Extreme Musical Quiz--Quizzer Discretion Advised

Answer: Gentlemen Prefer Blondes

"Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" opened on December 8, 1949 at the Ziegfeld Theatre, starring Carol Channing, Yvonne Adair, and Jack McCauley. The music was written by Jule Styne and the lyrics by Leo Robin. "Gentlemen" was directed by John C. Wilson and choreographed by Agnes de Mille.

Answer: Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend

Having been written for the musical stage during the 1940s, "Diamonds" has now surpassed its Broadway background and become a standard for everybody to love/hate. Not to mention that Nicole Kidman sang it in "Moulin Rouge!"

Answer: Lorelei Lee

"Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" takes a satirical look at the "Roaring Twenties." It has a relatively thin plot, revolving around Lorelei's (the Little Girl From Little Rock's) excursion to France with her friend Dorothy Shaw (played by Yvonne Adair) and her wealthy acquaintance Gus Esmond (Jack McCauley).

Answer: Carol Channing

Stage legend Carol Channing was born on January 31, 1921 in Seattle, Washington. Other credits include the title roles in "Hello, Dolly!" and "Lorelei" (a short lived sequel of "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes").

Answer: Hello, Dolly!

Not only did Carol Channing originate the role of Dolly Levi in "Hello, Dolly!" on Broadway in January 1964, but she also starred in two short lived revivals (first in 1978, the second in 1995).

Answer: Man of La Mancha

"Man of La Mancha" was the one-hit wonder from composer Mitch Leigh and lyricist Joe Darion. It opened on November 22, 1965 at the ANTA Washington Square Theatre starring Richard Kiley, Joan Diener, and Irving Jacobson. It ran for 2,328 performances and became the third-longest running musical of the 1960s.

Answer: The Impossible Dream

This is an amazing song, and it brings tears to my eyes every time I hear it. (Continued from excerpt above) "...still strove, with his last ounce of courage, to reach the unreachable stars!"

Answer: Don Quixote

"Man of La Mancha" tells the story of Cervantes' "Don Quixote," the quest of a semi-deranged "knight" (Richard Kiley) who attacks windmills and pronounces his love to the bargirl Aldonza (Joan Diener) whom he proclaims to be his "lady, Dulcinea".

Answer: Richard Kiley

Richard Kiley was born on March 31, 1922 in Chicago and, sadly, passed away on March 9, 1999. He played Don Quixote in the original cast of "Man of La Mancha" and reprised the role in two short-lived revivals (one in 1972, one in 1977). He also played the Caliph in "Kismet" and Tom Baxter in "Redhead".

Answer: Chicago

The actor in question is, of course, Brian Stokes Mitchell. He starred as Don Quixote in the recent revival of "Man of La Mancha," which opened in December 2002 and ran for nine months. Brian Stokes Mitchell also starred as Fred Graham/Petruchio in the 1999 revival of "Kiss Me, Kate," as Coalhouse Walker, Jr. in "Ragtime," and as Jimmy Winter in the all-black cast of "Oh, Kay!"

Answer: A Chorus Line

"A Chorus Line" opened on April 15, 1975 to run for an unprecented 15-year run and 6,137 performances. It was conceived and directed by Michael Bennett, and starred Donna McKechnie, Priscilla Lopez, and Robert LuPone.

Answer: Nothing

A very powerful song from "A Chorus Line" about a Puerto Rican-American dancer who followed her dream despite adversity from her school acting teacher. "The kids yelled 'Nothing.' They called me 'Nothing.' And Karp allowed it, which really makes me burn."

Answer: Diana

"A Chorus Line" is the story of 17 dancers who are auditioning for 8 spaces on a chorus line. Each comes from a different background and has a different story to tell. The musical follows them through their dreams and ambitions as well as their losses and failures.

Answer: Priscilla Lopez

Priscilla Lopez was born on February 26, 1948 in the Bronx. Other credits include "Company," "Pippin," and "Nine."

Answer: Yamil Borges

Yes, we all know that the "A Chorus Line" movie was quite embarrasing, but I needed to ask another question about "Nothing". I apologize for all the pain this question might have caused you.

Answer: The Phantom of the Opera

"Phantom" opened on January 26, 1988 to rave reviews. Now, sixteen years later, it is still running on Broadway and is the second-longest running show in Broadway history. With a jam-packed Andrew Lloyd Webber score, and starring Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman (at the time Mrs. Andrew Lloyd Webber), "Phantom" has its roots in a 1911 novel by Gaston Leroux and a 1925 movie starring Lon Chaney.

Answer: Stranger Than You Dreamt It

This very emotional song comes from "The Phantom of the Opera," and is sung just after Christine removes the Phantom's mask. The song involves the Phantom cursing Christine for what she has done as well as himself for his own misfortunes. "Fear can turn to love--you'll learn to see, to find the man behind the monster: this...repulsive carcass, who seems a beast, but secretly dreams of beauty."

Answer: The Phantom

A new twist on an age-old story, "Phantom" tells the tale of a young musical genius, horribly disfigured from birth, who is shunned by the world and "haunts" the Paris Opera. Making the underground lair of the Opera House his "home," the Phantom falls in love with the Opera's new ingenue, Christine, and becomes her music teacher so that she may sing his "music of the night."

Answer: Michael Crawford

Michael Crawford was born on January 19, 1942 in Salisbury, Wilshire, England. Besides originating the role of the Phantom in both the London and New York casts of "The Phantom of the Opera," Michael Crawford has played in West End casts of "Billy" and "Barnum," appeared in the movie of "Hello, Dolly!" and starred in the recent short-lived Broadway musical, "Dance of the Vampires".

Answer: Dance of the Vampires

"Dance of the Vampires" opened on Broadway on December 9, 2002, and closed on January 25, 2003 after a slim 56 performances. Also starring Rene Auberjonois, "Dance of the Vampires" is the musical comedy based on Roman Polanski's 1967 spoof horror film "The Fearless Vampire Killers." Jim Steinman wrote the music and lyrics.

Answer: Les Miserables

"Les Miserables," novel and musical alike, started out with mixed critical reviews but smashing public support. The musical opened on March 12, 1987 at the Broadway Theatre. In 1991, "Les Miz" moved to the Imperial Theatre upon the opening of Miss Saigon (whose 3/4 size helicopter necessitated the largest Broadway house).

The musical was written by the phenomenal French team of Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schonberg with English lyrics provided by Herbert Kretzmer.

Answer: A Heart Full of Love

"A Heart Full of Love" is a song sung near the end of Act I by the two lovers Cosette and Marius. However, in what is one of the most touching moments of the musical, the pair is joined in counterpoint by Eponine, a doomed streetgirl who loves and would die for Marius. "He was never mine to lose/Why regret what could not be?/These are words he'll never say/Not to me, not to me, not for me/His heart full of love/He will never feel this way."

Answer: Eponine

What is amazing about "Les Miz" is its amazing complex storyline, and for purposes of space, I will not include a complete summary here. "Les Miz" opened in New York starring Colm Wilkison (reprising his London role) as the hero, Jean Valjean, an escaped convict, Terrence Mann (I Love Him!) as Javert, the fanatical police inspector who is searching for Valjean, Judy Kuhn as Jean Valjean's adopted daughter Cosette, Randy Graff as Cosette's mother who dies when Cosette is young, David Bryant as the young student Marius who falls in love with Cosette, Frances Ruffelle as the doomed gamine Eponine, and Michael Maguire as Enjolras, the leader of the student revolutionaries. "Les Miz" won 8 Tonys in 1987, including Best Musical, Best Featured Actress (Ruffelle), and Best Featured Actor (Maguire).

Answer: Frances Ruffelle

Frances Ruffelle made her Broadway debut as Eponine (she had also originated the role in London). She also originated the role of Dinah in Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Starlight Express," which is, yes, about roller-skating trains.

Answer: Thenardier

I hope you got this question correct. The two incorrect names are those corresponding to two of the characters listed in question 23 (Christine Daae and Millie Dillmount), so I hope you did not pick one of those. However, even if you think you know "Les Miz," it is a common misconception that Eponine does not have a last name (probably because she lives on the streets).

However, her parents are the cunning, vile Thenardiers, the innkeepers who take in the young Cosette from the suffering Fantine only to treat her as a servant. For those of you who are not familiar with the musical, you have no need to worry, Eponine turns out a lot nicer than her parents. Congratulations, you have finished my quiz. Hopefully you have learned something about the amazing world of musical theatre that you did not know before.