Favorite Broadway Musicals

Sitting around with contemporaries over morning coffee leads to long discussions on matters in the distant past. This morning, for example, we discussed our favorite Broadway musicals. It is no surprise to anyone that we did not speak of “Hamilton” or “Book of Mormon.” No, we spoke of older chestnuts. Thankfully, modern audiences enjoy these shows too, since they are constantly restaged for modern audiences. Bet you, most of you will know these.

1. My favorite is “My Fair Lady.” What song writing team wrote the music and lyrics for this timeless classic?

2. My friend’s favorite is “Guys and Dolls.” I love it too. The words and music were crafted by a prolific tunesmith of movies, radio and stage. Who was he?

3. “Gypsy” is another show that pops up every few years to feature veteran actresses who love playing Mama Rose. Who wrote the music and what young prodigy wrote the lyrics for this timeless score?

4. Musicals of the 20s and 30s do not come around often, but “Anything Goes” is a delightful exception. Who was the composer of this great score?

5. Rogers and Hammerstein are responsible for so many of the great musicals. The sources of the stories will vary greatly. “The King and I” is based on a movie of the late 40s. What was that movie?

6. “The Music Man” was an original story that resulted in a great hit of the late 50s. The words and music were the brain work of a musician who had been better known as the backup band for a couple radio shows. Who was he?