TV Radio Mirror (Jan - Jun 1962)

OM THE RECORD Broadway Shows on Record T V R 96 WBRT • How to succeed in business without really trying? Simple. Any record industry tycoon worth his secretary's typewriter knows the answer, and so does his secretary. Record a Broadway hit. These sentiments come direct from the publicity department of RCA Victor which — as the largest company in the record business — should know. Further qualification: Producer of Broadway's new smash musical comedy, "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying." Of course, it would be unfair to say there's no effort involved in recording a Broadway hit. First off, you've got to find a Broadway hit, then make sure you've the right to record it. The major record companies have found they have a better chance of getting recording rights if they happen to have money invested in the " show. Victor, Columbia, Capitol and a few others have been doing just that. Columbia's $300,000 investment in "My Fair Lady" brought the biggest returns ever. Victor has the feeling that its "How to Succeed . . ." could be just as big. Columbia's "Kean," starring Alfred Drake, is forecast as another blockbuster. Capitol's big entry this season is Noel Coward's "Sail Away," starring Elaine Stritch. Here's a run-down of the new Broadway show albums most likely to succeed: "How to Succeed In Business Without Really Trying" (RCA Victor LOC-1066) — Far and away the biggest hit this season, this riotous satire of big business, starring Robert Morse and Rudy Vallee, has a sparkling score by Frank Loesser and a wondrously funny script, due mostly to Broadway's famed show doctor, Abe Burrows. The show is based on Shepherd Mead's book of advice for lazy junior executives. The most enduring tune in the show: "The Company Way." "Sail Away" (Capitol WAO 1643) — Noel Coward's attempt at an American musical comedy may be entertaining theater but is not enthralling music. Star Elaine Stritch does the one standout number in this satire on traveling Americans: "Why Do the Wrong People Travel?" "Kean" (Columbia KOL 5720/stereo KOS 2120)— Alfred Drake has a magnificent romp in this lavish production that recounts the adventures of a swashbuckling Shakespearean actor. Some critics believe it has a "My Fair Lady" success potential. The bubbling, tuneful score includes at least one show-stopper: "The Fog and the Grog." "Milk and Honey" (RCA Victor LOC 1065) — The sure voices of Robert Weede and Mimi Benzell make this one of the major musicals of the season, and Molly Picon is charming as a husband-seeking widow. She stops the show with "Hymn to Hymie." Most memorable tune: "Milk and Honey." "Let It Ride" (RCA Victor LOC 1064) — George Gobel and Sam Levene starred in this remake of a sturdy plot which, in its first musical version, featured Eddie Cantor as "Mr. Banjo Eyes." It is the hilarious tale of a meek office worker who can miraculously pick the winning horse every time. "Let It Ride" tells the old story with a new musical score by old pros Jay Livingston and Ray Evans. Brightest tune: The title song "Let It Ride." The rousing show-stopper, "Just an Honest Mistake." Other Broadway shows scheduled for the original cast LP treatment include "Subways Are for Sleeping," "The Gay Life," "Oliver," "I Can Get It For You Wholesale," "New Faces," "A Funny Thing Happened On the i Way to the Forum," and "Barnum" — certainly a bumper crop. In addition, Capitol has released an original cast LP of a show that folded after a brief run. "Kwamina," a musical set in South Africa, starred Sally Ann Howes, with music by veteran composer Richard Adler. Capitol reasons that the show did not fail on Broadway because of the music, "and music is precisely what you get in an original cast LP." Record dealers say Broadway show albums are among their top sellers. Here are 10 still in great demand: Camelot (Columbia KOL 5620), The Sound of Music (Columbia KOL 5450), West Side Story (Columbia OL 5230), Carnival (MGM 3946), South Pacific (Columbia OL 4180), My Fair Lady (Columbia OL 5090), Music Man (Capitol WAO 990), Fiorello (Capitol WAO 1321), Unsinkable Molly Brown (Capitol WAO 1509), and Gypsy (Columbia OL 5420).