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As we approach January 16 – the anniversary of Ethel Merman’s birth – let’s look at her biggest triumph. Merman often said Rose in GYPSY was her favorite role – and we can all understand why. Nevertheless, Irving Berlin’s ANNIE GET YOUR GUN was her longest-running hit. As Annie Oakley, she played virtually all of […]

Adding them all up, there weren’t all that many Jerry Herman songs that Broadway would ever get to hear. A mere dozen in MILK AND HONEY, MACK & MABEL and HELLO, DOLLY! Only eleven in MAME, DEAR WORLD, THE GRAND TOUR and LA CAGE AUX FOLLES.  There were five others as a result of Herman’s […]

At the Harold Prince Memorial, which of the esteemed producer-director’s many musicals was represented by the most songs? If you weren’t at the Majestic Theatre on Dec. 16, you might guess THE PAJAMA GAME, DAMN YANKEES, WEST SIDE STORY or FIDDLER ON THE ROOF. After all, they were among Prince’s biggest household-name hits. Here’s betting, […]

“New York, New York, a helluva town,” according to lyricists Betty Comden and Adolph Green. Broadway first heard this proclamation seventy-five years ago this week when their ON THE TOWN opened with Leonard Bernstein’s music to boot. When ON THE TOWN was filmed, “a helluva town” was deemed too profane by the censors. So the […]

“Aren’t you going to say anything about the decision to drop ‘I Feel Pretty’ from the upcoming Broadway revival of WEST SIDE STORY?!” Since the announcement on Nov. 15 that director Ivo van Hove and/or lyricist Stephen Sondheim decided to drop one of the most famous songs from the landmark score, not a day goes by […]