Good Morning

Here's an earworm if there ever were one:

I love "Singin' in the Rain" more than the next guy-  but I am somewhat critical of how the musical came to be.  

Back in the golden age of Hollywood musicals, often times popular songs would be regurgitated and reused in many different musicals.  I suppose people wanted to hear music with which they were familiar.  Singin' in the Rain found itself being developed under this formula and most, if not all of the songs are taken from other works.  Next time you watch the musical, pay attention to the way the songs move the plot along-- here's a hint, they dont!  

Today's song, "Good Morning" was actually first heard in the 1939 (13 years prior) musical "Babes in Arms" which starred Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland.  Here's how you first would have heard the song had you been there!   

As a lover, and student of musicals, it's important to me that the music and songs are key to the storytelling and should be used as a tool to keep the plot running- it's what makes a good musical. 

Now, if you were to put together a group of musicals that had been written around a series of already known songs (many modern musicals do this, see "Mamma Mia" or "All Shook Up" as an example) and try to decide which is the best of the best, "Singin' in the Rain" would likely top the list.  It's a great film!  

Here's to regurgitated material! 

HUGS
Brady