Final Jeopardy tonight (Spoiler...)

[jasonf]

Posted: 11/1/07 at 7:34pm

Question was "The only songwriter to have a premiere on Broadway in every decade from the 50s to the present, starting in 1957."

A slightly misleading question, I think, but...

[ILoveMyDictionary]

Posted: 11/1/07 at 7:47pm

Sondheim? It's slightly misleading because a revival wouldn't necessarily be a premire?
Updated On: 11/1/07 at 07:47 PM

[ILuv2shop531]

Posted: 11/1/07 at 7:50pm

i agree, Sondheim came to me to right away.

[jasonf]

Posted: 11/1/07 at 7:59pm

I thought Sondheim as well, which it was - but yeah, I didn't know revivals counted. For the whole time I was trying to figure out what else it could have been. Came up with two names - John Kander, who, according to ibdb first had dance music on Broadway in 1961 - in Gypsy (I didn't know that!). Then I thought of Cy Coleman -- who, according to ibdb as well, actually HAD stuff on Broadway in the 50s, though his first actual MUSICAL was 1961. He didn't have any "premieres" per se, in the 2000s (just revivals and his songs in revues), but at the same time, are we counting Assassins as Sondheim's "premiere"? Seems a little misleading...

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 11/1/07 at 8:03pm

Well what was the answer?

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 11/1/07 at 8:04pm

I thought Sondheim as well, which it was

[mikem]

Posted: 11/1/07 at 8:05pm

I also think the question is confusing -- are we counting Assassins and The Frogs as "a premiere on Broadway" because it's their first time on Broadway, even though both shows had their world premiere in prior decades? I don't think they're counting revivals, because otherwise Rodgers and Hammerstein would have Sondheim beat.

[jasonf]

Posted: 11/1/07 at 8:20pm

They must have counted Assassins and The Frogs - though if that question made ME think twice, I can't imagine how an average theater goer would KNOW that. Only one of the three got it right - whether it was by guessing or not, I don't know.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 11/1/07 at 8:28pm

They couldn't say Broadway opening because then they would have to count revivals and premiere does sort of imply "world premiere" even though it doesn't actually say that. Cy Coleman seems to be the only other available answer if songwriter just means any musical contributions since even Sondheim only wrote the lyrics for shows they're including from the 50's including the lone song he contributed to the play Girls of Summer in that year and the lyrics for West Side Story in '59. The whole question is simply ill-conceived and poorly phrased.

[GoSmileLaughCryClap]

Posted: 11/1/07 at 8:30pm

My mother actually CALLED me to tell me the question, and the fact that she got it right! She was so proud.

[jasonf]

Posted: 11/1/07 at 9:25pm

I'm glad I'm not crazy in thinking the question was odd!

[EugLoven]

Posted: 11/1/07 at 9:58pm

Assassins and The Frogs count as Broadway premieres, most definitely.

Good job to everyone who got it right. It was nice to see that bit of useless knowledge as useful knowledge, ya know?

[justagirl2]

Posted: 11/1/07 at 10:04pm

I was so excited...probably the only Final Jeopardy I've gotten right in about a year. A bit confusing, but didn't take me too long.

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 11/1/07 at 10:37pm

I got it. I was upset that Paul got it. I wish his reign of terror would end!

[roseaddams]

Posted: 11/2/07 at 1:10am

My family actually has a game we play -- we try and answer the Final Jeopardy based on the category during the commercial break. First spoken guesses are the only ones that count. And if it's wrong, you're wrong. Even if you know what the real answer is.

I got it right tonight.