well, That's Show Biz, 06-04-2023 2-10 Rodgers & Hammerstein Celebration 2

Rodgers & Hammerstein Celebration 2

“Well, That’s Show Biz!”

06-04-2023

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• (Play “June Is Bustin’ Out All Over)

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• Welcome to “well, That’s Show Biz!”. I am your host, Jeremy Freedman, and every week I bring you music from Broadway, Movies, and Entertainers along with some anecdotes, information, and commentary all based on a theme.

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• You just heard “June Is Bustin’ Out All Over” from Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Carousel. And that signals our second annual Rodgers & Hammerstein Celebration. That version was from a studio cast recording that featured Mrs. Carol Brady herself, Florence Henderson in the role of Julie Jordan.

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• We are going to present today’s songs in the chronological order of their original shows although they might be from revivals. We are going to open this set with “The Surrey With The Fringe On Top” from their first 1943 collaboration, Oklahoma!. But we will hear Hugh Jackman singing it from the 1998 Royal National Theatre Recording). Two years later, in 1945, Carousel opened which was their favorite show that they wrote. We are going to hear “Blow High, Blow Low” from the 2018 Broadway revival. Also in 1945, they wrote the songs for the movie State Fair. We are going to hear the title song by John Davidson and Company from the Broadway version which opened in 1996. Here’s Hugh Jackman with “The Surrey With The Fringe On Top” from Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!.

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• You just heard Hugn Jackman with “The Surrey With The Fringe On Top” from Oklahoma!, “Blow High, Blow Low” from Carousel, and the title song to State Fair as we celebrate the collaborations of Rodgers & Hammerstein today on “well, That’s Show Biz!”.

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• <PSA>

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• It’s our 2nd annual Rodgers & Hammerstein Celebration and we just heard songs from their first three musicals, 1943s Oklahoma!, 1945s Carousel, and the 1945 movie, State Fair.

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• Their third Broadway collaboration in 1947 was the less well received Allegro which was a serious play about the problems of ordinary people in the modern world. They wanted it to be as innovative as their first two musicals. We are going to hear two songs, first the title song and then the most famous song from the show, “The Gentleman Is a Dope” sung by Lisa Kirk. Lisa Kirk was most known for dubbing almost all of Rosalyn Russell’s songs in Gypsy. And we will finish this set with Mary Martin singing “A Cockeyed Optimist” from their 4th musical, the enormously successful South Pacific from 1949.  Here’s the title song from Allegro.

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• You just heard the title song and “The Gentleman Is a Dope” from 1947s Allegro and Mary Martin with “A Cockeyed Optimist” from Rodgers & Hammerstein’s success, 1949s South Pacific.

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• <Underwriting>

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• You are listening to “well, That’s Show Biz!” on [Station ID].

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• This is our 2nd annual Rodgers & Hammerstein Celebration and we are listening to songs from all of their collaborations in chronological order.

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• Their next hit show was 1951s The King and I and we are going to hear “I Have Dreamed” from the 2015 revival. Next came to shows most people do not remember. 1953s Me and Juliet was a modest success with poor reviews about a backstage romance at a long-running musical. We are going to hear the song “No Other Love”. This was followed in 1955 by the financial disaster Pipe Dream based on John Steinbeck’s novel Sweet Thursday which was a sequel to his novel Cannery Row. From Pipe Dream we will hear the song “Sweet Thursday”. And finally in this set, Rodgers & Hammerstein wrote the  1957 TV musical, Cinderella, in order to work with Julie Andrews. Rodgers & Hammerstein’s  Cinderella was remade for television twice, in 1965 with Lesley-Anne Warren and in 1997 with Brandy and Whitney Houston as the fairy godmother. It finally made it to Broadway in 2013. We will hear Impossible; It’s Possible from the 1957 original.  Here’s “I Have Dreamed” from The King and I.

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• You just heard “I Have Dreamed” from 1951s The King and I, “No Other Love” from 1953s Me and Juliet, “Sweet Thursday” from 1955s Pipe Dream and “Impossible; It’s Possible” from 1957s Cinderella as we celebrate the collaboration of Rodgers & Hammerstein today on “well, That’s Show Biz!”.

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• <Other Show Promo>

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• <PSA>

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• If you would like to help with a future show, you can send your theme and song suggestions to me at wruushowbiz@gmail.com. And if you are enjoying today’s show, contact the station at WRUU.org and let them know.

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• This last set completes our celebration of Rodgers & Hammerstein and from 1958s Flower Drum Song we have “I Enjoy Being a Girl”. This version is from the 2002 revival. Flower Drum Song was about the Chinese-American experience and had an all-Asian cast. The final Rodgers & Hammerstein’s collaboration was 1959s The Sound of Music. We are going to hear two songs. First the Von Trapp children singing “So Long, Farewell” from the movie version and then the magnificent Audra McDonald singing “Climb Ev’ry Mountain” from the 2013 NBC Television Event. Here’s “I Enjoy Being a Girl” from Flower Drum Song.

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• You just heard “I Enjoy Being a Girl” from 1958s Flower Drum Song and from 1959s The Sound of Music, “So Long, Farewell” and Audra McDonald with “Climb Ev’ry Mountain”. And this completes this year’s Rodgers & Hammerstein Celebration. If you want to help with a future show, you can send your theme and song suggestions to wruushowbiz@gmail.com and if you enjoyed today’s show, contact the station at WRUU.org and let them know.  See you next week.