Jule Styne and Comden & Green's SUBWAYS ARE FOR SLEEPING (1961). Tony Randall in OH CAPTAIN!(1959). Leroy Anderson and the Kerrs' GOLDILOCKS with Elaine Stritch and Don Ameche(195. All are still available on CD from Amazon.com
That smily face came out of nowhere. It should read 1958.
William Finn's brilliant ROMANCE IN HARD TIMES. My favorite musical theatre score of all time... It's a downright shame this gem was never recorded.
"That's Enough For Me" and "You Cannot Let Romance Die" might very well be two of the most gorgeous songs ever written for the theatre. "Standing in Line" and "Places I Fainted from Hunger" definitely qualify as two of the catchiest songs I have ever heard. Some of the cleverest lyrical work I've heard in a show, too.
In my opinion, the show has, without a doubt, Finn's best music and lyrics.
spotlight- I liked his other one that ties loosely to "Romance," "America Kicks Up it's Heels". Patti LuPone's version of the title song was perfection.
Ah... AMERICA KICKS UP IT'S HEELS is one of my favorites, too, despite it's serious flaws. I'm not quite sure what the librettist Charlie Rubin was trying to get at with the whole back-and-forth 1980's / Great Depression concept. I think that was the show's main problem.
There were definitely some brilliant moments in the show, though. Especially in Rubin's quirky libretto- too bad Finn decided to become his own librettist on ROMANCE.
Although I loved LuPone's "America, Kick Up Your Heels," my favorite song of the show would have to be "All Fall Down." Alix Korey sang the hell out of that one and stopped the show every time, in both the ROMANCE and AMERICA versions.
But, Dear Lord, the opening and closing numbers were AWFUL.
"A Better World" was also a highlight of the show. In fact, the show was much, much better, much tighter in Finn and Rubin's first draft, which was actually called A BETTER WORLD.
If anyone wants to know more about Finn's lesser-known shows, PM me. But I'll stop now.