According to Steven Suskin, "very few people are around who saw The Band Wagon, but they all seem to insist that it was the finest Broadway revue ever."[2] According to Furia and Lasser, The Band Wagon is "arguably the greatest of the 'little' revues of the 1930s".[3] Ken Bloom states that The Band Wagon "is considered the greatest of all revues."[4]
The show introduced one of the best [5] Schwartz-Dietz songs, "Dancing in the Dark", which was also the title of one of the two motion pictures made from this show. (The other was The Band Wagon.) This was the first New York production to use the double revolving stage for the songs and sketches.[6][7] Although it had incomparable dancing by Fred and Adele Astaire, it was the last time the brother and sister team appeared together.
In 2011, Lost Musicals, aka The Lost Musicals Charitable Trust, presented the UK premier of The Band Wagon. Ian Marshall Fisher, director, Jason Carr, music director.
Songs and scenesedit
Act I
Parody
Where Can He Be? – Helen Broderick
Nanette – Frank Morgan, Philip Loeb, Francis Pierlot
Sweet Music – Fred Astaire, Adele Astaire
High and Low – John Barker, Roberta Robinson
Hoops – 2 French children dance and play – Fred Astaire, Adele Astaire
(What's the Use of Being) Miserable with You? – Adele Astaire
New Sun in the Sky – Fred Astaire
I Love Louisa – in a Bavarian setting the company rides a merry-go-round – Fred Astaire, Adele Astaire
Act II
White Heat – Adele Astaire
The Beggar Waltz (dance) – Fred Astaire, Tillie Losch
Dancing in the Dark – John Barker (singer), Tilly Losch (dancer) on a slanted, mirrored stage
A Nice Place to Visit – Helen Broderick
Sketchesedit
A parody of the set pieces of the typical show, involved moonlight serenade, the waltz number, and the overworked blackout ("Where Can He Be?") and ("Nanette"). In the "Pour le Bain" sketch, Helen Broderick is a Westchester matron shopping for bathroom fixtures in an expensive store, including bathtubs and washbowls. Noting that there was no mention of the "other fixture," the salesman replies with a line of poetry from Keats -- "Heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard/ Are sweeter," followed by a blackout. Frank Morgan, a Southern colonel in "The Pride of the Claghornes," throws his daughter out because she never did anything wrong, thereby going against Southern tradition. Percy Hammond repeatedly noted about the attractive chorus girls "They look, as Miss Laurette Taylor used to say, as if they all had mothers."[8] In "Good Old Nectar," instead of cheering the football star, the old graduates cheer the history champion (Adele Astaire, Fred Astaire, John Barker, Phillip Loeb, Frank Morgan, Francis Pierlot, Roberta Robinson, Jay Wilson).[9]
Recordingedit
On October 5, 1931, RCA Victor pressed a two-sided record (program transcription) cut at 331⁄3 RPM of the Band Wagon score, featuring Fred and Adele Astaire, composers Dietz and Schwartz, and Leo Reisman's Orchestra (including jazz trumpeter Bubber Miley). This record (L-24003) was one of the first commercially recorded at that speed. (This was part of the new long playing "Program Transcription" series requiring a special 2-speed phonograph. Due to the Depression, they were never good sellers.)[10] The program concluded with Fred and Leo Reisman's Orchestra performing a medley of "White Heat" and "Dancing In the Dark" (Astaire only sings on the former); the ending by the Orchestra is reminiscent of Paul Whiteman's 1927 "When Day Is Done".
In 1954, the composer/arranger John Serry Sr. recorded s swing jazz arrangement of the song I Love Louisa from the musical for the RCA Victor transcription series which was broadcast over the radio throughout the USA (See RCA Thesaurus).
Digital Gallery, The Band Wagon, New York Public Library
October 31, 2023
band, wagon, musical, film, band, wagon, band, wagon, musical, revue, with, book, walter, thomson, howard, dietz, lyrics, also, dietz, music, arthur, schwartz, first, played, broadway, 1931, running, performances, introduced, song, dancing, dark, inspired, fil. For the film see The Band Wagon The Band Wagon is a musical revue with book by Walter Thomson and Howard Dietz lyrics also by Dietz and music by Arthur Schwartz It first played on Broadway in 1931 running for 260 performances It introduced the song Dancing in the Dark and inspired two films 1 The Band WagonSheet music cover cropped MusicArthur SchwartzLyricsHoward DietzBookGeorge S Kaufman and Howard DietzProductionsJune 3 1931 until January 16 1932 Broadway Contents 1 Production 2 Songs and scenes 3 Sketches 4 Recording 5 Notes 6 References 7 External linksProduction editThe revue opened on Broadway at the New Amsterdam Theatre on June 3 1931 and concluded on January 16 1932 running a total of 260 performances Produced by Max Gordon staging and lighting were by Hassard Short choreography by Albertina Rasch and scenic design by Albert R Johnson The cast included Fred Astaire Adele Astaire Helen Broderick Tilly Losch and Frank Morgan 1 According to Steven Suskin very few people are around who saw The Band Wagon but they all seem to insist that it was the finest Broadway revue ever 2 According to Furia and Lasser The Band Wagon is arguably the greatest of the little revues of the 1930s 3 Ken Bloom states that The Band Wagon is considered the greatest of all revues 4 The show introduced one of the best 5 Schwartz Dietz songs Dancing in the Dark which was also the title of one of the two motion pictures made from this show The other was The Band Wagon This was the first New York production to use the double revolving stage for the songs and sketches 6 7 Although it had incomparable dancing by Fred and Adele Astaire it was the last time the brother and sister team appeared together In 2011 Lost Musicals aka The Lost Musicals Charitable Trust presented the UK premier of The Band Wagon Ian Marshall Fisher director Jason Carr music director Songs and scenes editAct IParodyWhere Can He Be Helen Broderick Nanette Frank Morgan Philip Loeb Francis PierlotSweet Music Fred Astaire Adele Astaire High and Low John Barker Roberta Robinson Hoops 2 French children dance and play Fred Astaire Adele Astaire What s the Use of Being Miserable with You Adele Astaire New Sun in the Sky Fred Astaire I Love Louisa in a Bavarian setting the company rides a merry go round Fred Astaire Adele Astaire Act IIWhite Heat Adele Astaire The Beggar Waltz dance Fred Astaire Tillie Losch Dancing in the Dark John Barker singer Tilly Losch dancer on a slanted mirrored stage A Nice Place to Visit Helen BroderickSketches editA parody of the set pieces of the typical show involved moonlight serenade the waltz number and the overworked blackout Where Can He Be and Nanette In the Pour le Bain sketch Helen Broderick is a Westchester matron shopping for bathroom fixtures in an expensive store including bathtubs and washbowls Noting that there was no mention of the other fixture the salesman replies with a line of poetry from Keats Heard melodies are sweet but those unheard Are sweeter followed by a blackout Frank Morgan a Southern colonel in The Pride of the Claghornes throws his daughter out because she never did anything wrong thereby going against Southern tradition Percy Hammond repeatedly noted about the attractive chorus girls They look as Miss Laurette Taylor used to say as if they all had mothers 8 In Good Old Nectar instead of cheering the football star the old graduates cheer the history champion Adele Astaire Fred Astaire John Barker Phillip Loeb Frank Morgan Francis Pierlot Roberta Robinson Jay Wilson 9 Recording editOn October 5 1931 RCA Victor pressed a two sided record program transcription cut at 331 3 RPM of the Band Wagon score featuring Fred and Adele Astaire composers Dietz and Schwartz and Leo Reisman s Orchestra including jazz trumpeter Bubber Miley This record L 24003 was one of the first commercially recorded at that speed This was part of the new long playing Program Transcription series requiring a special 2 speed phonograph Due to the Depression they were never good sellers 10 The program concluded with Fred and Leo Reisman s Orchestra performing a medley of White Heat and Dancing In the Dark Astaire only sings on the former the ending by the Orchestra is reminiscent of Paul Whiteman s 1927 When Day Is Done In 1954 the composer arranger John Serry Sr recorded s swing jazz arrangement of the song I Love Louisa from the musical for the RCA Victor transcription series which was broadcast over the radio throughout the USA See RCA Thesaurus Notes edit a b Dan Dietz 2018 The Band Wagon The Complete Book of 1930s Broadway Musicals Rowman amp Littlefield p 132 134 ISBN 9781538102770 Suskin Steven Second act trouble 2006 Hal Leonard Corporation ISBN 1 55783 631 0 p 248 Furia and Lasser p 94 Bloom Ken Broadway 2004 Taylor amp Francis ISBN 0 415 93704 3 p 132 Furia and Lasser p 94 Jasen David A Tin Pan Alley 2003 Taylor amp Francis ISBN 0 415 93877 5 p 358 Green Kay Broadway musicals show by show 1996 Hal Leonard Corporation ISBN 0 7935 7750 0 p 74 Smith Cecil Michener and Litton Glenn Musical comedy in America 1987 Routledge ISBN 0 87830 564 5 p 149 Atkinson Brooks Beginning a New Era The New York Times June 4 1931 p 34 Overview Inside U S A The Band Wagon allmusic com accessed August 9 2009References editFuria Philip and Lasser Michael L America s songs 2006 CRC Press ISBN 0 415 97246 9External links edit The Band Wagon at the Internet Broadway Database nbsp Digital Gallery The Band Wagon New York Public Library Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title The Band Wagon musical amp oldid 1164886116, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
