Love Songs of Broadway Trivia Quiz

Answer: My Fair Lady

From the song "On the Street Where You Live." Freddy sings it to profess his adoration for Eliza (though he doesn't actually sing it to her.)

Julie Andrews was widely expected to reprise her Broadway-originating role of Eliza Dolittle for the 1964 movie version. However, at the time she was a virtual unknown and the producers were unsure of her bankability, hence Audrey Hepburn's casting. Of course, that same year she would go on to release "Mary Poppins" and then "The Sound of Music."

Answer: The King and I

From the song "Hello, Young Lovers." Anna sings it while remembering the love between her late husband and herself.

Puerto Rican Rita Moreno plays a young Siamese woman (Tuptim) in the 1956 film version. I guess back then, ethnic was ethnic and they didn't pay much attention to authenticity!

Answer: West Side Story

From the song "Tonight." Maria and Tony sing it to each other on her balcony.

Incidentally, the leading ladies in all the movie versions of the first three answers ("My Fair Lady," "The King and I," and "West Side Story") had their singing voices dubbed by the same woman: the very talented Marni Nixon. She never got screen credits for her integral contribution to these classic films. But she can herself be seen on screen as one of the nuns in "The Sound of Music."

Answer: Grease

From the song "All Choked Up." Sandy and Danny sing this song to each other once Sandy has decided to shed her good girl image.

This is a tough one because this song is nowhere to be found in the 1978 film version of "Grease." It was replaced by "You're the One That I Want," which might arguably be a better song, but not really in tune with the 50s style music the original show was striving to emulate.

Answer: Wicked

From the song "As Long as You're Mine." Fiyero sings this to Elphaba (the wicked witch) after they've professed their love for each other.

The whole Fiyero/Elphaba love story in "Wicked" is quite different from the original novel. In the book, Fiyero is a married man who has an affair with "the wicked witch." In the musical version, he is only engaged to Glinda, but he breaks it off before going off with Elphaba. (much more family friendly!)

Answer: Rent

From the song "Without You." This is a love song sung by Joanne and Maureen and also by Mimi and Roger.

Sadly, Jonathan Larson, the creator of Rent, died of an aortic aneurysm the night before his show opened on Broadway.

Answer: Les Miserables

From the song "On My Own." Eponine sings this touching song about her unrequited love for Marius.

"Les Miserables" is one of the most succesful and longest-running Broadway musicals ever. Interestingly though, it was met with only lukewarm reviews when it first opened. Goes to show you how much critics know!

Answer: Oklahoma!

From the song "People Will Say We're in Love." Curly and Laurey sing it to each other while they're still busy pretending they don't like one another (they're not fooling anyone though.)

Shirley Jones and Gordon MacRae played the lead roles in the 1955 film version. The following year they again starred opposite each other in another Rodgers and Hammerstein musical: the film version of "Carousel." "Carousel" is a much darker story with a not-so-happy ending.

Answer: South Pacific

From the song "Younger than Springtime." Cable sings it to Liat.

In this show, Lt. Cable instantly falls in love with Liat, a girl who doesn't even speak the same language as him! That's musicals for ya.

Answer: Footloose

From the song "Almost Paradise." Ren and Ariel sing it to each other.

"Footloose" is one in a fairly new reverse trend of having musicals that are based on movies. Others include "Big," "Fame," "Beauty and the Beast," and "The Lion King."

I hope you enjoyed. Drop me a line if you like it and I might do a sequel.