Broadway 2 A Day: Day 1
January 1st, 2021.
Welcome to a new year. I’ve decided that now, more than ever before, I wanted to pursue my passions with everything I can. Now, because of the pandemic, I can only do so much. So when the idea of listening to Broadway shows through history presented itself to me on my Tik Tok, I absolutely had to go along for the ride.
2 Broadway shows a day. Everyday. For a whole year.
It seems like a lot, and honestly, my brain is doubting if I can even do it, but I know I can, it just starts here — day 1.
Opening the daily newsletter from the organizer, I become aware of the fact we’re starting in the 1950–1951 season of broadway shows. A period that never fails to make me think of the word “Classic”. And though I had never heard of these shows before, I was so excited to begin this journey with two brand new musicals.
The first show is Call Me Madam by Howard Lindsay, Russel Crouse, and Irving Berlin. Premiering on Broadway in 1950, the musical seems to be a satirical piece about foreign policy and giving American money away frivolously to foreign countries without a second thought. The show focuses on two Americans and their star-crossed lovers. The first American character is very obviously named Sally Adams, who is the US Ambassador to the country of Lichtenburg. Upon googling the show I find out that this is NOT the actual Lichtenburg, but a fictitious one. I also had to google the names of the other characters as well, since they were not obvious in the cast recording. In the recording, we meet “Mr. American” and “Princess”, whose names are Kenneth Gibson and Maria respectively.
Listening to classic shows like this was something I figured would be a challenge since I have no way of seeing or following to figure out what’s going on when it isn’t obvious. This show was pretty easy to follow without it, though. It was fairly evident that the general plot was two American politicians going to a foreign land for political business, before falling in love with some of the locals. It made for some easy listening!
This show is on Spotify, with 14 songs, a whopping 46 minutes worth of music. Call Me Madam made for some really easy listening with its soft melodies, catchy rhythmic moments, and it’s wonderful words! Personally, my favorite songs from the show are “It’s a Lovely Day” and “(I Wonder Why?) You’re Just in Love”. Coming from a director’s point of view, sorta, I’d say it would make a good show for a smaller crowd. Though it’s dated with it’s references to the 1950s and an entire song about the ’52 election, it’s balanced out well with 2 romantic plots with delightful duets, beautiful ballads, and fun ensemble moments!
On a scale of 1–10 Tony’s, I’d give it a solid 7. Overall it was a delightful experience with hummable songs!
The second show is A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by George Abbott, Betty Smith, Dorothy Fields, and Arthur Schwartz. This musical is a drastic change from the former, being about Smith’s autobiographical experience as an impoverished youth in NYC. The musical certainly begins with a lighthearted song about payday, but from there it becomes a bit of a downer, with a well-intentioned family focus. Also unlike Call Me Madam, this one was much harder to follow without seeing or reading. However, it did certainly have its moments. I was able to find a favorite song in this recording as well! It’s called “I’ll Buy You A Star”. It sounded like a sweet sentiment from a hopeless romantic with very little to give but wanted his lover to have the world.
The plot is hard to figure out just from listening. Upon googling it, we discover how truly sad the story is. It’s heartwrenching. But the musical made it difficult to follow without knowing what was happening. Coming from the same director Point of View that I analyzed Call Me Madam with, I don’t think this show is a good production to try and put on. Though it tells a wonderful story, audiences may leave feeling confused, and there are seemingly one or two shining ensemble moments.
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn can also be found on Spotify. This soundtrack is compiled of 15 songs, totaling 50 minutes. On the Tony’s Scale, I’d give it a 5. Though it’s a wonderful story, the storytelling is a little lack luster. However, there are a few bops!
This concludes day 1 of my 2-a-day program! If you’re interested in joining me as I listen, feel free to contact me for the information to sign up! You can also follow along with my completely unprofessional reviews.