Broadway 2 A Day: 1972 - 1975 (From A Little Night Music to The Wiz)

The 70s has been an interesting mix so far, some shows feel modern and groundbreaking but a lot sound exactly like the cookie-cutter shows we had in the 50s. For perspective, Hair, which was a crazy show at the time, was years ago at this point in 1968. 

I have also now listened to 175 shows so far this year so I'm feeling a bit looney. Let's dive in. 

• A Little Night Music
• Have I heard of it before? Yes, I liked a few of the songs but never listened to the full show until now. 
• Did I enjoy it? Yes, I actually loved this show and it will be in my regular rotation now. Classic Sondheim. 
• Synopsis: In the turn of the century Sweden, trysts abound. The lawyer Fredrik Egerman has married the virginal 18-year old Anne, with whom Fredrik’s son, the melancholy academic Henrik, has fallen in love. Desiree Armfeldt, a stage actress of great beauty (and a reputation for taking on as many lovers as she does theatrical roles) is involved with the buffoonish Count Carl Magnus Malcolm, the husband of the cynical and wryly comedic Countess Charlotte Malcolm. When Desiree spots her old flame Fredrik Egerman in the audience of her most recent production, however, her interest in him is immediately rekindled. All parties meet for a “Weekend in the Country” at Desiree’s mother, Madame Armfeldt’s, estate, where the tangled web of romantic involvements continues to surprise us with its twists and turns. (Stage Agent)
• Favorite song: The Miller's Son (or Send in the Clowns)
• Seesaw
• Have I heard of it before? No
• Did I enjoy it? It was fun, couple jazzy songs but meh overall
• Synopsis: Jerry Ryan, a simple, young Midwestern lawyer comes to New York where he has a fling with a young Broadway dancer, Gittel. While the fling is only temporary, both Jerry and Gittel learn a great deal about themselves and have a great time exploring New York City. (Stage Agent)
• Favorite song: It's Not Where You Start (I actually really love this song, especially the version Anna Kendrick sang at The Kennedy Center Honors tribute to Shirley MacLaine)
• Cyrano
• Have I heard of it before? No
• Did I enjoy it? No, this was so boring I expected more from Christopher Plummer
• Synopsis: The great Cyrano de Bergerac is an amazing fighter, a born leader, and a fabulous poet. His only flaw is that he was born with a giant nose. While he never shies away from a fight, Cyrano is very sensitive about his looks. He secretly loves the beautiful Roxana but is unable to tell her due to his insecurities. Meanwhile, she asks Cyrano to take care of her love interest, Christian. Cyrano does that and more “ writing Christian's love letters and advising him on how to talk and act. Years after Christian dies in a battle, Roxana finally realizes that she really is in love with Cyrano. (Stage Agent)
• Favorite song: Tell Her
• Raisin
• Have I heard of it before? Nope
• Did I enjoy it? This was okay but didn't really stick with me
• Synopsis: “Raisin” takes place in 1950s Southside Chicago and revolves around a working-class black family aspiring to a better life after the death of their father. Hope is sparked by the arrival of a $10,000 life insurance check. However, conflict ensues when mother and son want to spend the money in different ways. Walter Lee Younger Jr. wants to use the money to open a liquor business. For Mama Lena, however, the windfall means the opportunity to move out of the slums and finance daughter Beneatha's medical school education. (Stage Agent)
• Favorite song: Whose Little Angry Men
• Gigi
• Have I heard of it before? Yes, they did a revival with Vanessa Hudgens a few years ago. 
• Did I enjoy it? This felt like it should have come out in the 50s but it was fun to listen to
• Synopsis: Gaston is a restless Parisian playboy who moves from one mistress to another, while also spending time with Gigi, a precocious younger friend learning the ways of high society. The platonic relationship between Gaston and Gigi changes, however, when she matures, but the possibility of something lasting seems unlikely since he won't commit to one woman. Gigi refuses to be anyone's mistress, however, and Gaston must choose between her and his carefree lifestyle. (Stage Agent)
• Favorite song: The Night They Invented Champagne 
• Lorelei
• Have I heard of it before? Nope
• Did I enjoy it? This was okay, couple of hits but pretty forgettable
• Synopsis: Subtitled Gentlemen Still Prefer Blondes, it opens with the title character, a heavily-bejeweled, very wealthy widow, about to set sail on the SS Ile de France. The moment reminds her of a past voyage she took with her best friend and fellow showgirl Dorothy Shaw, and in a flashback, we relive their madcap adventures after Lorelei's plans to marry Gus Esmond are derailed by his father and the two women sail from New York City to Paris and settle in at the Hôtel Ritz. (Wikipedia)
• Favorite song: Diamonds Are A Girl's Friend
• Over Here!
• Have I heard of it before? No
• Did I enjoy it? If you like big band music I'm sure you would like this more than I did
• Synopsis: Over Here! was a follow-up to the Sherman brothers' World War II musical Victory Canteen, an off-Broadway production that featured 1940s icon Patty Andrews. The setting is a cross-country train trip in the United States during World War II (hence the name of the play, in contrast to the popular patriotic war anthem entitled Over There). The show begins as a nostalgic look at 1940s America (where fashion, music, big bands and swing dance dominate) but, quickly evolves into a social commentary about the fear of dying in battle, prejudice, and discrimination. (Wikipedia)
• Favorite song: The Big Beat
• Mack & Mabel
• Have I heard of it before? Yes, Bernadette Peters starred in this so a couple of the songs were on my radar
• Did I enjoy it? Yes, the music was fun even though the plot was a bit dark at times
• Synopsis: Based on the real-life story of the director, Mack Sennett, and his star and lover, Mabel Normand. Narrated in flashback by Mack himself, he begins the show a broken man. His beloved silent two-reel comedies are no longer hit with the audiences in the late 1930s. The silent film industry has been made obsolete by talkies and Mack is forced to sell his Hollywood studio. Alone on the stage, he reminisces about the past, recalling his early days in New York, his rising success in Hollywood, and his turbulent love affair with Mabel. Mack discovered Mabel when she was just a sandwich delivery girl and made her a star. Although he loves her deeply, he cannot bring himself to fully commit to her. Frustrated and humiliated, Mabel is driven into the arms of William Desmond Taylor, an unsympathetic director who leads her into a life of drugs and partying. (Stage Agent)
• Favorite song: Time Heals Everything
• The Wiz
• Have I heard of it before? Yes, I enjoyed the live version on NBC a few years ago
• Did I enjoy it? Yes, it's a toe-tapper
• Synopsis: The Wiz: The Super Soul Musical “Wonderful Wizard of Oz” is a joyous modern retelling of L. Frank Baum’s classic children’s story reflecting contemporary African-American culture. After Dorothy gets swept up in a tornado, she finds herself in the fantastical world of Oz. There, she makes new friends, battles evil witches, and seeks the aid of the all-powerful and mysterious Wiz. Ultimately, Dorothy finds that, if you believe with all your heart, you can always find your way home. (Stage Agent)
• Favorite song: Home (yes I did hear it for the first time on Glee)