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With 57 days to the election and two days before the first presidential debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, actors who portrayed fictional superheroes including Mark Ruffalo (who has portrayed Bruce Banner/Hulk in the MCU franchise since 2012), Mandy Patinkin (who played Inigo Montoya from Princess Bride), and more teamed up with “real-life superheroes.” Whistleblowers Alexander Vindman and Jessica Denson, as well as climate activist Bill McKibben, and more luminaries shared their true stories alongside the fictionalized heroes’ journeys and how this relates to the American story, a shared interconnectedness,...

Barbra Streisand’s fabled run of 1962 shows at the Greenwich Village nightclub, Bon Soir, will be released as a new live album, Live at Bon Soir, on Nov. 4 via Columbia Records/Legacy Recordings. To tease the release, Streisand shared a powerhouse rendition of the Arthur Hamilton-penned song, “Cry Me a River.”

Live at Bon Soir was recorded over three nights, Nov. 4 through Nov. 6, 1962: Streisand was just 20 years old, and she’d signed her first record deal with Columbia only a month earlier. The recordings were originally supposed to become Streisand’s debut album,...

Years in the making! The glory of MGM on parade! Enough studio resources to film twenty pictures were expended on this paean to showman Florenz Ziegfeld. It’s really Metro Goldwyn Mayer’s Technicolor valentine to itself, showing off the studio’s enormous stable of musical talent, along with various of its comic performers. Arthur Freed and Louis B. Mayer’s notion of ‘something for everyone’ results in weird stack of grandiose musical numbers and mostly weak comedy. The biggest draw is the incredible color cinematography that peeks through in three or four jaw-droppingly elaborate musical spectacles. The picture is a workout to find the artistic limits of the Technicolor system.

Ziegfeld Follies

Blu-ray

Warner Archive Collection

1945 / Color / 1:37 Academy / 117 110 min. / Street Date June 15, 2021 / 21.99

Starring: (alphabetically): Fred Astaire, Lucille Ball, Lucille Bremer, Fanny Brice, Judy Garland, Kathryn Grayson, Lena Horne, Gene Kelly, Victor Moore, Red Skelton, Esther Williams. Also...

How the 1940s standard “Happiness Is a Thing Called Joe” failed to be adapted into a Joe Biden campaign song until now is a mystery, but Cher recognized the obvious pairing of classic song and candidate and has recorded her rewrite of the tune, which was originally sung by Ethel Waters in the 1943 film “Cabin in the Sky.”

The song, with music by Harold Arlen and lyrics by E.Y. Harburg, was nominated for an Oscar after Waters sang it in the Black-themed Vincente Minnelli film. Many of the original lyrics would not do — Waters refers to “little Joe” in the film version, which sounds more like a nickname Donald Trump would apply to the candidate than something they’d want in a campaign anthem. So that reference gets changed to “president Joe” in Cher’s version, among other alterations.

Cher introduced the song Sunday night in closing “I Will Vote,...

Burbank, CA, August 22, 2019 – Warner Bros. Home Entertainment announced today that 1939’s acclaimed and beloved classic The Wizard of Oz will be released on Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack and Digital on October 29th. Directed by Victor Fleming (Gone With the Wind) and starring Judy Garland as Dorothy Gayle, The Wizard of Oz is widely considered to be one of the most influential films in cinematic history.

Adapted from L. Frank Baum’s timeless children’s tale about a Kansas girl’s journey over the rainbow, The Wizard of Oz officially premiered at Grauman’s Chinese Theater on August 15, 1939. The film was directed by Victor Fleming (who that same year directed Gone With the Wind), produced by Mervyn LeRoy, and scored by Herbert Stothart, with music and lyrics by Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg. Ray Bolger appeared as the Scarecrow; Bert Lahr as the Cowardly Lion, Jack Haley as the Tin Woodman.

As a musical it’s excellent — fine tunes and lyrics, great singing and dancing by the ever-youthful Fred Astaire, the glorious songbird Petula Clark, and the impishly weird Tommy Steele cast appropriately as a grimacing Leprechaun. The update of what was a politically acute Broadway hit in 1947 is awkward but the show is a melodious pleasure — great color, fine voices and peppy direction by Francis Ford Coppola on his first big studio feature.

Finian’s Rainbow

Blu-ray

Warner Archive Collection

1968 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 145 141 min. / Street Date March 7, 2017 / available through the WBshop / 21.99

Starring: Fred Astaire, Petula Clark, Tommy Steele, Don Francks, Keenan Wynn, Barbara Hancock, Al Freeman Jr., Ronald Colby, Dolph Sweet, Wright King, Louis Silas.

Cinematography: Philip Lathrop

Film Editor: Melvin Shapiro

Original Music: Ray Heindorf

Written by E.Y. Harburg, Fred Saidy

Produced by Joseph Landon

Directed by Francis Ford Coppola

Finian’s Rainbow is a unique musical with a strange history.

by Anne Marie

We have reached the end of Juy Garland's film career. From this point forward, this series will be focused exclusively on her television appearances. So, why not play Judy out the way she's remembered best, belting a big number in glorious Technicolor? But the hopeful title and Judy's brassy voice belie a darker truth. This week's number serves not only as the title song of the film, but also as a thesis for Judy Garland's later career.

The Movie: I Could Go On Singing (United Artists, 1964)

The Songwriters: Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg

The Players: Judy Garland & Dick Bogarde, directed by Ronald Nearne

The Story:  If A Star Is Born represents Judy Garland's image as a tragic, romantic figure in Hollywood, then I Could Go On Singing may be the closest Garland got to a public confession of how messy the tragic parts of her life coud be.

Lorna Luft, daughter of the late Judy Garland, gave an emotional performance of her mother's signature tune "Over the Rainbow" at New York City's Feinstein's/54 Below on Wednesday night - the first she's ever given of the song, she says. "I've never sung this song," Luft told concertgoers before the performance. "Not because it was too hard for me emotionally, but because I always felt you can't improve on perfect. But I thought to myself, if I'm ever going to sing this, now is the time." The emotional moment came 47 years to the day after Garland died at the age...

Lorna Luft, daughter of the late Judy Garland, gave an emotional performance of her mother's signature tune "Over the Rainbow" at New York City's Feinstein's/54 Below on Wednesday night - the first she's ever given of the song, she says. "I've never sung this song," Luft told concertgoers before the performance. "Not because it was too hard for me emotionally, but because I always felt you can't improve on perfect. But I thought to myself, if I'm ever going to sing this, now is the time." The emotional moment came 47 years to the day after Garland died at the age...

It's been 77 years since Judy Garland made Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg's 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow' forever famous. Just last night, her daughter, Lorna Luft, brought the beloved song back to life something she has never done before now at Feinstein's54 Below, in a moving tribute to Stonewall, Orlando, and of course, her late mother. Check out the entire, emotional performance below...

Today in 1960, Finian's Rainbow opened at the 46th Street Theatre now the Richard Rodgers Theatre. Finian's Rainbow is a musical with a book by E.Y. Harburg and Fred Saidy, lyrics by Harburg, and music by Burton Lane. The 1947 Broadway production ran for 725 performances. Finian moves to the southern United States the fictional state of Missitucky is a humorous combination of Mississippi and Kentucky from Ireland with his daughter Sharon, to bury a stolen pot of gold near Fort Knox, in the mistaken belief that it will grow. A leprechaun follows them, desperate to recover his treasure before the loss of it turns him permanently human. Complications arise when a bigoted and corrupt U.S. Senator gets involved, and when wishes are made inadvertently over the hidden crock.

Today in 1955, Finian's Rainbow opened at City Center, where it ran for 15 performances. Finian's Rainbow is a musical with a book by E.Y. Harburg and Fred Saidy, lyrics by Harburg, and music by Burton Lane. The 1947 Broadway production ran for 725 performances. Finian moves to the southern United States the fictional state of Missitucky is a humorous combination of Mississippi and Kentucky from Ireland with his daughter Sharon, to bury a stolen pot of gold near Fort Knox, in the mistaken belief that it will grow. A leprechaun follows them, desperate to recover his treasure before the loss of it turns him permanently human. Complications arise when a bigoted and corrupt U.S. Senator gets involved, and when wishes are made inadvertently over the hidden crock.

Anne Marie is tracking Judy Garland's career through musical numbers...

1941 was a year of beginnings and endings for Judy Garland. It was the year of Judy's last Andy Hardy film (Life Begins for Andy Hardy, wherein nobody sang). And she wasn't just growing up on film - 1941 was also the year of Judy's first marriage: to David Rose, the musical director of the Tony Martin Radio Show. At only 19, Judy Garland was transitioning from child sensation to full fledged star.

 

The Movie: Babes on Broadway (1941)

The Songwriters: E.Y. Harburg (lyrics) and Burton Lane (music)

The Players: Judy Garland, Mickey Rooney, Virginia Weidler, Fay Bainter, Margaret O'Sullivan, directed by Busby Berkeley.

 

The Story: As the country entered World War II, the Freed Unit was lining up a series of nostalgia-inflected new hits starring Judy Garland for MGM. While Babes on Broadway looks at first glance like the typical...

The battle of the sexes is on Some of the most memorable Broadway characters will square off inGuys vs. Dolls A Musical Survey of Sex and Sexismfeaturing the songs of Cole Porter, Frank Loesser, Rodgers amp Hammerstein and many more. Explore the passion and perils of love and marriage as depicted by the great writers of Broadway, including Cole Porter, Frank Loesser, Irving Berlin, Lerner amp Loewe, Yip Harburg, Burton Lane, Rodgers amp Hammerstein, Rodgers amp Hart, Stephen Sondheim, Jule Styne, Meredith Willson, William Finn, Maltby amp Shire and Jerry Herman.

Today in 2009, Finian's Rainbow opened at the St. James Theatre, where it ran for 92 performances. Finian's Rainbow is a musical with a book by E.Y. Harburg and Fred Saidy, lyrics by Harburg, and music by Burton Lane. The 1947 Broadway production ran for 725 performances. Finian moves to the southern United States the fictional state of Missitucky is a humorous combination of Mississippi and Kentucky from Ireland with his daughter Sharon, to bury a stolen pot of gold near Fort Knox, in the mistaken belief that it will grow. A leprechaun follows them, desperate to recover his treasure before the loss of it turns him permanently human. Complications arise when a bigoted and corrupt U.S. Senator gets involved, and when wishes are made inadvertently over the hidden crock.

Songs On Screen: HitFix recurring feature of tributes by writers to their favorite musical moments from TV and film. Check out all the entries in the series here. There are three great songs from American film, and they are all about rainbows. “Over the Rainbow,” “Moon River” and “The Rainbow Connection” – are the three most quintessentially American songs ever to appear on screen, sung by three quintessentially American characters; and all three stand apart as plaintive cries of lonely souls dreaming of someplace far away..”Waiting round the bend” ”where troubles melt like lemondrops” for “the lovers, the dreamers and me” The things these songs share tell you everything needs to know about the character of 20th Century America. The things they don’t share tell you everything you need to know about how that character changed as the era wore on. Let’s start at the top, and the very top it is.

Today in 1960, Finian's Rainbow opened at the 46th Street Theatre now the Richard Rodgers Theatre. Finian's Rainbow is a musical with a book by E.Y. Harburg and Fred Saidy, lyrics by Harburg, and music by Burton Lane. The 1947 Broadway production ran for 725 performances. Finian moves to the southern United States the fictional state of Missitucky is a humorous combination of Mississippi and Kentucky from Ireland with his daughter Sharon, to bury a stolen pot of gold near Fort Knox, in the mistaken belief that it will grow. A leprechaun follows them, desperate to recover his treasure before the loss of it turns him permanently human. Complications arise when a bigoted and corrupt U.S. Senator gets involved, and when wishes are made inadvertently over the hidden crock.

Today in 1955, Finian's Rainbow opened at City Center, where it ran for 15 performances. Finian's Rainbow is a musical with a book by E.Y. Harburg and Fred Saidy, lyrics by Harburg, and music by Burton Lane. The 1947 Broadway production ran for 725 performances. Finian moves to the southern United States the fictional state of Missitucky is a humorous combination of Mississippi and Kentucky from Ireland with his daughter Sharon, to bury a stolen pot of gold near Fort Knox, in the mistaken belief that it will grow. A leprechaun follows them, desperate to recover his treasure before the loss of it turns him permanently human. Complications arise when a bigoted and corrupt U.S. Senator gets involved, and when wishes are made inadvertently over the hidden crock.

Martha Stewart: Actress / Singer in Fox movies apparently not dead despite two-year-old reports to the contrary (Photo: Martha Stewart and Perry Como in 'Doll Face') According to various online reports, including Variety's, actress and singer Martha Stewart, a pretty blonde featured in supporting roles in a handful of 20th Century Fox movies of the '40s, died at age 89 of "natural causes" in Northeast Harbor, Maine, on February 25, 2012. Needless to say, that was not the same Martha Stewart hawking "delicious foods" and whatever else on American television. But quite possibly, the Martha Stewart who died in February 2012 -- if any -- was not the Martha Stewart of old Fox movies either. And that's why I'm republishing this (former) obit, originally posted more than two and a half years ago: March 11, 2012. Earlier today, a commenter wrote to Alt Film Guide, claiming that the Martha Stewart featured in Doll Face, I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now,...

Today in 2009, Finian's Rainbow opened at the St. James Theatre, where it ran for 92 performances. Finian's Rainbow is a musical with a book by E.Y. Harburg and Fred Saidy, lyrics by Harburg, and music by Burton Lane. The 1947 Broadway production ran for 725 performances. Finian moves to the southern United States the fictional state of Missitucky is a humorous combination of Mississippi and Kentucky from Ireland with his daughter Sharon, to bury a stolen pot of gold near Fort Knox, in the mistaken belief that it will grow. A leprechaun follows them, desperate to recover his treasure before the loss of it turns him permanently human. Complications arise when a bigoted and corrupt U.S. Senator gets involved, and when wishes are made inadvertently over the hidden crock.

Today in 1960, Finian's Rainbow opened at the 46th Street Theatre now the Richard Rodgers Theatre. Finian's Rainbow is a musical with a book by E.Y. Harburg and Fred Saidy, lyrics by Harburg, and music by Burton Lane. The 1947 Broadway production ran for 725 performances. Finian moves to the southern United States the fictional state of Missitucky is a humorous combination of Mississippi and Kentucky from Ireland with his daughter Sharon, to bury a stolen pot of gold near Fort Knox, in the mistaken belief that it will grow. A leprechaun follows them, desperate to recover his treasure before the loss of it turns him permanently human. Complications arise when a bigoted and corrupt U.S. Senator gets involved, and when wishes are made inadvertently over the hidden crock.

Today in 1955, Finian's Rainbow opened at City Center, where it ran for 15 performances. Finian's Rainbow is a musical with a book by E.Y. Harburg and Fred Saidy, lyrics by Harburg, and music by Burton Lane. The 1947 Broadway production ran for 725 performances. Finian moves to the southern United States the fictional state of Missitucky is a humorous combination of Mississippi and Kentucky from Ireland with his daughter Sharon, to bury a stolen pot of gold near Fort Knox, in the mistaken belief that it will grow. A leprechaun follows them, desperate to recover his treasure before the loss of it turns him permanently human. Complications arise when a bigoted and corrupt U.S. Senator gets involved, and when wishes are made inadvertently over the hidden crock.

Today in 2009, Finian's Rainbow opened at the St. James Theatre, where it ran for 92 performances. Finian's Rainbow is a musical with a book by E.Y. Harburg and Fred Saidy, lyrics by Harburg, and music by Burton Lane. The 1947 Broadway production ran for 725 performances. Finian moves to the southern United States the fictional state of Missitucky is a humorous combination of Mississippi and Kentucky from Ireland with his daughter Sharon, to bury a stolen pot of gold near Fort Knox, in the mistaken belief that it will grow. A leprechaun follows them, desperate to recover his treasure before the loss of it turns him permanently human. Complications arise when a bigoted and corrupt U.S. Senator gets involved, and when wishes are made inadvertently over the hidden crock.

This is the premiere article for Speakerfone, a new column that focuses on music in film.

The melody came to Harold Arlen while he was driving down Sunset Boulevard. It was 1939, and he and E.Y. Harburg were tasked with writing songs for the upcoming L. Frank Baum adaptation, "The Wizard of Oz." At the time, the two were in need of a ballad, so Arlen wrote down his idea immediately. Afterward, he handed it over to Harburg, who came up with the lyrics and a title: "Over the Rainbow."

The rest, of course, is history: "Rainbow" helped turn "Oz" into a phenomenon, and Judy Garland was left singing the song for the rest of her career. But the songwriting duo's lasting legacy of syrupy-sweet Munchkin singalongs and Dorothy's aforementioned ballad weren't the only musical moments that helped prop up this classic film, which hits theaters once again this Friday, in IMAX and 3D.

As BBC4 launches a new series on the sound of cinema, we'd like to hear from you about the film soundtracks that mean the most to you

• Read more: Neil Brand on the secret art of the film soundtrack

Writing in the Guardian this week, Neil Brand, presenter of BBC4's Sound of Cinema, says: "Most memorable movie music announces itself, whether with the blast of trumpets that begins Star Wars or the low, febrile string notes that usher in Jaws; whether the electronic hammer blows of Blade Runner or the unexpectedly lyrical solo piano that opens the Coen brothers' True Grit. These are the pieces we remember, the stuff we can hum along to, so engrained in us that it seems to have existed for ever."

The BBC, as part of it's Sounds of Cinema season, is currently polling listeners to find the greatest ever soundtrack, with a shortlist...

The BBC has launched a poll across its TV and radio stations to find the greatest ever movie soundtrack.

BBC Radio 1's Rhianna Dillon, BBC Radio 2's Simon Mayo, BBC Radio 3's Matthew Sweet, Francine Stock from BBC Radio 4, Mary Anne Hobbs from BBC Radio 6music, Tommy Sandhu from Asian Network and film music conductor Robert Ziegler have joined forces to choose the 20-strong shortlist.

Voting is open now on the BBC website and closes at midnight on Friday, September 20.

The results will be announced and played live by the BBC Concert Orchestra on Friday, September 27 at 2pm and will be broadcast live on BBC Radio 3.

The poll is part of the BBC's Sound of Cinema season, which starts today with the broadcast of the first of a three-part BBC Four series Sound of Cinema: The Music That Made The Movies.

It is presented by Neil Brand and airs at 9pm.

With IMAX’s re-rerelease of the Warner Brothers classic The Wizard Of Oz, check out this special Behind the Frame featurette. This particular episode goes behind-the-scenes with both IMAX and Warner Brothers to shed light on the iconic classic brought back to life.

Adapted from L. Frank Baum’s timeless children’s tale about a Kansas girl’s journey over the rainbow,The Wizard of Oz™ opened at Grauman’s Chinese Theater on August 15, 1939. The film was directed by Victor Fleming (who that same year directed Gone With the Wind), produced by Mervyn LeRoy, and scored by Herbert Stothart, with music and lyrics by Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg. Dorothy™ was portrayed by a 4’11″ sixteen-year-old girl who quickly earned her reputation as “the world’s greatest entertainer”—the incomparable Judy Garland. Ray Bolger appeared as the Scarecrow™; Bert Lahr as the Cowardly Lion™, Jack Haley as the Tin Man™. Frank Morgan...

Go behind-the-scenes with Warner Bros.’ Chief Preservation Officer, Ned Price and IMAX’s Svp Film Production, Lorne Orleans to see how one of the most iconic films of all time was re-mastered into IMAX® 3D in this exclusive IMAX featurette. Adapted from L. Frank Baum’s timeless children’s tale about a Kansas girl’s journey over the rainbow, The Wizard of Oz opened at Grauman’s Chinese Theater on August 15, 1939. The film was directed by Victor Fleming (who that same year directed Gone With the Wind), produced by Mervyn LeRoy, and scored by Herbert Stothart, with music and lyrics by Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg. Dorothy™ was portrayed by a 4'11" sixteen-year-old girl who quickly earned her reputation as “the world’s greatest entertainer”—the incomparable Judy Garland. Ray Bolger appeared...

Adapted from L. Frank Baum’s timeless children’s tale about a Kansas girl’s journey over the rainbow, The Wizard of Oz™ opened at Grauman’s Chinese Theater on August 15, 1939. The film was directed by Victor Fleming (who that same year directed Gone With the Wind), produced by Mervyn LeRoy, and scored by Herbert Stothart, with music and lyrics by Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg. Dorothy™ was portrayed by a 4’11″ sixteen-year-old girl who quickly earned her reputation as “the world’s greatest entertainer”—the incomparable Judy Garland. Ray Bolger appeared as the Scarecrow™; Bert Lahr as the Cowardly Lion™, Jack Haley as the Tin Man™. Frank Morgan was seen in six different roles, including that of the wonderful “Wizard of Oz™” himself.

The film was an overwhelmingly popular and critical success upon its initial release and repeated its ability to captivate audiences when M-g-m reissued the film in 1949 and...

Marking the 75th anniversary of The Wizard of Oz, Warner Bros. has produced a 3D remastered version of the film which will launch a comprehensive, cross-divisional campaign encompassing theatrical, home entertainment, consumer products and a number of promotional partnerships.

Kicking off the celebration, The Wizard of Oz 3D will be presented in the immersive IMAX® 3D format and return to the big screen for an exclusive one-week engagement in IMAX® theatres across North America beginning September 20, 2013.

“We couldn’t be happier to partner with IMAX® as we celebrate the 75th anniversary of this iconic film,” said Dan Fellman, President, Domestic Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures. “The Wizard of Oz IMAX® 3D Experience is an integral part of our studio-wide anniversary initiative and we are excited to give fans the rare opportunity to see this stunning version on the big screen.”

“The Wizard of Oz is one of the most beloved films...

Today in 1960, Finian's Rainbow opened at the 46th Street Theatre now the Richard Rodgers Theatre. Finian's Rainbow is a musical with a book by E.Y. Harburg and Fred Saidy, lyrics by Harburg, and music by Burton Lane. The 1947 Broadway production ran for 725 performances. Finian moves to the southern United States the fictional state of Missitucky is a humorous combination of Mississippi and Kentucky from Ireland with his daughter Sharon, to bury a stolen pot of gold near Fort Knox, in the mistaken belief that it will grow. A leprechaun follows them, desperate to recover his treasure before the loss of it turns him permanently human. Complications arise when a bigoted and corrupt U.S. Senator gets involved, and when wishes are made inadvertently over the hidden crock.

Today in 1955, Finian's Rainbow opened at City Center, where it ran for 15 performances. Finian's Rainbow is a musical with a book by E.Y. Harburg and Fred Saidy, lyrics by Harburg, and music by Burton Lane. The 1947 Broadway production ran for 725 performances. Finian moves to the southern United States the fictional state of Missitucky is a humorous combination of Mississippi and Kentucky from Ireland with his daughter Sharon, to bury a stolen pot of gold near Fort Knox, in the mistaken belief that it will grow. A leprechaun follows them, desperate to recover his treasure before the loss of it turns him permanently human. Complications arise when a bigoted and corrupt U.S. Senator gets involved, and when wishes are made inadvertently over the hidden crock.

Today in 2009, Finian's Rainbow opened at the St. James Theatre, where it ran for 92 performances. Finian's Rainbow is a musical with a book by E.Y. Harburg and Fred Saidy, lyrics by Harburg, and music by Burton Lane. The 1947 Broadway production ran for 725 performances. Finian moves to the southern United States the fictional state of Missitucky is a humorous combination of Mississippi and Kentucky from Ireland with his daughter Sharon, to bury a stolen pot of gold near Fort Knox, in the mistaken belief that it will grow. A leprechaun follows them, desperate to recover his treasure before the loss of it turns him permanently human. Complications arise when a bigoted and corrupt U.S. Senator gets involved, and when wishes are made inadvertently over the hidden crock.

Today in 1955, Finian's Rainbow opened at City Center, where it ran for 15 performances. Finian's Rainbow is a musical with a book by E.Y. Harburg and Fred Saidy, lyrics by Harburg, and music by Burton Lane. The 1947 Broadway production ran for 725 performances. Finian moves to the southern United States the fictional state of Missitucky is a humorous combination of Mississippi and Kentucky from Ireland with his daughter Sharon, to bury a stolen pot of gold near Fort Knox, in the mistaken belief that it will grow. A leprechaun follows them, desperate to recover his treasure before the loss of it turns him permanently human. Complications arise when a bigoted and corrupt U.S. Senator gets involved, and when wishes are made inadvertently over the hidden crock.

Though the economy was still in dire straits, Broadway carried on during the 2009-10 season, with visits from such high-voltage marquee names as Hugh Jackman, Daniel Craig, Christopher Walken, Denzel Washington, Jude Law, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Liev Schreiber, and Scarlett Johansson. A little group called Green Day rocked Broadway's world with the stage adaptation of the band's hit album "American Idiot," Twyla Tharp paid tribute to Frank Sinatra in "Come Fly Away," and Elvis, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins formed a "Million Dollar Quartet." "Fela!," Bill T. Jones' combination dance party, concert, and musical biography, transferred to the Main Stem from its Off-Broadway run, as did Geoffrey Nauffts' tender and moving play "Next Fall." "Red" and "Time Stands Still" offered searing portraits of artists coping with crises, while Sarah Ruhl's "In the Next Room or the vibrator play" captured the repressive Victorian era. Broadway fare also...

Jose here trying to stop obsessing about The Wizard of Oz without any success...

The beloved masterpiece turns 70 tomorrow and remains as fresh and delightful as the day when it first came out.

Its timeless success is owed to what I think is the greatest monologue in film history, Judy Garland's iconic delivery of "Over the Rainbow".

As Dorothy Gale, Garland puts onscreen the ultimate performance of misunderstood childhood; you know the one, where we make everything way bigger than what it is, where we drown ourselves in a glass of water and the easiest solution is always the one that comes in the shape of escapism. For Dorothy it's the threat that her dog Toto will be taken away from her for destroying one of her neighbor's gardens.

Her Aunt asks her to "find a place where you won't get yourself into any trouble" which prompts the girl...

The musical version of L.Frank Baum's timeless classic, The Wizard Of Oz comes to life on stage at the Olivette Community Center as part of their Summer Theatre Camp 2009. Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg's tuneful score is given a nice workout by the Over Due Theatre Company, augmented by a vast ensemble of kids who portray the various munchkins, poppies, Winkies, monkeys and citizens of the Emerald City.

Actors' Net of Bucks County's production of Finian's Rainbow runs July 10 - 26. Featuring such popular tunes as "Look to the Rainbow," "Old Devil Moon" and "How are Things In Glocca Morra," the music is by Burton Lane and the book by E.Y. Harburg and Fred Saidy, with lyrics also by E.Y. Harburg. When the leprechaun pursues an Irishman to America after his crock of gold is stolen, bedlam ensues!

Tony Award-winners Philip Bosco, Jim Norton and Ruben Santiago-Hudson, as well as Cheyenne Jackson, Kate Baldwin, and Jeremy Bobb star in Finian's Rainbow, the final production of New York City Center's 2008-09 Encores! season, running from March 26 - 29. Finian's Rainbow has music by Burton Lane, lyrics by E.Y. Harburg and book by E. Y. Harburg and Fred Saidy and will be directed and choreographed by Warren Carlyle with music direction by Rob Berman. The musical will play five performances at City Center (West 55th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues).

Tony Award-winner Jim Norton, Kate Baldwin and Cheyenne Jackson will star in Finian?s Rainbow, the final production of New York City Center?s 2008-09 Encores! season, running from March 26 ? 29. Finian?s Rainbow has music by Burton Lane, lyrics by E.Y. Harburg and book by E. Y. Harburg and Fred Saidy and will be directed and choreographed by Warren Carlyle with music direction by Rob Berman. The musical will play five performances at City Center (West 55th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues).

'In '29 When the banks went bust, Our coins still read 'In God We Trust.'!" wrote E.Y. Harburg.

New York City didn't exactly scream "Welcome back!" when I disem barked from five days in the warm, wonderful sunshine of Jamaica. No, the city has been quiet, deserted and very cold ever since.

Economic bad news from the West Indies. The Ritz-Carlton I was in was virtually mine to command with a paucity of guests. The usual December-January crush failed to materialize. The hotel even closed its elegant French dining room due to a lack of customers.