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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 first of a three-part program paying tribute to renowned lyricist Lorenz "Larry" Hart on what would have been Hart's 87th birthday. This phone request program originally aired in 1982 and featured many classic Hart songs from shows like The Garrick Gaieties, Babes in Arms, and On Your Toes.

[0:39] ♪ Musical number: "Manhattan" — performed by Mickey Rooney ♪

[3:25] ♪ Musical number: "Thou Swell" — performed by Betty Carter ♪

[3:56] ♪ Musical number: "The Lady is a Tramp" — performed by Lena Horne ♪

[8:15] Paul Lazarus: Lorenz Milton Hart. Larry Hart. And today, in honor of that, I thought we'd do another request-type program for your favorite Rogers & Hart song. I'm going to take just a few more minutes to play some of my favorites for you until I start taking requests, and then you can call 279-3400 and ask for your favorite Rogers & Hart song.

[8:39] Paul Lazarus: There's a couple of things to talk about on this unbelievably beautiful day, and if you're outside listening on the radio, you have found a way to have the best of all possible worlds, I hope. Do go outside, but listen anyway. There's one person on the phone I can see waiting. Don't wait quite yet, because it's going to be about 15 minutes before I start answering phones, so call back a little later.

[9:02] Paul Lazarus: And then we'll have some requests of your favorite Rogers & Hart song. I brought in about 40 records, so there's hardly anything I don't have that you can name, although I'm sure some of you are sitting there right now plotting which song didn't you bring in. But I brought in a lot of Rogers & Hart, and I hope to be able to play for you all the ones you'd like to hear today.

[9:22] Paul Lazarus: By the way, for any of you who didn't know those three songs, that was "Manhattan," sung by Mickey Rooney from the soundtrack of Words of Music, and probably the song that put Rogers & Hart on the map and established their great career. And that was followed by, I thought, a really fun version of "Thou Swell" by Betty Carter, jazz singer. I really like that version. And of course, Lena Horne, "The Lady is a Tramp." We'll play as much Rogers & Hart as we can possibly cram in. Anyway, lots to play for you today on this what would have been the 87th birthday of Lorenz Hart. Lorenz Milton Hart.

[10:03] Paul Lazarus: And brought in a lot of fun things. So I guess we'll open the phone lines now. 279-3400 is the number to call and request your favorite Lorenz Hart song. And here's Al Joslin with one of mine, and I think particularly appropriate today.

[10:33] ♪ Musical number: "Hallelujah, I'm a Bum Again" — performed by Al Joslin ♪

[12:50] ♪ Musical number ♪

[13:30] ♪ Musical number: "Why Can't I?" — performed by Unknown performer ♪

[22:03] Paul Lazarus: Catch you up on what we played. Al Jolson sang "Hallelujah I'm a Bum Again" to celebrate this gorgeous day from the film of that title, a 1932 film. That was followed by a recording of "Why Can't I," a song that I recently came to love by Rodgers and Hart, performed by John Morris and Lucy Simon with Liam Bulkham at the piano. And that's from "Spring Is Here" in 1929, their show in the year of the crash. And finally, we finished up with Ella Fitzgerald singing two songs, "Mountain Greenery," one of their big hits from the second "Derek Eadys," and followed by "I Didn't Know What Time It Was." And your requests are coming in. If those of you just tuned in, we are doing a request type day here on "Anything Goes." I'm your host, Paul Lazarus, to celebrate Lorenz Hart's 87th birthday. And I think I've got Judy Garland queued up in one of my favorite performances of a Rodgers and Hart song.

[23:22] ♪ Musical number: "I Wish I Were in Love Again" — performed by Judy Garland ♪