Show Tune Showdown #16: 1957-59 Broadway Seasons

In the 15th Show Tune Showdown, Thoroughly Modern Millie and Aida won the most showdowns - and the following songs will be moving on to Round 2:

Thoroughly Modern Millie's "Forget About the Boy" and "Gimme Gimme"

Aida's "Elaborate Lives" and "A Step Too Far"

The Producers' "Keep It Gay"

The Wild Party's "Welcome to My Party"

The Full Monty's "Breeze Off the River"

Seussical's "Alone in the Universe"

Urinetown's "Run, Freedom, Run!"

PLEASE NOTE: The next Show Tune Showdown will be on Thursday, June 7.

Now on to our 16th Show Tune Showdown, which takes us back to two Broadway seasons - 1957-58 and 1958-59 - when the following five musicals opened:

West Side Story
September 26, 1957 - June 27, 1959 (732 performances)
Return Engagement: April 27, 1960 - December 10, 1960 (249 performances)
Revival: April 8, 1964 - May 3, 1964 (31 performances)
Revival: February 14, 1980 - November 30, 1980 (333 performances)
Revival: March 19, 2009 - January 2, 2011 (748 performances)

The Music Man
December 19, 1957 - April 15, 1961 (1,375 performances)
Revival: June 5, 1980 - June 22, 1980 (21 performances)
Revival: April 27, 2000 - December 30, 2001 (699 performances)

Flower Drum Song
December 1, 1958 - May 7, 1960 (600 performances)
Revival: October 17, 2002 - March 16, 2003 (169 performances)

Whoop-Up
December 22, 1958 - February 7, 1959 (56 performances)

Juno
March 9, 1959 - March 21, 1959 (16 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?"

West Side Story's "Something's Coming" (Shirley Bassey performs on her BBC TV series, The Shirley Bassey Show, in 1979)

vs.

The Music Man's "(Ya Got) Trouble" (Robert Preston performs on the 25th Annual Tony Awards on March 28, 1971)

West Side Story's "America" (Rita Moreno and cast perform in the 1961 film)

vs.

The Music Man's "Seventy-six Trombones" (Craig Bierko and cast perform on the 54th Annual Tony Awards on June 4, 2000)

West Side Story's "Somewhere" (Barbra Streisand performs in a 1985 music video to promote her Broadway album)

vs.

The Music Man's "Till There Was You" (Barbara Cook performs on the original Broadway cast recording)

West Side Story's "Tonight" (Carol Lawrence and Larry Kert perform on The Ed Sullivan Show on November 2, 1958)

vs.

The Music Man's "My White Knight" (Rebecca Luker performs on the 2000 Broadway cast recording)

West Side Story's "I Feel Pretty" (Julie Andrews performs)

vs.

Flower Drum Song's "I Enjoy Being a Girl" (Nancy Kwan acts/B.J. Baker sings in the 1961 film)

West Side Story's "Maria" (Daniel Boys performs on Friday Night is Music Night on December 5, 2008)

vs.

Flower Drum Song's "Love, Look Away" (Lea Salonga performs on the 2002 Broadway cast recording)

West Side Story's "One Hand, One Heart" (John Barrowman and Lea Salonga perform during A Tribute to Leonard Bernstein concert on July 2, 2005)

vs.

Whoop-Up's "When the Tall Man Talks" (Susan Johnson performs on the original Broadway cast recording)

Juno's "I Wish It So" (Dawn Upshaw performs on her 1994 CD, I Wish It So)

vs.

Whoop-Up's "Love Eyes" (Cheyanne Pretty lip-syncs to Rosemary Clooney, who performs on her 1960 album, Rosemary Clooney Swings Softly)