songs without any relevance to the musical — Page 4

I was listening to Donna McKechnie's interview on the American Theatre Wing's Downstage Center podcast recently, and she explained the story behind "Turkey Lurkey Time". According to her, the three secretary characters who lead the song originally had side plotlines, but those where cut to save time. The characters were also going to be cut, but Michael Bennent needed a first act finale and he used those three women so that they would have a chance to keep their jobs.

Maybe everyone else knew this already, but I found it interesting.


In a simular note, Fosse created the number "Who's Got the Pain" in Damn Yankees so that Gwen Verdon could get another chance to dance.

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Many of the songs in GREASE pop up almost randomly (one which comes to mind is "We Go Together" at the end of Act 1; nothing leads into it!). But the one song which is definately random, and pointless, is "Magic Changes." The whole freaking scene could be removed from the show, and you'd miss absolutely nothing in terms of plot, character, etc.

I love the show, but after actually reading it, I have to say that it is one of those rere moments when the movie turns out better than the live show.

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Hmm, I do agree that Another Suitcase isn't central to the plot and the show wouldn't be that different without it, but I think it serves a bigger function than you give it credit for. It contrasts with what Eva is doing--most women at that time were typical like the mistress, getting by, where am i going, whereas Eva too had another suitcase in another hall but she controlled the halls, knew exactly where she was going, etc. Maybe i'm giving too much credit and it really does exist for a costume change.

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It's not so much that the "Motherhood March" has no point, it serves as a distraction as you said, but the song comes out of left field when Dolly just says something like "What do you stand for, Horace? I know what I stand for!". The scene could fairly easily be done without the song, and the lyrics themselves are not a topic really explored in the show.

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Someone said:

"AH. I love "Turkey Lurkey Time" with a passion, but yeah, its kind of irrelevant. "

It's done at the Christmas party. Should these people have just stood around and talked? May I quote (from FLOWER DRUM SONG) "What are we going to do about the younger generation?"

Mamma Mia songs

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"The scene following The Ladies Who Lunch is incredibly important -- but the song doesn't lead into it at all. The song happens, then Bobby starts talking to Joanne, who isn't speaking to him because she's just come to a harsh realization. Joanne's proposition of Bobby, which leads to his breakthrough, does not derive from that song at all.
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I disagree with this--Company is presented in such a way that the songs nearly all comment and add to the characterizatrion of a character or comment on the scene in a slightly detached way (as Sondheim has said while it's not truly Brechtian, it is the antithesis in many ways of a ROdgers and Hammerstein show). The song IMHo is essential to Joanne's character and what we see of it in the following scene particularly

what does finland add to spamalot?

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Sometimes seemingly "irrelevant" songs are there for a theatrical purpose.

Little Lamb serves a small plot purpose showing Louise left alone and ignored on her birthday, but in the original it was a quiet respite for the audience after several noisy Ethel Merman numbers and the noisy vaudeville routines. Little Lamb gives the audience a chance to catch its breath and without it Act I would be too relentless.

CALL ME MADAM had a second act showstopper "They like Ike" that roused the audiences then because Eisenhower fever was just starting in the USA. (It was later used as his campaign song which must have pleased the staunchly republican Irving Berlin and Ethel Merman!) By 1953 it was out of date and easily dropped from the movie version.

In older musicals, potential showstoppers or hit songs were sometimes wedged into the plot often done with the excuse that it’s a song as part of an "entertainment" staged within the show.

Steam Heat, is presented as an entertainment at the union rally, gave Bob Fosse a chance to really show what he could do. And it does give a lift to the opening of Act II which tends to get bogged down in its plot until they go to Hernando's Hideaway. Ole!

I rather dislike shows that take the easy way out and use the songs as part of a show-within-a-show. 42ND STREET does that with almost all of its songs. In fact the number in 42ND STREET that has the most impact for me is "Lullaby of Broadway" because it comes from the characters. Also it's a great song.

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