The Quiz You've Been Waiting For

Answer: Samuel Beckett

In Samuel Beckett's play, which premiered in Paris in 1953, the philosophical Vladimir and the more earthbound Estragon, aka Didi and Gogo, await the mysterious Godot. Godot never appears. There have been numerous interpretations of the story's significance by critics and scholars, but Beckett would only offer limited comments on his intentions when writing it. Many critics have observed that the play's ongoing draw for audiences is the fact that the themes are universal rather than specific to time, place or event.

The first version in English was in London, 1955.

Answer: Leonard Cohen

Spiritual quest and personal anguish are expressed in the haunting lyrics and melody of this unusual song, released on Cohen's album "The Future" in 1992. Cohen, a Canadian of the Jewish faith, was an ordained a Zen Buddhist monk in 1996, although he did not remain with the monastery. (He always retained his Judaism, affirming that Zen Buddhism did not conflict with the faith of his birth.) He is quoted as saying that during his monastic life he did eventually see "small miracles" in life. Sharon Robinson, who frequently worked with Cohen, collaborated with him on this song. She has co-written music with many other prominent performers and released well-received solo albums of her own.
One of Cohen's comments on the song was "It's from the point of view of the nervous breakdown and beyond that the song is written."
"Waiting for the Miracle" was included on the soundtrack of "Natural Born Killers."

Answer: The Doors

This song, which refers to the awaiting of the ever-elusive "American dream," was intended for the 1968 album of the same name but was released two years later on the "Morrison Hotel" album because Jim Morrison and the other band members did not feel it was perfected in time for the former. Barney Hoskyns used "Waiting for the Sun" as the title of a book about the American music scene.

Answer: Brigadoon

In the musical that bears its name, and the legend from which the story derives, Brigadoon is a Scottish village which only wakes up every hundred years--so the song describes a long wait. According to the old tale, if a resident of the town leaves, Brigadoon will disappear forever into the Highland mists.

Other songs from the 1947 musical, written by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Lowe, include "I'll Go Home With Bonnie Jean," "The Heather on the Hill" and "Almost Like Being in Love."

Answer: Umbrellas of Cherbourg

This 1964 operatic-style musical by Jacques Demy is part of a trilogy. The heroine, Genevieve, who helps her mother run an umbrella boutique, does not wait for her lover who has gone off to fight in the Algerian War because she is pregnant and has an another offer of marriage despite her condition.

The other stories in the trilogy are "Lola" and "The Young Girls of Rochefort." "Umbrellas" is the middle story in the trilogy.

Answer: Sweeney Todd

In this oh so gentle-and-tender-sounding song, the conniving Mrs. Nellie Lovett is actually counselling barber-turned-killer Benjamin Barker AKA Sweeney Todd to wait for the right moment to perform his murderous vengeance. Stephen Sondheim's 1979 opera, "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" was based on a play by Christopher Bond, which in turn was a fleshing-out of a Victorian "penny dreadful" serial tale called "A String of Pearls." The diabolical baker of questionable meat pies was portrayed superbly on Broadway by Angela Lansbury. According to the script, the pies are delicious (as conveyed in the opening of Act II, "God, That's Good!") but trust me, you don't want them.

Answer: Lee Dorsey

New Orleans native Lee Dorsey, a former prizefighter once known as "Kid Chocolate" who had stepped out of the ring and onto the nightclub stage, introduced "Waiting for my Ya-Ya" in 1961. This song has been covered by the Beatles, Ike & Tina Turner, and Tommy James & The Shondells, among others. Plus there is a French version called "Ya-Ya Twist" which also boasts several notable covers, including one by Petula Clark.
Ya-Ya, or Yia-Yia, is traditionally how children of Greek heritage address their grandmother. But somehow I don't think Mr. Dorsey was waiting for his grandmother.

Answer: Bing Crosby

This is actually not a song that was originally associated with Bing Crosby or any other recording artist, since the song appeared on sheet music long before recording existed, sometimes with added subtitles such as "A Song For the South-West" or "Ethiopian Song." The lyrics are sometimes attributed to "a lady" whose identity remains a mystery. Crosby brought "Wait for the Wagon" to public attention via a 1960 sing-along album complete with lyric sheets on which the song was included.

Answer: Whitney Houston

Angela Bassett, Loretta Devine, and Lela Rochon co-starred with Whitney Houston in this 1995 film about women, relationships, and taking back control over one's life. The film is adapted from a book by Terry Mc Millan, also the author of "How Stella Got Her Groove Back."

Answer: Warren Beatty

Guardian angels are a comforting concept, but what happens if such an angel becomes overzealous by taking his charge up to heaven too soon? This is the subject of Harry Segall's play that was adapted into a film in 1978 by Warren Beatty. Beatty starred in the movie himself, along with Julie Christie of "Dr. Zhivago" fame, and James Mason.

The original, made in 1941, starred Robert Montgomery, Evelyn Keyes and Claude Rains; it was entitled "Here Comes Mr. Jordan." In that version, the protagonist was a boxer, where as in the Beatty version he was a football (American) quarterback.