What's the Score? Trivia Quiz

Answer: Cats

Andrew Lloyd Webber's long-running musical "Cats" first debuted on Broadway on October 7, 1982. It is based on T.S. Eliot's 1939 collection of light poems called "Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats". The show-stopping tune "Memory" is poignantly sung by Grizabella, a shell of her former self, looking back on better times.

Answer: A Chorus Line

"A Chorus Line" was written by Marvin Hamlisch and Edward Kleban. The setting is a bare stage, as seventeen dancers audition for a part on the chorus line. We get to hear their hopes and fears as they try out. It first opened on Broadway on June 25, 1975, directed by Michael Bennett. While there are several great tunes, I chose "What I Did for Love" for its emotion and its beauty.

Answer: My Fair Lady

George Bernard Shaw's "Pygmalion" was brought to the stage as "My Fair Lady" on March 15, 1956. With lyrics and music by Lerner and Lowe, it is the story of Eliza Doolittle, a poor, uneducated Cockney flower girl. On a bet, she is taken in and tutored by Professor Henry Higgins so she might pass as a lady.

There are so many great songs, but I chose Eliza's diction lesson with "The Rain in Spain".

Answer: Sweet Charity

I love the song "Big Spender" from "Sweet Charity" for its enthusiasm and vivid picture of the life of taxi dancer Charity Hope Valentine at the Fandango Ballroom. "Sweet Charity" was based on the Italian film "Nights of Cabiria". The musical, directed and choreographed by Bob Fosse, was first performed on Broadway in 1966.

The role of Charity was brilliantly performed by Fosse's wife at the time, Gwen Verdon.

Answer: Cabaret

Kander and Ebb's musical, "Cabaret", opened on Broadway on November 20, 1966. It was originally adapted from Christopher Isherwood's novel "Goodbye to Berlin". The setting is the Kit Kat Klub in Germany in 1931, with the specter of the rise of the Nazis. Before we meet cabaret performer Sally Bowles, we are invited into the club by the Emcee who sings "Willkommen".

Answer: The Music Man

Meredith Willson's energetic musical, "The Music Man", opened on Broadway on December 9, 1957. The plot revolves around conman Harold Hill trying to convince the citizens of the Midwestern town of River City to buy into his band instruments, uniforms and tutoring (or tootering).

He does this by telling them "Ya Got Trouble", but before he can 'skip town' with his ill-gotten gains, he winds up falling for "Marian the Librarian".

Answer: Show Boat

We have to go way back to December 27, 1927 to discuss the Broadway opening of "Show Boat". The musical is based on Edna Ferber's novel, with Jerome Kern's music, and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. It takes place on the Cotton Blossom, a Mississippi River showboat, and spans the years from 1887 to 1927. Aside from love, one of its themes is racial prejudice. I chose the song "Ol' Man River" for its power and poignancy.

Answer: Gypsy

"Gypsy", the story of the childhood of ecdysiast Gypsy Rose Lee, has been remade many times. The first Broadway performance of the show was on May 21, 1959. Jule Styne wrote the music, and Stephen Sondheim ("West Side Story", "Sweeney Todd", etc.) was responsible for the lyrics.

While the song "Let Me Entertain You" is more connected to the plot, the sensitive song, "Small World", is indicative of the emotional needs of Mama Rose.

Answer: South Pacific

Rodgers and Hammerstein's musical, "South Pacific", is a tour de force! It is based on James Michener's 1947 novel "Tales of the South Pacific". The show made its Broadway debut on April 7, 1949, and has one of the most romantic scores ever. The setting is a South Pacific island during World War II where an American nurse falls for a French expatriate.

The song "You've Got to Be Carefully Taught" deals with racism, but I chose "Some Enchanted Evening" for its romance.

Answer: Carousel

One of the most beautiful and supportive songs of all time is "You'll Never Walk Alone", a show-stopping tune from "Carousel". Another brilliant musical from Rodgers and Hammerstein, "Carousel" opened on Broadway on April 19, 1945. The musical is set in Maine.

The plot centers around carousel barker Billy Bigelow, his love for millworker Julie Jordan, and his ill-advised plan to provide support for Julie and his unborn child.