Musicals By Year Trivia

1. 1940: What Broadway musical from 1940 features the songs "The General's Song" and "My Old Virginia Home on the Nile"?

From Quiz Musicals of the 1940s

Answer: Cabin the Sky

"Cabin in the Sky" opened on October 25, 1940, and ran until March 8, 1941. It ran for 156 performances. Vernon Duke wrote the music, John La Touche the lyrics, and Lynn Root the book. "The General's Song" is the opening number of Act I. The Lawd's General (played originally by Todd Duncan) and the Saints sang it. "My Old Virginia Home on the Nile" is sung in Act II. It is sung by Petunia (played by Ethel Waters) and "Little Joe" Jackson (played by Dooley Wilson).

From Quiz Broadway During the 2010s

Answer: Book Of Mormon

"Book of Mormon" opened on Broadway in 2011. It was co-written by "South Park" creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, so you can imagine there is language, crude humour and satirical content. Robert Lopez, who has written songs for "Frozen" and "Avenue Q", collaborated with them on this musical. It tells the story of a pair of Mormon missionaries who are sent to Uganda to try to bring the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to that country. The show was incredibly successful and opened in London, England in 2013. It toured the US, Canada, Australia, the UK and Ireland. It won a number of awards including several Tonys, Drama Desk Awards, a Grammy Award, Laurence Olivier Awards in the UK and Helpmann Awards in Australia.

From Quiz Broadway in the 1970s

Answer: Applause

"Applause" (1970) and Lauren Bacall both had strong ties to Hollywood. The musical is based on the 1950 film, "All About Eve". It tells the story of aging actress Margo Channing (Bacall) and her perfidious protege Eve Harrington. Ms. Bacall appeared in a minor part in a Broadway straight play in 1942, before finding fame (and Humphrey Bogart) in the movies. After her husband's passing in 1957, she returned to Broadway, starring in the straight plays "Goodbye Charlie" (1959) and "Cactus Flower" (1965) before essaying a musical role. Ms. Bacall was followed in the part of Margo by Anne Baxter, also in her first Broadway musical. Ms. Baxter had played the young Eve in the 1950 movie. Anne Baxter was replaced by Arlene Dahl, a film actress who last appeared in a Broadway musical in 1945. The original cast included Broadway veterans Len Cariou and Lee Roy Reams, but Ms. Bacall won the Tony.

From Quiz Broadway in the 1950s

Answer: Abe Burrows

"Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat": Veteran comedy writer and director Abe Burrows (1910-1985) successfully integrated characters and episodes from several Runyon stories with Loesser's memorable songs - which were composed before Burrows began work on the plot. "Guys and Dolls" was selected to receive the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, but the award was cancelled because of Burrows' alleged (but unproven) Communist sympathies. The "blacklist" wasn't just about Hollywood. Burrows and Loesser would win a Pulitzer later - in 1962, for "How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying."

From Quiz Broadway in the 1930s

Answer: Ethel Merman

The Zimmermans knew their daughter Ethel (1908-1984) had a strong singing voice but directed her toward the steady paycheck of secretarial work. Growing up near a movie studio in Astoria, Queens, Ethel was stagestruck. She shortened her last name to "Merman" to fit into print advertisements. At her audition for "Girl Crazy" she sang "I Got Rhythm" and "Sam and Delilah". Stunned by her performance, George Gershwin asked if she liked the numbers. "They will do very nicely, Mister Gershwin." Indeed they did.

From Quiz Splendid Sixties Shows (Musicals)

Answer: Sweet Charity

One of Broadway's most revered directors, Bob Fosse was married to Gwen Verdon, who played the lead character, Charity Hope Valentine. Chita Rivera played one of her two best friends, Nickie. "Hey, Big Spender" and "If My Friends Could See Me Now", two of the hit songs from this 1966 show, are still popular today.

From Quiz Musical Theatre of the Twentieth Century

Answer: George M. Cohan

A movie of George M. Cohan's life was made, titled "Yankee Doodle Dandy." Cohan was played by James Cagney.

From Quiz Broadway Shows, 2002-2004 Seasons

Answer: Into the Woods

If you havent seen "Into the Woods", make sure you see it. Sondheim is brilliant, and it conveniently worked out that freshmen programming took me to this show for free! Talk about a nice welcome! This is from the song "No One is Alone", my personal favorite. The original production of "Into the Woods" won three Tony awards in 1988, including Best Book and best Actress.

From Quiz Broadway Shows of the '70s

Answer: The Magic Show

An odd show that was little more than a device to display the illusions of Doug Henning. The fifth longest running B'way musical of the '70s.

From Quiz Broadway During the 2010s

Answer: Waitress

"Waitress" made its Broadway debut in 2016. It was based on an indie film of the same name starring Keri Russell, and is about a waitress and pie baker who is in an unhappy marriage. She finds out that she is pregnant and enters a pie baking contest to try and win money and change her life. The music was written by Sara Bareilles and the book was written by Jessie Nelson. It was nominated for several awards and won a Drama Desk Award and an Outer Critics Circle Award. Since its Broadway debut it has been produced in several countries including the Philippines, the UK, Canada, Poland and Finland. I saw the play in Toronto and was delighted to see a pie in a jar available as a keepsake.

From Quiz Broadway in the 1970s

Answer: Follies

"Follies" (1971) tells the story of former performers in the fictitious Weisssmann Follies (think Ziegfeld) of the 1920s and 1930s. The veterans and their spouses gather for a reunion just before demolition of the theatre (and a marriage or two). "Follies" had a superb creative team, but a difficult history. Producer David Merrick pulled out of the project. Composer-lyricist Stephen Sondhein recruited Harold Prince - who agreed to produce and direct in exchange for Sondheim's working on the musical "Company". Michael Bennett also choreographed both shows. Despite playing 522 performances and winning seven Tony Awards, the initial production of "Follies" lost its entire investment. Revivals in 2001 and 2011 fared somewhat better.

From Quiz Broadway in the 1960s

Answer: Davy (David) Jones

It's that Davy Jones (1945-2012), of The Monkees. And yes, he trained as a jockey before his theatrical career. The Artful Dodger was his first and last Broadway role. In a curious twist of fate, Jones appeared with co-star Georgia Brown to perform excerpts from "Oliver!" on the same 1964 episode of "The Ed Sullivan Show" that featured The Beatles. A two-front British Invasion?

From Quiz Broadway in the 1950s

Answer: Gertrude Lawrence

London native Gertrude Lawrence (1898-1952) enjoyed a successful career in the West End and on Broadway. Sadly, she passed away shortly after winning the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for this, her final role. Ms. Lawrence was buried in the dress she wore on stage for "Shall We Dance."

From Quiz Broadway in the 1930s

Answer: Of Thee I Sing

"Of Thee I Sing" (1931) was a mild political satire and not a drama. It did boast the writing talents of George S. Kaufman and Morris Ryskind to compliment George Gershwin's music and brother Ira's lyrics. At 441 performances, it was also Broadway's longest-running book (plotted) musical of the decade. The Marx Brothers were reportedly interested in a movie version, but they made "Duck Soup" instead.

From Quiz Splendid Sixties Shows (Musicals)

Answer: Both starred Zero Mostel.

Zero Mostel won the Tony for Best Actor in a musical for both shows. Mostel played Tevye a second time in the first revival of "Fiddler", 12 years after its original opening in 1964. He played Pseudolus in both the stage and screen versions of "Forum", but lost the screen role for "Fiddler" to Israeli actor Chaim Topol.

From Quiz Musicals of the 1970s

Answer: Jesus Christ Superstar

This Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice musical was the first musical to start out as a concept album. The album was at the top of the Billboard 100 in 1970 and a year later, the musical opened on Broadway to great audience acclaim. Lloyd Webber and Rice repeated this formula with their next hit (ironically at the end of the decade), "Evita."

From Quiz Musical Theatre of the Twentieth Century

Answer: Peggy Wood, "The Sound of Music"

Ms. Wood played Mother Abbess. Though she'd had a beautiful singing voice in her younger days, by the time "Music" was made, it was not strong enough to sing "Climb Ev'ry Mountain."

From Quiz Broadway Shows, 2002-2004 Seasons

Answer: Man of La Mancha

Brian Stokes Mitchell was in the revival of this show when it ran in 2003, and I had never seen it before this production. I loved it. This is from the song "One Pair of Arms".

From Quiz Broadway Songs - 1990s and 2000s

Answer: Her or Me

The song title and lyrics were changed for the Broadway production after finishing its run on the London stage. The melody however remains the same. Check out "The Making of Miss Saigon" on VHS to see some footage. It's quite interesting. I'm not quite sure why this was done. If anyone knows feel free to E-mail me.

From Quiz Broadway Shows of the '70s

Answer: Purlie

"Purlie" opened very quietly in 1970 and became the hit of the season. A great show dealing with racial stereotyping.

From Quiz Musicals of the 1940s

Answer: Jupiter

"By Jupiter" opened on June 3, 1942, and ran for 427 performances before it closed on June 12, 1943. The show takes place in ancient Greece, so the title is rather odd as Jupiter is the Roman god equivalent of the Greek god Zeus. The show has Greek characters, including Homer (the blind poet) and Hercules (demi-god) but no Zeus or Jupiter in the cast list. Despite this, the very first song in the show is entitled "For Jupiter and Greece", which may be how the show got its name.

From Quiz Broadway During the 2010s

Answer: Dear Evan Hansen

"Dear Evan Hansen" made its Broadway debut in December 2016 and was nominated for nine Tony Awards, winning six of them including Best Musical. The musical is about a socially anxious teenager who writes letters to himself as advised by his therapist to deal with his daily life. In a squabble with another teenager named Connor, who ends up taking his own life, a letter that Evan has written to himself gets mistaken for a suicide note from Connor to Evan. The musical is an emotional ride as the families navigate their sadness and Evan tries to deal with his issues and the lie he is wrapped up in. The musical was adapted into a movie in 2021.

From Quiz Broadway in the 1970s

Answer: Jesus Christ Superstar

"Jesus Christ Superstar" (Broadway 1971) seemed to be music in search of a play. It was performed in several unauthorized amateur stage versions and as an "authorized" concert before its Broadway debut. The show opened on Broadway before the West End - despite its distinctly British origin with composer Andrew Lloyd Weber and lyricist Tim Rice. The original Broadway production received mixed reviews and no Tony Awards. Even the composer didn't like it. Andrew Lloyd Weber was given the Drama Desk Award as "Most Promising Composer" in 1972, a portent of things to come.

From Quiz Broadway in the 1960s

Answer: It opened on Broadway before playing in the UK

"Sail Away" was a distinctly transatlantic endeavor, or endeavour? During tryouts in Boston - Massachusetts, not Lincolnshire - Noel Coward (1899-1973) re-wrote the show to vastly expand the part played by Elaine Stritch (Mimi Paragon). The show ran only 167 performances on Broadway. Ms. Stritch crossed the Atlantic for the West End production, which was more successful. Coward would later write the music and lyrics for "The Girl Who Came to Supper" (1963), but did not write the book. By the mid-1960s, he turned increasingly to directing and film roles.

From Quiz Broadway in the 1950s

Answer: The Boy Friend

"The Boy Friend" (London 1953; Broadway 1954) was a British import in a decade dominated by American musicals - at least in the United States. The show played over 2,000 performances in the U.K., but only 485 on Broadway. Ms Andrews was destined for greater things; American audiences were very happy with her.

From Quiz Broadway in the 1930s

Answer: "The Band Wagon"

Sadly, there is no known film of Adele Astaire (1896-1981) dancing with younger brother Fred despite their 27 years of partnership. For much of their joint careers, Adele was considered the bigger star - especially in England, where the couple reprised their Broadway roles in the great Gershwin musicals of the 1920s. After "The Band Wagon" closed in 1932, Adele Astaire retired to England where she married into the nobility. Following her husband's death in 1944, she declined Irving Berlin's offer to appear in "Annie Get Your Gun." She later remarried and returned to the U.S. - but not to the stage.

From Quiz Splendid Sixties Shows (Musicals)

Answer: Once Upon a Mattress

"Once Upon a Mattress" starred the then-unknown actress Carol Burnett. The show began as a workshop production at a summer camp for adults, opened Off-Broadway in 1959, and moved to Broadway the following year. It's one of the musicals most frequently performed in high schools.

From Quiz Musical Theatre of the Twentieth Century

Answer: Show Boat

This was one of the first musicals to address some dark issues (such as racism).

From Quiz Broadway Shows, 2002-2004 Seasons

Answer: The Boy from Oz

Hugh Jackman was absolutely brilliant in this show which opened in 2004. I loved it, and this is from Liza's big number, "I Love to Hear the Music".

From Quiz Broadway Songs - 1990s and 2000s

Answer: Easy As Life

Tina Turner does an OK job. Nothing compared to Heather Headley. If you don't have the pop version yet, don't waste your money. The songs are performed much better on the Original Broadway Cast Album. However if you are interested, here are some of the singers on the pop album: Sting, LeAnn Rimes, Boyz II Men, Shania Twain, Lenny Kravitz, and Kelly Price.

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Last Updated May 31 2025 5:51 AM

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