Friday 5: 5 Favorite Classic Musicals of the 1950s

5 Favorite Classic Musicals of the 1950s 

A few Fridays ago, we talked about 5 classic plays that have stood the test of time and remain as entertaining and relevant as ever. When I tried to make a list of just 5 classic musicals, I came up with about 50, So, instead, I decided to cut off the time period to just the 1950s - we can always look at other decades another time. As it is, I can think another 10 shows from that period that also have staying power and influence the genre still.

  

5. Damn Yankees (1955): The very definition of musical comedy, I named this one as a reminder that a novel-based musical can be clever and timely and be about an unlikely topic. In this case, baseball... a sport... it makes me feel like a jock. It also brought the world such classics as "(You Gotta Have) Heart" and "Whatever Lola Wants," and a great - if extra and nonsensical - dance number, "Who's Got the Pain?" And special thanks to Bob and Gwen! Firmly rooted in its own time - was it the Rent of its day? - it still holds up. 

  

4. Guys and Dolls (1951): It's hard to imagine a Broadway musical list of any nature that doesn't include this Frank Loesser gem. Very much of its time - ballet sequences (production numbers of yore), a romantic couple, a B-plot comic couple, larger than life characters, and a twisty plot that ends up with everything just as it should be - Guys and Dolls is the cream of that classic crop. This masterpiece had brilliant performances of Grade-A material and a practically perfect score. Decades from now, this will still be produced and revered.

  

3. My Fair Lady (1956): One of the great musical partnerships of all-time, Lerner and Loewe, created one of Broadway's longest-running and oft-produced shows. Though the book is pretty much Pygmalion verbatim, the Shaw classic seems even better with the addition of musical numbers. And what a doozy of a song list! It boasts such timeless songs as "Wouldn't It Be Loverly?", "I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face", "The Rain in Spain", "Get Me to the Church in Time", "On the Street Where You Live" and "I Could Have Danced All Night." 

  

2. South Pacific (1950): The writing team of Rodgers and Hammerstein is synonymous with ground-breaking musical theater. Sure, their 40s show, Oklahoma! is credited with advancing the art form, but I think South Pacific is their biggest achievement. Exotic locales, a tribute to the heroes of World War II, an epic love story, and a controversial social message combine to make this one a cut above the rest. Is it any wonder it won the Pulitzer Prize For Drama? The ballad, "Some Enchanted Evening," is top tier, and you can't beat such show-stoppers as "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair" and "There Is Nothing Like a Dame." But it's "You've Got to Be Carefully Taught" that remains as relevant today as it was nearly 75 years ago.

  

1. West Side Story (1957): Perhaps one of the biggest leaps forward in the genre in the Golden Age, is Jerome Robbins and Leonard Bernstein's masterpiece based on Romeo and Juliet, a timeless classic in its own right. With racism, gang violence, and social injustice at the forefront, the team further pushed the envelop with a completely danced overture/prologue, gritty realism and violent murder as hallmarks of the production. Its influence is still felt today. Oh, and it introduced a young hot shot lyricist named Stephen Sondheim to the world. 

Play It Again: South Pacific's "I'm In Love With a Wonderful Guy"

PLAY IT AGAIN: “I’m In Love With a Wonderful Guy” 

For this new series, Jeff has invited me to choose some classic Broadway show tunes and compare versions of these songs from several different cast recordings. Wherever possible, I’ll link to the songs on YouTube, where I listen to most of them myself.

This week I compare five versions of “I’m in Love with a Wonderful Guy” from Rodgers and Hammerstein’s South Pacific. Finding herself on an exotic island at the height of the war, American nurse Nellie Forbush exults in her newfound love for a distinguished French man despite his questionable past. As you can see, this role and this song have been blessed with the unique talents of five legendary performers (actually more than that, since you can also find recordings out there featuring Kiri Te Kanawa and several other leading ladies). For pure listening pleasure, I’m happy to recommend each of these fine recordings; choosing my favorite in each category, and the big winner, was a particular challenge this week.

My overall favorite version is marked with two stars (**); one star (*) is used to indicate that a particular version stands out in terms of singing, orchestra, sound, or other miscellaneous qualities. (Note that there’s a tie in the “singing” category this time around.)

ORIGINAL BROADWAY CAST (1949) - YouTube

Nellie Forbush: Mary Martin

*SINGING: Martin’s famously pure voice really shines in this song. Her singing is classically beautiful, but with personality to spare and lots of variety. There are passages that are perfectly smooth and others that are notably clipped, and relatively quiet passages that develop into jubilant shout-singing when she reaches the title words.

ORCHESTRA: The orchestration is quite brassy throughout, which doesn’t seem quite as appropriate as the breezier orchestrations heard on a couple of the other versions below. The introductory verse especially calls for something a little more supple. The energetic dance break does sound great, though.

SOUND: This pre-stereo, pre-Lieberson recording can’t compete with later versions, with much more distortion than we’re used to with LPs from the mid-1950s and onward. The orchestra is also very quiet.

MISCELLANEOUS: This one has the slowest tempo (judging by the length of the track) but doesn’t drag in any perceptible way. (There’s not a whole lot I’ll be saying in this category, to be honest. Usually there are some significant differences in tempo, in what is included on the recording, or in the actual words and music, but not this time.)

MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK (1958) - YouTube

Nellie Forbush: Mitzi Gaynor

SINGING: Gaynor’s voice isn’t as dynamic or intense as Martin’s, but she does create a unique, vulnerable personality with her sometimes breathy (or breathless) delivery. The end is a bit of a let-down; her voice merges completely with the chorus rather than standing out against it.

*ORCHESTRA: As I’ve noted before, movie soundtracks often have an advantage in this area, with greater resources in terms of time and personnel, and that’s definitely true here. But I also simply like the mellower, less brass-centered approach. I especially enjoyed the dark, somewhat exotic touches in the verse. 

SOUND: Fairly clear, and balanced, but a little distant and flat compared to some later recordings.

MISCELLANEOUS: The tempo sounds quite brisk.

LINCOLN CENTER CAST (1967) - YouTube

Nellie Forbush: Florence Henderson

SINGING: Henderson’s voice is very pleasant throughout, but probably with the least variety in her vocal style; consequently, her characterization is not especially detailed. At least until the very end, where her zesty repetition of “I’m in love!” over the chorus makes for the best finale of the bunch.

ORCHESTRA: Kind of a middle-ground between the film soundtrack and the Broadway orchestration, it’s mostly string-oriented, with brass and woodwind for color. The brass does take over in the dance break, but it’s not overwhelming. 

*SOUND: Very clear and perfectly balanced; orchestral details are beautifully preserved.

MISCELLANEOUS: Moderate in tempo. 

CARNEGIE HALL CONCERT CAST (2006) - YouTube

Nellie Forbush: Reba McEntire

SINGING: McEntire, it goes without saying, brings her own delightful style to the song. There are some noticeable limitations in terms of enunciation and breath control, but it’s hard to compare this version to the others, which were recorded in a studio rather than on stage.

ORCHESTRA: Quite similar to both of the Broadway versions (original and revival).

SOUND: Quite good; clear and balanced.

MISCELLANEOUS: Probably the fastest version, or at least it gives that impression. This is a live recording, with a few stray noises and audience applause at the end.

**BROADWAY REVIVAL CAST (2008) - YouTube

Nellie Forbush: Kelli O’Hara

*SINGING: Although O’Hara at first seems more restrained than Martin, she reaches similar heights as the song progresses. The verse and beginning of the song itself are quite reserved, but she builds nicely to full-throated exultation when she finally declares that she’s in love. I like her self-deprecating vocal touches on individual words (like “conventional” and “trite”), and the chorus-backed finale is almost as vivid as Henderson’s.

ORCHESTRA: Similar to the original and Carnegie Hall recordings, i.e., a little brass-intensive for my taste.

SOUND: The balance between singer and orchestra is good, but the overall impression is a bit flat, with some orchestral details lost in the mix.

*MISCELLANEOUS: This one is the fastest by track length, but it didn’t seem rushed at all.

Broadway in a Box CD Review: South Pacific (1949 OBCR)

At Christmas a few years ago, Jeff gave me a copy of Broadway in a Box: The Essential Broadway Musicals Collection. He has now given me the opportunity to use his blog to share my impressions of each of the 25 cast recordings contained in the set, in alphabetical order. 

This week’s entry is about the 1949 Original Broadway Cast Recording of South Pacific.

Broadway in a Box CD Review:

South Pacific (1949 OBCR)

A perennial favorite for its combination of grand entertainment and weighty social issues, this original recording of South Pacific holds up as a very satisfying representation of this seminal Rodgers and Hammerstein score. On balance, I prefer the music and performances from the most recent Lincoln Center revival, but it’s a pretty close call.

   

At the center of things, of course, are the characters of Nellie Forbush (sung by Mary Martin) and Emile de Becque (sung by Ezio Pinza). Naturally they both sound wonderful, separately and together (and sort-of together in “Twin Soliloquies”). I slightly prefer both Kelli O’Hara and Paolo Szot from the revival; they have equally amazing voices but bring perhaps a little more personality to their interpretations. However, I can’t imagine that anyone has ever provided a more perfectly sung delivery of “Some Enchanted Evening” than Pinza, who manages to make it sound simultaneously grand and intimate.

Juanita Hall tears it up in the role of Bloody Mary, certainly one of the juicier roles in the musical theater repertory; she oozes warmth and humor, as well as pathos. “Bali Ha’i” is the highlight of the entire recording; with the combination of Hall’s pitch-perfect characterization and one of Rodgers’ most vividly evocative melodies, it’s easy to imagine what it would have been like to be on this special island.

Sharing a stage (or, in this case, a CD) with these three vocal powerhouses, William Tabbert struggles to keep up in the relatively thankless role of Lt. Cable. He does a fine job with one of the show’s most beautiful songs, “Younger Than Springtime,” and does his best with “You’ve Got to Be Carefully Taught” - a song which has always struck me as somewhat underwritten, given its importance to the over-arching theme of the musical.

The oldest recording in the box set, this is a mono recording from the early LP era. The sound is still quite clear, with just a little too much echo in the “brassier” sections. The limited recording capacity means that cuts are made to reprises and other music that would probably be included in the era of CDs or digital media, but this CD makes up for it with a generous selection of bonus tracks. Two of these are songs for Nellie, sung by Martin, that were cut from the show in tryouts: “Loneliness of Evening,” a wistful ballad reminiscent of “Hello, Young Lovers,” and the somewhat bluesy “My Girl Back Home.” The third bonus track is Pinza’s version of “Bali Ha’i.” The final track is a very pleasant ten-minute suite of music from the show, conducted by Andre Kostelanetz with the Philadelphia Orchestra Pops.

Next up is the Original Broadway Cast Recording (highlights) of Sweeney Todd.

Broadway Games: The Broadway 10

With the 74th Tony Awards behind us, we thought we'd test your Tony winner knowledge. As you probably know, Moulin Rouge! The Musical won 10, including Best Musical, and as such becomes one of only five shows to reach that height. (Only two others have won more - Hamilton with 11, and The Producers with 12.) Today's game isn't about who won what, but which ones were won.

 

Broadway Games:

The Broadway 10

HOW TO PLAY: Match the show that won 10 Tony Awards with each of the 10 awards it won.

A. Billy Elliot: The Musical     B. Hello, Dolly!     C. Moulin Rouge! The Musical

D. South Pacific     E. The Band's Visit

1. Best Musical

2. Best Direction of a Musical

3. Best Choreography

4. Best Scenic Design

5. Best Lighting Design

6. Best Costume Design

7. Best Sound Design

8. Best Actor in a Musical

9. Best Featured Actor in a Musical

10. Best Featured Actress in a Musical

11. Best Book

12. Best Author of a Musical

13. Best Libretto

14. Best Score

15. Best Composer and Lyricist

16. Best Orchestrations

17. Best Conductor and Musical Director

18. Best Producer of a Musical

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Answers to Last Week's

Broadway Games:

Which Tony Award Nominee?

a. Jagged Little Pill          b. Moulin Rouge!          c. Tina

1. "Private Dancer" C

2. "Ironic" A

3. "What's Love Got to Do with It?" C

4. "Chandelier" B

5. "Your Song" B

6. "Smiling" A

7. "Come What May" B

8. "Firework" B

9. "We Don't Need Another Hero" C

10. "Uninvited"A

11. "You Learn" A

12. "River Creep - Mountain High" C

13. "Crazy - Rolling in the Deep" B

14. "All I Really Want" A

15. "I Don't Wanna Fight No More" C

16. "Predator" A

17. "El Tango de Roxanne" B

18. "Thank You" A

19. "Nature Boy" B

20. "Disco Inferno" C

At This Theater: The Vivian Beaumont Theater at Lincoln Center

Tucked away in the back corner of the Lincoln Center campus, the Vivian Beaumont Theater is easily recognizable with its large plate glass windows and trademark neon logo-signs. Opened in 1965 and named for philanthropist Vivian Beaumont Allen, the theater has been home to a wide variety of plays and musicals. Revivals of Shakespeare, Moliere, Williams and Ibsen were the main attractions until 1972, when The Threepenny Opera became its first musical occupant. Since then, modern plays, major musical revivals, and original new musicals have taken their place alongside the classics.

At This Theater:

The Vivian Beaumont

Provided the director and designers truly understand how to take full advantage of the enormous thrust stage, there really isn't a bad seat in the house. Between the view and the relatively spacious seating with decent leg room, we really love going uptown to the Viv.

The Shows We've Seen There:  Anything Goes, Contact, South Pacific, War Horse, The King and I, My Fair Lady

How They Rate:

6. Contact  (2000) Although it really pushed the limits of what could be considered a "musical," and it raised more than a few eyebrows when it won the Tony Award for Best Musical, I really enjoyed this performance. I love watching great dancers, and the show was full of them. Add Boyd Gaines  and  Karen Ziemba, and it couldn't be that bad. What ever happened to the Girl in the Yellow Dress?

  

  

5. My Fair Lady  (2018)  I've always had a soft spot in my heart for this show, ever since 11th grade, when I played Pickering. This production was lavish, beautiful to look at, and made relevant once again with Bartlett Sher's smart direction. Not that it was perfect - I found Norbert Leo Butz to be as tedious as the constant moving in and out of that huge library set. Both were interesting the first time they came into view. After that, not so much.

   

   

4.  The King and I (2015) I've seen so many professional productions of this show, you'd think it was my favorite by Rodgers an Hammerstein. It isn't - though "The Small House of Uncle Thomas" may be  the all-time great production number of any show I've seen. This production was a beautiful, sweeping epic, made all the more so because the design and direction took up every inch of the cavernous space (even when the stage was virtually empty). Kelli O'Hara was endearing, a brooding Ken Watanabe was charming, and both Ruthie Ann Miles and Ashley Park were captivating. And yet, the show didn't leave me on a high like the 1996 revival.

   

   

3. War Horse (2011) The sheer magnitude of this production puts this show near the top of my all-time favorite plays. I mean, a sweeping, epic story performed live before my eyes?! But what makes this show so wonderful is the artistry of those amazing puppets, not only in their execution, but the way that the actors interacted with them, and how, as an audience member, they all elicited such emotion from me. It was a privilege to see this.

   

   

2. South Pacific (2008) From the overture (the orchestra reveal...WOW!) to the finale, this gorgeous revival of my favorite Rodgers and Hammerstein musical did not disappoint. Some how, this production managed to be as big as the Pacific and as intimate as a quiet pond.  Paulo Szot, Loretta Ables-Sayre, Danny Burstein and Matthew Morrison were all amazing, each bringing a depth and vibrancy to their roles. This is the role Kelli O'Hara should have won the Tony for. She's never been better, and neither has this show.

   

1. Anything Goes (1987) Let's face it. This title is old, somewhat problematic, and eye-rollingly cliche. Sure, it has a great Cole Porter score with some super opportunities for big dance numbers. (On paper, it is exactly the show that people who hate musicals would point to for proof of their hatred.) And yet, this revival was magnificent.  Patti LuPone was the definitive Reno Sweeney (sorry, Sutton), and Howard McGillin had the audience in full swoon with every impish grin, plot twist, and song. Brilliantly sung and danced, this revival knew what it was working with and made the most of it at every turn.

   

   

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