Broadway's Lost Treasures III

What 18 performances have we yet to see that you would call a "lost treasure" - meaning (to me) a performance from the Tony Awards from the 1940's-1970's?

I would want (not knowing what was performed, but here are the shows):

PETER PAN
SOUTH PACIFIC
PAL JOEY
WONDERFUL TOWN
THE PAJAMA GAME
DAMN YANKEES
MY FAIR LADY
BELLS ARE RINGING
WEST SIDE STORY
FLOWER DRUM SONG
THE SOUND OF MUSIC
ONCE UPON A MATTRESS
GYPSY
CAMELOT
CARNIVAL
OLIVER
FUNNY GIRL
COMPANY

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The Tonys weren't televised nationally until 1967 and the award ceremonies prior to that (which were carried on local NYC television from the late 50s on), didn't have production numbers or even musical performances by the casts of any of the shows (there was a local lounge band that played background music for the winners). They were very low key affairs, typically held at a local hotel ballroom, with a couple of people handing out all the awards, short acceptance speeches and little hoopla of any kind. Most ceremonies before 1967, in fact lasted less than hour. So, unfortunately, that knocks out most of the shows on your list (though the post-1967 Tonys did special retrospectives
from time to time, having some of those earlier winners come back and recreate numbers from the 50s and 60s -- that's where the footage of Zero Mostel and Carol Channing and Robert Morse and Lansbury & Arthur came from .... telecasts from the 70s and 80s where they re-did one of their classic numbers for the show).

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Updated On: 11/15/04 at 04:32 PM

Check out this link from the Tony Awards website, that gives info on all of the past ceremonies (choose a year where it says "Flashback to: Select a Year"). This will give you a rundown on who performed what song at what ceremony, who hosted, what was the theme (if any), etc.... so you'll have an idea of what they have to choose from for the next Broadway Treasures special (it doesn't list each and every number ever performed at every ceremony, but it's a start).
http://www.tonyawards.com/en_US/archive/ceremonies/index.html

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I'm not sure who has the pre-1967 shows. From 1956 to 1966, the Tonys telecast variously by WOR (channel 9), WCBS (channel 2) and then Dumont channel 5 (prior to 1956, they were broadcast only on radio). I know that some still exist because Ken Mandelbaum has gotten his hands on one or two and reviewed them for his column on Broadway.com (they sounded pretty uninteresting except for celebrity spotting). I imagine the American Theatre Wing has copies of them (which I doubt would be available to the public). The New York Public Library/Lincoln Center might also have copies (but, as many of us know, they can be a pain in the butt to deal with).

I would try the Museum of Television and Radio, first, which seems to have copies of everything and makes it easy for members of the public to request and see everything in their vast collection.

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Updated On: 11/15/04 at 05:08 PM

I want to see the clip featuring " 24 Hours A Day " from Golden Rainbow & "Freedom's Child" # from The Civil War

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Updated On: 11/15/04 at 06:08 PM

"24 Hours a Day" ROCKS. It's simply camp and kitsch heaven.

Hallelujah, Baby did "Smile, Smile". It's OK. I'd have preferred to see the title song, but the performers sell the hell out of it.

High Spirits pre-dates the nationally televised Tony Awards.

Dreamgirls did an edited "It's All Over" into "And I Am Telling You" and it's staggering. Everything you would imagine, with Holliday in incredible form.

The Rink did "Wallflower," and the two ladies are pretty terrific. One of the few happy moments in that dour show.

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Why dont they just release all the numbers from the TONYS

"I'm too good for this dress........ I'm too good for this song ...."

"Vodka" has to be one of the funniest numbers ever seen on the Tonys. Between "Vodka," "Easy Street" and "50 Percent" Loudon probably stole more Tony telecasts than anyone in history. SUCH an underused and underappreciated treasure, it's ridiculous that Loudon wasn't even a bigger star. Why didn't producers use her more often? Too bad she didn't live to do her own "Dorothy Loudon -- At Liberty." The "Lost Treasures" series should include every bit of footage of her that they can find.

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How about Bea Arthur singing " There Goes My Life" from A Mother's Kisses ?

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Did they ever do Miss Saigon?

Regarding THE RINK- the new revised script actually cuts "Wallflower" from the show. I guess they felt that coming right after the title song (a big production number on skates)and with "The Apple Doesn't Fall" opening Act 2, "Walflower" was just one belty duet too many.

The revised version also cuts "Angel's Rink and Social Center" and has completely new lyrics for "All the Children in a Row", making it a song about Angel's search for her father, rather than a hippie anthem. "Colored Lights" no longer opens the show - it is now the end of Act 1 (where there used to be a reprise).

Sorry to dredge up and old post but are they going to releasing a Broadway's Lost Treasures III or is this thread about what we wish they would release?

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I'd love to see the DROOD Sequence from the '86 award show! So many stars (and rising stars) on that stage at the same time. I've always found it to be a wonderful segment, as you got to see the cast mingle and interact with all the stars in the audience.