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[0:17] Robert W. Schneider: Happy Throwback Thursday, everybody.

[0:20] Kevin David Thomas: Happy Thursday. Happy Thursday, Rob.

[0:22] Robert W. Schneider: Hey.

[0:22] Kevin David Thomas: How's the week going?

[0:23] Robert W. Schneider: My week was great. Boy, we had a fun time on Saturday with 90s Trivia, didn't we?

[0:27] Kevin David Thomas: Oh, that was fun, actually. Who doesn't love 90s musicals?

[0:30] Robert W. Schneider: Right?

[0:31] Kevin David Thomas: So much good stuff there. I forgot some of those good ones. Yeah.

[0:34] Robert W. Schneider: It was so fun exploring that decade. It was so fun exploring that decade because, like, 97 is sort of when I got back into, like, watching the Tonys again. And it was so fun to revisit, like, Steel Pier and The Life and Ragtime. Is that a bird? Is there a bird flying outside your window?

[0:53] Kevin David Thomas: So we have, like, there's an old cemetery from the 1700s that is out here. And I'm not even kidding you. There's people from the Revolutionary War buried there. It's awesome. And the next time you visit, I'll take you on a little tour.

[1:05] Robert W. Schneider: No, it's haunted. I don't want to go.

[1:07] Kevin David Thomas: I know. Sutton thinks it is. But there's birds migrate here. So you can hear all these birds that migrate from, like, Mexico and South America and stuff like that. So you'll hear these amazing birds anyway. Wow. Just total.

[1:22] Robert W. Schneider: No, I got scared.

[1:23] Kevin David Thomas: No, I feel like our audience is like, wait, what are you talking about?

[1:26] Robert W. Schneider: We're now we're now talking about the study.

[1:29] Kevin David Thomas: And then the call of the white turtle dove from South.

[1:33] Robert W. Schneider: Hey, you got a favorite thing?

[1:35] Kevin David Thomas: So my favorite thing this week is Elaine Stritch's first album, her first solo album, simply titled Stritch. I'm going to do. Here's that cover of the album. I'm going to do it for you. Oh, Kevin is actually in full profile. You look just like her.

[1:52] Robert W. Schneider: I'm wearing pink. I've got like a maroon shirt on and she's got it's a pink album. She's in profile Elaine Stritch in this album. And you can find it on all your listening platforms. It came out in nineteen fifty five. It is just Elaine Stritch. It's called Stritch. You are getting she's serving up straight up 30 year old Elaine Stritch. So this is she's 30 years old when she's recording these songs. It is all popular tunes. Let me pull up my phone because I had that's what fell a minute ago. I had some of the songs. Are you having any fun? You're getting to be a habit with me. That's the beginning of the end. And the angels sing. Let us know. Let us know. Let us know. Interesting Christmas song on there.

But I got it. No, but she's she's what I like about this album is that you do not have the the effects of alcohol and smoking the damage on her voice yet. It's still very she's got a fresher voice. She sings if you know that comedy song, the murder song. And then, of course, the very final song is You Took Advantage of Me, which is one of her classic songs. The reason why I really wanted to point this out and stretches, like I said, young, she's 30 years old. She's just done the Call Me Madam Pal Joey sequence. If you remember that from her one woman show where she's going to New Haven, New Haven, New Haven, that whole comedy sequence, New Haven, New Haven, New Haven, New Haven, New Haven, New Haven.

Yeah, that's right. And and so this is before Goldilocks. This is this is before she's sort of she's edging towards making her mark as a leading lady. This album, I have a feeling, was meant to be part of that and help get her there. She has it's there's like wicked fun on there. I mean, she's she's silly. She's she's crass, a little not crass, but she's, you know, where where a lot of singers got lost or at least hid behind some of the arrangements and all of that of this era. This is the 50s. We're talking a lot of strings and jazz is prevalent, but she you get her personality, you get is you get her her personality, her spirit. And these are theater songs. So it's fun. You get it's very playful as well.

And the jazz arrangements are very relaxed. It's not a full orchestration at all. It's just very jazzy, 50 arrangements. And I want to point out the person who did the arrangements. Now, while she is not my favorite thing, I think it's just really interesting the career that this woman had, a woman named Portia Nelson, Portia Nelson. Now, you may have seen the name or some of our listeners who collect cast albums may know her because Portia did a lot of she did some singing for Goddard Liberson on some of his studio albums like Roberta that, you know, like the more sort of lighter fare. And then she was also in the Golden Apple. That was my musical as a performer. She also was like the queen of cabaret in like the 50s and the 40s. And she traveled and made her living really doing cabaret.

And she did arrangements. So she did all of the band arrangements of vocal arrangements on this album for Stretch. So I just I just think that's really cool. Oh, and side note, she Sound of Music fans. She's the cantankerous sister Bertha in Sound of Music. That's Portia Nelson. She's like the like the like the she's like the sourpuss one, you know, she's like the angry one. So yeah, sure. Cantankerous sounds like cuter. So yeah, so was there songs to listen to? No, just listen to the whole thing. It's 38 minutes long. It's 13 songs. I listened to it this morning again, when I was doing some work on the computer and recording some tracks for school. And I just, it just is a nice relaxing fall music.

You know, it's just those 50s arrangements, you can't go wrong. They make you tap your toe and they make you smile. And it's Stretch being Stretch before Stretch was Stretch. You know what I mean? Like she's she's got her sauciness, but it is still measured, if that makes sense. Yes. And and I and I really, and having spent like, you know, being show friends with her for like eight months, you know, it there, her spirit is in these songs. And there's one song I really love called Too Many Rings Around Rosie. I've never heard the song before. It is a fun, like brassy little song about how Rosie has getting a little too much attention. Too Many Rings Around Rosie. What?

[5:55] Robert W. Schneider: It is from No No Nanette. Oh my gosh, I need to learn No No Nanette. I've got to learn No No Nanette.

[6:01] Kevin David Thomas: Yes. So this is before the revival. This is 20 years before the revival. So I love that she's singing. Oh my gosh, I'm making a note. I just took out my pen to like finally write it. Too Many Rings Around Rosie. I'm gonna read the script, listen to the song, read that book again. I gotta, I can just act it out for you. I don't know why you need to go to all this work. It's just a show that you love so much that I need, I mean, if you love it, then I need, I'm sure I would like it. So I just need to get the work done. I love it because it's joyous. I am so happy you picked this album because I used to listen to this album a lot and I do love her rendition of, oh my god, I was going to say you're getting to be a habit with If.

Because there's that section in the arrangement where she's like, they change the arrangement and it becomes like this Moroccan theme. She's like, yes. You had not been that good. It's delicious. I don't know if you have a problem with this. And listeners, I would love your input and chiming in, which is there's a, there's a, is that your paper? Is that paper? Oh my gosh, Rob.

[7:02] Kevin David Thomas: Will you have like, what do you like have an ear? Like listeners, I'm sorry. I didn't know my microphone was so hot. It's so hot today. This is like literally the fourth time Rob is like, what did you breathe? Are you breathing over there? What are you doing?

[7:15] Robert W. Schneider: Can I ask you a question? Did you get a new mic?

[7:19] Kevin David Thomas: No, but I did. You know what I did? I changed the input volume so that the mic doesn't adjust because when I was working in music directing, I had problems with playing the piano and stuff. So now it's just at a high level. I'm so sorry. So what you're saying is, is I have every right to ask you, why does it sound like I'm in the middle of a leaf storm when you're just tearing a piece of paper off a pad? So, okay. Okay. I understand.

[7:51] Kevin David Thomas: Go ahead. No, your turn. Go ahead. No, you go. Do you have a favorite thing? Go for it. I just got to put this piece of paper away. I could literally hear Mrs. Moskowitz saying cottage at the service, literally across the way. I heard nothing about Elaine Stritch.

[8:07] Robert W. Schneider: I will work on my sound. I'm so sorry. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, please. What I was saying was that you're mentioning the Moroccan influences in If, and I don't know, I think we've talked about this before when we talked about the Capitol Sings collection, which is there's so many traditional standard musical theater songs that when somebody else gets ahold of them, say a Frank Sinatra, say a Keely Smith, say whomever, it becomes this weird, sometimes bizarre. There are weird phases too, where they're like the bongo phase, because Gene Garland did that with Come Rain or Come Shine, so that everybody was like, hey, take a ballad and put bongos with it. There's a song on that Capitol Records where there are bongos and it's an uptempo that it should never be an uptempo. It's like the man that got away or something like that. Yes, yes. No, go ahead. Please go ahead, because you know this better than I do. Please.

[9:01] Kevin David Thomas: No, no, no, no, no, I don't. I'm just, I'm glad you brought that up, because I do find it fascinating that they reinvented songs by rearranging them in really funky ways. And you're okay with it for Elaine Stritch's album?

[9:14] Robert W. Schneider: I think it's, that's the where you do it, is on a solo artist album where you're putting this out there as like a cabaret of songs or your versions of them. Definitely, because all that, those Capitol, and listeners, if you remember the very first year we did the podcast, that was like one of Rob's very first favorite things. It was like 10 favorite things, because all those albums are so cool. But they pulled all of those songs from all those pop artists' individual albums and then compiled them on those Capitol albums. So I think that is where you do do it, is on your solo, you know, album that you produce, you know what I mean? Like your cabaret album, for sure.

[9:48] Kevin David Thomas: I remember, and I think this is one of the ones we talked about early on on Capitol, was there was, I Got Rhythm. Remember that? There was a woman, I think it was June Christie, who sang I Got Rhythm, and she had, she did not have rhythm, that's for sure. Remember that?

[10:05] Robert W. Schneider: I have to find it, that's one of the ones that make me laugh the most.

[10:09] Kevin David Thomas: So folks, if you've never listened to this, it's from the Capitol.

[11:13] Kevin David Thomas: So, this one goes. Okay. So, actually, it's so funny that you say Elaine Stritch, because my favorite thing today is a performer that is sort of in the same age demographic, but is still with us. And she's one of these people that I was like, how has she not been a favorite thing yet? She has not. And I think it's because we've always wanted to have her as a guest. And I think that's, we just didn't list her as a favorite thing. And I'm sure we'll get her as a guest at some point. That's the marvelous Marilyn Maye.

[11:42] Robert W. Schneider: Oh, my gosh. How have we, I've wanted to have her as a guest so bad, Rob.

[11:48] Kevin David Thomas: Well, my favorite thing is Marilyn Maye. And I'll tell you where this comes from. I was talking to a younger person who had no idea who she was, and then watched a clip of her and said, oh, my God, this lady is amazing. And the answer is, yes, she is amazing. Now, she doesn't, I don't think she has any Broadway credits. I think she did a lot of summer stock and tours.

[12:06] Robert W. Schneider: For those of you who don't know, Marilyn Maye, I believe is like 92, 93. And she still is working, if not for COVID, was still working all the time. And she is one of these people that I think just gets better with age. The way, she is the best cabaret performer I've ever seen, hands down, period. And once you see her, I'm sure you'll agree with me as well.

[12:28] Robert W. Schneider: If you remember the Johnny Carson show, the Late Night with Johnny Carson show, she holds the record of being the singer who has appeared on the Johnny Carson show more than any other singer, at a record 76 times. And there's lots of great clips of her on YouTube as a younger woman, singing great arrangements of show tunes, Hello Dolly, she does Losing My Mind, she does Mame, she does it all.

[12:52] Robert W. Schneider: She's done seven albums, 34 singles. The album that I think really nicely reflects her younger phase in life is available on Apple Music. I'm sure it's on Spotify too. It's called Meet Marvelous Marilyn Maye.

[13:07] Kevin David Thomas: I love this album so much.

[13:08] Robert W. Schneider: Oh good, you like it?

[13:09] Kevin David Thomas: Fantastic.

[13:36] Robert W. Schneider: Marilyn's voice somehow has gotten stronger and stronger as the years have gone on. I don't know how that's possible because she starts off pretty brilliant in 1965. While she has these wonderful albums that are all available on Apple Music and all available on Spotify, I would love for you to explore the stuff that we see on YouTube, especially stuff that was recorded at things like Feinstein's 54 Below, that shows her in her environment, that shows how she can make it feel like she is singing directly to you, even though there's 100 other people in the room with you at the same time.

[14:10] Robert W. Schneider: There's two mashups that she does that I think are both incredible. The first one is she matches up Guess Who I Saw Today with 50% from Ballroom. I was very lucky, full disclosure, I got to do a concert production of Ballroom at 54 Below, and I asked Marilyn if she would be willing to fly in from Kansas, because she lives in Kansas, to fly in and sing 50% for us, and she said absolutely. So how lucky am I?

[14:40] Robert W. Schneider: We announced, so the show's going on, and we go, ladies and gentlemen, here's Marilyn May. And the audience rises to its feet and gives her a standing ovation. She gets entrance standing ovation, not entrance applause, an entrance standing ovation. Halfway through the song, she gets another standing ovation. And at the end of the song, she gets a standing ovation. I don't know how many other people can do that.

[15:00] Robert W. Schneider: Her Guess Who I Saw Today mixed in with 50% is quite stunning. If you're looking for something optimistic, and hearing somebody in their 90s sing this boy, it really makes it optimistic and really packs a punch, is her mashup of Secret of Life with Here's to Life.

[15:18] Kevin David Thomas: If you love cabaret, and you love cabaret performance, and you don't know who she is, let's fix that this weekend. Go ahead, take a look at Marilyn May. And if you're lucky enough to do so, she teaches. She's 92 and she still teaches, and I've watched some of her lessons on cabaret performance. They're life-changing.

[15:38] Kevin David Thomas: My favorite thing this week is another woman of a certain age who's better than just about every other single performer I know, and that is the marvelous Marilyn May. Meet her this weekend on Apple Music.

[15:50] Robert W. Schneider: You're so lucky that you got to work with her.

[15:53] Kevin David Thomas: I've gotten to work with her a few times, and boy, am I a lucky, lucky man. I was thinking recently with this pandemic that if we never got back to theater ever again, if we have to be like, oh, we all have to pick different careers now, I thought to myself, boy, I've had a wonderful life. I've had a wonderful career. If I had to stop right now, the people that I've worked with, and the people that I've gotten to meet, and the people that I've gotten to call collaborator, I feel very content. I'm sure there's a lot more to do, but I feel very, very content.

[16:27] Robert W. Schneider: That's really beautiful, Rob.

[16:28] Kevin David Thomas: And Marilyn is one of those people.

[16:31] Robert W. Schneider: The only time I ever saw her was on an elevator either at Shuttler Studios or an elevator at the 54 Below.

[16:39] Kevin David Thomas: And every time I would see her, about half a dozen times I've seen her. I am like, it's one of those people that I don't get starstruck if I see a faint, like Tom Hanks, I'm fine. But Marilyn May on an elevator, I'm like tongue tied. I start getting chills because I get so excited that it's her.

[16:55] Robert W. Schneider: You know what I mean? It's so weird, but she's just so special. I'm so glad you had her today as a favorite thing.

[17:00] Kevin David Thomas: I'm so happy that you had the Elaine Stritch album because it's just, it really is marvelous.

[17:05] Robert W. Schneider: It's a good pick me up, you know? We all need like a little, it's a little cloudy out today and we all need like a little jazzy stretch.

[17:11] Kevin David Thomas: Oh, it is. I'm just, I'm looking out the window right now. Oh, it's cloudy.

[17:15] Robert W. Schneider: Just a wee bit, just a wee bit of clouds.

[17:17] Kevin David Thomas: I see clouds in the sky. Clouds in the sky was my audition song for Flahouli. I got through two bars and they said, please leave.

[17:26] Robert W. Schneider: Next!

[17:27] Kevin David Thomas: They said, next. And I said, well, I'll show you, Miss Barbara Cook. Mr. Abe Burroughs. I don't know who wrote Flahouli.

[17:37] Robert W. Schneider: I don't know.

[17:38] Kevin David Thomas: I'm getting yelled at right now because I don't know who wrote Flahouli.

[17:41] Robert W. Schneider: I don't know, but I think, is it Sammy Cain? No, Thane, I mean, Sammy Thane.

[17:46] Kevin David Thomas: Is it Sammy? It probably is. It probably is Sammy.

[17:49] Robert W. Schneider: Is this with Amos Sumac?

[17:50] Kevin David Thomas: It is! And we met the Flahouli doll. It's about this doll and Stephen Cole has the doll and we got to meet the doll.

[17:59] Robert W. Schneider: This is one of the weirder musicals, too. It is so, and yep, yep, yep, yep. That's the one with Amos Sumac.

[18:08] Kevin David Thomas: Amy Camu, you mean?

[18:11] Robert W. Schneider: Amy Camus from Long Island.

[18:13] Kevin David Thomas: Was it after we interviewed Andre Gregory that I was like, did you really meet her, Andre? Because I've done so much research to see if anyone will tell the truth about who this woman is.

[18:21] Kevin David Thomas: Because they say, no, she really is from the Peruvian jungles. And then Andre was like, nope, nope, it's a lie. She speaks, she's from Long Island.

[18:29] Robert W. Schneider: That's not so, I don't know. I don't know who to believe, folks. You know the truth. Let me know.

[18:34] Kevin David Thomas: I would believe Andre Gregory because I think he's one of those people that would get off on the fact that she was a Peruvian princess. And she came in and she sang songs that I had never heard before from Peru and I took them.

[18:49] Robert W. Schneider: But if he's like, no, she worked for Queens, she worked at a bakery in Queens, I kind of believe him. Because I think if anybody, he would gravitate towards the myth of Amos Sumac.

[19:02] Kevin David Thomas: Oh, my God. Well, that was fun.

[19:05] Robert W. Schneider: Sorry, folks.

[19:06] Kevin David Thomas: No, I loved it.

[19:07] Robert W. Schneider: So you've got Marilyn May, you've got Elaine Stritch, you might have...

[19:10] Kevin David Thomas: And some Flahouli, why not? Go listen to Amos Sumac or Amy Kamis and Flahouli.

[19:15] Robert W. Schneider: And get ready for our next trivia in a couple of weeks, which will be Halloween spooky themed.

[19:21] Kevin David Thomas: I'm going to Salem this weekend.

[19:23] Robert W. Schneider: So I'm going to go take a look at where they shot Hocus Pocus.

[19:27] Kevin David Thomas: She wanted to go. She's been wanting to go. And we were going to think about going the weekend of, we're going to do our trivia. So I'm going to ask you about it once you get back.

[19:34] Robert W. Schneider: I wish I had known, we could have coordinated.

[19:37] Kevin David Thomas: All right. So everyone stay safe, stay healthy.

[19:40] Robert W. Schneider: Enjoy tonight. I hope you enjoyed last night's debate.

[19:43] Kevin David Thomas: And I hope you enjoyed also Sir Tim Rice's interview.

[19:47] Robert W. Schneider: I forgot to mention we dropped Sir Tim Rice. Sir Tim Rice, who was lovely, very funny guy, very sweet.

[19:52] Kevin David Thomas: A nice chap indeed.

[19:54] Robert W. Schneider: All right, friends. Till next time.

[19:56] Kevin David Thomas: Bye. Have a great weekend.