One of the most popular musicals of the twentieth century (it was certainly produced by every high school and community theatre) was the 1947 Lerner & Loewe classic Brigadoon. It established the composing team as second only to Rodgers and Hammerstein in prowess, setting the duo up to evolve toward their most celebrated project, My Fair Lady. Brigadoon tells the story of two Americans on a hunting trip in the Scottish Highlands.
The last eight years has proven that Broadway is alive and well. What will this year’s Tony Awards bring? (The final installment of the Tony nominees for Best Musical video series.)
Stephen Sondheim: a composer-lyricist revered in the world of musical theatre. Many of his shows have been critical successes and have evolved into audience favorites: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Company, Follies, A Little Night Music, Sweeney Todd, Sunday in the Park with George,Into the Woods, and Passion (to name a few). He’s also had his occasional flops. Arguably, the most notorious of these was his 1964 debacle Anyone Can Whistle, which still boasts a delightful, memorable score despite the fact the show ran a mere nine performances. Songs such as the title song, “Me and My Town,” “Everybody Says Don’t,” “With So Little to Be Sure Of,” “A Parade in Town” and the cut song “There Won’t Be Trumpets” have all had a cult following that keeps Anyone Can Whistle a fascination for any musical theatre and/or Sondheim fan.
In 1990, a play opened Off-Broadway and then moved to Broadway called Six Degrees of Separation. Written by playwright John Guare, the piece was well-praised by critics and popular with audiences. It ventured to explore the theory that we are all connected to one another in this world through (at the most) six people. It just requires the right configuration of six. As the play’s popularity grew and a film was made, a parlor game emerged called “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon”. It alleged that all film celebrities could be traced to the actor Kevin Bacon through (at the most) six people.
