well, That's Show Biz, 12-17-2023 2-38 Character Songs

Character Songs

“Well, That’s Show Biz!”

12-17-2023

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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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• Our theme today is one of my original theme ideas but I just never got around to doing it.  Character Songs are songs that do not move the action or plot forward but instead help to define a character and their motivations, wants, and needs. They can often be humorous or highly emotional. Musicals are filled with Character Songs so one, one hour, show is hardly enough time for this theme so expect more in the future. I have tried to pick some older and newer songs for this show.

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• We are going to open the first set with “So Much Better” from Legally Blonde. Next we will hear Stanley Holloway as Fagin sing “Reviewing the Situation” from Oliver!. Then Jane Connell will sing “Gooch’s Song” from Jerry Herman’s Mame. And we will close out this set with “Brush up Your Shakespeare” from Cole Porter’s Kiss Me, Kate!. Here’s the Character Song “So Much Better” from Legally Blonde.

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• You just heard “So Much Better” from Legally Blonde, “Reviewing the Situation” from Oliver!, “Gooch’s Song” from Mame, and “Brush up Your Shakespeare” from Kiss Me, Hate! As we focus on Character Songs today on “well, That’s Show Biz!”.

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• <PSA>

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• We are looking at Character Songs today, songs that define a character and their motivations, wants, and needs. 

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• For Set 2 we are going to start with the circus act, ‘General Tom Thumb’, singing “Bigger Isn’t Better’ from Barnum. Then we will hear about the magical place called “Sal Tlay Ka Siti” from The Book of Mormon. And we will close it out with Gwen Verdon telling us “Whatever Lola Wants” from Damn Yankees. Here’s “Bigger Isn’t Better” from Barnum.

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• You just heard “Bigger Isn’t Better” from Barnum, “Sal Tlay Ka Siti” from The Book of Mormon, and “Whatever Lola Wants” from Damn Yankees as we look at Character Songs today on “well, That’s Show Biz!”.

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• <Underwriting>

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• Originally, songs in most Broadway musicals happened when the plot stopped and chorus lines would break into songs or the main actors would sing a song as a performer in a vaudeville type show. After the song, the plot would continue. The idea that a song would move the plot along didn’t really happen much until Rodgers & Hammerstein wrote Oklahoma!. In between, was the development of the character song.

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• For our third set, we are going to open with the title song from La Cage Aux Folles. Then we will hear Lucy sing about “Schroeder” to Schroeder from You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown. And we will finish with “Mama Says (You Can’t Back Down”)” from Footloose: The Musical. Here’s “La Cage Aux Folles”.

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• We are listening to Character Songs today and you just heard the title song from La Cage Aux Folles, “Schroeder” from You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, and “Mama Says (You Can’t Back Down)” from Footloose: The Musical.

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• <Other Show Promo>

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• <PSA>

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• If you would like to help out with a future show, you can send me your theme and song suggestions to 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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• And now to conclude our look at Character Songs, we will start with “I Cain’t Say No” from the 2019 Broadway revival of Oklahoma!. Then we will hear “Adelaide’s Lament” from Guys & Dolls, and we will conclude with Jack Cassidy singing “Grand Knowing You” from She Loves Me. Here’s “I Cain’t Say No”.

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• You just heard “I Cain’t Say No” from Oklahoma!, “Adelaide’s Lament” from Guys & Dolls, and “Grand Knowing You” from She Loves Me.

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• And that concludes our look at Character Songs. If you would like to be a part of a future show, you can send me 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. And don’t forget to invite your friends to listen every Sunday at 1pm. See you next week.