Musicals

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews "Back to Broadway," Barbara Streisand's new album of show tunes.

Singer and actress Barbara Cook. Since the 1950's Cook has been in countless Broadway musicals--"Oklahoma", "The King and I", and Leonard Bernstein's "Candide" to name a few. She's been called a "no nonsense singer...able to thrust with gentility of tone." Cook has a new album--her first in five years--called "Dorothy Fields: Close as Pages in a Book." She won a Tony Award for her part as "Marian the librarian" which she originated in "The Music Man."

Pete Townsend. In the 1960's he made waves as the lead guitarist in the British rock group The Who. He was world famous for smashing guitars during concerts. Now, years after The Who split up, Townsend is busy with solo projects. "Tommy," the rock opera he wrote for The Who in 1969, is on Broadway. His latest album is called "White City."

Critic David Bianculli reviews an unusual departure PBS' Great Performances: a production of "PsychoDerelict", the new multi-media composition by the rock and roller, Pete Townsend.

T.V. critic David Bianculli reviews the musical "Gypsy," starring Bette Midler.

Classical Music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews a new recording of Leonard Bernstein's "On the Town" and the television concert of the same show. (Deutsche Grammophon).

Academy Award winning writer-producer-director James Brooks. Brooks will discuss his new movie, "I'll Do Anything," a romantic comedy about a struggling but talented Hollywood character actor, played by Nick Nolte.

Songwriter Stephen Sondheim. Last fall he gave a talk at the Museum of Television and Radio in New York City. We broadcast that talk. Sondheim's latest work, "Passion," opens tonight.

Actor and playwright Vernel Bagneris and pianist Morten Gunnar Larsen perform selections from their show, "Jelly Roll Morton: A Me-morial," with music written by Morton, and a script taken from Library of Congress tapes of Morton from 1938. The New Yorker calls it, "an experimental study, done within a traditional Broadway-musical framework, of the life and death of a black misanthrope. . . a psychomusical." This concert was first broadcast in 1992.

From the Metropolitan Opera, soprano Dawn Upshaw. She has a new recording of Broadway showtunes, called "I Wish It So." It includes lesser known works by Marc Blitzstein and Kurt Weill as well as songs by Sondheim and Bernstein. Upshaw has played more then 20 roles at the Met, including the current "The Marriage of Figaro" and the recently completed "Idomeneo," both by Mozart.

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews Stephen Sondheim's "Passion."

Payn's new memoir is about his life with the the legendary theater songwriter. Coward is the author of "Hay Fever," "Private Lives," and "Blithe Spirit." Payn met him as a child, when he acted in Coward's "Words and Music" in 1932. The two were friends for thirty years until Coward's death in 1973.

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews the release of a recently discovered Cole Porter home recording. It's called "Cole Sings Porter: Rare and Unreleased Songs from 'Can-Can' and 'Jubilee.'"

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews the new Ethel Merman collection, "I Get a Kick Out of You."

Indian filmmaker, Blondie Singh Khan has made his share of popular Indian cinema produced in Bombay called Bollywood. He has taken all the clichés and multiplied them tenfold. He talks about his new film based on the novel by Shashi Tharoor. (Interview by Marty Moss-Coane)

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews a new reissue of the original soundtrack for The Wizard of Oz, a 2-CD set that includes some music never used in the film. (Rhino)

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews a new CD of early recordings by Mary Martin, "Mary Martin--The Decca Years 1938-1946" (Koch label). It includes songs by Cole Porter, the Gershwin's, Frank Loesser, and others.

Composer and Lyricist Ralph Blane died Monday at the age of 81 at his home in Oklahoma. He is best known for his work with Hugh Martin. Together they wrote songs for Broadway and Hollywood. They are best known for songs in the MGM classic, "Meet Me in St. Louis." That starred Judy Garland and featured the songs "The Trolley Song," "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," and "The Boy Next Door." (Originally aired 10/31/89)

David Bianculli, TV critic for the New York Daily News, reviews Dennis Potter’s Lipstick on Your Collar TV series that has been released on video.

Broadway singer John Raitt. He's the father of singer Bonnie Raitt. The two have collaborated on a new album of show tunes, "The Broadway Legend," (Angel). Raitt made his Broadway debut as Billy Bigelow in the original production of "Carousel." He also was in the original Broadway cast and film of "The Pajama Game." He's performed in many other musicals including "Oklahoma," and "South Pacific."