Broadway 2 A Day: 1961 - 1963 (We meet Barbara + Forum, and more)

Hi friends! We have reached the 100 show mark, and oh boy am I feeling it. I can't believe I've been able to keep this up for almost three months, most people who know me know my hobbies don't tend to last that long. 

This week wasn't the most exciting, to be honest, but there were a few nice moments. We have Barbara Streisand's first appearance on this journey, and one of my favorite opening numbers of all time "Comedy Tonight" from A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. Let's dive in. 

• The Billy Barnes People
• Have I heard of it before? No
• Did I enjoy it? No this was a Monday morning speed listen because it was not enjoyable. Listening to a revue is just not how you're supposed to take it in, the comedy doesn't translate. 
• Synopsis: The Billy Barnes Revue is a 1959 musical comedy revue with music and lyrics by Billy Barnes and sketches by Bob Rodgers. The revue premiered in Los Angeles in 1959 and went on to be produced both on Broadway and Off-Broadway. (Wikipedia)
• Favorite song: Do A Revue
• No Strings
• Have I heard of it before? No
• Did I enjoy it? Yes, there were some funny moments and the music was pretty
• Synopsis: No Strings is the bitter-sweet story of an American writer, David, attempting to woo a beautiful American model, Barbara, while they are living in Paris. David is in Paris trying to overcome his writer's block. Barbara is in Paris with her wealthy patron, Louis de Pourtal. (Stage Agent)
• Favorite song: The Sweetest Sounds (yes, the same one they recycled for the Brandy version of R&H's Cinderella.)
• All American
• Have I heard of it before? Nope
• Did I enjoy it? It had some funny moments but not super memorable
• Synopsis: Professor Fodorski, an Eastern-European immigrant, arrives at a small, football-oriented college eager to please his students. He finally reaches his football-minded students by teaching engineering concepts in football terms. In the course of demonstrating an engineering principle, he even manages to turn one student into a start kicker. (Stage Agent)
• Favorite song: We Speak the Same Language
• I Can Get It For You Wholesale
• Have I heard of it before? No
• Did I enjoy it? No, there's a reason we do not remember that Barbara Streisand was in this.
• Synopsis: I Can Get It for You Wholesale centers on a determined but cold-hearted entrepreneur, Harry Bogen. Even though his mother and his girlfriend, Ruthie, try to help him become a better person, Harry ruthlessly does whatever it takes to make it big in the garment business. In the end, Harry loses all his friends and is bankrupt. However, his mother and Ruthie are still by his side. (Stage Agent)
• Favorite song: I'm Not A Well Man
• Bravo Giovanni
• Have I heard of it before? No
• Did I enjoy it? This was sort of in one ear out the other but the plot seems fun
• Synopsis: Giovanni Venturi is the owner of a small, family-style trattoria in Rome. When a branch of the upscale Uriti restaurant chain opens up next door and threatens him with bankruptcy, his friend Amadeo suggests he tunnel from his basement to the Uriti basement kitchen, steal food from the dumbwaiter, and serve it in his place at reduced prices in order to stay competitive. Giovanni and his girlfriend Miranda successfully build the tunnel, and their efforts are profitable. (Wikipedia)
• Favorite song: I'm All I've Got
• Stop The World - I Want to Get Off
• Have I heard of it before? No
• Did I enjoy it? It had some funny moments and I caught a few bits that were also in The Producers, but overall no
• Synopsis: This innovative, symbolic musical examines the birth, life, and death of the clownish Littlechap. He is born into a circus-like world and struggles to make his way in life working as a tea-boy. One day, he falls in love with Evie, his boss’s daughter. When Evie becomes pregnant, the couple get married and Littlechap must take a job in his father-in-law’s factory to support his family. As he advances professionally, Littlechap’s family expands but he does not have the son he longs for. Dissatisfied by the events in his life, he meets and seduces several different women in his business travels--Russian official Anya, German domestic Ilse, and American cabaret singer Ginnie. As Littlechap’s fortunes increase, he still finds himself unable to find any personal satisfaction. Every time life gets too much, Littlechap breaks the fourth wall by declaring to the audience: “Stop the World--I Want to Get Off!” (Stage Agent)
• Favorite song: Lumbered
• Mr. President
• Have I heard of it before? No
• Did I enjoy it? I love political drama, but this was pretty boring. We're in the 60s now - spice it up!
• Synopsis: President Stephen Decatur Henderson loses his bid for re-election due to a botched trip to the Soviet Union. Eventually, at the behest of the new president, he returns to political life as a Senator. (Stage Agent)
• Favorite song: The First Lady
• A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
• Have I heard of it before? Yes, I've seen this on stage and I've seen the movie.
• Did I enjoy it? I enjoy a lot of musical and comedic moments in this show but when I saw it live two years ago I was reminded of just how sexist it is from start to finish and that made it a little harder to watch. 
• Synopsis: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum is a fast-paced farce that promises to have audiences rolling on the floor. Taking straight from the roots of comedy, Forum combines the ancient comedies of Plautus with a vaudevillian delivery. Pseudolus schemes to win the heart of the beautiful virgin, Phelia, for his young master, Hero. In exchange, Hero will grant Pseudolus his freedom once and for all. However, things are never as easy as they seem. Chaos ensues with hair-brained schemes, cases of mistaken identity, slamming doors and convoluted plot twists. (Stage Agent)
• Favorite song: Comedy Tonight