YOUR CHANCE TO BE A SWINGER By Peter Filichia
Shall we celebrate the 275th anniversary of the first time that a Broadway musical had a song with the word “swing” in its title? First-nighters who attended the December 3, 1750, performance of THE BEGGAR’S OPERA heard “Since I Must Swing, I Scorn, I Scorn to Wince or Whine.” That’s not the “swing” you were […]
BROADWAY’S BEST EMPLOYEES
Remember Employee of the Month, in which Zack Bradley and Vince Downey battled to become one? Recently seeing the 2006 film started me wondering which characters in musicals would be contenders for Employee of the Month. Hinesy in THE PAJAMA GAME is a sure contender. Listen to this efficiency expert describe his philosophy in “Think […]
A MARTIN CHARNIN APPRECIATION By Peter Filichia
The lyricist of TWO BY TWO who wrote “I feel like I’m ninety again” would have been 91 this week. Alas, Martin Charnin only made it to 84, for he died in 2019 – but not before leaving behind two hits. First came TWO BY TWO in 1970. No, the musical about Noah and the […]
YOU’LL BE BEAU’LD OVER By Peter Filichia
You’d think that someone who refers to his grandfather as Pop Pop would be a little kid. No. In the current off-Broadway musical hit BEAU, the grandson is in his 20s, if not 30s. He’s Ace Baker. Many of us became acquainted with him six years ago, when a pre-production album was released of BEAU’S […]
A TIME UP AT BAT BOY By Peter Filichia
As I watched the excellent production of BAT BOY at City Center, two other musicals came to mind. ANNIE and FOLLIES. You’re laughing. Fine. But back in 1977, many walked into the Alvin Theatre thinking that they’d see a spoof about an eyeballs-deficient moppet who would say “Leapin’ lizards!” every other second. Instead, they came […]
