Success
"A muddled mess of a show. Tries far to hard to be pertinent and fails. It's not horrendous, but, even a fantastic central performance, can't salvage this show."
Posted by Lolita @ 04/30/2002 02:35 PM PST

okay, let me deal with Robert Armin's guesses first....
you are correct on Millie, Private Lives, Elaine Stritch, Urinetown, The Goat, and Sweet Smell.....switching Metamorphoses and Oklahoma does you no good, as you are incorrect either way
now, on to Lolita...
You are correct on Private Lives, Elaine Stritch, Morning's At Seven and Sweet Smell
since you both got the Sweet Smell quote correct, I will add that the "fantastic central performance" is Brian, NOT John!
Posted by Donald @ 04/30/2002 02:47 PM PST

So that means I switch Oklahoma and Elephant Man?
Posted by Robert Armin @ 04/30/2002 02:58 PM PST

yep, Armin, switching those would give you two more correct answers!
Posted by Donald @ 04/30/2002 03:13 PM PST

so, now that Robert Armin and Lolita have put all the pieces together, here are the shows and my quickie quotes about each one:
MORNING'S AT SEVEN
"A wonderful cast acting their butts off and having a great time."
THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE
"A very fun, if somewhat slight, evening of theatre with great leading performances. Quite different from the last time I saw this show, but still very entertaining."
THE ELEPHANT MAN
"Puzzling and emotionally distant. Very hard to warm up to despite a couple of great performances and intriguing scenic design."
OKLAHOMA!
"Tired and very boring. No chemistry between the leads and viturally no energy emanating from the stage at all. Nice sets though."
PRIVATE LIVES
"Terrific revival with a whole new slant on the material, bolstered by two superb performances."
ELAINE STRITCH AT LIBERTY
"A highly entertaining evening, although the emotional high points seem false and unnatural."
METAMORPHOSES
"One of my favorite shows. It makes me cry everytime I see it."
URINETOWN
"Very funny, very inventive and a cast having a ball....who could ask for anything more?"
THE GOAT
"I went into this with great trepidation having heard so many mixed responses, but was surprised at how funny it was and how startling the lead performances were."
SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS
"A muddled mess of a show. Tries far to hard to be pertinent and fails. It's not horrendous, but, even a fantastic central performance, can't salvage this show."
Posted by Donald @ 04/30/2002 03:16 PM PST

Elaine Stritch: At Liberty
Miss her at your peril! You have through Sunday 26 May 2002. Stritch’s is the best show Broadway has seen in a long time! For anyone who loves musicals and has not seen the show, GO NOW!
[Especially since these are dry notes, I would have recommended Elaine Stritch: At Liberty for a second time and skipping Urinetown altogether.]
Thoroughly Modern Millie was surprisingly diverting. Despite its plethora flaws and shortcomings—structural, scenic, and dramaturgic—and a non-specific “twenties” setting, it sends home an audience feeling good. The supporting cast are excellent. It is too bad Harriet Harris does not have better, catchier, more musical, real show-stopping numbers. Lucky chorus-girl Sutton Foster gives it her all. She is talented—she can act, she can sing, and she can dance—but she does not exhibit that certain irresistible je-ne-sais-quoi and spark of undeniable star quality. Unfortunately for Ms. Tesori, Millie really sings when the trunk is opened, as it so often is in the course of the show. It is solid B work that offers glimpses of its unrealized potential. The show very much has the feel of being a work-in-progress. If only a hand truly gifted for creating musicals guided this one!
The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia? is about bestiality and so much more—and yet so much less. It is the second Albee miss of the season. At least, it is better than a play about an interview of Dead Louise Nevelson, even with Anne Bancroft as occupant of the lead role. The Play About the Baby was better Albee with a more exciting cast. Bill Pullman and Jeffrey Carlson are very good in their roles. Stephen Rowe reads too effete in his homophobic part. Mercedes Ruehl fails to deliver in hers; she is never believably Stevie, or any human being for that matter. Button-pusher Albee could and should have delivered much more with this one, which is simultaneously perverse yet safe. Still, I look forward to the adaptation: Sylvia! The Free Love, Free Range Musical…
Oklahoma! is undeniably an American classic, but the Royal National Theatre production directed by Trevor Nunn and moved by Cameron Mackintosh misses the bull’s-eye. Shuler Hensley is excellent as Judd. The other principals deliver good, but not remarkable performances. Josefina Gabrielle dances well, but sings poorly. As for an alleged insightful reassessment, someone ought to explain to Mr. Nunn that it is called subtext for a reason. In this case “darker” is literally and figuratively with less light than required.
Sweet Smell of Success stinks. I was looking forward to the show, given its creators' credentials, but it is an emphatic miss by talented professionals. Smell is not interesting and not entertaining. It is a shame that Marvin Hamlisch devoted so much time to it, and that John Lithgow chose it for his return to Broadway.
Urinetown is a huge disappointment, a one-joke, twenty-minute sketch bloated and engorged to fill an evening. I nearly had to go during the first act, but remaining seated allowed the discovered that the second act is more moving. At best, the show is mildly amusing, and utterly forgettable. In no way is it a seminal work or comedic triumph. If only it were half as daring and shocking in this day as Brecht and Weill were in theirs.
What is rock-and-roll? Just kidding! Buddy Holly, Bill Haley, Elvis Presley. Does Bye, Bye, Birdie count?
Posted by freedunit @ 04/30/2002 03:55 PM PST

The trivia answer has been answered. I have to admit i thought my clue it was easy as "pi" was cute. Afterall what goes great with "pi" but Ice Cream
Posted by Michael Shayne @ 04/30/2002 07:03 PM PST

There's not much pre-Beatles that I absolutely LOVE, but I adore Buddy Holly, especially "Oh, Boy" and "Rave On"...but my very favorite 50's song has to be Dion's "Teenager in Love" - I do fabulous harmony to it, too!
Posted by anita @ 04/30/2002 07:32 PM PST

But what about Gail Storm's "Teenage Prayer"? (What was she--thirty?) I always thought the lyrics should include,
I know somwhere
There's a teenage God
To answer my teenage prayer.
And yes, Michael, the perfect puzzle is the one that seems devilishly difficult until one knows the answer, and then it is almost obvious. From My Book: Chapter 7: How to Write a Mystery Story.
Posted by William F. Orr @ 04/30/2002 08:11 PM PST

I have to admit to not knowing Joanie Sommers, but I do remember that kd lang did a song called 'Johnny Get Angry' on Saturday Night Live. It's probably the same song and I enjoyed it for years (but finally taped over it). How great that it's by Sherman Edwards!
Posted by Stephen @ 05/01/2002 04:02 AM PST

BK wrote: The co-star who died during a performance of another musical on Broadway: Arnold Soboloff, during a performance of the Sandy Duncan revival of Peter Pan.
Died DURING a performance?
PreBeatles is before my time. My earliest rock memories are my much-older sister listening to the Monkees.
Posted by Laura @ 05/01/2002 06:52 AM PST

Didn't Cyril Richard die during a performance of something in 1977?
Posted by William F. Orr @ 05/01/2002 07:00 AM PST

Ritchard died during a performance of "Side by Side" in Chicago.
David Burns died during a performance of "70 Girls 70."
Lainie Kazan was one of my favorite singers in the 60s. I have only two albusm...but it's the one on the MGM label on which she sings "I Loves You Porgy" that is my favorite.
I have no pre-Beatles favorites except for Peggy Lee and Gale Storm. And Dorothy Collins. Giselle McKenzie. Dinah Shore (See...the....U-SA in your CHEV-rolet...America is asking you to call...). Tennessee Ernie Ford (blame my parents). Perry Como (STILL love Como).
R
Posted by Ron Pulliam @ 05/01/2002 07:46 AM PST

I believe Ritchard collapsed during a performance of "Side by Side", but didn't make his "final exit" until about a month later. And Burns died during the pre-Broadway tryout of "70", to be replaced by Hans Conreid.
Posted by JMK @ 05/01/2002 08:57 AM PST

The best information I have found is…
Arnold Soboloff, born 11 November 1930 in New York City, died 28 October 1979 of a heart attack onstage during Peter Pan, starring Sandy Duncan, at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre.
David Burns, born 22 June 1901 in New York City, died 12 March 1971 of a heart attack onstage during 70, Girls, 70 in Philadelphia.
Cyril Ritchard, born 1 December 1897 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, had a heart attack that resulted in coma onstage during the 25 November 1977 performance of Side by Side by Sondheim in Chicago, where he died 18 December 1977.
Irene Ryan, née Noblette, born 17 October 1902 in El Paso, Texas, had a stroke five months into her run in Pippin at the Imperial Theatre in March 1973, and died Thursday 26 April 1973 in Santa Monica, California.
Posted by freedunit @ 05/01/2002 01:46 PM PST

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