Politics and Broadway

#1

Politics and Broadway

Posted: 9/18/08 at 12:40pm

Dont' worry. It's not what you may have thought.

With ths Presidential election coming, I'm looking for everyone's favorite Broadway songs that concern politics, elections, and the like.

Some of mine include:

"Mumbo Jumbo" (Stop the World -- I Want to Get Off)
"Love Is Sweeping the Country" (Of Thee I Sing)
"Piddle, Twiddle, and Resolve" (1776)

What are some of yours?

Updated On: 9/18/08 at 12:40 PM

#2

re: Politics and Broadway

Posted: 9/18/08 at 12:42pm

"Poltics & Poker" or any number of songs from Fiorello.

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"All our dreams can come true -- if we have the courage to pursue them." -- Walt Disney We must have different Gods. My God said "do to others what you would have them do to you". Your God seems to have said "My Way or the Highway".

#3

re: Politics and Broadway

Posted: 9/18/08 at 1:03pm

"Only For Now" - AVENUE Q

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"Winning a Tony this year is like winning Best Attendance in third grade: no one will care but the winner and their mom."
-Kad

"I have also met him in person, and I find him to be quite funny actually. Arrogant and often misinformed, but still funny."
-bjh2114 (on Michael Riedel)

#4

re: Politics and Broadway

Posted: 9/18/08 at 1:05pm

Taht's a good one.

The reprise of "Tomorrow" from Annie" includes FDR singing (which probably has Harold Gould turning over in his grave.)

Do you know much about "Mr. President"? I know "This Is a Great Country" (which I like.) Anything else you know of from Irving Berlin's last show?

#5

re: Politics and Broadway

Posted: 9/18/08 at 1:08pm

I love "The Name's LaGuardia" from Fiorello!

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When I see the phrase "the ____ estate", I imagine a vast mansion in the country full of monocled men and high-collared women receiving letters about productions across the country and doing spit-takes at whatever they contain. -Kad

#6

re: Politics and Broadway

Posted: 9/18/08 at 1:14pm

Anything else from that show?

Updated On: 9/18/08 at 01:14 PM

#7

re: Politics and Broadway

Posted: 9/18/08 at 1:23pm

Surely several 'Assassins' songs are political in nature. Ballad of Booth, Ballad of Czolgosz maybe?

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Notes from the Earlham Street Gutter

#8

re: Politics and Broadway

Posted: 9/18/08 at 1:33pm

Vote from VOTE!

www.votethemusical.com

#9

re: Politics and Broadway

Posted: 9/18/08 at 1:50pm

"The Ballad of Booth." It explains how Lincoln really skyrocketed in popularity after his assassination.

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Jimmy, what are you doing here in the middle of the night? It's almost 9 PM!

#10

re: Politics and Broadway

Posted: 9/18/08 at 3:50pm

I agree with the others that said Assassins.
Mm, so good.
I also like 'One Day More' and 'Do Your Hear the People Sing?' from Les Mis.

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"As we all should probably have learned by now, to be a Stephen Sondheim fan is to have one's heart broken at regular intervals" - Frank Rich

"I think it's appropriate: iSondheim - a Sondheim for the new generation! (wailing guitar riff) Get your kids hooked early on Sondheim, so they'll grow up to be just as emotionally stilted and self-conscious as we are! - BustopherPhantom

#11

re: Politics and Broadway

Posted: 9/18/08 at 4:57pm

the only politics on broadway I have ever seen is the off-topic board

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Obama/Biden 08

#12

re: Politics and Broadway

Posted: 9/18/08 at 7:05pm

1776.... Sit Down, John, Sit Down, John... For God's Sake John, Sit Down!!!!!

#13

re: Politics and Broadway

Posted: 10/10/08 at 11:48am

Anything from, say, "Mr. President"?

#14

re: Politics and Broadway

Posted: 10/15/08 at 7:24am

This thread gave me the idea for the current playlist on my radio station. The theme include showtunes directly related to politics, but also related to presidents, the election, change, America, the economy, etc. If anyone has other suggestions, I'll try to add them. Check it out at the link below. Enjoy and vote!

#15

re: Politics and Broadway

Posted: 10/15/08 at 11:21am

How about the FIX?
America's Son:
"Economy! Crime! Taxes!"

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I once heard someone describe her (Ruthie Henshall) singing as sounding as though she's trying to swallow a whole meatball slightly larger than her windpipe. (The same person compared Michael Ball's singing to sounding as though he's sitting on a washing machine on spin cycle and Colm Wilkinson's to a man with a paralyzed lip trying to eat cottage cheese.) --- Schmerg_The_Impaler

#16

re: Politics and Broadway

Posted: 10/15/08 at 12:24pm

Springtime for Hitler

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www.thebreastcancersite.com
A click for life.
mamie4 5/14/03

#17

re: Politics and Broadway

Posted: 10/15/08 at 12:27pm

A New Argentina from EVITA

#18

re: Politics and Broadway

Posted: 10/15/08 at 3:05pm

"The Ballad of Booth" from Assassins
"Another National Anthem" from Assassins
"Do You Hear the People Sing" from Les Miserables
"A New Argentina" from Evita
"The Flagmaker: 1775" from Songs for a New World
"Tell Them the Truth" from Reefer Madness
"The Egg" from 1776
"The Night that Goldman Spoke in Union Square" from Ragtime

...pretty much anything from Assassins or 1776. Both utterly brilliant shows that hold special spots in my heart.

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"You're the worst thing to happen to musical theatre since Andrew Lloyd Webber!" --Family Guy

"Shut up! It's been 29 years!!!" --the incomparable Patti LuPone in her MUCH DESERVED Tony acceptance speech for Gypsy.

Kitzy's Avatar du Jour: Kitzy as Little Red Ridinghood in her college's production of "Into the Woods"

#19

re: Politics and Broadway

Posted: 10/15/08 at 5:47pm

bwayfan, I get the humor...but there was a HUGE political emphasis on Broadway following the events of 9/11. If nothing else does, that refutes your indirect claim that Broadway is unaffected by politics.

As related to the current goings-on, I have no idea.

#20

re: Politics and Broadway

Posted: 10/15/08 at 5:52pm

"Cool considerate men" from 1776

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Other than that, did you enjoy the play Mrs Lincoln?

#21

re: Politics and Broadway

Posted: 10/15/08 at 5:59pm

The most important political song ever written for Broadway was "Take Care of This House" by Leonard Bernstein and Alan Jay Lerner for the beautiful flop 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

Take Care of This House is especially poignant in light of the upcoming presidential election and the past few administrations.

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#22

re: Politics and Broadway

Posted: 10/15/08 at 7:34pm

"It's a Privilege to Pee" from Urinetown...although that doesn't necessarily apply to politics of the present in our country (the election, specifically). Hmm...or maybe it does.