well, That's Show Biz, 03-16-2025 3-49 Women's History Month 2025

Women’s History Month 2025

“Well, That’s Show Biz!”

3-16-2025

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• Welcome to “”well, That’s Show Biz!”. I am your host, Jeremy Freedman, and each 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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• March is Women’s History Month so we are going to celebrate by highlighting female composers of Broadway shows.  We are going to focus on the writing of the music rather than on lyricists only.  I read an article that said that in the early days of Broadway and the 20th century, there were many women who contributed songs to Broadway shows. However with the advent of the book musical in the 40s and 50s, women composers for musicals practically disappeared. It wasn’t until Mary Rodgers, the daughter of Richard Rodgers, did women return to composing for Broadway. In 1959, Mary Rodgers made her initial forway onto Broadway with Once Upon a Mattress, a modern telling of “The Princess and The Pea”. We are going to hear “An Opening for a Princess” from 1959s Once Upon a Mattress.

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• You just heard “An Opening for a Princess” from Once Upon a Mattress by composer Mary Rodgers.

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• But it wasn’t until 1978 that women really made their mark on Broadway. First up we are going to hear the song “A Lil’ Ole Bitty Pissant Country Place” from The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas by composer Carol Hall.

• You just heard “A Lil’ Ole Bitty Pissant Country Place” from The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas by composer Carol Hall.

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• Also in 1978, we got the musical Working based on the Studs Terkel book Working: People Talk About What They Do All Day and How They Feel About What They Do. Many people contributed to the songs including Mary Rodgers. We are going to hear the song “Cleanin’ Woman” by composer Micki Grant.

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• We are listening to songs by Female composers today and you just heard “Cleanin’ Woman” by composer Micki Grant from the musical Working. 

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• Among other shows that were composed by women in 1978 was the show Runaways about the lives of children who run away from home and live on the city streets. Runaways was composed, choreographed, and directed by Elizabeth Swados.  Here is the song “Every Now and Then” from Runaways.

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• You just heard “Every Now and Then” by composer Elizabeth Swados from Runaways.

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• March is Women’s History Month and we are listening today to Broadway songs by Female composers.

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• In 1991, the musical The Secret Garden, based on the 1911 novel, opened on Broadway. The music was composed by Lucy  Simon, sister of Carly Simon, with script and lyrics by Marsha Norman. We are going to hear the song “Lily’s Eyes” from The Secret Garden.

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• You just heard “Lily’s Eyes” from The Secret Garden by composer Lucy Simon.

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• 2003 brought us the Off-Broadway musical Caroline, or Change by composer Jeanine Tesori which opened on Broadway one year later. The show is about a Black maid who works for a Jewish family in 1963 Louisiana. Here is the song “Laundry Quintet” from Caroline, Or Change.

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• You just heard “Laundry Quintet” from Caroline, Or Change by composer Jeanine Tesori.

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• In 2005, the musical The Color Purple opened based on the book and film of the same name. Two of the three composers were women, Brenda Russell and Allee Willis. Here is the song “Shug Avery Comin’ to Town” from The Color Purple.

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• You just heard “Shug Avery Comin’ to Town” by composers Brenda Russell and Allee Willis from The Color Purple as we listen to Broadway songs by Female composers today in celebration of Women’s History Month.

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

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• March is Women’s History Month so we are celebrating by playing songs from Broadway shows composed by women.

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• 2007 brought us Legally Blonde the Musical based on the novel and the hit movie of the same name. One of the two composers was Nell Benjamin and we are going to hear the opening song, “Omigod You Guys”.

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• We just heard “Omigod You Guys” from Legally Blonde the Musical composed by Nell Benjamin.

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• Dolly Parton was the composer for 2009s 9 to 5 - The Musical based on the hit movie in which she also co-starred. Here is the song “I Just Might”.

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• You just heard “I Just Might” from 9 to 5 - The Musical by Dolly Parton. 

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• Cyndi Lauper was brought in to compose the music for 2013s Kinky Boots. Here is the song “Land of Lola”.

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• We are listening to Broadway songs by female composers today for Women’s History Month and you just heard “Land of Lola” by Cyndi Lauper from the musical Kinky Boots.

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•  The musical Fun Home opened off-Broadway in 2013 before moving to Broadway in 2015. With a score by Jeanine Tesori, who also wrote the music for Caroline, Or Change, the show is based on a graphic novel about the author’s discovery of her lesbian sexuality and her relationship with her closeted gay father. Here is “Ring of Keys” from Fun Home.

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• You just heard “Ring of Keys” from Fun Home by composer Jeanine Tesori.

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• Singer/songwriter Sara Bareilles brought us the musical Waitress in 2016 based on the film of the same name about a baker and waitress in an abusive relationship with her husband. Here is the song “What Baking Can Do”.

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• You just heard “What Baking Can Do” from the musical Waitress by singer/songwriter Sara Bareilles.

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• Our final musical written by a woman composer is Suffs composed by Shaina Taub about the American women’s suffrage movement. It opened Off-Broadway in 2022 and moved to Broadway in 2024. Here is the song “The March (We Demand Equality”. From the musical Suffs.

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• You just heard “The March (We Demand Equality” from Suffs which concludes our look at female Broadway composers as we celebrate Women’s History Month today.

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