Eric Price Final

Explain the tradition associated with a certain statue in Times Square.

Performers “Give Their Regards to Broadway” by touching or kissing the statue of George M. Cohan for good luck

A) What was the original name for the location known today as Times Square?

B) What show opened there in early November of 1904 and why was this excellent timing?

A) Longacre Square

B) Little Johnny Jones, because it coincided with the opening of the subway system, bringing more visitors to the area

Define the terms DIEGETIC SONG and NON-DIEGETIC SONG and give an example of each one

DIEGETIC: Character is AWARE they are singing (Edelweiss)

NON-DIAGETIC: Character is UNAWARE they are singing (On My Own)

A) Explain how a typo resulted in the creation of the songwriter Irving Berlin. What was his original name? Why did it change? What did the change represent?

Israel Baline, caused by a typo on a poster, represented the start of his new life in America, as an American songwriter. There was also a lot of German songwriters in Tin Pan Alley so he though the name would resonate with them.

Explain the general format and content of As Thousands Cheer.

About current news and headlines, a musical reVUE.

Annie Get Your Gun:

A) Original Star

B) Full Name of Main Character

C) Job of Main Character

D) Title of 1 song from the score

A) Ethel Merman

B) Annie Oakley

C) Female Sharpshooter

D) There’s No Business Like Showbusiness

Explain what Princess Shows were generally about (you can also share what they were not about) and also provide some information about the scale on which they were produced

Produced in the Princess theatre, about 300 seats. Intimate small budget shows that were about domestic life, realistic love, and familiar stories; NOT about grand larger than life fairytales.

Show Boat:

A) Year originally produced:

B) Music by:

C) Book and Lyrics by:

D) Based on the novel by:

E) Originally produced by:

A) 1927

B) Jerome Kern

C) Oscar Hammerstein II

D) Edna Ferber

E) Florenz Ziegfeld

Cite the name of the boat in Show Boat, explain what kind of activities occurred onboard, and name the body of water it traveled on.

The Cotton Blossom was a steamboat that took you up and down the Mississippi river, where you could enjoy gambling, dinner, and a show

What was the title of Cole Porter’s first full-length musical, what was its critical reception, and what did Porter do in response?

See America First, it was a major flop, so he left New York and went to join the European Legion but instead he bought a very nice house and started to host parties

Anything Goes:

A) Setting:

B) Original Star:

C) A star from a Broadway Revival of the show:

D) A song from the show (not including the title song):

A) The SS American, a luxury ocean liner

B) Ethel Merman

C) Sutton Foster

D) Blow Gabriel Blow

What play by Shakespeare inspired Kiss Me Kate? What is the general theme/subject of the show?

Taming of the Shrew, battle of the sexes - who will win?

A) What was the name of the first hit musical comedy on Broadway featuring an all-Black creative team and an all-Black cast?

B) Name 1 historically significant result of this show’s existence

A) Shuffle Along

B) The desegregation of theater audience seating

In this Gershwin brothers writing team, who wrote music and who wrote lyrics?

George: Music

Ira : Lyrics

Name the title of a symphonic piece written by the composer in this writing team which was inspired by the energy and atmosphere of New York City.

Rhapsody in Blue

Name the THREE TITLES of musical political satires by this writing team and note which title was the first musical to win a major award. In addition, provide the name of that award.

1. Strike Up the Band

2. Of Thee I Sing - Pulitzer Prize for Drama

3. Let ‘Em Eat Cake

Porgy & Bess:

A) Name of source material:

B) Lyricists (there are two):

C) Name of Setting (be as specific as you like with city and state, but the most important attribute is the name of the neighborhood):

A) The novel “Porgy” by Dubose Hayward

B) Dubose Hayward and Ira Gershwin

C) Catfish Row, Charleston, South Carolina

Describe the rule that the Gershwins insisted upon regarding the casting of Porgy & Bess both for the original production and forever after?

It must be an all black identifying cast, no blackface is allowed

The song that launched Rodgers & Hart’s careers was written for a fundraiser. Name the title of the song, the title of the show it was from, and what the show was a fundraiser for.

“Manhattan” in “Garrick Gaieties” which was a musical revue meant to raise money for the Theater Guild to get new drapes for the theater

What show introduced the term "choreographer" to Broadway and who was that choreographer

On Your Toes, George Balanchine

What musical comedy was the first show to be an adaptation of a play by Shakespeare and what was the title of the play it was based on?

The Boys From Syracuse, based on The Taming of the Shrew

What made the hero of PAL JOEY unique among the leading characters in musicals at the time of its premiere?