"I believe Wicked uses a banjo during at least on a couple of songs...I apologize if this is not the correct type of banjo that you specified."
Yeah, it is. They actually use it in 3 songs, the "Have Another Drink" section of "No One Mourns the Wicked," the intro and ending of "Thank Goodness," and on "Wonderful."
"Ev'ry-buddy wants ta get into de act!"
- Jimmy Durante
"Breathe from your hoo-hoo."
-Kristin Chenoweth
"I believe Wicked uses a banjo during at least on a couple of songs...I apologize if this is not the correct type of banjo that you specified."
Yeah, it is. They actually use it in 3 songs, the "Have Another Drink" section of "No One Mourns the Wicked," the intro and ending of "Thank Goodness," and on "Wonderful."
You guys took mine! The banjo in "Thank Goodness" is played by Greg Skaff, the second guitarist. The first guitarist is on mandolin. You can barely hear it on the CD because of the acoustics.
Also, while we're still thinking banjo, nearly EVERY single Kander and Ebb musical ever made, INCLUDING "Curtains".
JEEVES or the reworked version BY JEEVES has the only ALW song I like BANJO BOY!
But not a SINGLE banjo note is played. Ironic, isn't it?
And yes, PIPPIN, has its share of banjo moments, too, but if only for two songs. They are the dance section of "Glory," as well as parts of "War Is A Science."
"How could she just suddenly, completely disappear into thin water?" - The Little Mermaid
The studio cast recording of SHOW BOAT conducted by John McGlinn has a prominent banjo part. It is a wonderful CD throughout, with the original orchestrations by Robert Russell Bennett and a great cast including Frederica Von Stade and Jerry Hadley with the London Sinfonietta, on EMI Classics.
Even though it's a play, the current revival of INHERIT THE WIND starts out with a banjo player and a few singers.
"Winning a Tony this year is like winning Best Attendance in third grade: no one will care but the winner and their mom."
-Kad
"I have also met him in person, and I find him to be quite funny actually. Arrogant and often misinformed, but still funny."
-bjh2114 (on Michael Riedel)
Are you kidding Best12Bars? That's one of the hallmarks of modern film making! It would be a shame if that didn't make it to Broadway!
On another topic, the film doesn't have as much banjo as it does electric guitar or dobro or mandolin, because the songs in the film are more Southern rock-sounding.
Of course, this is still off-topic, but if you dig out some classic Sesame Street/Electric Company albums from about 1969-1992, they have a LOT of banjo in the orchestration. Maybe it was just Joe Raposo's thing. I don't know.
And there was also a lot of banjo in the recent ENCORES production of "Face The Music." There seemed to be a lot more banjo than guitar in the songs, but it didn't have enough moments where it truly stands out, like in CURTAINS or CHICAGO, etc.
"How could she just suddenly, completely disappear into thin water?" - The Little Mermaid
And the current revival of Guys and Dolls puts banjo in places where THERE REALLY SHOULDN'T BE.
Listen to MARY POPPINS (the stage version); there are three or four great banjo moments. And there were also a couple of scarce banjos in the short-lived show "LENNON" to provide nothing more than incidental music for the era (John Lennon used to have a banjo band; some of the American government officials were perceived as "old-hat", and it was there for the NIXON'S THE ONE campaign jingle).
Of course, the music for CRY-BABY also ran the gamut in styles of music from bubblegum mid-1950s pop to rockabilly, so there was some big spots for both the ukelele and tenor banjo (for the Squares, of course).
"How could she just suddenly, completely disappear into thin water?" - The Little Mermaid
Thoroughly Modern Millie made good use of banjo. I recently saw a community theater production in Red Bank, NJ. They did a very good show, but for one thing, no banjo! I love the sound of a banjo, and I wish you success.