Movie Musicals That I Love Trivia Quiz

Answer: Elvis Presley

Jesse Pearson played the role of Conrad Birdie. Birdie went to a small town in Ohio to do his farewell TV performance before being drafted. He was going to bring one lucky girl onto the stage sing to her, and kiss her. The girl, of course, is Kim McAfee (Ann Margaret).

They originally wanted Elvis to play the role. He was all for it. However, Col. Parker would not let Elvis spoof himself.

Birdie's name was a spoof of Conway Twitty.

Answer: A rich man

The 1971 movie "Fiddler on the Roof" takes place in the fictional town of Anatevka, Russia, in 1905. Tevye is the patriarch of a Jewish family. He is a poor milkman who fights hard to keep the Jewish traditions going. He talks to God occasionally during the movie.

In one of his conversations, he tells God, "There is no shame in being poor, but it's no great honor either." He then sings a song called "If I Were a Rich Man", expressing his wishes to have more money and what he would do with it. It is one of the best-known songs in the movie.

Answer: Joel Grey

Joel Grey was born in Cleveland, OH, on April 11, 1932. He is a multitalented man: acting, directing, dancing, singing, and a photographer.

He is perhaps best known for originating the role of the Emcee in "Cabaret" on Broadway in 1966. He reprised the role for the 1972 movie co-starring Liza Minnelli. Grey won a Tony Award for his stage performance and an Oscar for his movie performance.

The Emcee in "Cabaret" is an interesting character as he is the main character, yet he is not exactly part of the plot. Rather, he introduces and sometimes participates in the songs at the Kit Kat Klub. He is a commentator on the events happening in the movie.

Answer: barber

Sweeney Todd first appeared in 1846 in the serial "The String of Pearls" written by either James Malcolm Rymer or Thomas Peckett Prest. The barber murdered people with a straight razor. Then, he gave the bodies to Mrs. Lovett, who cooked their flesh into meat pies. (In the musical, she calls them "the worst pies in London".) Todd's barber shop is on Fleet Street in London, England.

There have been claims that Sweeney Todd is based on a real person, but that has not been proven.

In 1875, these stories were adapted into a play by Frederick Hazelton.

In 1979, Stephen Sondheim opened his stage musical "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" on Broadway.

In 2007, this version was adapted by Tim Burton into a movie musical starring Johnny Depp as Sweeney Todd.

Answer: Nessarose

Marissa Bode played the part of Nessarose in the 2024 movie "Wicked". Elphaba has always looked after her sister, who uses a wheelchair. Nessa later develops a crush on Boq, and thinks Galinda (later Glinda) is being kind when she gets Boq to take Nessa to a dance. In reality, Galinda just wants to get Boq away from her. Elphaba attends wearing a tall black hat (witch hat), and Nessarose is embarrassed when her sister is teased by everyone else.

We learn that their father hates Elphaba because of her green skin. Furthermore, their father was so afraid Nessa would also have green skin, he made their mother eat milk flowers during her pregnancy. While it kept Nessa from having green skin, it killed the mother during childbirth and left Nessa unable to walk.

"Wicked" (2024) is the equivalent of the first act of the staged musical written by Stephen Schwartz. The musical is based on the 1995 novel "Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West" by Gregory Maguire.

Answer: It wasn't built until '06.

Robert Preston starred as Professor Harold Hill in the 1962 movie version of "The Music Man". Preston originated the role of Hill in the 1957 Broadway production. Hill is a con artist who tarnishes the reputation of other salesmen. He sells boy bands, but as Charlie, the Anvil salesman explained, "He don't know one note from another."

When Mayor Shinn wants his credentials, he claims he graduated from the Gary Conservatory in '05. He has explained he is from Gary, Indiana. However, Marian Paroo, the town librarian, who also gives piano lessons, figures out that he is lying. The reason she knows - the school was not built until '06.

Answer: Nancy

The movie "Oliver!" premiered in 1968. It starred Mark Lester as the title character. Shani Wallis played the role of Nancy. Nancy was the girlfriend of Bill Sikes. Oliver loves Nancy so when Oliver gets caught in a pickpocketing attempt, Bill forces Nancy to go get him back from Mr. Brownlow, who has taken the orphan in.

While she does get him back, she also protects him, which ultimately gets her killed by the man she thought loved her, and who she loved - Bill Sikes.

Answer: Velma Kelly

The musical movie adaptation of "Chicago" premiered in 2002. It was based on the Broadway musical, which first opened on June 3, 1975.

Catherine Zeta-Jones played the role of Velma Kelly. Velma is one of "the six merry murderesses". She explains that she was touring with her sister, Veronica, and Velma's husband, Charlie, went with them. They were in a hotel, and Velma went to get ice. When she came back, she caught them "doing number 17, the spread eagle.

While she admits to killing them, she claims she didn't know what she was doing at the time. She says she blacked out, and when she woke up, she saw blood on the knife, and that is when she realized what she had done. Velma is the star of the Cook County Jail until Roxie Hart comes in and makes bigger headlines.

Answer: Zach

Michael Douglas played Zach in "A Chorus Line". The show features dancers trying out for one of the eight backup dancers (4 men, 4 women) in a new show. Zach has them lined up and asks them questions throughout the movie. He is trying to get them to open up. One dancer, Cassie (played by Alyson Reed), knows Zach well.

She was a featured dancer, but no longer able to get featured roles, she just wants to dance. Zach does not want to let her audition; he says that she is too good.

Answer: Will

Will Parker (played by Gene Nelson) was a cowboy who was in love with the farmer's daughter Ado Annie (played by Gloria Grahame). They are the secondary couple in the movie. Will has just returned to the Oklahoma territory after going to Kansas City, MO.

He sings a song, "Kansas City", telling the guys and Aunt Eller how "everything is up to date in Kansas City", telling them about all the state-of-the-art things he has seen, such as skyscrapers.

Answer: J. Pierpont Finch

J. Pierpont Finch (played by Robert Morse, reprising his role from the 1961 Broadway musical) is a window washer with great goals and a book called "How to Succeed". He follows the book to a T, and quickly rises up the corporate ladder, getting others fired along the way. He learns his boss, J.B. Biggley (played by Rudy Vallee, also reprising his role from the Broadway show) is a Groundhog (college mascot) and dislikes the Chipmunks (another mascot).

For example, he gets a man fired by letting Biggley know the man is a Chipmunk.

Answer: Lola

Lola (played by Gwen Verdon, who also played the role on Broadway) works for Applegate (played by Ray Walston, who also originated his role on Broadway). Applegate made a deal with Joe Hardy (played by Tab Hunter), that he could go back to being young again and help the Washington Senators beat the Yankees to win the pennant.

However, if Hardy is unsuccessful, Applegate gets his soul.

Hardy is succeeding despite Applegate's best efforts to stop him. So, he calls in Lola to distract Hardy. Even this does not work.

Answer: Luther

Luther, played by Ray Walston, is one of the sailors stationed in the South Pacific. Near the beginning of the film, the nurses are out running. Nellie, played by Mitzi Gaynor, stops by to see Luther, and he gives her the laundry he did for her. She thanks him, and the other sailors tease him. Luther has a crush on Nellie, but they are also friends.

Later on in the movie, Nellie participates in a USO show. She sings the song "Honey Bun". Luther comes out as Honey Bun. He wears a hula skirt and a long blond grass-like wig. The sailors laugh and make cattle calls at him.

Answer: East Cicero, Illinois

Big Julie (played by B.S. Pully, who originated the role on Broadway) is a friend of Harry the Horse (played by Sheldon Leonard). He is in town (NYC) and looking for action. Harry brings him to Nathan Detroit's (played by Frank Sinatra) floating crap game.

While Nathan tries to find a place for the game, Lt. Brannigan (played by Robert Keith) is "breathing down everyone's neck". The gamblers are all together wearing red carnations, waiting to be told where the game will be. When Lt. Brannigan sees them he calls them by name but stops at Julie because he doesn't recognize him. Big Julie says he is from East Cicero, IL.

Answer: Seven and a Half Cents

Babe (played by Doris Day) works at a pajama factory. She and the others in the union want a seven-and-a-half-cent raise. Sid (played by John Raitt, reprising the role he created on Broadway) is the new superintendent at the factory. He and Babe start dating and quickly fall in love.

But they are on opposite sides in the battle for a raise. Can their relationship survive? I will let you watch the movie to see.