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By Peter Filichia — So Ivy Lynn didn’t take those pills and got to play Marilyn Monroe after all. Well, in a manner of speaking. In one of the smartest casting decisions in recent years, Megan Hilty was cast as Lorelei Lee – an iconic Monroe role – in the Encores! semi-production of Gentlemen Prefer […]

By Peter Filichia – Congratulations to all who did so well on last week’s Ancient History Exam. WRix was the first to get the commonality of the 35 songs I listed from 35 different musicals: that in the old days of long-playing records, each of these songs began the second side of the record. That’s […]

By Peter Filichia – During the dog days of summer, there’s little to do, and people tend to get a little lazy. Let’s shake things up with a quiz on ancient Broadway history. Well, not so ancient, depending on your viewpoint. One of the musicals cited here opened (and closed) in 1981. But suddenly that’s […]

By Peter Filichia — Now that the Olympic games have ended, let’s listen to the Broadway musical that starts at the end of the Olympic games. It’s true! It’s true! The cover makes it clear: The Happiest Girl in the World starts with the closing ceremony of the Olympics. Granted, nothing in the 1961 musical […]

By Peter Filichia – Are you one of those musical theater enthusiasts who can’t stand Ethel Merman? You don’t need analyzing. It is not so surprising. Every entertainer throughout history, no matter how beloved by millions, manages to leave some people cold and others hot with anger. These non-fans are often at a loss to […]