Quiz Archive

1. What civic song first catapulted Rodgers into the public eye? What was the show? “Manhattan” in THE GARRICK GAIETIES

2. At what place, immortalized in a Rodgers song, is the lyric “where the balcony's so high you get the fidgets, where the actors seem to be a lot of midgets”. Name the song and the show. “At the Roxy Music Hall” from I MARRIED AN ANGEL

3. What was the only collaboration of Rodgers & Hart & Hammerstein together? Where did it play? FLY WITH ME, Hotel Astor Ballroom

4. What unique marketing approach was used for promoting BABES IN ARMS?  They were done as Birth Announcements

5. About which Rodgers show did a critic say “is it possible to draw sweet water from a foul well” ? Who was the critic?  PAL JOEY, Brooks Atkinson

6. In what Rodgers show did men and women reverse societal roles? BY JUPITER

7. What is the title of Rodgers only yuletime song? What was it  created for? “Happy Christmas, Little Friend” , Christmas Seal sale Song 1953

8. Rodgers had big trouble with two different temperamental stars 33 years apart? Who were the stars and what were the shows?  George M. Cohan in I'D RATHER BE RIGHT, Danny Kaye in TWO BY TWO

9. Rodgers had two projects based on works by Shaw. One he abandoned, claiming the characters “didn't sing”, while the other was publicly performed only once. What were these two projects? PYGMALION (Which became MY FAIR LADY) and ANDROCLES & THE LION

10. What Rodgers tune changed lyrics and locations, originating as a cut song about chance and ending up as a greeting type charm song. What are the names of the two versions of the song and what are the two different shows? “Suddenly Lucky” from SOUTH PACIFIC became “Getting To Know You” in THE KING & I

11. What was the working title out of town of the show that caused  Broadway prognosticators to predict: “no legs, no jokes, no chance” ?
AWAY WE GO (changed to OKLAHOMA!)

Extra Credit: What's another early title that was considered for this show?
DOWN ON THE STRIP

12. In what Rodgers musical did an opera singer play a Madame?  PIPE DREAM

13. In what Rodgers musical do you hear the following lyrics: “it's a darn nice campus, with ivy on the walls, friendly maples outside the lecture halls”? ALLEGRO

14. Before it was a song about a clambake, it was a song in an earlier show about a what?  A Hayride, in OKLAHOMA!

15. What was the working title of the year long project Rodgers tried (and failed) with Alan Jay Lerner? What new title did the show become with another composer? I PICKED A DAISY. ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN SEE FOREVER

16. The TV Musical FEATHERTOP and the film FREAKY FRIDAY have what connection to Richard Rodgers?  Both written by his daughter Mary Rodgers

17. “Blue Moon” had at least 3 previous titles and lyrics in Rodgers' Hollywood days.  What were the other names?  “Prayer”, “The Bad In Ev'ry Man”, “Manhattan Melodrama”

18. In what Rodgers tune does the lyric “And when they died and went to Heaven all the angels moved to Hell” occur? What is the show?  “He & She” from THE BOYS FROM SYRACUSE

19. What Rodgers character has the classic line “My back… is wet.” ?  Mei Li in FLOWER DRUM SONG

20. What Rodgers song was cut from both OKLAHOMA! and the film MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS, but finally wound up in the stage STATE FAIR decades later? “Boys & Girls Like You and Me”

21. What two different Rodgers shows feature characters known as “Uncle Max” and “Uncle Chris”?  THE SOUND OF MUSIC and I REMEMBER MAMA

22. Shelley Winters played what coquettish Rodgers comic soubrette on Broadway, but did not originate the role? “Ado Annie” in OKLAHOMA!

23. Rodgers notoriously battled with both his lyricist and his librettist  in what ill-fated musical? Who were the battling collaborators? DO I HEAR A WALTZ? Stephen Sondheim & Arthur Laurents

24. What Rodgers TV underscore tune became a sung hit in a Rodgers composed backstage flop?  “No Other Love”, used in VICTORY AT SEA (as “Beneath the Southern Cross”) and ME & JULIET

25. What connection does Rodgers have to the musical FLOYD COLLINS?  It was written by his grandson, Adam Guettel

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