All tagged Anything Goes

A Boat-Load of Musicals

A Boat-Load of Musicals

Mark Robinson
Music That Makes Me Dance

Who doesn’t enjoy a cruise? I’ve never personally been on one, but that doesn’t stop me from fantasizing about it. Some voyages are better than others (so I’m told) but there is something exciting about the prospect. From the organized activities and entertainment to the plethora of buffets and exotic drinks served while sailing on the water, short of sea-sickness, it sounds like one could enjoy the experience. Shipboard storylines have certainly been the subject for a handful of Broadway musicals. Until I have the opportunity to secure my berth on a luxury liner, I will instead sit back and think about the Broadway musicals that have taken place aboard them. 

Musical Theatre Time Machine – Looking Back at Anything Goes

Musical Theatre Time Machine – Looking Back at Anything Goes

Mark Robinson
Theatre Time Machine, Music That Makes Me Dance

One of the most durable musical comedies of all time is the nutty and tuneful Anything Goes. Written in 1934, this one owes its shelf-life to the champagne and cotton candy score of Cole Porter, chock full of many of his greatest ear worms, to mention his clever use of internal and arch rhymes. The musical has no definitive script or song list because, with each inception, the book has been altered and different Cole Porter songs have been substituted for others in the score. What has been always consistent is that Anything Goes is a screwball comedy full of great music and loads of synchronized tap dance, set aboard an ocean liner making its way across the Atlantic from New York to London.

Big and Brash: a Thing of the Past? — What Happened to the Musical Comedy?

Big and Brash: a Thing of the Past? — What Happened to the Musical Comedy?

Mark Robinson
Music That Makes Me Dance

Musical comedies: full out, "make them laugh" musical comedies peppered Broadway seasons in abundance from the 1920s through the 1960s. They were everywhere and just about everyone was writing them. Sure, there were always musicals of deeper substance and that had a darker edge making us think, but it was the big and brash musical, filled to the brim with colorful characters, lively music, and zany antics that, for many, became the epitome of what the Broadway musical was. Pure escapist fun like Anything Goes, Guys & Dolls, Damn Yankees, Bells Are Ringing, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Hello, Dolly!, Mame, and even lesser revered titles like Goldilocks, Wildcat, and I Had a Ball were the go-to for a joyous outing of theatre. Why are they just not as plentiful as they used to be?