The Great White Way Part Two

This nickname is used for a section of Broadway in Manhattan, New York City that is between 41st and 53rd Streets. These streets are clustered in an area around Times Square and are often referred to as the Theater District. Broadway itself has 41 theaters around Times Square and you can see many lit-up billboards, posters, and marquees that promote the latest musicals and plays. Part Two includes some of the most popular musicals that once played on Broadway. The link for Part One is below.

Hair

“Hair: The American Tribal-Love Rock Musical” is a rock musical with a book and lyrics by Gerome Ragni and James Radow with music by Galt MacDermont. The musical reflects the creators' observation of the hippie counterculture and sexual revolution of the late 1960s. Several songs from the musical became anthems of the anti-Vietnam War peace movement. It was a groundbreaking Broadway musical with a racially integrated cast and the audience being invited onstage for a "Be-In" finale.

The musical tells the story of the "tribe", a group of politically active, long-haired hippies of the "Age of Aquarius" living a bohemian life in New York City and fighting against conscription into the Vietnam War.

Among other cast members, the original Broadway production included Melba Moore as Dionne, Ronnie Dyson, Paul Jabara, and Diane Keaton.

”Hair” started on Off-Broadway on October 17, 1967, at the Joseph Papp Public Theater and finally opened on Broadway at the Biltmore Theater in January 1968 and ran for 1,750 performances. The show produced a million-dollar original Broadway cast recording. Among the well-known songs from the show were "Aquarius," "Hair," and "Good Morning Starshine."

Hello Dolly

"Hello Dolly" is a Broadway musical from 1964 with lyrics and music by Jerry Herman and a book by Michael Stewart that is based on the 1938 farce by Thornton Wilder "The Merchant of Yonkers" Wilder revised it and retitled it "The Matchmaker" in 1955.

The musical tells the story of Dolly Gallagher Levi, who is a matchmaker, as she travels from Yonkers, New York to Manhattan to find a match for the miserly and unmarried millionaire Horace Vandergelder.

"Hello Dolly" opened on Broadway at the St. James Theater and ran for 2,844 performances. The talented cast included Dolly played by Carol Channing, Horace played by David Burns, Cornelius portrayed by Charles Nelson Reilly, Irene portrayed by Eileen Brennan, Barnaby portrayed by Jerry Dodge, Minnie Fay played by Sondra Lee, Ermengarde portrayed by Alice Playten, and Ambrose by Igors Gavon.

The musical topped the Tony Awards in 1964 winning awards in ten categories. Through the run of the Broadway production the actresses that portrayed Dolly Levi were after Channing left the show Ginger Rogers, Martha Raye, Betty Grable, Pearl Bailey, Phyllis Diller, and Ethel Merman.

La Cage Aux Folles

I had the pleasure of seeing “La Cage Aux Folles” on Broadway and I loved it so much I bought a cassette of the songs before I left the theater.

“La Cage Aux Folles” is a musical with music and lyrics by Jerry Herman and a book by Harvey Fierstein. The musical is based on a French play from 1973 by Jean Poiret. The musical tells the story of a gay couple Georges, the manager of a Saint-Tropez nightclub featuring drag entertainment, and Albin, his romantic partner and star attraction. The fun begins when Georges's son Jean-Michel, brings home his fiancee's ultra-conservative parents to meet them.

When the Broadway production opened in 1983 at the Palace Theater it broke barriers for gay representation and became the first hit Broadway musical centered on a homosexual relationship. The song "I Am What I Am" from the show received praise as a "gay anthem" and has been widely recorded. The production ran for over four years with 1,716 performances and won six Tony Awards including Best Musical, Best Score, and Best Book.

The original Broadway cast included Gene Barry as Georges, George Hearn as Albin, John Weiner as Jean-Michel, Jay Garner as Edouard Dindon, Merle Louise as Mme Dindon, Elizabeth Parrish as Jacqueline, Leslie Stevens as Anne, and William Thomas Jr. as Jacob.

I tell you I was so enthusiastic about this show I left the theater singing and dancing and I would have returned for several more performances but my pockets didn't hold so much cash.

Mame

I have the video of the movie made from the musical “Mame”. It is the funniest thing ever to see Lucille Ball as Mame and Bea Arthur as her best friend, Vera Charles. However, I am writing about the original Broadway production of “Mame”.

The musical “Mame” was based on a book by Jerome Lawrence and Robert Edwin Lee. The music and lyrics are by Jerry Herman. It is a period piece set in New York City and spanning the Great Depression and WW II. It focuses on eccentric bohemian Mame Dennis, her fabulous life, colorful, wealthy friends, and wild parties. Life gets disrupted when the young son of her late brother comes to live with her. They coped with the Depression through many different adventures.

“Mame” opened on Broadway in 1966 at the Winter Garden Theater and three years later moved to the Broadway Theater with 1, 508 performances. In the original production, Mame was portrayed by Angela Lansbury, Bea Arthur as Vera Charles, Frankie Michaels as Patrick, Jane Connell as Agnes Gooch, and Charles Braswell as Beauregard Jackson Pickett Burnside.

Meet Me In St. Louis

I have the video of the Hollywood musical starring Judy Garland and it is fantastic. Originally the musical opened on Broadway.

"Meet Me In St, Louis" is a 1989 musical based on the 1944 movie of the same name about a family living in St, Louis, Missouri on the eve of the 1904 St, Louis World’s Fair.

The musical opened on Broadway at the George Gershwin Theater on November 2, 1989. It ran for 252 performances.

The Broadway cast included Brynn O'Malley as Esther, Gregg Edelman as Alonso Smith, Donna English as Anna Smith, Lewis J. Stadlen as Grandpa Prophater, and Max von Essen as John Truitt.

My Fair Lady

"My Fair Lady" is a musical that is based on the 1913 play by George Bernard Shaw "Pygmalion." The book and lyrics are by Alan Jay Lerner and the music by Frederick Loewe.

The story centers around a Cockney flower girl named Eliza Doolittle who takes speech lessons from Professor Henry Higgins, a phonetician so she can pass as a lady,

The Broadway show opened at the Mark Hellinger Theater on March 15, 1956, and after at The Broadway Theater and ran for 2,717 performances which was a record at that time. The original cast included Rex Harrison as Professor Henry Higgins and Julie Andrews as Eliza Doolittle with other cast members Robert Coote as Colonel Pickering, Cathleen Nesbitt as Mrs. Higgins, and Stanley Holloway as Alfred P. Doolittle.

The Broadway show won six Tony Awards including best musical.

Sweeney Todd

I always wanted to see this production which is called “Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street”. I got to see the production on YouTube but I would have enjoyed seeing it on Broadway because Angela Lansbury gave a sterling performance.

The musical is based on a 1973 melodrama by Christopher Bond showing Todd as the victim of a ruthless judge who exiled him to Australia and then raped his young wife, driving her mad. Todd returns to England to seek revenge.

The original production of “Sweeny Todd” opened on March 1, 1979, at the Uris Theater now called the Gershwin. The show featured music and lyrics by Sondheim and a book by Wheeler. It starred Angela Lansbury and Len Carilos in the main roles.

The production of “Sweeny Todd” received 8 Tony Awards. 11 Drama Desk Awards and the Drama Critic's Circle Award for Best Musical.

The Music Man

“The Music Man” is a musical with book, music, and lyrics by Meredith Wilson and is based on a story by Wilson and Franklin Lacey. The Broadway show opened on December 19, 1957,at the Majestic Theater and gave performances for nearly three years before moving to The Broadway Theater. In all the show completed 1,375 performances.

The original cast included Robert Preston as Harold Hill, Barbara Cook as Marian, Eddie Hodges as Winthrop, Pert Kelton as Mrs. Paroo, Iggie Wolfington as Marcellus Washburn, and David Burns as Mayor Shinn.

The musical is about a man named Harold Hill, who poses as a boy's band organizer and leader. He decides to sell band uniforms and instruments to the naive townsfolk of a Midwestern town. It all turns out very differently when Hill finds out the town librarian Marian sees through his disguise. However, he does help her younger brother overcome his lisp and social awkwardness and she begins to fall in love with him. In turn, he is ready to get caught to win her heart.

“The Music Man” won five Tony Awards among them Best Musical. The show also became a Hollywood musical in 1962.

The Pajama Game

The next Broadway musical I had to mention was "The Pajama Game" mostly because it brings fond memories since I was in the chorus of this musical when we performed it at our high school.

The storyline comes from a book by George Abbott and Richard Bissell. It is about a labor dispute in a pajama factory. Despite that it does not sound interesting it is a great musical that includes plenty of comedy and romance. Lyrics and music by Richard Adler and Jerry Moss.

The original cast included John Raitt as Sid Sorokin, Janis Paige as Babe Williams, Eddie Foy Jr as Hines., Reta Shaw as Mabe;, Carol Haney as Gladys, Ralph Dunn as Hasler, Stanley Prager as Prez, and Thelma Pelish as Mae..

"The Pajama Game" opened up at the St, James Theater on Broadway in May 1954 and ran for 1,063 performances. It won the Tony Awards for Best Musical, Best Performance by a Featured Actress In a Musical, and Best Choreography.

Victor Victoria

The musical movie "Victor Victoria" is a delight that stars Julie Andrews, Robert Preston, and James Garner. I wish I could have seen the Broadway production.

"Victor Victoria" is a musical with a book by Blake Edwards, music by Henry Mancini, lyrics by Leslie Bricusse, and additional music and lyrics by Frank Wildhorn. It was based on the 1982 movie of the same name. It was the remake of a German film comedy "Vikto Viktoria" in 1933.

It turns out that a woman singer Victoria Grant cannot successfully get a singing job. She meets Carroll "Toddy" Todd who performs at the Henri Labisse Left Bank gay club. Together they come up with a scheme for Victoria to pretend that she is Victor and surprise everyone with her singing and performance then show them that she is really a he even though she is not. The scheme works and Victor or Victoria becomes the toast of Paris.

"Victor Victoria" opened on Broadway at the Marquis Theater on October 25, 1995, and closed after 734 performances. The show was directed by Blake Edwards and choreographed by Rob Marshall. The original cast included Julie Andrews, Tony Roberts, Michael Nouri, Rachel York, Richard B. Shull, and Greg Ibara.

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