We Write the Songs Trivia Quiz

Answer: Chicago

Both "Cabaret" (1966) and "Chicago" featured songs where John Kander wrote the music and Fred Ebb wrote the lyrics. "Cabaret" tells the story of a relationship between a writer and singer in 1929-30 in Berlin. "Chicago" tells the story of a woman who is on trial for a murder she did commit. Other musicals where the songs were written by Kander and Ebb include "Flora the Red Menace" (1965) and "Kiss of the Spider Woman" (1992).

Answer: Camelot

Both "Brigadoon" (1947) and "Camelot" (1960) featured songs where Frederick Loewe wrote the music and Alan Jay Lerner wrote the lyrics. "Brigadoon" is set in a mysterious Scottish village which only appears once every one hundred years. "Camelot" is based off of the King Arthur mythos.

Other musicals where the songs were written by Lerner and Loewe include "Paint Your Wagon" (1951) and "My Fair Lady" (1956).

Answer: Evita

Both "Jesus Christ Superstar" (1970) and "Evita" (1976) featured songs where Andrew Lloyd Webber wrote the music and Tim Rice wrote the lyrics. "Jesus Christ Superstar" is a rock opera adaptation of the Biblical story of Jesus's crucifixion. "Evita" recounts the life of Eva Peron, first lady of Argentina.

Other musicals where the songs were written by Lloyd Webber and Rice include "The Likes of Us" (1965) and "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" (1968).

Answer: The Rothschilds

Both "Fiorello!" (1959) and "The Rothschilds" (1970) featured songs with music written by Jerry Bock and lyrics written by Sheldon Harnick. "Fiorello" focuses on the life of New York City mayor Fiorello H. La Guardia. "The Rothschilds" shows the origins of the Rothschild banking family in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

Other musicals where the songs were written by Bock and Harnick include "Fiddler on the Roof" (1964) and "Baker Street" (1965).

Answer: Wicked

Both "Pippin" (1972) and "Wicked" (2003) featured songs where Stephen Schwartz wrote both the music and the lyrics. "Pippin" is a fictionalized account of a son of Emperor Charlemagne. "Wicked" is based on the story of "The Wizard of Oz" from the perspective of the Wicked Witch.

Other musicals where the songs were written by Stephen Schwartz are "The Magic Show" (1974) and "Children of Eden" (1991).

Answer: Porgy and Bess

Both "Lady Be Good" (1924) and "Porgy and Bess" (1935) featured songs where the music was written by George Gershwin and the lyrics were written by Ira Gershwin. "Lady Be Good" is about a brother-sister dance team who try to help each other out of financial difficulties. "Porgy and Bess" tells the story of a street beggar who is attempting to rescue the woman he loves.

Other musicals where the songs are written by the Gershwin brothers include "Strike Up the Band" (1927) and "Of Thee I Sing" (1931).

Answer: La Cage aux Folles

Both "Hello, Dolly" (1964) and "La Cage aux Folles" (1983) featured songs where Jerry Herman wrote both the music and the lyrics. "Hello, Dolly" is about a matchmaker who is also trying to find a match for herself. "La Cage aux Folles" is about a club owner whose son must come to grips with the club owner's life.

Other musicals where the songs were written by Jerry Herman include "Mame" (1966) and "Mack and Mabel" (1974).

Answer: Mr. President

Both "Annie Get Your Gun" (1946) and "Mr. President" featured songs where Irving Berlin wrote both the music and the lyrics. "Annie Get Your Gun" is about the lives and marriage of Annie Oakley and Frank Butler. "Mr President" is a look at a fictional president and first family.

Other musicals where the songs were written by Irving Berlin include "Louisiana Purchase" (1940) and "Call Me Madam" (1951).

Answer: The Sound of Music

Both "Oklahoma" (1943) and "The Sound of Music" (1959) featured songs where Richard Rodgers wrote the music and Oscar Hammerstein wrote the lyrics. "Oklahoma" looks at a group of settlers at the time leading up to Oklahoma becoming a state. "The Sound of Music" focuses on an Austrian family and a postulant who comes into their lives in the years leading up to World War Two.

Other musicals whose songs were written by Rodgers and Hammerstein include "Carousel" (1945) and "South Pacific" (1949).

Answer: Kiss Me, Kate

Both "Anything Goes" (1934) and "Kiss Me, Kate" (1948) featured songs where Cole Porter wrote both the music and the lyrics. "Anything Goes" follows the misadventures of a group of passengers on a trans-Atlantic voyage. "Kiss Me, Kate" is a musical adaptation based on "The Taming of the Shrew".

Other musicals whose songs were written by Cole Porter include "Du Barry Was a Lady" (1939) and "Out of This World" (1950).