One Day at a Time

Can you believe that 2005 is now officially half-over? Six months gone, never to be retrieved, and six months to go — if we’re lucky enough to survive them! I thought it fitting that I recently discovered a book called The Difference a Day Makes: 365 Ways to Change Your World in Just 24 Hours, by Karen M. Jones. The author has found a life-affirming activity for each day of the year, e.g., “Donate gently used professional work clothing and accessories to organizations that help low-income men and women to get and keep jobs” or “Introduce a secondary school student to a future career via virtual job shadowing.”

With both the passage of time and the constructive use of it on my mind, I thought about suggesting an optimistic song to play the moment you get up in the morning so that, for the remainder of 2005, you can start each day off on the right foot. And what genre of music offers more optimistic songs than musical theater? None! I’ll admit that I’ve taken a few numbers out of context and that some belong in this category for their titles alone. Still, I do think this is a list worth printing out and pasting onto the refrigerator:

July 1: “After Today” (Doctor Doolittle)

July 2: “Ain’t It Good?” (Children of Eden)

July 3: “A Fact Can Be a Beautiful Thing” (Promises, Promises)

July 4: “A Gift Today” (I Can Get It for You Wholesale)

July 5: “A Little Happiness” (Personals)

July 6: “A Little More Heart” (Hazel Flagg)

July 7: “All Good Gifts” (Godspell)

July 8: “All I Need Is One Good Break” (Flora, the Red Menace)

July 9: “All Things Bright and Beautiful” (Follies)

July 10: “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” (Monty Python’s Spamalot)

July 11: “A Sunny Side to Every Situation” (42nd Street)
July 12: “A Wonderful Day Like Today” (The Roar of the Greasepaint-The Smell of the Crowd)
July 13: “Are We Downhearted? No” (Oh, What a Lovely War)
July 14: “Be a Lion” (The Wiz)

July 15: “Be Happy” (Minnie’s Boys)
July 16: “Beautiful Candy” (Carnival)
July 17: “Beautiful City” (Godspell)
July 18: “Beautiful, Beautiful World” (The Apple Tree)

July 19: “Believe” (70-Girls-70)
July 20: “Better” (A Class Act)
July 21: “Better Than a Dream” (Bells Are Ringing)

July 22: “Can You Find It in Your Heart” (Footloose)
July 23: “Can You Use Any Money Today?” (Call Me Madam)

July 24: “Climb Ev’ry Mountain” (The Sound of Music)

July 25: “Comes Once in a Lifetime” (Subways Are for Sleeping)

July 26: “Consider Yourself” (Oliver )

July 27: “Do As You Would Be Done By” (Pickwick)

July 28: “Doing Good” (It’s a Bird…It’s a Plane…It’s Superman )

July 29: “Don’t Be Afraid of Anyone” (A Tree Grows in Brooklyn)

July 30: “Don’t Be Afraid of Romance” (Mr. President)

July 31: “Don’t Be Anything Less” (Snoopy )

Aug. 1: “Don’t Give in” (A New Brain)

Aug. 2: “Don’t Let It Get You Down” (Hold onto Your Hats)

Aug. 3: “Don’t Quit While You’re Ahead” (The Mystery of Edwin Drood)

Aug. 4: “Don’t Say Yes If You Want to Say No” (I Can’t Keep Running in Place)

Aug. 5: “Don’t Turn away from Love” (Sail Away)
Aug. 6: “Don’t Wait Till It’s Too Late to see Paris” (New Faces of 1956)

Aug. 7: “Don’t Worry” (Skyscraper)

Aug. 8: “(Do) One Extraordinary Thing” (The Grand Tour)

Aug. 9: “Everybody Says ‘Don’t’ (But I say ‘Do ‘)” (Anyone Can Whistle)

Aug. 10: “Everything Beautiful” (Let It Ride )

Aug. 11: “Everything’s Coming Up Roses” (Gypsy)

Aug. 12: “Feeling Good” (The Roar of the Greasepaint-The Smell of the Crowd)

Aug. 13: “Follow Your Heart” (Plain and Fancy)

Aug. 14: “Follow Your Heart” (Urinetown)

Aug. 15: “Fun” (Big)

Aug. 16: “Getting Better Every Day” (Stages)

Aug. 17: “Good Clean Fun” (Tenderloin)

Aug. 18: “Good Companions” (The Good Companions)

Aug. 19: “Good Friends” (Applause)

Aug. 20: “Good Luck to You” (Taking My Turn)

Aug. 21: “Good News” (Good News)

Aug. 22: “Great News” (Romance, Romance)

Aug. 23: “Good Times are Here to Stay” (Dames at Sea)

Aug. 24: “Good to Be Alive” (Lucky Stiff)

Aug. 25: “Happiness Is” (You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown)

Aug. 26: “Happy, Happy, Happy” (Romance/Romance)

Aug. 27: “Happy Talk (Keep Talkin’ Happy Talk)” (South Pacific)

Aug. 28: “Hey There, Good Times” (I Love My Wife)

Aug. 29: “Hey, Why Not?” (Sugar)

Aug. 30: “High Is Better Than Low” (Jennie)

Aug. 31: “Honest Confession Is Good for the Soul” (Salvation)

Sept. 1: “How Beautiful the Days” (The Most Happy Fella)

Sept. 2: “Hurry, It’s Lovely Up Here” (On a Clear Day, You Can See Forever)

Sept. 3: “I Am Free” (Zorba)

Sept. 4: “I Am Loved” (Out of This World)

Sept. 5: “(I Am) My Own Best Friend” (Chicago)

Sept. 6: “I Can Do That” (A Chorus Line)

Sept. 7: “I Can Live with That” (I Love You You’re Perfect Now Change )

Sept. 8: “I Can See It” (The Fantasticks)

Sept. 9: “I Can’t Do It Alone” (Chicago)

Sept. 10: “I Do Miracles” (Kiss of the Spider Woman)

Sept. 11: “I Had a Ball” (I Had a Ball)

Sept. 12: “I Feel Pretty” (West Side Story)

Sept. 13: “(I Feel) Swell” (Nick & Nora)

Sept. 14: “I Like What I Do” (Bring Back Birdie)

Sept. 15: “I Like Your Style” (Barnum)

Sept. 16: “I Love What I’m Doing” (Gentlemen Prefer Blondes)

Sept. 17: “I’ll Follow My Secret Heart” (Conversation Piece)

Sept. 18: “I’m All Smiles” (The Yearling)

Sept. 19: “I’m Beginning to See the Light” (Sophisticated Ladies)

Sept. 20: “I Must Go On” (Jekyll & Hyde)

Sept. 21: “I Promise You a Happy Ending” (Mack & Mabel)

Sept. 22: “I Say Yes” (A Joyful Noise)

Sept. 23: “It Feels Good” (Me and Juliet)

Sept. 24: “I Think I Can Play This Part” (The Goodbye Girl)

Sept. 25: “I Think I May Want to Remember Today” (Starting Here-Starting Now)

Sept. 26: “It Just Doesn’t Get Any Better Than This” (Whistle down the Wind)

Sept. 27: “It’s a Fine Life” (Oliver )

Sept. 28: “It’s a Great Little World” (Tip-Toes)
Sept. 29: “It’s Good to Be Alive” (New Girl in Town)

Sept. 30: “It’s Good to Be Alive” (The Zulu and the Zayda)

Oct. 1: “It’s Good to Be Here” (Happy Hunting)

Oct. 2: “It’s Better to Give” (Nuncrackers)

Oct. 3: “It’s Delovely” (Red, Hot and Blue)

Oct. 4: “It’s a Lovely Day Today” (Call Me Madam)

Oct. 5: “It’s Today” (Mame)

Oct. 6: “I Want a Surprise” (Riverwind)

Oct. 7: “I Want It All” (Baby)

Oct. 8: “I Want to be Happy” (No, No, Nanette)

Oct. 9: “Jump for Joy” (The Goodbye Girl)

Oct. 10: “Keep Young and Beautiful” (42nd Street)

Oct. 11: “Keep Your Sunny Side Up” (Good News)

Oct. 12: “Laugh It Up” (Mr. President)

Oct. 13: “Learn How to Laugh” (Maggie Flynn)

Oct. 14: “Let’s Begin” (Roberta)

Oct. 15: “Let’s Do It” (Paris)

Oct. 16: “Let’s Do Something” (The Cradle Will Rock)

Oct. 17: “Let’s Make the Most of Now” (On the Level)

Oct. 18: “Let’s Not Waste a Moment” (Milk and Honey)

Oct. 19: “Let’s See What Happens” (Darling of the Day)

Oct. 20: “Let the Good Times Roll” (Five Guys Named Moe)

Oct. 21: “Life Is Happiness Indeed” (Candide)

Oct. 22: “Look into Your Heart” (Pickwick)

Oct. 23: “Make Someone Happy” (Do Re Mi)

Oct. 24: “Mama Will Provide” (Once on This Island)

Oct. 25: “May Your Heart Stay Young” (The Zulu and the Zayda)

Oct. 26: “My Favorite Year” (My Favorite Year)

Oct. 27: “My Heart Leaps Up” (Mack & Mabel)

Oct. 28: “Nice Work If You Can Get It” (Crazy for You)
Oct. 29: “No One Is Alone” (Into the Woods)

Oct. 30: “Nothing Is Too Wonderful to Be True” (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels)

Oct. 31: “Now’s the Time” (Hallelujah, Baby )

Nov. 1: “Oh, Happy Day” (L’il Abner)

Nov. 2: “Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'” (Oklahoma )

Nov. 3: “One Step” (Starting Here-Starting Now)

Nov. 4: “Open a New Window” (Mame)

Nov. 5: “Peace Come to Ev’ry Heart” (A Time for Singing)

Nov. 6: “Pleased with Myself” (Starting Here-Starting Now)

Nov. 7: “Promise of Greatness” (Three Guys Naked from the Waist Down)
Nov. 8: “Put on a Happy Face” (Bye Bye Birdie)
Nov. 9: “Put on Your Sunday Clothes” (Hello, Dolly )
Nov. 10: “Say Yes” (The Great Waltz)

Nov. 11: “Search Your Heart” (Cry for Us All)
Nov. 12: “Simple Joys” (Pippin)
Nov. 13: “Sing Happy” (Flora, the Red Menace)
Nov. 14: “Sitting Pretty” (Sitting Pretty)
Nov. 15: “Smile” (Smile)
Nov. 16: “Smile, Smile, Smile” (Smile, Smile, Smile)
Nov. 17: “So Far, So Good” (No Way to Treat a Lady)
Nov. 18: “Someone Nice Like You” (Stop the World – I Want to Get Off)
Nov. 19: “Something Good” (The Sound of Music)
Nov. 20: “Something Greater” (Applause)
Nov. 21: “Style” (The Magic Show)
Nov. 22: “Suits Me Fine” (Make a Wish)
Nov. 23: “Sun on My Face” (Sugar)
Nov. 24: “Sweet Beginning” (The Roar of the Greasepaint The Smell of the Crowd)
Nov. 25: “Sweet Time” (Raisin)
Nov. 26: “‘S Wonderful” (My One and Only)
Nov. 27: “Tap Your Troubles Away” (Mack & Mabel)
Nov. 28: “That Great Come and Get It Day” (Finian’s Rainbow)
Nov. 29: “That’s How Young I Feel” (Mame)
Nov. 30: “That Was Yesterday” (Milk and Honey)
Dec. 1: “The Best Night of My Life” (Applause)
Dec. 2: “The Best of Times” (La Cage aux Folles)
Dec. 3: “The Best Things in Life Are Free” (Good News)
Dec. 4: “The Happy Time” (The Happy Time)
Dec. 5: “The Life of the Party” (The Happy Time)
Dec. 6: “The Picture of Happiness” (Tenderloin)
Dec. 7: “The Sweetest Sounds” (No Strings)
Dec. 8: “The World Is Beautiful Today” (Hazel Flagg)
Dec. 9: “The World’s a Lovely Place” (Maggie May)
Dec. 10: “There Are Happy Times Ahead” (Charms)
Dec. 11: “(There Is a) Beautiful Land” (The Roar of the Greasepaint-The Smell of the Crowd)
Dec. 12: “(There’s) a Light at the End of the Tunnel” (Starlight Express)
Dec. 12: “(There’s) a Little Bit of Good” (Chicago)
Dec. 14: “There’s Great Day Comin’ Manana” (Hold onto Your Hats)
Dec. 15: “Think Beautiful” (I Had a Ball)
Dec. 16: “This Is a Great Country” (Mr. President)
Dec. 17: “This Is My Lovely Day” (Bless the Bride)
Dec. 18: “Thou Swell” (A Connecticut Yankee)
Dec. 19: “Today Is a Day for a Band to Play” (Drat the Cat )
Dec. 20: “Today Is the First Day of the Rest of Your Life” (Starting Here-Starting Now)
Dec. 21: “Together Wherever We Go” (Gypsy)
Dec. 22: “Tomorrow” (Annie)
Dec. 23: “Tomorrow (is another day)” (The Good Old Bad Old Days)
Dec. 24: “(Tomorrow is) Another day” (Hallelujah, Baby )
Dec. 25: “Walking Happy” (Walking Happy)
Dec. 26: “We Can Be Proud” (Juno)
Dec. 27: “We Can Do It” (The Producers)
Dec. 28: “We Can Make It” (The Rink)
Dec. 29: “We Start Today” (Baby)
Dec. 30: “We’re Gonna Have a Good Time” (Your Arms Too Short to Box with God)
Dec. 31: “We’ve Done Alright” (Bar-Mitzvah Boy)

Okay, some of the songs above may not be in your collection, and some you may not be fond of. Fine! Then feel free to substitute any of the following on any given day:

1. “What Could Be Better?” (Baby)
2. “What Is This Feeling in the Air?” (Subways Are for Sleeping)
3. “When You’re in My Arms” (They’re Playing Our Song)
4. “When You Smile” (Annie Warbucks)
5. “Who Can? You Can” (The Gay Life)
6. “Why Can’t We All Be Nice?” (Goodtime Charley)
7. “Wouldn’t It Be Nice?” (The Wild Party/La Chiusa)
8. “Yes” (70-Girls-70)
9. “Yes” (Shine)
10. “Yes, I Can” (written for Golden Boy)
11. “Yes, We Can” (Nunsense II)
12. “The Human Heart” (Once on This Island)
13. “(You Gotta Have) Heart” (Damn Yankees)
14. “You Never Had It So Good” (State Fair)
15. “You’ll Never Walk Alone” (Carousel)
16. “You Mustn’t Be Discouraged” (Fade Out – Fade In)
17. “You’re Never Fully Dressed without a Smile” (Annie)
18. “You’re the Greatest” (Come Spy with Me)
19. “(You’re) the Nicest Thing” (Let It Ride )
20. “Your Good Morning” (Parade)

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[To contact Peter Filichia directly, e-mail him at pfilichia@theatermania.com]