All tagged Revue

"Revue"-ing the Situation: Musical Revues in the Spotlight

"Revue"-ing the Situation: Musical Revues in the Spotlight

Mark Robinson
Music That Makes Me Dance

I started out writing this piece, intending to explore all styles of musical revues, the "best of" the genre. I soon realized that, if I didn't apply certain parameters, I'd be writing until the end of time. So, I set some rules: the musical revues that I would discuss had to have original music, not an assemblage of showtunes such as in And the World Goes 'Round, or be composed of radio hits a la Smokey Joe's Café. Both are fine revues, but I decided I wanted to concentrate on the pieces that were written, from conception, as original revues. Here are some of my favorites to listen to and read about. 

Saying “Goodbye” to Trip of Love

Saying “Goodbye” to Trip of Love

Mark Robinson
Music That Makes Me Dance

“It’s a Sign of the Times”, but alas the Off-Broadway musical revue Trip of Love is closing at the end of this week. I know that there are so many of you out there who wonder why I care, but I assure you that Trip of Love has given me a great deal of joy the seven times I have seen it. That’s right, I said “seven times”. No, it is not the perfect musical. No it isn’t Sondheim. It’s something else entirely: It is not only a great deal of fun, but it is one of the finest examples of an ensemble working their asses off for eight-shows a week. If you’ve seen the show, you know what I mean, even if the show itself is not exactly your cup of tea

"You'd Be Surprised" - Ziegfeld Follies of 1919 - Lest We Forget

"You'd Be Surprised" - Ziegfeld Follies of 1919 - Lest We Forget

Mark Robinson
Music That Makes Me Dance

There are some things we tend to forget these days. Our past is one of them. We are so caught up in the modern musical theatre worlds of Sondheim, Wicked and The Book of Mormon that we sometimes forget the wealth of musical treasures that came in the early half of the last century. I don't mean the Rodgers and Hammerstein, post Oklahoma! era (after 1943), I mean even further back. Back to the days of operetta, silly musical comedy, and especially the musical revues that lit up the Great White Way. I am speaking of the George White's Scandals and Ziegfeld Follies installments of yesteryear. We do not speak of them much anymore. It is a shame when such a wealth of wonderful music and witty lyrics are just washed away in the gutters of Shubert Alley because we don't stop to embrace where we came from.