well, That's Show Biz, 04-03-2022 1 - Opening Numbers

Opening Numbers

“Well, That’s Show Biz!”

4-3-2022

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• And welcome to the very first hour of “well, That’s Show Biz!”. I am your host, Jeremy Freedman and each show I will be bringing you music from Broadway, Movies, and Entertainers along with some anecdotes, opinions, and information.

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• There is a wonderful movie on Netflix that I encourage everyone to see, “Tick, Tick…Boom”. Andrew Garfield gives an Oscar nominated performance as Jonathan Larson, the creator and composer of the Tony winning musical, “Rent”. It is no secret that Larson died on the first night of the previews of “Rent” on Broadway and never saw it with an audience. He created “Tick, Tick…Boom” as a one-man, semi-autobiographical show about 5 years before “Rent”. After “Rent” became the success that it was, another play-write remade it into a three person play. Lin-Manuel Miranda then opened it up and turned it into this incredible movie. Andrew Garfield gives an amazing performance as Larson. When Lin-Miranda approached Garfield for the role, he asked Garfield if he could sing. Garfield told him that he didn’t know if he could sing. Watch this movie. There is no doubt that Andrew Garfield can sing.  AND he can act too, bringing so much emotion to this role.  I highly recommend that you see “Tick, Tick…Boom” on Netflix.

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• Now let’s get to some music.  Each show will have a theme and since this is MY opening show, I am going to open with Opening Numbers.  And the first Opening Numbers will be the opening numbers from my two favorite shows.  I was around 12 years old when I first saw Man of La Mancha at the Williams College Summer Theater.  As a 12 year old, the story of an idealistic mad knight fighting for the love of a kitchen scullion just blew me away. The second opening number is Stephen Sondheim”s, “The Ballad of Sweeney Todd” which entices you in and introduces you to The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.  And we will follow that with Hugh Jackman singing “Oh, What a Beautiful Morning”, the opening number from Oklahoma.  But first, here is Richard Kiley singing, “I, Don Quixote”.

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• You are listening to “well, That’s Show Biz!” on [station ID]. I’m your host, Jeremy Freedman. Our theme today is Opening Numbers and you just heard the opening numbers from Man Of La Mancha, Sweeney Todd, and Oklahoma.

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• Although the movie version of A Chorus Line, in my opinion, is on a travesty level only surpassed by the movie version of Cats, the play was groundbreaking as it focused only on the lives of dancers trying to make it on Broadway. Following that, is the opening number, “Just Go To The Movies”, from a little Broadway gem called, A Day in Hollywood / A Night in the Ukraine. The first act is composed of ushers for Grauman’s Chinese Theater during the golden age of movies inviting you to see the latest showing of a “new” Marx Brothers movie. Act 2 is that movie. And we will finish this set with the opening number from Hairspray, “Good Morning, Baltimore”.  But first, here’s “I Hope I Get It’ from A Chorus Line.

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• We are focusing on Opening Numbers from Broadway shows and you just heard the opening numbers from A Chorus Line, A Day in Hollywood / A Night in the Ukraine, and Hairspray.

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• <underwriting or PSA.

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• There are some great opening numbers that I cannot play for you because their composers have chosen to include lyrics that federal regulations won’t allow me to share with you over the airwaves. For example, the opening song of La Cage Aux Folles uses a word that rhymes with glitz. And if you haven’t seen the movie version of Tick, Tick…Boom on Netflix, the opening number is terrific but near the end of the song, there is a throw away F bomb that you don’t even know is there unless you read the lyrics.

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• <PSA>

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• You are listening to, “well, That’s Show Biz!” on [station ID]. My name is Jeremy Freedman and after this set I will tell you how you can email me requests and ideas for theme shows.  For this set, you will hear the fantastic Ben Vereen and the ensemble from Pippin singing “Magic To Do”, then Daniel Radcliffe, of Harry Potter fame, and the company of How To Succeed In Business Without Even Trying singing the opening number “How To Succeed”. And finally, Bebe Neuwirth and the Chicago Ensemble singing “All That Jazz”. Here’s Ben Vereen.

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• You just heard the opening numbers of Pippin, How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, and Chicago. If you would like to get in touch with me, make requests or theme selections, you can email me, Jeremy Freedman, at wruushowbiz@gmail.com. That’s wruushowbiz@gmail.com.

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• For our final set, we have Zero Mostel and the Fiddler On The Roof Ensemble bringing you the “Prologue: Tradition”. If you listen carefully, about ⅔ of the way through, you can hear a before she was famous, Bea Arthur, as Yente the Matchmaker. Next, Gary Burghoff, known for being Radar ‘O’Reilly from MASH, and company will be singing “Your a Good Man Charlie Brown”, and finally the company of Cats singing the “Prologue: Jellicle Songs For Jellicle Cats”. In my opinion, the movie version of Cats is a train wreck, but the play is exciting.  Here’s Zero.

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• That was the opening numbers to Fiddler on The Roof, Your a Good Man Charlie Brown, and Cats. “well,That’s ShowBiz”.I’m Jeremy Freedman. You can email me at wruushowbiz@gmail.com to make song recommendations, theme recommendations, etc. And you’re listening to [station ID].