A Century of the American Musical Stage
Broadway Legacy, 1891-1995:

A Celebration of the American Musical Stage

Celebrate a century of one of America’s greatest contributions to the world of art - the Broadway musical - through word and song with Michael Ballam.

Possessing a PhD in Music History and Literature, Dr. Ballam has performed on the major stages of America and Europe in a vast repertoire that spans every form of the musical stage, from Broadway shows such as “Carousel,” “Oliver,” “West Side Story,” “Man of La Mancha,” “Stop the World,” and “Paint Your Wagon” through operettas including “Merry Widow,” “Mikado,” “Pirates of Penzance,” and “Die Fledermaus,” to grand opera such as “Carmen,” “La Boheme,” “La Traviata,” and “Madame Butterfly.”

Survey the development of one of the most fertile fields of art, planted and cultivated on American soil, through the passionate perspective of this consummate performing historian.

Includes excerpts from the following:

Tape One - Robin Hood to Zigfield’s Follies (1891-1921)

Lyricists/Composers: Victor Herbert, George M. Cohan, Franz Lehar, Rudolf Friml, Jerome Kern, Irving Berlin

Shows: “Babes in Toyland,” “Merry Widdow,” “Naughty Marietta,” “Zigfield’s Follies”

Songs: O Promise Me, After the Ball, Toyland, Give My Regards to Broadway, Mary, Ah Sweet Mystery of Life, They Didn’t Believe Me, A Pretty Girl Is Likely a Melody

Tape Two - Rose Maire to New Moon (1924-1928)

Lyricists/Composers: Oscar Hammerstein, Rudolf Friml, George Gershwin, Sigmund Romberg, Jerome Kern, Rodgers and Hart

Shows: “Rose Marie,” “Student Prince,” “No, No, Nanette,” “Good News!,” “Showboat,” “New Moon”

Songs: Indian Love Call, Manhattan, Tea for Two, Someone to Watch Over Me, My Heart Stood Still, S’Wonderful, Make-Believe, Can’t Help Lovin’ That Man, Old Man River

Tape Three- Girl Crazy to Babes in Arms (1930-1937)

Lyricists/Composers: Cole Porter, George Gershwin, Oscar Hammerstein, Jerome Kern, Irving Berlin, Kurt Weil, Rodgers and Hart

Shows: “Girl Crazy,” “Bandwagon,” “Gay Divorcée,” “Roberta,” “Anything Goes,” “Porgy and Bess,” “Jumbo,” “Babes in Arms”

Songs: Embraceable You, I Got Rhythm, The Song Is You, I’ve Told Ev’ry Little Star, Night and Day, Smoke Gets in Your Eyes, Summertime, Begin the Beguine, My Funny Valentine, September Song

Tape Four - The Boys from Syracuse to Brigadoon (1938-1947)

Lyricists/Composers: Cole Porter, Lorenz Hart, Oscar Hammerstein, Richard Rodgers, Kurt Weill, Leonard Bernstein, Harold Arlen, Irving Berlin, Alan Jay Lerner, Frederick Loewe, Wright and Forrest

Shows: “Pal Joey,” “Oklahoma,” “Song of Norway,” “On the Town,” “Carousel,” “Annie Get Your Gun,” “Brigadoon”

Songs: My Heart Belongs to Daddy, Bewitched, Oh What a Beautiful Morning, People Will Say We’re in Love, Strange Music, New York, New York, If I Loved You, Come Rain or Come Shine, There’s No Business Like Show Business, Come to Me Bend to Me, How Are Things in Glocca Morra?

Tape Five - Kiss Me Kate to Damn Yankees (1948-1955)

Lyricists/Composers: Jule Styne, Frank Loesser, Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, Alan Jay Lerner, Frederick Loewe, Kurt Weil, Richard Adler, Jerry Ross, Rodgers and Hammerstein

Shows: “Where’s Charley,” “Kiss Me Kate,” “South Pacific,” “Guys and Dolls,” “The King and I,” “Paint Your Wagon,” “Can-Can,” “Kismet,” “Peter Pan,” “Pajama Game,” “Damn Yankees”

Songs: So in Love, Some Enchanted Evening, Younger Than Springtime, Give Me Your Tired, Your Poor, Getting to Know You, Hello Young Lovers, Maria, I Love Paris, Stranger in Paradise, Mack the Knife, Hey There, You’ve Gotta Have Heart

Tape Six - My Fair Lady to Camelot (1956-1960)

Lyricists/Composers: Harold Rome, Alan Jay Lerner, Frederick Loewe, Frank Loesser, Betty Comden, Adolf Green, Jule Styne, Meredith Wilson, Stephen Sondheim, Leonard Bernstein, Rodgers and Hammerstein

Shows: “Fanny,” “My Fair Lady,” “Most Happy Fella,” “Music Man,” “West Side Story,” “Flower Drum Song,” “Gypsy,” “Sound of Music,” “Camelot”

Songs: I Could Have Danced All Night, On the Street Where You Live, The Party’s Over, Till There Was You, Seventy-Six Trombones, Tonight, Maria, You Are Beautiful, Ev’rything’s Coming up Roses, The Sound of Music, Climb Ev’ry Mountain, Camelot, If Ever I Would Leave You

Tape Seven - Fantasticks to A Chorus Line (1948-1955)

Lyricists/Composers: Betty Comden, Adolf Green, Jule Styne, Tom Jones, Harvey Schmidt, Meredith Willson, Frank Loesser, Richard Rodgers, Leslie Bricusse, Anthony Newley, Lionel Bart, Sheldon Harnick, Jerry Bock, Alan Jay Lerner, Frederick Loewe, Stephen Sondheim, Jerry Herman, Tim Rice, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Marvin Hammlisch

Shows: “Fantasticks,” “The Unsinkable Molly Brown,” “How To Succeed in Business,” “Stop the World,” “Oliver,” “Funny Girl,” “Fiddler on the Roof,” “Hello Dolly,” “Cabaret,” “Mame,” “I Do! I Do!,” “A Chorus Line”

Songs: Try to Remember, Once in a Lifetime, What Kind of Fool Am I, As Long As He Needs Me, People, Sunrise, Sunset, Hello Dolly!, Who Can I Turn To?, Send in the Clowns, What I Did for Love

Tape Eight - Annie to Phantom of the Opera (1975-1995)

Lyricists/Composers: Charles Strouse, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Stephen Sondheim, Roger Miller, Alain Boublil, Claude Michael Schoenberg, Marsha Norman, Lucy Simon, Howard Ashman, Alan Menken

Shows: “Annie,” “Evita,” “Sweeney Todd,” “Cats,” “Big River,” “Les Miserables,” “Phantom of the Opera,” “Into the Woods,” “Miss Siagon,” “Secret Garden,” “Beauty and the Beast”

Songs: Tomorrow, Don’t Cry For Me, Argentina, Memory, I Dreamed a Dream, Bring Him Home, Think of Me, Music of the Night, You Are Not Alone, Come to My Garden, Beauty and the Beast