SHELLEY BRUCE sings "I Gotta Hear a Song" by Walter Willison & Jeffrey Silverman

SHELLEY BRUCE sings "I Gotta Hear a Song" with lyrics by Walter Willison and music by Jeffrey Silverman in this montage of TV appearances promoting the Off-Broadway show "BROADWAY SCANDALS OF 1928": the new speakeasy musical. The montage includes an interview with Bill Boggs, Miss Bruce's appearance, accompanied by composer Jeffrey Silverman, on The Today Show, and press footage which also features co-stars Gwen Hillier-Lowe [then daughter-in-law of Ruby Keeler] as Trixie Dugan, Joanna Rush [aka Jo Anna Rush] as Rusty Parker, Rose Scudder as Roberta Kelley. Underscoring the opening and closing segments are tracks from the "BROADWAY SCANDALS OF 1928" studio cast recording featuring original Ms. Rush, Diane J. Findlay as Texas Guinan, Walter Willison as Kid Kotten, Douglas Holmes and Phoebe McBride. Shelley Bruce originated the role of Orphan Kate in Martin Charnin, Charles Strouse and Thomas Meehan's "ANNIE", and was first to succeed Andrea MacArdle in the title role of the mega-hit. "BROADWAY SCANDALS OF 1928" marked Miss Bruce's return to the stage after leaving ANNIE to fight and win a battle with leukemia [documented in her best selling autobiography "Tomorrow Is Today"]. She subsequently won the hearts of critics and audiences alike as Sandy McGuire, a character loosely based on real life Screen Legend Ruby Keeler [whose voice is heard at the top of this clip], who began as a dancer in Texas Guinan's nightclubs/speakeasies in the 1920s before ascending to superstardom in such film classics as "42nd STREET", "GOLDDIGGERS OF 1933" and "DAMES". Ms. Keeler was not only there to cheer the ingénue on opening night, she also provided inside information to bookwriter/lyricist/director and costar [in a role loosely based on The Legendary Al Jolson] Walter Willison during the creation of the show. In her July 19, 1982 Broadway Ballyhoo column in The Hollywood Reporter, famed columnist Radie Harris wrote: "I was curious about Ruby Keeler's reaction to Walter Willison and Jeffrey Silverman's amusing satirical revue about Texas Guinan in what is obviously the Ruby Keeler/Al Jolson story of when Ruby, a chorine in the popular Texas club during the Prohibition Era, was being wooed by Al Jolson. I enjoyed it immensely. Ruby replied and then added with a twinkle in her emerald eyes, You see, in this story line, I don't wind up marrying Jolson!" The morning after opening at ONeal's Times Square on 43rd Street the New York Post ran the banner headline "Bravo, Brave Shelley Bruce!" and proclaimed " 'BROADWAY SCANDALS OF 1928' featuring the return of Shelley Bruce, provided as delightful as the anticipation. What a physical transformation she has made from the curly-haired, wide-eyed Little Orphan Annie to this worldlier youth with marcelled hair! Audiences are fully in her personal corner," adding that "her performance of "When You Come to the End of Your Rainbow [more recently a 2007 hit recording by Holly Stell] "smacks of an illegal tugging of the heartstrings." The other critics all concurred. Stephen Holden wrote in The New York Times: "What lends the revue its charm is a score that parodies the 1920s and early 50s Jolson ballads, Busby Berkeley production numbers, torch songs and depression laments with a tongue-in-cheek good humor. Mr. Willison is a glib versifier and Jeffrey Silverman's tunes offer a smart nostalgic pastiche. Skillfully staged by Mr. Willison with additional help from Richard Maltby, Jr. [who supervised the production] Musical Hijinks in a Show-Business world portrayed as totally, though cheerfully, corrupt!" Womens Wear Daily, called Miss Bruce "a winning, genuinely winsome kewpie doll," and praised "A cleverly etched miniature of the more lavish nightclub entertainments of times past!" And The New York Daily News called it: "As bubbly as gen-u-wine champagne!" Walter Willison is Tony Award nominee and Theatre World Award winner whose vast list of credits include Richard Rodgers & Martin Charnin's "TWO BY TWO", "PIPPIN", "GRAND HOTEL". Composer Jeffrey Silverman was Associate Conductor of "LES MISERABLES" and "SONG AND DANCE" and has written numerous TV and film scores. Prior to this, Willison & Silverman collaborated on "FRONT STREET GAIETIES": Dodge City's Hottest Revue, a West Coast hit starring Susan Watson and Charles Ward., and Bo Derek's first film, "FANTASIES" [aka "ONCE UPON A LOVE"], directed by John Derek, which features several songs with lyrics by Mr. Willison, which he also performs on the soundtrack. Also starring [but not seen in this video] were Kenny DAquila as Joey Staccato and Steve Jerro as Big Phil Castanza. Choreographed by Douglas Norwick. The costume sketches in the clip are by Robert Turturice, set design by Ron Placzek, show lighting by Malcolm Sturchio, photos by Martha Swope, and logo artwork was created by Dixon Scott.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Broadway musicals
• Off-Broadway
• Shelley Bruce
• Walter Willison
• Jeffrey Silverman
• Broadway Scandals of 1928
• Annie
• Ruby Keeler
• Joanna Rush
• Jo Anna Rush
• Diane J. Findlay
• Douglas Holmes
• Phoebe McBride
• Bill Boggs
• Today Show
• Andrea MacArdle
• Radie Harris
• gay interest
• Tony Award
• Theatre World Award
• Busby Berkeley
• Al Jolson
• Texas Guinan
• nightclubs
• speakeasy
• speakeasies
• Prohibition
• Roaring Twenties

[showtunestarpower]

Another great bit of show business history provided by BroadwayGoldenAge. I'm going to go out and look for the recording of Broadway Scandals of 1928. Walter Willison knows no end!

[BroadwayGoldnAge]

@showtunestarpower -- I'm so glad you like the number and my mini-documentary. Only wish I had more musical footage from this show to post. And I'm flattered that you're going to seek out the recording. It's a terrific studio cast, and I also think you'll enjoy the extensive notes which I wrote for the booklet, with the entire fascinating backstory of the show, as well as the many photos by Martha Swope. Be sure and write and let me know what you think!

Best, WW

[newrochellephoenix]

Walter-Had Shelly not been in Annie( and had the lead,awhile after Andrea left),and I think wrote a book about her time with the production and about health problems she had been enduring also at the time ?

[BroadwayGoldnAge]

Absolutely. It was Andrea who recommended Shelly for SCANDALS. Check out the info in the post accompanying the video [up in the right hand corner of the screen] for more interesting details.

Best, WW

[OscarMoeRuffus]

What a great song and what a great voice! Would love to hear Shelley sing something from Wicked. Please Shelley go get a karoake version of Wizard And I and record you singing to it for all of your fans. You can just post the audio track don't worry about making a fancy video. Your voice is amazing!

[BroadwayGoldnAge]

Shelley--Funny you should mention that! A Broadway Diva wrote me a nice note saying she not only enjoyed your singing but also got a kick out of the 70s hair! She had no idea it was a wig and, as I told her, neither did I at the time! Remember how shocked we were when you revealed your new look? And it was, indeed, just perfect for the show! As for gifts, I am eternally grateful to you for starring in SCANDALS, and to Andrea MacArdle for suggesting you for the role.

Love, WW

[mrsran]

Walter, they say everything happens for a reason & when you & Scandals came into my life, it was an amazing blessing. How incredible was the timing of it? There I was, just barely enough hair grown back in after losing it to the Chemo & I'm part of a show that dictates super short hair for the Flapper era! It definitely made the "dumping of the wig" (the one in the clip of me singing) a seemless transition. I'm honored to share your amazing work. What a great gift you've given me.

Love, Shelley

[BroadwayGoldnAge]

Shelley -- Thanks for being so nice and responding so quickly to the comment above. I know she'll appreciate that you took the time to do that -- and so do I. And thanks a lot for posting the clip as a Favorite to share on your own YouTube channel. Lots of nice and well deserved praise about the video on Facebook, too. CONGRATULATIONS! all over again! Watching it yet again myself right now and boy, you really sound FANTASTIC -- and that last note is THRILLING!

Love, WW

[mrsran]

Hi it's Shelley :) Yes I was in the original cast of Annie and then took over the title role early in 1978. I got involved in Broadway Scandals less than a year into my battle with Leukemia. As a matter of fact, most of the work on the book I wrote, "Tomorrow is Today" was done downstairs at O'Neills during Scandals!!

[mrsran]

Hi it's Shelley :) Yes I was in the original cast of Annie and then took over the title role early in 1978. I got involved in Broadway Scandals less than a year into my battle with Leukemia. As a matter of fact, most of the work on the book I wrote, "Tomorrow is Today" was done downstairs at O'Neills during Scandals!!

[mrsran]

Yes I was in the original cast of Annie and then took over the title role early in 1978. I got involved in Broadway Scandals less than a year into my battle with Leukemia. As a matter of fact, most of the work on the book I wrote, "Tomorrow is Today" was done downstairs at O'Neills during Scandals!!