Ten Broadway Musicals I’m Thankful For
A little person reflection and storytelling today…
My readers often ask me about my favorite musicals, and I truly have a hard time answering that question at the exclusion of others. I have a very short list of musicals I do not like, but a long list of shows that I love, admire, and respect. For Thanksgiving, I thought I would share the ten that have had specific special meaning to me over the years and share why. I hope you’ll enjoy this piece and understand why these shows hold such importance to me.
Into the Woods
When I was turning 16, my parents were in the middle of what would be considered a contentious divorce that wasn’t exactly the prettiest of affairs. How timely it was that I happened upon the musical Into the Woods at this period in my life. The Stephen Sondheim lyric “People make mistakes. Fathers. Mothers…holding to their own” in the song “No One Is Alone” resonated with me profoundly. The show itself, a morality tale about taking responsibility for ones actions and moving beyond our past to in order to embrace the future, helped me both heal and forgive. Into the Woods has been a big part of my life, having directed a production, designed one, and played the Baker in still another incarnation. I continue to be enthralled by each new production and how different interpretations of the piece yield deeper discoveries in Sondheim’s score and James Lapine’s book.
Finian’s Rainbow
Not a musical that appeals to everyone (as I have come to learn) in the way that it touched and influenced me, Finian’s Rainbow (if my hand were forced to choose) is probably my favorite musical of all time. From a historical standpoint, I have always admired its audacity for addressing race issues with such directness (And this was in 1947). Lyricist and co-book-writer E.Y. Harburg, with frequent collaborator co-book-writer Fred Saidy, never shied away from controversial issues, often taking bigotry (in all forms) on in the musicals they constructed. Add to this the glorious Burton Lane and Harburg score (there is not a stinker in the batch) and the whimsy, wit, and wordplay of Finian’s Rainbow continues to charm me and make me think. I am continually haunted by the song “How Are Things in Glocca Morra?,” a showtune that is about as perfect as it can be.
Carousel
When I first started really falling in love with Broadway musicals at the age of thirteen, I would check the collection Six Plays By Rodgers and Hammerstein out of the public library, reading and re-reading it until my name was the ONLY name on the sign-out card. The musical I returned to most often in the book was their 1945 masterpiece Carousel, for the simple fact that I found the setting, songs, and complicated characters a more fascinating study that their other shows. In today’s sensitive world, Carousel sometimes gets a bad rap for its depiction of a physically and emotionally abusive marriage and the willingness with which Julie Jordan prefers to love Billy Bigelow in spite of his transgressions. This is what I think makes Carousel a near-perfect musical: how it gets a lot closer to the reality of imperfect characters than most musicals ever dare.
Bye Bye Birdie
My first professional acting job was at the age of 19 in the chorus of a summer stock production of Bye Bye Birdie. The joy of singing and dancing in the teen chorus, performing in such joyous Charles Strouse/Lee Adams numbers as “The Telephone Hour,” “Healthy Normal American Boy” and particularly “A Lot of Livin’ to Do.” It had a profound effect on me, that first dose of the synergy and excitement that can be found in a professional ensemble. I also fell in love with the musical itself, and Michael Stewart’s book remains one of the most-admired I have encountered, especially considering it was inspired by the hysteria surrounding Elvis Presley’s draft notice, but beyond that had an entirely original premise.
Guys & Dolls
The first role I ever had in a musical was as Nicely Nicely Johnson in Guys & Dolls when I was in the 10th grade, and I never tire of this musical comedy gem. Your first role in a musical is an indoctrination into the form, from learning about how all the pieces come together to how there are “no small roles, just less stage time.” Truly, the opportunity to play a comedic supporting character, with some great one-lines, not to mention one of the great eleven o’clock numbers ever written for Broadway (“Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat”), held plenty of formative lessons in my theatre journey. But, my personal experiences aside, Guys & Dollsis one of the few perfectly constructed musicals, with its two love stories that ultimately converge, to its lively array of colorful, loveable characters making us laugh along the way. Frank Loesser’s score more than holds up since it debuted in 1950. Each number explodes with musical comedy know-how and these little things we used to call “melodies.”
Pippin
It’s not the perfect musical by any stretch, but Pippin is about the journey of a young man in search of his purpose in life, and that speaks personally to so many of us. Somewhere along the line, I found part of my purpose, which was teaching young people about musical theatre. I spent nine-years directing in a conservative catholic school in Omaha, Nebraska and my most satisfying experience was helming a production of Pippin. First, it’s a musical that is written in a framework form, elastic enough to put your own spin on it and it affords the performers an opportunity to bring pieces of themselves to the show. Watching them grow into a giving ensemble and have such fun building the production, singing those Stephen Schwartz songs with youthful zest, well, it remains one of my fondest memories.
Kiss of the Spider Woman
Most Broadway musical theatre fans are obsessed with the performers. For me, I rarely become what has sometimes been dubbed “a starfucker.” I will often find myself breathless over a great song, stunning choreography, or the perfect storyline, but it is rare that my heart beats out of control for a performer. Don’t misunderstand me. I admire many talented actors and actresses, but I just don’t lose my mind over them. Unless, however, that performer is Chita Rivera. This triple threat awed me and thrilled me in the 1993 Broadway production of Kiss of the Spider Woman. Her command of the stage, the energy that she radiated, her showstopping turn in such songs as “Where You Are" and the title song - I was stupefied! Did I mention that it is one of the few Broadway shows that I sat front row center to see? How, after years of listening to her on such cast recordings as Bye Bye Birdie, West Side Story, The Rink and Chicago, could I do anything else than fall all over myself with unfettered “starfuckery” than I did on this day at the Broadhurst? Not long after, I wrote to Ms. Rivera at the theatre, requesting her to answer a few questions for a college paper I was writing on Kander and Ebb. She lovingly wrote back in detail. That epistle remains in a fire-proof lock box to this day, proving that I am just as capable of diva worship as the next guy.
The Secret Garden
It was not my first Broadway musical, but The Secret Garden was the first Broadway show that I attended completely on my own, saving up my own money for a bus ticket and my 12throw seat at the St. James Theatre. I was rather uninitiated, having never read the beloved novel on which it was based. I had only seen the few clips on the Tony Awards that year and new The Secret Garden was something I had to see. I sat, forgetting to breathe, drinking in the atmosphere of Heidi Ettinger’s valentine decoupage inspired set, my heart soaring to Lucy Simon’s music and my heart breaking to Marsha Norman’s lyrics. It is the only time in the theatre I have seen two standing ovations during the show, one after “Lily’s Eyes” and one after “Hold On.” I find it funny that this musical is so polarizing, people either seem to adore it or hate it. For me, however, it moved me in ways that I wasn’t aware musical theatre could achieve.
Purlie
I’ve never seen Purlie onstage, and the only reason for that is that the show is seldom produced. I have watched the TV production on video and fell in love with the invigorating score. I keep my fingers crossed that someone will revive it so I can enjoy it in a theatrical setting. Has there ever been a more rousing opening number in a musical than “Walk Him Up the Stairs”? The Gary Geld and Peter Udell score is one of my favorites to put on the record player when I’m feeling down because I always come away feeling lifted and energized. The musical is based on Ossie Davis’s Purlie Victorious, featuring an unforgettable array of unique characters.
42nd Street
Last, but not least, I have to include the original Broadway production of the Gower Champion directed and choreographed, song and dance extravaganza, 42nd Street on my list. My simple reason for this is that it was my first Broadway musical. My ninth grade English teacher took us to see the show, and I sat in the front row of the second balcony at the St. James Theatre unaware of how I was about to fall in love. Imagine, your first Broadway show is a splashy valentine to musical theatre, with a story ABOUT making musical theatre. By the time the Harry Warren and Al Dubin “Lullaby of Broadway” had played out, I knew that spending a life in theatre was for me. Here I am, thirty-plus years later, acting, directing, and writing about my love of musical theatre.
Wishing you all a Happy Thanksgiving and wondering which Broadway musicals make you the most thankful? Please share!
