The Broadway University Final Exam for the Class of 2004
Well, it’s that time of year again — final exam time — in all the colleges and universities around the country. So why should it be any different here at Broadway University? Here are 50 questions that will (certainly) challenge you and (possibly) delight you.
Allow me to explain the concept of the test. As every student at Broadway University knows, Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens wrote a song called “Lucky” for their 1988 musical, Lucky Stiff — but that didn’t stop Adam Guettel from writing a song called “Lucky” for his 1994 musical, Floyd Collins. For that matter, many moons earlier, in 1926, Vernon Duke and Percy Greenbank wrote a song called “Lucky” for their musical Yvonne.
No one sued, of course, because it’s a given that songwriters might give a title to a song in their score that has already been used by songwriters in their score. I can think of 50 examples where it happened. Now — can you guess the name of the identical song title that was used in each of the following musicals?
- All-American and Ragtime
- Anything Goes and Candide
- Baby and The Baker’s Wife
- Bajour and A Little Night Music
- Beauty and the Beast and The Wiz
- Bed and Sofa and Rent
- Bounce and Zenda
- Buddy and The Happiest Girl in the World
- Cabaret and Miss Saigon
- Carmelina and Smokey Joe’s Cafe
- Carnival! and Destry Rides Again
- Celebration and Pippin
- Chicago and Saturday Night
- Cinderella and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
- City of Angels and Into the Woods
- Crazy for You and The King and I
- Darling of the Day and Mamma Mia
- Destry Rides Again and The Happy Time
- Do I Hear a Waltz? and Jekyll & Hyde
- Eleanor and Thoroughly Modern Millie
- Falsettos and You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown
- Fanny and Kwamina
- First Impressions and Your Own Thing
- Flower Drum Song and Sunday in the Park with George
- Golden Boy and Into the Woods
- Golden Boy and Love Life
- Hairspray and Into the Woods
- Hallelujah, Baby! and Rent
- Happy Hunting and The Human Comedy
- Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris and Pacific Overtures
- Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris and Your
Own Thing - Jennie and Over Here
- Jubilee and The New Yorkers
- Kiss of the Spider Woman and Mayor
- Little Shop of Horrors and You’re a Good Man, Charlie
Brown - Me and Juliet and The Producers
- Mexican Hayride and Oil City Symphony
- My Fair Lady and Rent
- New Girl in Town and Metropolis
- New Girl in Town and The Zulu and the Zayda
- Oh, Brother and One Touch of Venus
- Oklahoma! and Smokey Joe’s Cafe
- Plain and Fancy and Urinetown
- Rent and Wish You Were Here
- Shenandoah and The Will Rogers Follies
- So Long, 174th Street and Two by Two
- The Garrick Gaities and My Favorite Year
- The Phantom of the Opera and Rags
- The Producers and Tovarich
- The Sound of Music and West Side Story
And here’s hoping that on this test, you’re as lucky as Stephen Flaherty, Lynn Ahrens, Adam Guettel, Vernon Duke and Percy Greenbank.
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[To contact Peter Filichia directly, e-mail him at pfilichia@aol.com]