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[0:00] Paul Lazarus: Hi, this is Paul Lazarus. In the 1980s, I produced and hosted a radio series called Anything Goes, a celebration of the American musical theater. Now, the Broadway Podcast Network is bringing back these shows. This is the first of a three-part program featuring a comprehensive look at the opening number. This program originally aired in January of 1983. It features opening numbers from Broadway shows as far back as Show Boat to more modern productions like Nine and Sweeney Todd.

[1:05] ♪ Musical number: "Love is in the Air" — performed by Stephen Sondheim ♪

[8:43] Paul Lazarus: Stephen Sondheim discussing the opening number for A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and performing himself one of the songs written for that slot, Love is in the Air, and then Zero Mostel, of course, in the original company, performing the song that is securely in place as the opening number for Forum, Comedy Tonight, one of the great openings of all time. Today on Anything Goes, a look at the opening number in musical theatre. Prior to, I guess, really the early 40s, with the exception of very few particular opening numbers, most openings were, as Layman Angle described them in his book, The American Musical Theatre, there was scarcely a musical show that did not open with an ensemble song and dance.

These, moreover, seldom had very much relation to what followed. The chief functions were to settle the audience, assure everyone at once that there would be beautiful girls and identify the ensemble itself, and that was true for most shows. We thought we'd go backwards a little bit and look at some of the great opening numbers in the past in the American Musical Theatre, starting with the 1927 show, Showboat. Not a particularly unique opening number except for the fact that it featured an all-black chorus and an all-white chorus, and that Jerome Kern employed musical materials from Old Man River within the opening moment of Showboat, thus pre-establishing that big hit song. So here's the opening chorus from Collector's Showboat album featuring Layman Angle, his orchestra, and the chorus.

[10:33] ♪ Musical number: "Cotton Blossom" — performed by Layman Angle and Orchestra ♪

[13:58] Paul Lazarus: So get your girl hands on the opening sequence from Showboat. You are listening to Anything Goes with a look at the opening number. One of the major opening moments in the 30s has to be from Porgy and Bess and just a totally evocative portrait and atmospheric gesture about where the show was taking place in Charleston, South Carolina in the 1930s. And we're going to feature the opening as it was originally conceived.

[14:28] Paul Lazarus: Not the way it's usually done, except when the entire work is performed. This also will feature the Jasper Brown Blues, which are normally cut. Interesting story behind this was when the show was originally conceived, the first scene was to take place in Jasper Brown's nightclub, but the theater guild, the producers, didn't want to spend the money on the extra set, so the entire scene was omitted before rehearsals began. But it has been restored on this Tom Shepard RCA recording of the Houston Grand Opera revival of the show. And so this is the entire opening sequence, about eight minutes long, from the opening strains of the orchestra through the Jasper Brown Blues to the lullaby, Summertime.

And you have to picture, as you listen to this, the whole Charleston waterfront scene with its nightlife and a courtyard where impromptu dancing and singing are taking place, couples strolling about, children playing, and then the character of Clara finally sings a lullaby to her baby, the beautiful Summertime.

[18:05] ♪ Musical number: "Summertime" — performed by Clara ♪

[24:14] Paul Lazarus: Off stage the unaccompanied voice of Curlie is heard. Oh, what a beautiful morning. And as he enters the orchestra sneaks in to support him. And as Engle remarks, Green Grove Lilacs opened the book from which Oklahoma is based on opens in a similar way. Time, place and period are established and we're introduced to one of our main characters Curlie, a guy-less romantic young cowhand that he is. And we're featuring the relatively recent recording of this score because it handles the opening as it occurs in production.

[25:10] ♪ Musical number: "Oh, What a Beautiful Morning" — performed by Lawrence Guitard ♪