Show Tune Showdown #6: 1968-69 Broadway Season

In the fifth Show Tune Showdown, Ragtime and The Life won the most showdowns - and the following songs will be moving on to a second round in 2012:

Ragtime's "Ragtime", "Journey On", "Your Daddy's Son" and "New Music"

The Life's "My Body", "Use What You Got", "Mr. Greed" and "The Oldest Profession"

Parade's "All the Wasted Time", "It's Hard to Speak My Heart" and "This Is Not Over Yet"

Side Show's "Who Will Love Me as I Am?" and "I Will Never Leave You"

Jekyll & Hyde's "Someone Like You" and "This Is the Moment"

Titanic's "There She Is"

You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown's "My New Philosophy"

Triumph of Love's "Serenity"

PLEASE NOTE: The next Show Tune Showdown will be on Wednesday, November 30.

Now on to our sixth Show Tune Showdown, which takes us back to the 1968-69 Broadway season when the following six musicals opened:

Hair
April 29, 1968 - July 1, 1972 (1,750 performances)
Revival: October 5, 1977 - November 6, 1977 (43 performances)
Revival: March 31, 2009 - June 27, 2010 (519 performances)
Return Engagement: July 13, 2011 - September 10, 2011 (67 performances)

Zorba
November 16, 1968 - August 9, 1969 (305 performances)
Revival: October 16, 1983 - September 2, 1984 (362 performances)

Promises, Promises
December 1, 1968 - January 1, 1972 (1,281 performances)
Revival: April 25, 2010 - January 2, 2011 (289 performances)

The Fig Leaves Are Falling
January 2, 1969 - January 6, 1969 (4 performances)

Dear World
February 6, 1969 - May 31, 1969 (132 performances)

1776
March 16, 1969 - February 13, 1972 (1,217 performances)
Revival: August 14, 1997 - June 14, 1998 (333 performances)

Now here are the competing show tunes - and if you're wondering how to judge each showdown, just ask yourself, "Which song do I enjoy listening to more?"

"Hair" (Gavin Creel, Will Swenson and the Broadway revival cast perform on the 63rd Annual Tony Awards on June 7, 2009)

vs.

"Promises, Promises" (Jerry Orbach performs on the original Broadway cast recording)

Hair's "Aquarius" (Ronnie Dyson and the cast perform on the original Broadway cast recording)

vs.

Promises, Promises' "Turkey Lurkey Time" (Donna McKechnie and the original Broadway cast perform on the 23rd Annual Tony Awards on April 20, 1969)

Hair's "Easy to Be Hard" (Jennifer Warnes performs on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour on March 23, 1969)

vs.

Promises, Promises' "I'll Never Fall in Love Again" (Dionne Warwick performs on her 1970 album, I'll Never Fall in Love Again)

Hair's "I Got Life" (Gavin Creel and the Broadway revival cast perform in Central Park on June 26, 2009)

vs.

Promises, Promises' "Half as Big as Life" (Kevin Spirtas performs at POZ's Bacharach To The Future fundraiser on December 1, 2008)

Hair's "Where Do I Go?" (Gavin Creel and the Broadway revival cast perform at the 2009 Tony Awards Nominations Concert on May 18, 2009)

vs.

Promises, Promises' "Where Can You Take a Girl?" (from the original Broadway cast recording)

Hair's "Good Morning Starshine" (Beverly D'Angelo and the cast perform in the 1979 film version)

vs.

"Dear World" (Angela Lansbury and the cast perform on the original Broadway cast recording)

Hair's "Black Boys/White Boys" (Nell Carter and cast perform in the 1979 film version)

vs.

1776's "Cool, Cool, Considerate Men" (from the 1972 film version)

Hair's "Frank Mills" (The Lemonheads perform on their 1992 album, It's a Shame About Ray)

vs.

The Fig Leaves Are Falling's "All of My Laughter" (Amanda Frennier performs as part of the PSU 2010 Senior Showcase)

Hair's "The Flesh Failures (Let the Sunshine In)" (the Broadway revival cast perform)

vs.

1776's "Sit Down, John" (the Broadway revival cast perform on the 52nd Annual Tony Awards on June 7, 1998)

1776's "He Plays the Violin" (Betty Buckley performs on the original Broadway cast recording)

vs.

Promises, Promises' "Knowing When to Leave" (Betty Buckley performs on the 1970 London cast recording)

Dear World's "Kiss Her Now" (Angela Lansbury performs on the original Broadway cast recording)

vs.

Promises, Promises' "She Likes Basketball" (Jerry Orbach performs on the 23rd Annual Tony Awards on April 20, 1969)

1776's "Is Anybody There?" (William Daniels performs on the 1972 film soundtrack)

vs.

Promises, Promises' "Wanting Things" (Edward Winter performs on the original Broadway cast recording)

Dear World's "And I Was Beautiful" (Angela Lansbury performs on the original Broadway cast recording)

vs.

Promises, Promises' "A Fact Can Be a Beautiful Thing" (Christine Baranski and Martin Short perform during a City Center Encores! concert in March 1997)

Dear World's “I Don't Want to Know” (Angela Lansbury performs on The Julie Andrews Hour on February 10, 1973, beginning at 2:02)

vs.

Promises, Promises' "Whoever You Are (I Love You)" (Jill O'Hara performs on the original Broadway cast recording)

Zorba's "Life Is" (Donna Theodore performs on The Merv Griffin Show in May 1986)

vs.

The Fig Leaves Are Falling's "Did I Ever Really Live" (Pat Paulsen performs on his 1970 TV series, Pat Paulsen's Half a Comedy Hour)