Broadway 2 A Day: 1993 - 1999 (Sunset Blvd, Rent, Titanic, Jekyll & Hyde, Lion King, Ragtime...and more)

Howdy! I am about a week behind on this challenge because I was partying it up for my birthday and am trying to soak up the last few weeks of summer.

This is an exciting time -- Broadway shows are slowly re-opening in New York, tours are starting up again, and we are finally getting the new West Side Story in December. Notice how I didn't include this year's Tony Awards in the list...what a mess.

I have listened to 275 Broadway cast recordings so far, and the 80s and 90s have really delivered. So let's dive in.

• Smokey Joe's Cafe
• Have I heard of it before? No
• Did I enjoy it? It was alright
• Synopsis: The songs of legendary hitmakers Mike Stoller and Jerry Leiber come to life in the Rock and Roll musical revue, Smokey Joe's Cafe. Packed with memorable tunes like, “Hound Dog”, “Love Potion #9”, “On Broadway” and “Stand By Me”, it is the longest-running revue in Broadway History. (Stage Agent)
• Favorite song: On Broadway
• Sunset Boulevard
• Have I heard of it before? Yes but I never listened to the full show because the score is so long, and also because Andrew Lloyd Webber treated Patti LuPone so badly
• Did I enjoy it? Yeah it's a compelling and weird story with good music
• Synopsis: The plot revolves around Norma Desmond, a faded star of the silent screen era, living in the past in her decaying mansion on the fabled Los Angeles street. When young screenwriter Joe Gillis accidentally crosses her path, she sees in him an opportunity to make her return to the big screen, with romance and tragedy to follow. (Wikipedia)
• Favorite song: As If We Never Said Goodbye
• Rent
• Have I heard of it before? What kind of theatre kid would I be if I hadn't??
• Did I enjoy it? Always
• Synopsis: Based on Puccini’s beloved opera La Bohème, Rent follows the ups and downs of a year in the life of a group of impoverished, artistic friends living in Manhattan’s East Village. Mark, an aspiring filmmaker, struggles to find his place in the world; his roommate Roger, an HIV-positive musician, wonders how he will leave his mark before he dies. Mimi and Angel look for true love as they face the harsh reality of life as HIV-positive young people, while the businesslike Joanne seeks fidelity from her wild-child performance artist girlfriend Maureen. The group’s dreams, losses, and love stories weave through the musical’s narration to paint a stunningly raw and emotional portrait of the gritty bohemian world of New York City in the late 1980s, under the shadow of HIV/AIDS. (Stage Agent)
• Favorite song: It's so hard to pick but, La Vie Boheme
• Bring in Da Noise, Bring in Da Funk
• Have I heard of it before? No
• Did I enjoy it? 100% did not, although I'm sure the tapping is amazing on stage
• Synopsis: Bring in 'da Noise/Bring in 'da Funk is a combination of dance, music, singing, tap, a history of America, and above all, rhythm. The show tells the history of African-Americans from slavery to the present through dance, specifically, tap. (Stage Agent)
• Favorite song: In 'Da Beginning
• A Christmas Carol
• Have I heard of it before? Yes, I'm 90% sure I saw a community theatre production of this years ago
• Did I enjoy it? It's a great story obviously, but the score is mostly forgettable
• Synopsis: A Christmas Carol is the Broadway adaptation of Charles Dickens’ 1843 festive novella. It tells the tale of the curmudgeonly Ebenezer Scrooge. A prosperous businessman, he believes that personal wealth and heartless financial tactics are much more valuable than the friendship, happiness, and comfort of those around him. However, this Christmas, he is forced to come face to face with his selfish ways when he is confronted by three ghosts on Christmas Eve: the Ghost of Christmas Past, the Ghost of Christmas Present, and the Ghost of Christmas Future. (Stage Agent)
• Favorite song: A Place Called Home
• Titanic
• Have I heard of it before? Yes but I never listened to the score, I was excited for this one
• Did I enjoy it? Yes, this is a great show with a beautiful score
• Synopsis: In a stunning chamber musical as massive as the ocean liner that shares its name, Yeston and Peter Stone’s musical, Titanic, tells the stories of the people on board the legendary steamer and the men who got them there. Spanning all classes, Titanic captures the stories from the whole range of humanity aboard the ship: from workers in the boiler room to first-class attendants, from the poorest passengers, who scraped together their life savings to purchase third-class tickets to America, to some of the wealthiest men of the Victorian age, including John Jacob Astor and Benjamin Guggenheim. Maury Yeston and Peter Stone’s musical tells the tragic story with a compassionate book, intelligent lyrics, and soaring melodies. Full of memorable characters based on the real men and women on the ship, Titanic is a powerful, complex look at the making of a tragedy. (Stage Agent)
• Favorite song: We'll Meet Tomorrow (get some tissues)
• The Life
• Have I heard of it before? Nope
• Did I enjoy it? This was boring and cookie cutter to me, just listen to Sweet Charity instead
• Synopsis: The Life is a musical with a book by David Newman, Ira Gasman, and Cy Coleman, music by Coleman, and lyrics by Gasman. Based on an original idea by Gasman, the show explores the underbelly of Times Square's 42nd Street, inhabited by pimps and prostitutes, druggies and dealers, and runaways and street people in the era prior to its Disneyfication. (Wikipedia)
• Favorite song: The Oldest Profession
• Steel Pier
• Have I heard of it before? No
• Did I enjoy it? This show sounds very dance-heavy, so the score didn't really entice me too much
• Synopsis: On the dance marathon circuit of the 1930s, contestant Rita Racine deals with her nefarious promoter boyfriend, until a mysterious pilot partners with her in the contest and teaches her to believe in her own dreams. (Playbill)
• Favorite song: Everybody's Girl
• Jekyll & Hyde
• Have I heard of it before? Yes! This is one of my favorite shows of all time and is perfect for getting you into the spooky Halloween spirit.
• Did I enjoy it? See above. I recommend looking for videos of the 2001 production starring David Hasselhoff (yes you read that right.)
• Synopsis: Based on Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic thriller, Jekyll & Hyde is the gripping tale of a brilliant mind gone horrifically awry, set to a powerful pop-rock score by Frank Wildhorn with book and lyrics by Leslie Bricusse. In an attempt to cure his ailing father’s mental illness by separating “good” from “evil” in the human personality, talented physician Dr. Jekyll inadvertently creates an alternate personality of pure evil, dubbed Mr. Hyde, who wreaks murderous havoc on the city of London. As his fiancée Emma grows increasingly fearful for her betrothed, a prostitute, Lucy, finds herself dangerously involved with both the doctor and his alter ego. Struggling to control Hyde before he takes over for good, Jekyll must race to find a cure for the demon he has created in his own mind. (Stage Agent)
• Favorite song: This Is the Moment
• Play On
• Have I heard of it before? No
• Did I enjoy it? Jazz is just not my thing, I'm sorry!
• Synopsis: Play On! is a musical adaptation of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, featuring the music of Duke Ellington, with a book by Cheryl L. West. The musical resets the story in 1940s Harlem. (Wikipedia)
• Favorite song: Hit Me with A Hot Note
• Side Show
• Have I heard of it before? Yes, I knew the two female duets because they were so popular with all voice teachers for the last decade 
• Did I enjoy it? It's got a couple good songs but circus content is just too uncomfortable for me
• Synopsis: Based on the true story of conjoined twins and famed entertainers Violet and Daisy Hilton, Side Show is a remarkable musical about acceptance, love, and embracing one’s uniqueness. As the starring act of a sideshow, helmed by an abusive ringmaster, Violet and Daisy Hilton are eager to accept an offer of fame, fortune, and potential romance proffered by Terry, a talent scout, and Buddy, a budding musician. As stars on the Orpheum Circuit, it seems that Violet and Daisy have everything they ever wanted. The one thing they lack, however, is the fulfillment of their hearts’ desires. (Stage Agent)
• Favorite song: I Will Never Leave You
• The Scarlet Pimpernel
• Have I heard of it before? I knew the story but didn't know there was a musical version!
• Did I enjoy it? This was pretty lackluster and I was disappointed
• Synopsis: Paris, 1794. The French Revolution has reached its bloody climax and “Madame Guillotine” is in full force. The beautiful actress, Marguerite St Just, marries the dashing Sir Percy Blakeney after a whirlwind romance and travels with him to England. However, their wedding night is interrupted by news of Marguerite’s indirect involvement in the execution of Blakeney’s friend, the Marquis de St. Cyr. Fearing that his new wife might be a French spy, Percy resolves to rescue as many innocent men and women from the guillotine as he can. Disguising himself as the heroic Scarlet Pimpernel and recruiting a select group of friends to assist him, Percy travels to and from France, carrying out increasingly daring rescue missions. (Stage Agent)
• Favorite song: The Riddle
• Lion King
• Have I heard of it before? Come on now.
• Did I enjoy it? Yes! I've seen this live twice and cried both times.
• Synopsis: I really can't bring myself to recap the plot of The Lion King, sorry :)
• Favorite song: They Live in You
• Ragtime
• Have I heard of it before? Yes, this show is amazing and I would looovveee to see it live.
• Did I enjoy it? Yes, it is such an underrated gem.
• Synopsis: Ragtime is a compelling epic capturing the American experience at the turn of the 20th century. Tracking three diverse families in pursuit of the American dream in the volatile “melting pot” of turn-of-the-century New York, Ragtime confronts the dialectic contradictions inherent in American reality: experiences of wealth and poverty, freedom and prejudice, hope and despair. Over the course of the show, the worlds of a wealthy white couple, a Jewish immigrant father and his motherless daughter, and an African American ragtime musician intertwine. Together, they discover the surprising interconnections of the human heart, the limitations of justice, and the unsettling consequences when dreams are permanently deferred. (Stage Agent)
• Favorite song: Make Them Hear You
• The Capeman
• Have I heard of it before? No, I had no idea Paul Simon had written a musical
• Did I enjoy it? No, I wish I could go back to not knowing Paul Simon had written a musical
• Synopsis: "The Capeman" is based on the true story of Salvador Agron, a teenage Puerto Rican gang member who grew up in New York. The show starts with his childhood in Puerto Rico. Soon, his family moves to New York and Salvador must deal with the difficult transition and an abusive step father. He soon joins a gang, the "Vampires", and is convicted in the slaying of two teenage boys. After many years in jail, Sal finally repents and becomes a better man. (Stage Agent)
• Favorite song: Born in Puerto Rico
• Parade
• Have I heard of it before? Yes, I was dreading this one because I know the music is great but the plot is devastating
• Did I enjoy it? It's a great show but it's too sad for me to get through at the moment
• Synopsis: Parade tells the heart-wrenching, true story of Leo Frank: a Brooklyn-raised Jewish man living in Atlanta who was wrongfully convicted of the rape and murder of his thirteen-year-old employee, Mary Phagan, in 1913. Because Frank’s trial was replete with faulty testimony and lacked any clear evidence, Georgia’s governor eventually commuted his sentence from death to life imprisonment. Despite this ruling, a lynch mob hanged Frank in Mary Phagan’s hometown of Marietta, Georgia. The momentous case drew national attention to Anti-Semitism and was pivotal to the founding of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) as well as the reviving of the Ku Klux Klan in the South. (Stage Agent)
• Favorite song: This Is Not Over Yet