The 2014 Broadway University Entrance Exam Answers
Congratulations to Peter Alfano, Steven Bell, Susan Berlin, Pat Bracken, Scot Colford, Seth Christenfeld, Sarah Brett England, Darel Glaser, John Griffin, Cathy Jones, Tim Kraetsch, Jack Lechner, Jim Lockwood, Todd Neilsen, Daryl Orts, Arthur Robinson, David Schmittou, Ron Schroeder and Jeff Vellenga.
They answered the call to identify lines and lyrics that cited celebrities in songs that were heard in New York between 1934 to 2005. They did so well on The 2014 Broadway University Entrance Exam that they deserve celebrity status themselves.
For the rest of you, here are the questions and answers:
1. “You’re the nose on the great Durante.” (“You’re the Top” – ANYTHING GOES)
2. “Who the hell is Sally Rand?” (“Zip!” -- PAL JOEY)
3. “I’m Carmen Miranda.” (“If This Isn’t Love” -- FINIAN’S RAINBOW)
4. “He may have hair upon his chest, but, sister, so does Lassie.” (“I Hate Men” --- KISS ME, KATE)
5. “Major Bowes? Steinbeck’s prose?” (“Conga!” -- WONDERFUL TOWN)
6. “I sure had to hassle and hustle buying tickets for Rosalind Russell.”
(“Intermission Talk” -- ME AND JULIET)
7. “If Ava Gardner played Godiva riding on a mare …” (“Stereophonic Sound” -- SILK STOCKINGS)
8. “And Rin-Tin-Tin!” (“Drop That Name” -- BELLS ARE RINGING)
9. “Tonight on TV’s ‘Late, Late Show,’ you can look at Clara Bow.” (“Chop Suey” -- FLOWER DRUM SONG)
10. “I’ll be more Espanol than Abbe Lane.” (“Spanish Rose” -- BYE BYE BIRDIE)
11. “Charles Boyer kissing Hedy. Eddie Cantor, hands-a-clapping. Ruby Keeler tapping.” (“The Late, Late Show” -- DO RE MI)
12. “Sal Mineo! Take us! Make us all red, white and blue.” (“Melt Us” --
ALL-AMERICAN)
13. “Mary Astor, meet your master.” (“The Truth” -- LITTLE ME)
14. “Cary Grant would still be a stilt-walker on the beach had he not changed his
name from Archie Leach.” (“Lila Tremaine” -- FADE OUT, FADE IN)
15. “Myrna Loy is Myrna Loy.” (“You Are You” -- FLORA, THE RED MENACE)
16. “If you promised that you bring along Yul Brynner, I wouldn’t have dinner with you.” (“Opposites” -- SKYSCRAPER)
17. “To start each morning by giving out with a Rudy Vallee squeal.” (“That’s How Young I Feel” -- MAME)
18. “I don’t love Sophia; I don’t love Bardot.” (“I Know” -- THE APPLE TREE)
19. “Charles Boyer appears in the dawn to tell me he is free at last to marry me.”
(“In Some Little World” -- HENRY, SWEET HENRY)
20. “It isn’t Jean Harlow. It isn’t Greta Garbo.” (“It’s You” -- DAMES AT SEA)
21. “Lollabrigida could walk through the door and they’d only get frigider.” (“They Don’t Make ‘Em Like That Anymore” -- HOW NOW, DOW JONES)
22. “He resembles George Harrison of the Beatles.” (“Frank Mills” -- HAIR)
23. “You got up early and pulled a Shirley MacLaine.” (“She’s No Longer a Gypsy” -- APPLAUSE)
24. “Oh, my God -- it’s Tiny Tim.” (“You and I, Love” -- 70, GIRLS, 70)
25. “Even Rock Hudson lost his heart to Doris Day.” (“Look at Me, I’m Sandra Dee” -- GREASE)
26. “Fred Astaire came from Omaha, you know!” (“We Got It” -- SEESAW)
27. “Still, as I promised Joanne Woodward, I’ll put in a good word.” (“Style” – THE MAGIC SHOW)
28. “Then something went wrong between Fay Wray and King Kong.” (“Science Fiction Double Features” -- THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW)
29. “And Sophie Tucker’d shit, I know.” (“Roxie” – CHICAGO)
30. “Steve McQueen, out! Nureyev in!” (“Hello Twelve, Hello Thirteen, Hello Love” -- A CHORUS LINE)
31. “And then it’s time for Miss Bennett. No, Constance; on Tuesday, it’s Joan.” (“The Butler’s Song” – SO LONG, 174TH STREET)
32. “God, it sounds so Mickey Mouse.” (“Just a Housewife” -- WORKING)
33. “So Lauren Bacall me!” (“Rainbow High” -- EVITA)
34. “Watch Bette Davis walk out on George Brent.” (“Just Go to the Movies” -- A DAY IN HOLLYWOOD, A NIGHT IN THE UKRAINE)
35. “Vera Ellen, where’d you go?” (“Middle Age Blues” -- BRING BACK BIRDIE)
36. “You know Rona Barrett. That’s wonderful.” (“The Grass Is Always Greener” – WOMAN OF THE YEAR)
37. “Your grandma’s peach preserves just made me smack my lips. I flipped for the tickets to see Gladys and the Pips.” (“Tips” – PUMP BOYS AND DINETTES)
38. “Think of John Wayne or Jean Paul Belmondo.” (“Masculinity” -- LA CAGE AUX FOLLES)
39. “And Steven Spielberg filming my first story.” (“I Want It All” -- BABY)
40. “He’s got more fans than Shirley Temple.” (“Willamania” -- THE WILL ROGERS FOLLIES)
41. “Look at her with the lungs of Madonna and a taut behind.” (“A Beat Behind” -- THE GOODBYE GIRL)
42. “Say you like SEINFELD.” (“Talk to Her” – BIG)
43. “Just saw Alec Baldwin. Told him you said ‘Hi!’ Just kidding.” (“Voice Mail #4”
-- RENT)
44. “I was subbing with Stan Kenton in this seedy club in Trenton.” (“Jeanette’s
Showbiz Number” -- THE FULL MONTY)
45. “Puccini, Cole Porter, Rossini, OTELLO, Bellini, Wayne Shorter and Elvis
Costello.” (“Show You a Thing or Two” -- BAT BOY)
46. “That one’s John Lennon there. No, the Dakota.” (“The Next Ten Minutes” – THE LAST FIVE YEARS)
47. “Kay Thompson and The Williams Brothers packing them in at the Persian Room.” (“The Column” -- SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS)
48. “Just like Frankie Avalon has his favorite Mouseketeer.” (“It Takes Two” --
HAIRSPRAY)
49. “Poker with Al Roker and our friend Lorenzo Lamas.” (“Great Big Stuff” – DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS)
50. “Who is the great-grandfather of Christina Ricci.” (“My Friend, the Dictionary”
-- THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE)
You may e-mail Peter at pfilichia@aol.com. Check out his weekly column each Tuesday at www.masterworksbroadway.com, each Friday at www.mtishows.com. His new book, Strippers, Showgirls, and Sharks – a Very Opinionated History of the Broadway Musicals That Did Not Win the Tony Award is now available at www.amazon.com.
— Peter Filichia |
