The Broadway Musicals of 1938

The Town Hall’s hit series Broadway By the Year, featuring the witty host and creator Scott Siegel, continues in its seventh season with The Broadway Musicals of 1938. That was a year that saw two melodic Rodgers & Hart hits, a politically-themed show that authorities tried to keep from opening, a wild romp admired by Brooks Atkinson, who nevertheless began his review with “Folks, it’s going to be a little difficult to describe this one,” the life of Peter Stuyvesant in which the hit song was performed by a decidedly non-singer, and a lesser-known production that yielded a standard appearing on albums of most great pop singers.

The Broadway Musicals of 1938 will be directed by Emily Skinner, the Tony-nominated performer who has been memorably featured in former productions on the series, directed last year’s "1956," and will also lend her performing talents. Rounding out the cast of prominent Broadway singer/actors are Sarah Uriarte Berry (Taboo, The Light In the Piazza), Aaron Lazar (Les Miserables), Christiane Noll (Jekyll & Hyde), Hugh Panaro (Lestat, Phantom of the Opera) and Barbara Walsh (Company).

Songs from 1938 encompass the romantic "Falling In Love With Love," "I Married An Angel" and "September Song," the comic "At the Roxy Music Hall," the naughty "Sing For Your Supper" and "My Heart Belongs To Daddy," the Depression-era "Nickel Under Your Foot" and the wistful "I’ll Be Seeing You."