In me you'll find things like guts and nerve...

I don’t have tons to say today or much time, so this is just a little random sharing post.

I am personally anti Encores! doing Follies (even though I love it), but I won’t spend time here railing against the selection. I mean, I believe that if you had to choose shows that celebrated the American musical revue for a series that was supposed to present rare works, presentations of Two on the Aisle or John Murray Anderson's Almanac would have been wiser; yet the choice was made and it is pointless to spend time here discussing it. I am all for looking towards the future.

With that future in mind, I am offering some things I'd like to see in coming Encores! seasons (just cause I can): I Can Get It For You Wholesale, I Do!, I Do!, It's a Bird, It's a Plane It's Superman, Paint Your Wagon, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes , Seesaw, High Button Shoes, New Girl in Town and Do I Hear a Waltz. Oh, and as Billy Finnegan said, "Jerry Herman, people!!!!" And he's right! I mean—hello—Mack and Mabel. Reprise! did it for a reason… Billy also suggested Dear World before moving on from Jerry Herman with the following suggestions: “Wildcat and Unsinkable Molly Brown—both good for Reba. How about Hazel Flagg (Jule Styne) and Henry Sweet Henry (Bob Merrill)?”

Okay, this post is very Ken Mandelbaum, so I must stop before I make a fool of myself. I respect Ken enough to know that I cannot speak about this stuff nearly as well as him. Why continue trying? Which reminds me, I’m all for people emailing me (carajoy@gmail.com) as I do need conversation topics, but sadly I can’t offer answers to questions on rare musical theater history. Again, I’m no Ken. I’m not even Jim Byk.