White Christmas is the most popular Christmas song of all time. The Irving Berlin song is reminiscing about an “old fashioned Christmas.” Accounts vary as to when and where Berlin wrote the song. He often stayed up all night writing or would ask his secretary to write down what he dictated. Both La Quinta Hotel Read More
Category: Broadway
Behind the Song: Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep
Count Your Blessings {Instead of Sheep} was the last hit for the popular composer Irving Berlin. The song was written sometime around 1952. Irving Berlin tells the story best: In the book The Irving Berlin Reader, a letter from Irving Berlin to Joseph Schenck and dated September 1952 includes the following information about the writing Read More
Behind the Song: You’ll Never Walk Alone
“You’ll Never Walk Alone” is the most popular song from Rodger’s and Hammerstein’s 1945 musical, Carousel. The song is sung twice throughout the course of the movie. “You’ll Never Walk Alone” is a very popular Broadway song for solo artist. Frank Sinatra was the first artist to make the song a hit on the Read More
Profile of a Performer: George M. Cohan
George M. Cohan was a popular vaudeville and Broadway act. He was born July 3, 1878 in Rhode Island. He and his parents always insisted he was born on the 4th of July, 1878. He began performing with his parents and sister at a young age. Before he was able to walk, he was used Read More
Behind the Musical: West Side Story
The American musical, West Side Story, is based on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. The story is set in the 1950s Upper West Side neighborhood in New York City. At that time, the area was an ethnic, blue-collar neighborhood. The musical, which was conceived and choreographed by Jerome Robbins, explores the rivalry and tension between the Read More