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[0:00] Paul Lazarus: Hi, this is Paul Lazarus. In the 1980s, I produced and hosted a radio series called Anything Goes, a celebration of the American musical theater. Now, the Broadway Podcast Network is bringing back these shows. This is the second of a three-part program featuring a comprehensive look at the opening number. This program originally aired in January of 1983. It features opening numbers from Broadway shows as far back as Show Boat to more modern productions like Nine and Sweeney Todd. Many times in the musical theater, dance has been used to establish time and place and theme. And probably no greater exponent of that craft of using dance to explore those elements of the presentation is Jerome Robbins.

And we have already featured one number that Mr. Robbins was associated with, and that's Comedy Tonight, which was written at his insistence that the audience be made aware of what the low comedy farce evening was about, and was greatly responsible for the success of that show. As we heard Sondheim explain, he went on to do many more dance-related opening numbers, but his first really, in that ilk, was in 1944 with On the Town, based on his own ballet, Fancy Free. And here, I thought it'd be interesting to compare three songs from three different decades. On the Town's opening, 1944, New York, New York. The prologue and jet song from West Side Story, 1957, an example from the 50s. And then we're going to skip the 60s and go to the 70s with Michael Bennett's evocation of New York and the World of the Gypsy in a chorus line with the opening of that show, I Hope I Get It. I think what's interesting about these three openings is that they're all heavily involved with dance as an expression of character, theme, and mood, and all profoundly New York in tone.

[3:03] ♪ Musical number: "New York, New York" — performed by the cast of On the Town ♪

[7:37] ♪ Musical number: "Prologue" — performed by the cast of West Side Story ♪

[10:06] ♪ Musical number: "Jet Song" — performed by the cast of West Side Story ♪

[14:11] ♪ Musical number: "I Hope I Get It" — performed by the cast of A Chorus Line ♪

[18:12] Paul Lazarus: Three opening numbers, a little bit of a Broadway dance to evoke the atmosphere and introduce the main characters of their respective shows. You heard from *On the Town* in 1944, the opening "New York, New York," and from *West Side Story*, a '57 show, the prologue and the jet song. And finally, 1975, a show of *Chorus Line*, of the original company delivering "I Hope I Get It." Everything goes with a look at the opening number. Perhaps this is the strangest juxtaposition of the day in terms of opening numbers, but I do think these two songs are related primarily because of the use of a certain diction to establish the environment, the place, and time of the show. The first is *Music Man* and a kind of speak-sing moment.

You hear all about the main character, Harold Hill, even though he has very little to say himself. But the early 20th century America is established through the rhythm of the song and the speech patterns of "Rock Island" from *Music Man*. And I'm going to follow that immediately with the opening of *Pacific Overtures*. "The Advantages of Floating in the Middle of the Sea" is that you have time and place in a very much similar way. So here are the openings from *Music Man* and Stephen Sondheim's *Pacific Overtures*.

[20:44] ♪ Musical number: "Rock Island" — performed by the cast of The Music Man ♪

[23:58] ♪ Musical number: "The Advantages of Floating in the Middle of the Sea" — performed by the cast of Pacific Overtures ♪

[29:11] Paul Lazarus: Two rather bizarre juxtapositions of "The Advantages of Floating in the Middle of the Sea," the opening of Pacific Overtures, and "Rock Island," the spoken opening of Music Man.

[29:36] Paul Lazarus: You've been listening to Opening Number, Episode 2, the second of a three-part series. Associate Producer Jeff Lunden. Anything Goes! Backstage with Broadway's Best is produced and hosted by Paul Lazarus. For more information, visit anythinggoespl.com. If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to rate and follow us. Thanks for listening.