All tagged Flahooley

When Is a Broadway Love Song… Not A Love Song?

When Is a Broadway Love Song… Not A Love Song?

Mark Robinson
Music That Makes Me Dance

Today I thought it would be interesting to explore a certain type of Broadway love song. There are many Broadway showtunes that are declarations of love, an all-out celebration of (usually) boy-meets-girl or vice-versa and they fall instantly in love. But not every love song from musicals is an overt declaration of amour. Some of these ditties are more subtle in their approach, or ironically deny the possibility of love altogether. Here is a list of examples of some of these love songs that seem to contradict the romances that evolve from them. 

Flahooley: The Broadway Musical that Dared to Be Too Honest

Flahooley: The Broadway Musical that Dared to Be Too Honest

Mark Robinson
Music That Makes Me Dance

Now here is a musical flop that I simply adore, as much for its audacity as for its simply enchanting score. Flahooley, which may have many of you wondering at its bizarre title, opened on Broadway in 1951 at the Broadhurst Theatre. The musical was expected to be a hit, enjoying an enthusiastic out of town tryout. Even theatre caricature artist Al Hirschfeld, who often visited shows in their tryout cities to begin his artwork, was certain that the show would be an enormous hit in New York. Sadly, the show ran for only 40 performances, closed, and faded into obscurity. 

Remembering Barbara Cook

Remembering Barbara Cook

Mark Robinson
Music That Makes Me Dance

It rained a little on Broadway this week with the passing of Barbara Cook, a legend of the Broadway musical whose clarion soprano and boundless emotion took songs into the outer stratosphere. Cook, who has been a presence on the Broadway scene since the 1950s in both musicals and concerts, died on August 8 at the age of 89 after a long illness. Her legions of fans are mourning the loss of the great lady who, among myriad roles, originated the role of Marion Paroo in the 1957 production of The Music Man.   

The Broadway Cast Album Easter Egg Hunt of Old

The Broadway Cast Album Easter Egg Hunt of Old

Mark Robinson
Music That Makes Me Dance

In this day of downloads, streaming, CDs, not to mention the advent of Amazon and EBay, collecting Broadway cast recordings is a relatively easy thing to do. It is nice to have the convenience of tracking down any showtune you like with a simple search on the internet. It has made Broadway and its wonderful music accessible to all, and for that these advances will always be a wonderful part of the evolution of our technology. It has, however, taken the fun out of the once-thrilling Easter egg hunt that was a big part of cast album collecting. 
 

Load More