On Your Toes #0226
Falling in love is easy to do, especially with the music of Richard Rodgers as accompaniment. Rodgers’ melodic gift in conjunction with lyricists Lorenz Hart and Oscar Hammerstein, gave new song to three generations. Folks flocked to such shows as The Boys from Syracuse, The Girl Friend and South Pacific, and tunes from those and dozens of other productions still resound throughout the land. It’s a celebration of a great American composer with some of his most famous and most obscure works played organs in theatres, naturally, but also in a home, a high school auditorium and a pizza restaurant. George Wright, Rob Richards, Tom Hazleton and many others will keep you On Your Toes with a Richard Rodgers Centennial Tribute, this week on Pipedreams.
RICHARD RODGERS: Manhattan, from The Garrick Gaieties [1925]; The Girl Friend & The Blue Room, from The Girl Friend [1926] –Larry Kass (1928 Wurlitzer/Kass Residence, Hinckley, OH) Razzmatazz 2000
RICHARD RODGERS: You took advantage of me, from Present Arms [1928] –Tom Hazleton (1928 Kimball/Dickinson High School Auditorium, Wilmington, DE) DTOS CD-301
RICHARD RODGERS: With a song in my heart, from Spring is Here [1929] –Quentin Maclean (1928 Christie/Regal Cinema, Marble Arch, London, England, UK) Sterndale CD-1315
RICHARD RODGERS: Lover, from Love Me Tonight [1933] –Charlie Balogh (Wurlitzer/Organ Stop Pizza, Mesa, AZ) OSP CD-106
RICHARD RODGERS: My Romance, from Jumbo [1935] –Hector Olivera (Roland Atelier AT-90S) MPI CD-104
ROBERT RUSSELL BENNETT: Allegretto Grazioso, from Sonata in G [1929] –David Britton (1938 Kimball/Episcopal Cathedral of St. John, Denver, CO) Delos DE 3111
RICHARD RODGERS: Slaughter on Tenth Avenue, from On Your Toes [1936] –Rob Richards (1927 Wurlitzer/Senate Theatre, Detroit, MI) RR CD-1001
RICHARD RODGERS: Where or when, from Babes in Arms [1937] –Walt Strony (1927 Wurlitzer/Berkeley Community Theatre, CA) NorCalTOS CD-101
RICHARD RODGERS: Spring is here, from I Married and Angel [1938] –George Wright (Hollywood Philharmonic Organ/George Wright Residence, Hollywood, CA) Banda CD-3322
RICHARD RODGERS: Falling in love with love, from The Boys From Syracuse [1938] –George Wright (Wurlitzer/Leslie Studio, Pasadena, CA) Banda CD-19009
RICHARD RODGERS: South Pacific Suite [1949] –George Wright (1931 Wurlitzer) Banda CD-109556
RICHARD RODGERS: This nearly was mine, from South Pacific [1949] –Lyn Larsen (Wurlitzer/Organ Stop Pizza, Mesa, AZ) Mesa, AZ) Musical Contrasts CD-211
An excellent sources for theatre organ recordings and books is the Organ Historical Society
