Bewitched, Bothered, and Be-Audio’ed

Welcome to a new Musical Theatre Monday! This month, I’m sharing with subscribers — who comment below to alert me of their interest — access to a rare audio taken 37 years ago (May 22, 1983) of a Town Hall concert version of Rodgers & Hart’s Pal Joey (1940).

The cast includes Michael Callan, Christine Ebersole, Laurie Beechman, George S. Irving, and Tammy Grimes. It’s not great quality — it’s “songs only,” and not all — but it’s a treasure. Here’s Grimes with the score’s biggest hit, “Bewitched, Bothered, And Bewildered.”

There’ve been a handful of actual productions throughout the years, including a mixed bag revival on Broadway back in 2008. (You can find a video on YouTube). But I’ve got something else to share: another rare audio of a 1983 take on Pal Joey. This time, it comes from a tour that features Joel Grey, with support from Randy Graff, Kelly Bishop, Jana Robbins, Ron Perlman, and Alexis Smith. Here’s the latter’s “Bewitched, Bothered, And Bewildered.”

 

 

Come back next month for another musical rarity! And stay tuned for more Danny Thomas!