haines his way

05/13/2002:
"HOISTED ON ONE'S OWN PETARD"

Well, dear readers, the majority has spoken and they have spoken loudly, and so will keep our brand spanking new posting order the way it is. Some people started off not liking it, but by the end of yesterday, they had reversed themselves (no mean feat) and decided it was indeed fine and dandy and also dandy and fine. In fact, I was ready to change it back yesterday morning and had even spoken to Mr. Mark Bakalor about doing so, when I thought better of it and decided to wait a day or two. Well, thank goodness I did or I would have been hoisted on my own petard. Have you ever been hoisted on your own petard? I can’t imagine it would be comfortable, but I’m not certain of that fact because I have no idea what a fershluganah petard is. What in hell is a petard and how can you be hoisted on it? I mean, if I have a petard I damn well want to know about it, don’t you, dear readers? And do they have a machine that hoists? Certainly one can’t hoist one's self, can one? Can two? In any case, I would have been hoisted on my own petard and that would have been heinous (heinous, do you hear me?). How long does one have to stay on one’s petard? Can one hoist one's self off one’s petard any time they damn well feel like it, or is there a set time that one must remain on one’s petard? But enough about my petard.
I do hope that all you dear readers will be tuning into this week’s handy-dandy radio show to hear me pick twelve of my favorite showtunes. If you haven’t done so, do. If you have done so, do. Do, do, do (that is three dos), which is also a coprophiliac’s favorite Gershwin song).
Also, if you missed this weekend’s notes, you might want to catch up on them by using the handy-dandy Unseemly Archive Button, because there are many interesting tidbits and also regular-sized bits scattered about to and fro and fro and to and hither and thither and yon like fine fertilizer. Also, we have had no correct guesses in this week’s trivia contest. As those who were around on the weekend know, the original question became null and void when a dear reader inadvertently posted the answer to the site. So, I had to scurry about to find a substitute question, and I thought the substitute question was quite simple, but apparently it is not. You have until tonight to get in your handy-dandy guesses. I will be merciful and tell you that there is a clue buried in yesterday’s notes and/or posts.
I picked up several new DVDs over the weekend and I’ve watched a few, so let’s all click on that Unseemly Button to find out which I watched and before Mr. Mark Bakalor hoists us on our own collective petards.

I ended up not going to that Moderne antique show yesterday, because I was not feeling in a Moderne mood, and one must feel in a Moderne mood to attend a Moderne show. Otherwise there will be a clash of periods and we simply can’t have that, now can we? A clash of periods is unseemly, although not as unseemly as a clash of semi-colons. Now that is unseemly, a clash of semi-colons. What the hell am I talking about?
Yesterday, I began viewing the contents of the second Marilyn Monroe Box from Twentieth Century Fox. Yes, you heard it here, dear readers, Twentieth Century Fox has put out a new box. This Fox box has more Marilyn movies, including Monkey Business, Niagra, River of No Return, Let’s Make Love and Don’t Bother to Knock. For my first film from the second Fox box I chose to watch Let’s Make Love. I saw Let’s Make Love at the Fox Wilshire theater when it was first released, and I remember enjoying it, but said memory is clouded by the fact that there was a sneak preview playing with it, Come Dance With Me starring Brigitte Bardot. And that film is more etched in my memory for various reasons. In any case, I have tried to watch Let’s Make Love over the years and I haven’t been able to get through it. One of the reasons was it was usually on television and was always a pan and scan version of the Cinemascope film. I just couldn’t get with it. So, imagine my surprise to find out just what a delightful film Let’s Make Love is. Certainly underrated by most, from what I’ve read on the internet. Part of the problem with the film is that it goes on for fifteen or twenty minutes too long. Shorter would definitely be better for this film. But there are some marvelous moments throughout, three great cameos, the first of which had me howling with laughter. The story is, of course, contrived, but there are many laughs throughout, Mr. George Cukor’s direction is very stylish (especially the musical numbers) and the cast is excellent, including the star, Mr. Yves Montand, and Tony Randall, the brilliant Wilfred Hyde-White, and even Joe Besser. The only real misfire in the whole movie is Frankie Vaughan, who was a British pop singer, and who is just not screen-friendly. Miss Marilyn Monroe is wonderful in this film – stunningly beautiful, funny, rueful – and her musical numbers are a total delight.
Then I put the Fox box aside and watched a brand spanking movie from last year, Mr. Alejandro Amenabar’s The Others. I had enjoyed Mr. Amenabar’s Open Your Eyes (from whence came Vanilla Sky), so was looking forward to this film. It’s very much in the style of Mr. Robert Wise’s The Haunting – in other words, it’s pretty much what you don’t see that is scary, not what you do see. I much prefer that approach to the ham chunk-fisted approach of Mr. Jan de Bont’s retelling of The Haunting, where the whole affair becomes about the special effects. In fact, other than digital fog and some subtle photographic effects, there are no special effects in The Others. It’s creepy, and very stylishly directed (not in the show-off way of most of today’s directors) with a terrific score, which is also by Mr. Amenabar who, by the way, is only twenty-eight years old. The cast is really excellent, especially the two kids, and Fionulla Flanagan. However, the whole thing doesn’t really add up to much – it’s really just an extended Twilight Zone, and I found it very predictable. But it’s all so well done that I’d recommend it anyway.
What am I, Ebert and Roeper all of a sudden? I’ll have more to report as the week goes on, as I’ve yet to watch the new DVDs of Mr. Louis Malle’s wonderful Atlantic City, the rest of the Fox box, and a handful of others. I did finish watching Expresso Bongo and was dismayed to realize they’d either cut or changed many of the songs from the stage version. Still and all, it’s a good film, with excellent performances all around, and looks great in its black and white Cinemascope transfer.
I just walked in the other room to make certain I’d spelled Mr. Amenabar’s name correctly. As I leaned over to look at the DVD case, a tremendously annoying sharp pain shot through my lower back. Why? From bending over? That is so annoying, a sharp pain in the lower back for no reason whatsoever. And now, I have a hovering pain in my lower back that will not go away. This is what happens when you get older. You get sharp pains out of nowhere, you begin to fall down, you drool at the most unseemly times, you can’t remember anything, you make awful noises when you try to get out of bed in the morning, you make awful noises when you get into bed, you get heartburn and your whole body begins to droop like so much fish. In fact, if these notes don’t appear one fine day, please send someone to my home, as I will invariably be lying on the floor, writhing in agony, unable to move, hoisted on my own petard.
Yesterday, one of our dear readers who was listening to our radio show, remembered something from one of the One From Column A columns – where I’d been asked what I felt a good song was. He sent me what I’d written back then, and I thought I’d share it with you now.
To me, a good song is a song with a perfect meld of music and words; music that takes me places, that gets to me emotionally, whose harmonic structure connects with me, whose form works for what the song is trying to say and whose notes lay perfectly on the words. Obviously, songs fall into many categories. Pop songs, art songs, theater songs, opera arias, etc. And what makes a pop song good wouldn't necessarily make a theater song good. So you see how tough the question really is. For instance, there was a song written in the 70s which was sung by Art Garfunkel and which also had a recording by its author, Tim Moore. The song is entitled Second Avenue and the first time I heard it I fell in love with it. I thought it was a great song. But is it a great song? The lyric is sloppy, it has bad rhymes and the words don't always sit on the music comfortably. The music, on the other hand, is pretty terrific. Somehow, the combination of those words on that music really connected with me. I couldn't stop playing that song, couldn't get that song out of my head for weeks. So, to me, that song achieved everything its author set out to achieve. If you compare it to a Sondheim song it becomes apparent that it's not very good, isn't sophisticated, isn't clever and doesn't have incredible wordplay, But so what? Sondheim songs are crafted for the musicals they are in, written for specific characters to sing. While I find Every Day A Little Death and The Road You Didn't Take to be two of the finest songs ever written, I suspect that most non-theater lovers would just listen to them and think, “What is it, fish?”
Well, enough rambling, I must get up and greet the day, I must do the things I do, and I must try to get rid of this annoying pain in my lower back. Today’s topic of discussion: While doing the radio show on Saturday, I thought it would be fun if all you dear readers did what I had to do – choose twelve of your favorite showtunes, whether in original cast versions or cover versions. This is not as easy as it seems, as you’ll hear me discuss on the radio show. Just list the twelve – don’t tell us the reasons. Because what we are going to do is to choose, at random, a couple of your lists, and we are going make said lists the subject of a radio show, and we will be doing phone interviews to find out why you chose as you did. Doesn’t that sound like fun? Isn’t that the coolest? Of course it is, because we are cool, man, real cool. So, you know (or will know, if you listen in to the radio show) my choices – now it’s your turn.

Replies: 38 Unseemly Comments

These are just off the top of my head, without much thinking:
1) Sunrise, Sunset
2) Everythings Coming Up Roses
3) The Party's Over
4) If Ever I Would Leave You
5) I Could Have Danced All Night
6) Soliloquy (Carousel)
7) Make Someone Happy
8) Some Enchanted Evening
9) Night and Day
10) I've Got Rhythm
11) They Say That Falling in Love is Wonderful
12) Hey There
Posted by steveg @ 05/13/2002 10:22 AM PST

Bruce, if you still have that sharp pain, or if it has turned to a dull but totally aggravating nonspecific ache somewhere in the back, try drinking a few glasses of water. A small kidney stone will often masquerade as back pain and water can flush it out.
--From someone older than you who has all that stuff going on but hasn't started to drool yet.
As for 12 show toons:
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Posted by William F. Orr @ 05/13/2002 10:24 AM PST

Twelve songs, huh?
1) Ladies Who Lunch (Company)
2) Not While I'm Around (Sweeney Todd)
3) Soliloquy (from Carousel)
4) Children Will Listen (Into the Woods)
5) Ya Got Trouble (Music Man)
6) Lonely Room (Oklahoma)
7) You Can Have The TV
8) Could Be (West Side Story)
9) If I Coulda Been (Working)
10)Mill Work (Working)
11)The Mason (Working)
12)Gethsemane(JC Superstar)
"Working" resonates as I just saw a production based on the Y2K revisions made by Mssr. Schwartz. It has always been one of my favorite scores, although the book does drag.
"Gethsemane" is almost as difficult a vocal/emotional workout as "Soliloquy". Both numbers run the range of emotions (love, anger, fear, denial, acceptance) in a 6-8 min time span.
See ya tomorrow!
Posted by Phil @ 05/13/2002 10:32 AM PST

Twelve of my favorites would have to include:
1. Ice Cream (from She Loves Me)
2. I Had a Ball (from the musical of the same name)
3. Send in the Clowns (from A Little Night Music)
4. Chain of Love (from The Grass Harp)
5. Rose's Turn (from Gypsy)
6. I Don't Want to Know (from Dear World)
7. Simple Little Things (from 110 in the Shade)
8. Some Other Time (from On the Town)
9. A Quiet Thing (from Flora the Red Menace)
10. Ten Minutes Ago (from Cinderella)
11. Dear One (from Kiss of the Spider Woman)
12. Moonshine Lullaby (from Annie Get Your Gun)
Not a highly considered list, but these all came to me rather fast.
Posted by Philip Crosby @ 05/13/2002 10:50 AM PST

My 12 are:
1. With So Little To Be Sure Of (Anyone Can Whistle)
2. I Have Dreamed (King and I)
3. The Colors of My Life (Barnum)
4. Maybe This Time (Cabaret)
5. My Cup Runneth Over (I Do, I Do!
6. And This Is My Beloved (Kismet)
7. Corner of the Sky (Pippin)
8. A Trip To The Library (She Loves Me)
9. Sometimes A Day Goes By (Woman of the Year)
10. Tonight Quintet (West Side Story)
11. The Country's In The Very Best of Hands (Li'l Abner)
12. The Story Goes On (Baby)
Posted by Craig @ 05/13/2002 10:57 AM PST

Interesting to note:
The list I came up with is not the list I thought I would come up with.. is anyone else noticing this...
Posted by Craig @ 05/13/2002 11:00 AM PST

This is hard and could change in a second's notice and is amazing that I never thought the list would be the following:
WITH SO LITTLE TO BE SURE OF-Anyone Can Whistle
SOMEONE IN A TREE-Pacific Overtures
ANYONE CAN WHISTLE-Anyone Can Whistle
BUT NOT FOR ME-Girl Crazy
ALL THE THINGS YOU ARE-Very Warm For May
ICE CREAM-She Loves Me
WILL HE LIKE ME-She Loves Me
SOMETHING YOU NEVER HAD BEFORE-The Gay Life
GLITTER AND BE GAY-Candide
NOBODY ELSE BUT ME-Show Boat
YOU'RE NOTHING WITHOUT ME-Ciy of Angels
OLD DEVIL MOON-Finian's Rainbow
Posted by Arnold M. Brockman @ 05/13/2002 11:11 AM PST

Venturing out of lurkdom....these are the first 12 that came to mind, in no particular order:
1. Move On
2. I Won't Send Roses
3. Kiss Her Now
4. What Would I Do? (Falsettoland)
5. With So Little To Be Sure Of
6. Fifty Million Years Ago
7. Meadowlark
8. The Story Goes On
9. It Would Have Been Wonderful (no, not that one...the one from Annie Warbucks, thanks to Jason Graae)
10. Sunday (SITPWG)
11. Someone in a Tree
12. Not A Care in the World
Posted by Pam @ 05/13/2002 11:19 AM PST

1. “Some People”
2. “Don’t Rain on My Parade”
3. “Wherever He Ain’t”
4. “Far From the Home I Love”
5. “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going”
6. “High Flying Adored”
7. “I’ll Never Fall in Love Again”
8. “There Won’t Be Trumpets”
9. “If He Walked Into My Life”
10. “Before the Parade Passes by”
11. “No Time at All”
12. “I’m Still Here”
Posted by freedunit @ 05/13/2002 11:23 AM PST

I started considering this list as I listened to this week's fabulous radio show. I'm sure it would change if I had a whole week, but I'll just go with what I have at this particular moment... (all from the OBC, except the two noted)
Every Day a Little Death (from ALNM)
The Ballad of Booth (from Assassins)
She Loves Me (from She Loves Me)
Fifty Percent (from Ballroom)
What Did I Have? (from On a Clear Day...)
Somewhere That's Green (from Little Shop of Horrors)
Life Upon the Wicked Stage (from Show Boat -the movie version with Marge Champion)
Long Before I Knew You (from Bells are Ringing)
Nothing (from A Chrous Line)
Tomorrow (from Annie)
The Rythm of Life (from Sweet Charity)
It Couldn't Please Me More (from Cabaret, the new Broadway Cast)
Phew. That was tough.
Posted by Lolita @ 05/13/2002 11:43 AM PST

here goes off the top of my head, and it's about time because it is awfully heavy:
01. Thou Swell (Connecticut Yankee)
02. Old Devil Moon (Finian's Rainbow)
03. Suddenly Seymor (Little Shop)
04. Let's Misbehave (Anything Goes)
05. Hazel's Hips (Kicks and co.)
06. Can Can (Can Can)
07. Bye Bye Birdie (Bye Bye Birdie)
08. Don't Nobody Bring Me No Bad News (The Wiz)
09. Officer Krupke (West Side Story)
10. America (West Side Story)
11. Tonight (West Side Story)
12. Somewhere That's Green (Little Shop)
Posted by Mattso @ 05/13/2002 11:54 AM PST

My list is perhaps a bit more modern than some of the others.
Nobody's side (Chess)
Anyone can whistle (ACW)
Sunday (SITPWG)
Du måste finnas (Kristina från Duvemåla)
Meadowlark (Baker's Wife)
Money Tree (The Act)
The Old Red Hills of Home (Parade)
Life Is (Zorba)
Marry Me A Little (Company)
One Day More (Les Miz)
The Impossible Dream (Man of La Mancha)
A Little Bit In Love (Wonderful Town)
Posted by Erik Otterberg @ 05/13/2002 12:33 PM PST

Here are mine in alphabetical order.
Alaiyo (Raisin)
And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going (Dreamgirls)
Away From You (Rex)
The Ballad of Jennie (Lady In the Dark)
Disneyland (Smile)
Dreamers (Jean)
If We Never Meet Again (Rags)
Our Private World (On the Twentieth Century)
Stages (Stages)
Summertime (Porg and Bess)
A Weekend in the Country (A Little Night Music)
Wonderful Music/Rain Song/Finale (110 in the Shade)
Posted by Michael Shayne @ 05/13/2002 12:50 PM PST

In no particular order:
Tap Your Troubles Away -- Mack & Mabel
The Tea Party -- Dear World
Now, Soon, Later - A Little Night Music
A Real Live Girl -- Little Me
Perfectly Marvelous -- Cabaret
I Am Easily Assimilated -- Candide
Call From the Vatican -- Nine
Agony (both takes) -- Into the Woods
Losing My Mind -- Follies
Purlie -- Purlie
Dere's a Boat Dats Leaving Soon For New York -- Porgy and Bess
Ice Cream -- She Loves Me
Posted by Ron Pulliam @ 05/13/2002 01:35 PM PST

Not an easy task at 7.30am!
Love Don't Turn Away
In Buddy's Eyes
Will He Like Me
And This is My Beloved
Tonight (Quartet) WSS
Johanna (Quartet)Act 2
Not A Day Goes By
Lion Tamer (Magic Show)
Gifts Of Love (Baker's Wife)
When Did I Fall In Love (Fiorello)
Time Heals Everything
Walking Among My Yesterdays (The Happy Time
I expected to have more Kander & Ebb songs and what happened to Cy Coleman?
Posted by Tom from OZ @ 05/13/2002 02:58 PM PST

You know, I just hate sitting for some radio broadcast and wondering, What is this—fish?
Posted by freedunit @ 05/13/2002 03:36 PM PST

In alphabetical order:
"Cherry Pies Ought To Be You" from OUT OF THIS WORLD -- original Broadway cast
"Heaven in My Arms" from VERY WARM FOR MAY -- from the JEROME KERN TREASURY album on EMI/Angel
"It Never Entered My Mind," from HIGHER AND HIGHER -- Shirley Ross (single)
"It's Got To Be Love" from ON YOUR TOES -- Christine Andreas, ensemble (1983 revival cast)
"Jubilation T. Cornpone," from LI'L ABNER -- Stubby Kaye & ensemble (Original Broadway Cast)
"Marie's Law" from FIORELLO! -- Original Broadway Cast
"Moon of My Delight" from CHEE-CHEE -- Frederica Von Stade (Rodgers & Hart recital album)
"Normal American Boy" from BYE BYE BIRDIE -- Original Broadway Cast
"Right as the Rain" from BLOOMER GIRL
"Weekend in the Country, A" from A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC -- Original Broadway Cast
"When I'm Not Near the Girl I Love" from FINIAN'S RAINBOW -- David Wayne
"You've Got Possibilities" from SUPERMAN -- Linda Lavin (Original Broadway Cast)
Posted by Jaime J. Weinman @ 05/13/2002 04:21 PM PST

Glad to see some of our handy-dandy lurkers posting - wilkommen, bienvenue, velcome.
I love these lists I'm seeing - so eclectic, so different - and in several instances they feature songs which came very close to making my very own list.
Posted by bk @ 05/13/2002 04:29 PM PST

Did anyone else catch the classic musical theater moment last night on the LA Law edition of Weakest Link? Anne Robinson to Michael Tucker: "This Andrew Lloyd Webber musical is told from the point of view of Judas." Michael Tucker: "Cats." Now, that's a version I'd pay to see.
Posted by JMK @ 05/13/2002 04:31 PM PST

These are just 12 of many favorites: (no particular order)
1. Something To Dance About
2. Tea For Two (with complete dance break)
3. Time Heals Everything
4. So Many People
5. Just Go To The Movies
6. That's How Young I Feel
7. I Feel So Much Spring
8. I Still Get Jealous
9. 70, Girls, 70
10. Mama Will Provide
11. Henchmen Are Forgotten
12. Hurry! It's Lovely Up Here
Posted by Mark L. @ 05/13/2002 05:49 PM PST

Like everybody else, this list would change in 10 minutes, but all of these songs are among my favorites.
So, without further ado (although I like a lot of ado), here goes. In no order at all:
"Tea For Two"- "No, No, Nanette"
"At the Ballet" - "Chorus Line"
"Speak Low" from "One Touch of Venus" (Dolores Gray did one of the best recordings of this)
"We Kiss in a Shadow"- "King and I"
"With You On My Arm"- "La Cage Aux Folles"
"Trouble"- "Music Man"
"The Road You Didn't Take"- "Follies"
"I'm Still Here"- "Follies"
"Would I Leave You?" - "Follies"
"Side By Side By Side"- "Company"
"Best of Times"- "La Cage Aux Folles"
Posted by Kerry @ 05/13/2002 07:27 PM PST

My 12 (plus one cheat):
[N.B. The same caveats apply.]
*You Could Drive a Person Crazy; Company
*A Weekend in the Country; A Little Night Music
*Telephone Hour; Bye Bye Birdie
*Why Should I Wake Up?; Cabaret
*Sara Lee; And The World Goes Round
*You and I Love; 70, Girls, 70
*Bobo's; The Act
*Springtime for Hitler; The Producers
*When The Kids Get Married; I Do! I Do!
*The Late, Late Show; Do Re Mi
*You Just in Love; Call Me Madam
*Everybody's Girl; Steel Pier
And a non-show tune, but related nonetheless
*If I Knew You Were Comin', I'd A Baked a Cake; Bob Merrill et. al.
Posted by Paul Fairie @ 05/13/2002 08:06 PM PST

I guess if defined as the song that makes me sit up straight because it's about to start, these are some of my favorites:
Mama Look Soft (1776)
Gus the Theater Cat (CATS)
I Dreamed a Dream (Les Mis)
Weekend in the Country (ALNM)
I'm Flying (PeterPan)
The Miller's Son (ALNM)
Music of the Night (Phantom..)
It's Priest (Sweeney Todd)
Soliloquy (Carousel)
Coffee Break (How to Succeed..)
I Hate Men (Kiss me Kate)
Into the Fire (Scarlet Pimpernel)
Posted by Laura @ 05/13/2002 08:11 PM PST

The rules did state to list which version you prefer, so I guess I shall:
All OBC except: Sara Lee (An Evening with John Kander & Fred Ebb); Bobo's (The Dorothy Loudon album, the title of which I forget); You're Just in Love (which I misspelled; though sacreligious, I prefer the Tyne Daly version just for completeness); "Everybody's Girl" (the Leading Ladies version)
Posted by Paul Fairie @ 05/13/2002 08:34 PM PST

No reasons, no order, and the list would be different any different day.
1. "Ragtime", the opening.
2. "Move On"
3. "Sunday"
4. "And This Is My Beloved"
5. "A Little Priest"
6. "Anyone Can Whistle"
7. "The Happy Time"
8. "One"
9. "Hello Youg Lovers"--the Donna Murphy version, on one of my favorite ever cast albums. Not to curry favor, but it is.
10. "The Apple Doesn't Fall"
11. "Waiting Around for the Girls Upstairs"
12. "Shall We Dance?"
Posted by William F. Orr @ 05/13/2002 08:34 PM PST

Why not make it three posts? In case Sara Lee doesn't count, because it's technically not written for the theatre (I was seeing if it might slide .. )
70, Girls, 70 (70, Girls, 70; OBC)
I Never Do Anything Thrice ...
Posted by Paul Fairie @ 05/13/2002 08:37 PM PST

Damn, this is tough! And quite surprising...I would have guessed I'd have far more than 2 Sondheim melodies. Anyway, here's the list of the moment (alphabetical, as you can see):
Aldonza (Man of La Mancha)
Cool (West Side Story)
Finishing the Hat (Sunday in the Park with George)
Funny (City of Angels)
Hello Twelve, Hello Thirteen, Hello Love (A Chorus Line)
How Glory Goes (Floyd Collins)
Luck of the Draw (Violet)
Now/Later/Soon (A Little Night Music)
Rose's Turn (Gypsy)
Sit Down You're Rocking the Boat (Guys and Dolls)
Soliloquy (Carousel)
Trouble (Music Man)
Posted by Jed @ 05/13/2002 09:33 PM PST

After much deep thought and
time that should have been
spent studying for finals...
In no particular order
1. Every Day A Little Death-
ALNM
2. Candide Overture –
Candide
3. Marry Me A Little – Company
4. How Could I Ever Know –
Secret Garden
5. Lily’s Eyes – Secret Garden
6. Millers Son – ALNM
7. One Day More – Les Mis
8. Stars – Les Mis
9. Everybody Says Don’t –
Anyone Can Whistle
10. Who Will Buy – Oliver
11. Bali Hai - SoPac
12. Can’t Help Lovin Dat Man –
Show Boat
Posted by Ann @ 05/13/2002 09:35 PM PST

All of Forever Plaid
Cocktail Counterpoint(La Cage)
Mr. Goldstone (Gypsy)
Far From the Home I Love (Fiddler..)
Believe (Scarlet Pimpernel)
She Was There (Scarlet Pimpernel)
Crime of the Century (Ragtime)
Your Daddy's Hands (Ragtime)
Dulcinea (Man of LaMancha)
If I Can't Love Her (Beauty..Beast)
Red and Black (Les Mis)
Stars (Les Mis)
I Have a Teeny Little Dinghy (Something's Afoot)
Posted by Sandra @ 05/13/2002 09:35 PM PST

after some deep consideration, and a quick perusal of my cd collection:
(1) Soon It's Gonna Rain (The Fantasticks, OBC)
(2) You're Gonna Love Tomorrow/Love Will See Us Through (Follies, concert cast)
(3) Wheels of a Dream (Ragtime)
(4) Man Say (Raisin)
(5) Look What Happened to Mabel (Mack and Mabel, London Cast)
(6) You and I (Chess, Danish Cast)
(7) Waiting for Life (Once on This Island, OBC)
(8) The Riddle Song (Floyd Collins)
(9) Unlikely Lovers (Falsettos, live version with Lewis Cleale)
(10) I Know Now (Robert and Elizabeth)
(11) I to the World (Oh, Brother!, OBC)
(12) The Factory Girls/Come Up to My Office (Parade)
Posted by GFK @ 05/13/2002 09:42 PM PST

Ok, seeing as how my mind changed so quickly after my initial post...I'm gonna amend...
Replace "How Glory Goes" with "The Riddle Song," also from Floyd Collins
Posted by Jed @ 05/13/2002 09:50 PM PST

YOU'RE THE TOP (Anything
Goes)
SOME GIRL IS ON YOUR
MIND (Sweet Adeline)
THE MILLER'S SON (ALNM)
I LEAVE THE WORLD
(Goodtime Charley)
GLAD TO BE UNHAPPY (On
Your Toes)
LOOK WHAT HAPPENED TO
MABEL (Mack & Mabel)
ALL THE THINGS YOU ARE
(Very Warm for May)
SOME ENCHANTED
EVENING (South Pacific)
SOME PEOPLE (Gypsy)
YOU'RE JUST IN LOVE (Call
Me Madam)
BEGIN THE BEGUINE (Jubilee)
SPRING IS HERE (I Married an
Angel)
Posted by Martin Barrett @ 05/13/2002 11:23 PM PST

The common thread here is melody.
Pure wonderful melody. No regard for lyrics. All with soaring beautiful high notes.
It's what I play on the piano when I want to feel good.
I don't need lyrics for that.
In no particular order:
1)Lost In The Stars (the title song)
2)I Talk To The Trees (Paint Your Wagon)
3)I've Never Been In Love Before (Guys and Dolls)
4)I'm Like A New Broom (A Tree Grows In Brooklyn)
5)Warm All Over (The Most Happy Fella)
6)Time Heals Everything (Mack and Mabel)
7)How Are Things In Glocca Mora?
(Finian's Rainbow)
8)Dear One (Kiss of the Spider Woman)
9)I Belong Here (The Grand Tour)
10) What Good Would the Moon Be? (Street Scene)
11)Song On The Sand (La Cage Aux Folles)
12)Our Time (Merrily We Roll Along)
I know. It's a little Jerry Herman heavy. But I'm talking melody. So what is one to do? Number 12 was almost Ribbons Down My Back.
Posted by Mark Rothman @ 05/14/2002 12:47 AM PST

It's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a new list! Feeling good!
Bruce, you are wicked. You are cruel and wicked. Just because Donald put you through this torture, you feel you have to share the pain with us. Twelve songs indeed! You might as well ask a mother to pick her favorite child.
On the way to work this morning, the radio was playing Bobby Darin's cover of "Hello Dolly!" How I love Bobby. What a tragedy that he died young. Think of all the covers he could be doing.
So now I have a new list entitled:
SONGS THAT I COULDN'T POSSIBLY LEAVE OFF MY LIST ALTHOUGH I COULDN'T POSSIBLY REMOVE ANY THAT ARE THERE:
1. "Hello, Dolly!" Bobby Darin
2. "Mack the Knife" Bobby Darin
3. "What Did I Have (That I Don't Have?)" Eydie Gorme
4. "Wait Till You See Her/Him" Liza Minelli
5. "I Am What I Am" Pia Zadora
6. "Lost in the Stars" Original Cast of the eponymous show (doncha love that word?)- Todd Duncan
7. "If Love Were All" I don't remember who is doing it on the Angel Studio cast of Bittersweet
8. "Our Time" Original Cast of Merrily
9. "I Loved You Once in Silence" both Julie Andrews in the OCR of Camelot and Karen Akers
10. "Glitter and Be Gay" Barbara Cook on the OCR of Candide
11. "Feeling Good" Gilbert Price on the OCR of Roar of the Greasepaint
12. "Time Heals Everything" Bernadette Peters on the OCR of Mack & Mable
And while I'm at it, someone mentioned our list was to include version, so here are the versions on my A list:
1. "Ragtime", the opening on the OCR of the eponymous show (Ooo! I got to use it again!)
2. "Move On" Bernadette Peters on the OCR of Sunday in the Park
3. "Sunday" OCR of Sunday in the Park
4. "And This Is My Beloved" Alfred Drake, Doretta Morrow, Richard Kiley, and Henry Calvin on the OCR of Kismet
5. "A Little Priest" Angela Landsbury and Len Cariou on the OCR of Sweeney Todd (They both autographed my copy! Nya nya nya!)
6. "Anyone Can Whistle" sung by the composer.
7. "The Happy Time" Robert Goulet on the OCR of--yes!--the eponymous show.
8. "One" OCR of A Chorus Line
9. "Hello Young Lovers"--the Donna Murphy version, on one of my favorite ever cast albums. Not to curry favor, but it is.
10. "The Apple Doesn't Fall" Chita Rivera and Liza Minelli on the OCR of The Rink
11. "Waiting Around for the Girls Upstairs" the Fab Four on the OCR of Follies
12. "Shall We Dance?" - well, I really want Yul to get on here, but scissors beats paper, and I'll go for Donna and Lou again. Why, oh why, aren't you producing more OCR's, Bruce? Not that I'm blaming you; rather the Powers That Be.
Maybe the topic should be narrowed: 12 favorite musical scenes; 12 fave production numbers; 12 fave ballads; 12 fave quirky one-of-a-kind songs that just tickle your fancy... And still it would be tough!
Posted by William F. Orr @ 05/14/2002 05:25 AM PST

[Note to self: Think about list more before posting.]
I know it wasn't a written rule, but it seemed to be one on the radio show (i.e. not two from one show).
So, replace my replacement (70, Girls, 70) with a new song:
"I Don't Want to Know" from Dear World.
Posted by Paul Fairie @ 05/14/2002 06:32 AM PST

Well nigh impossible! But here, in no particular order, is my Baker's Dozen...
1. Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin' (Oklahoma)
2. Politics and Poker (Fiorello)
3. Rose's Turn (Gypsy)
4. Show Me (My Fair Lady)
5. You're the Top (Anything Goes)
6. The Rhythm of Life (Sweet Charity)
7. There's No Business Like Show Business (Annie Get Your Gun)
8. I've Got Everything I Want (I Had a Ball)
9. Adelaide's Lament (Guys and Dolls)
10. A Weekend in the Country (A Little Night Music)
11. And I Was Beautiful (Dear World)
12. Little Ol' New York (Tenderloin)
13. My White Knight (The Music Man)
Posted by Donna - Cabaret West @ 05/14/2002 07:01 AM PST

BK --
I just listened to the radio show (thought I'd post my own list first so I wouldn't be influenced) and it was an unabashed delight. Wonderful picks, and yet not a single one of my own.
Can we please hear What Takes My Fancy again? You can sing Lucy's part and I will mumble the other guy's.
Posted by Phil Crosby @ 05/14/2002 08:31 AM PST

Yes, a lurker from day one can merely lurk no more. This has made my wee head hurt, but in no order, here they are:
1. Unexpected Song - Song and Dance, Bernadette Peters
2. Kickin the Clouds Away - The My One and Only Company
3. Something is Coming to Tea - High Spirits, Bea Lillie
4. Endless Night - Lion King
5. Heaven On Earth - Oh, Kay - Davis Gaines from APLA Tribute
6. Put On Your Sunday Clothes - Hello, Dolly, Pearl Bailey
7. Look Over There - La Cage aux Folles
8. Time Heals Everything - Mack and Mabel
9. All I Need Now is the Girl - Gypsy
10. If You Believe - The Wiz; Laurie Beechman
11. Children Will Listen - Into the Woods; Betty Buckley
12. Hey There, Good Times - I Love My Wife

Oh, how I wish Jerry Herman would write a new musical...
Posted by Scott R @ 05/14/2002 09:12 AM PST

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