Broadway Musical Time Machine: Looking Back at Camelot

Broadway Musical Time Machine: Looking Back at Camelot

Mark Robinson
Theatre Time Machine

Lerner and Loewe are considered by many, after Rodgers and Hammerstein, to be the “duo supreme” of musical theatre composing teams. They certainly got onboard for the Rodgers and Hammerstein formula, and many of their musicals owe their success to that template. From their early scores for Brigadoon and Paint Your Wagon, to film with Gigi and The Little Prince, to their masterpiece My Fair Lady, the partnership yielded some of the most elegant, sophisticated, and memorable music in the history of musicals.

Broadway Musical Musings – Hairspray Live!: Will It Hold its Curl?

Broadway Musical Musings – Hairspray Live!: Will It Hold its Curl?

Mark Robinson
Broadway Musical Musings, Tube Tied

Generally, I am a proponent of the trend in producing musicals “live” on television, with the proviso that they are done well and that they don’t besmirch the reputation of musical theatre. The renaissance of live musicals started a few years ago with The Sound of Music starring Carrie Underwood. It was an underwhelming effort to say the least, but it was popular enough with audiences for NBC to turn live musicals into a perennial event. Peter Pan came next and that was even more painful than The Sound of Music, especially with an under-rehearsed Christopher Walken wending his way through the role of Captain Hook. Then something miraculous happened: Musicals Live! suddenly came up with a great idea and chose a musical that didn’t already have a beloved film version and then cast it with powerhouse talent. The Wiz Live! was a exciting, bursting with energy and heart, and was also just plain good.

Showtune Shenanigans: The Showtunes I Jump Over

Showtune Shenanigans: The Showtunes I Jump Over

Mark Robinson
Music That Makes Me Dance

The other day, a friend and I were discussing those songs we always skip when listening to cast recordings. Not that the songs in question are necessarily unpleasant or ineffective, but, for one reason or another, they just don't appeal to the individual listener. We all must have a few songs that are not necessarily our cup of tea despite their popularity or inclusion in a beloved score. As my friend and I chatted, it became clear that we both felt passionately about certain songs to be jumped in favor of moving along to a different song.

Broadway Musical Time Machine: Looking Back at Merrily We Roll Along

Broadway Musical Time Machine: Looking Back at Merrily We Roll Along

Mark Robinson
Theatre Time Machine

Coming off a string of critical hits in the 1970s (Company, Follies, A Little Night Music, Sweeney Todd) composer-lyricist Stephen Sondheim and Director Harold Prince seemed like the unstoppable duo with boundless creative collateral going into the 1980s. Their next project together, however, did not ignite as previous productions had and the 1981 calamitous flop Merrily We Roll Along would bring their happy collaboration to an end for two decades. That is not to say that Merrily We Roll Along did not eventually prove to be an effective (if complicated) musical that would have an enduring shelf life and myriad theatre companies taking innovative approaches to the material to solve its alleged problems. 

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