broadway musicals

We are going back to school and the carefree days of the 1950s to Rydell High School, for this Grease-themed show.

Tonight on the show, we celebrate 50 years of Grease, which debuted OFF-Broadway on February 14, 1972, and was the first Off-Broadway musical to be done under Broadway Contracts. The show moved to Broadway in June 1972, and was on Broadway for eight years and 3,380 shows, becoming the longest-running musical (at least for awhile). The show, written by Jim Jacobs & Warren Casey, debuted in Chicago in 1971, and was based off their high school experiences in the 1950s. The musical was part of the 1950s revival of the 1970s, which saw the likes of American Graffiti, Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley, M*A*S*H, Sha Na Na, and...

Grease the film was released on June 16, 1978, and was the highest-grossing musical film for over 30 years, and the # 2 Best-Selling Album of 1978 (and the # 2 Best-Selling Album from a John Travolta movie, as well). Some songs from the original musical ("Alma Mater", "It's Raining on Prom Night", and "All Choked Up") were replaced in the film by songs that we all know and love ("Grease", "Hopelessly Devoted To You", and "You're the One That I Want"). "Hopelessly Devoted to You" scored the film's only Oscar nomination, and "You're The One That I Want" was # 1 in the Billboard Hot 100 in the Summer of 1978.

The 2007 Reality Competition Program, "Grease: You're The One That I Want" was a reality casting call for the title roles in the 2007 Broadway Revival, that was re-tooled from the 1978 film. The 2017 LIVE Musical Special on FOX was also re-tooled from the '78 film as well.

In this hour, you'll hear songs from both the Soundtrack of the 1972 Broadway Cast Musical and 1978 Blockbuster Film.

Tonight on the show, we celebrate the 50th Anniversaries of Godspell and Jesus Christ Superstar with selected songs from each of the respective 1970s musicals. Godspell, composed by Stephen Schwartz (with the book by John-Michael Tebelak) was a musical based off of parables from the Gospel of St. Matthew, while the rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar (music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice) was originally a rock opera concept album (a la Tommy) in 1970, and transferred quickly to Broadway in October 1971. The Original Cast Album for JCS was nominated for the top Grammy in 1973 - Album of the Year. Jesus Christ Superstar, a musical rock opera depicting the Passion of Jesus Christ, was later re-made into a Golden Globe-nominated movie in 1973 (the one with Ted Neeley and the late Carl Anderson) and an Emmy-winning LIVE Television Special (starring John Legend as Jesus) in 2018. Godspell debuted off-off-Broadway on May 17, 1971, and was also adapted for the big screen, also in 1973. Both musicals have been performed on stages all over the world the last 50 years.

Tonight's show is a musical tribute to the late Broadway director/producer, Harold Prince (1928-2019), a man who won more Tony Awards that any other individual in the history of the Tony Awards.

Tonight on the show, the holidays are here, and we're taking it to the stage with songs from The Sound of Music, Rent, (The Who's) Tommy, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Annie, Promises, Promises, and the stage adaptations of Holiday Inn and Dr. Seuss's How The Grinch Stole Christmas.

Tonight on the show, love songs from Broadway musicals, including Fiddler on the Roof, Rent, 1776, Company, Grease, Pippin, the 1971 revival of No, No, Nanette, plus songs from recent revivals of The King & I and Hair.