Welcome to a new Musical Theatre Monday! This month, we’re honoring the anniversary of Vincent Youman’s birth with some treats from his most enduring work, the previously featured No, No, Nanette (1925), which benefited from a 1971 revisal that gave the piece new life and exemplified the best of the “nostalgia” trend it subsequently sparked.
With standards like “I Want To Be Happy” and “Tea For Two,” I’m proud to offer — for subscribers who comment below to alert me of their interest — access to a live songs-only audio recording from the 1971 production’s Boston tryout in November 1970. Here’s a taste, of the aforementioned “I Want To Be Happy,” in which Ruby Keeler’s tapping earned cheers.
I’ve also got — again, for subscribers — an audio of Keeler starring alongside Cyril Ritchard in the 1973 Music Fair production. Here’s an excerpt — Keeler’s “Take A Little One-Step.”
And last but not least, I’ve got an audio I’m surprised I haven’t shared before — from a 1986 concert production at Carnegie Hall (conducted by John McGlinn) of the ’20s version of No, No, Nanette, a songs-only recording with the original orchestrations, recreated by Larry Moore. This is your chance to hear numbers cut from the revisal, like “Pay Day Pauline.” Enjoy!
Come back next month for another musical rarity! And stay tuned for more Beverly Hillbillies!