Once in a Blue Moon

SAN FRANCISCO (8 March 1995) -- Drops, flops and missing lyrics from some of Broadway's top songs comprise 42nd St. Moon's revival of ONCE IN A BLUE MOON, an affectionate revue of rarely heard musical theatre songs from the '20s, '30s and '40s, performing March 31 - April 15, 1995 (preview March 30) at the New Conservatory Theatre, 25 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco. Featuring songs that were dropped from hit musicals, perfectly wonderful ditties that got buried in musical flops and seldom-heard lyrics from some of Broadway's top tunes, ONCE IN A BLUE MOON draws upon music by Cole Porter, Jerome Kern, Harold Arlen, Rodgers and Hart, Oscar Hammerstein, Noel Coward, Dietz and Schwartz and others.

Hailed as an "effervescent and marvelously entertaining show" by Philip Elwood of the San Francisco Examiner when it premiered in January of 1993, ONCE IN A BLUE MOON features songs ranging from the dreamily romantic "All the Things You Are" from Hammerstein and Kern's 1939 show VERY WARM FOR MAY, to comedically outlandish numbers such as "Let's Go Eat Worms in the Garden," by Kay Swift for the 1930 musical FINE AND DANDY. A lesser known version of Jerome Kern's beloved "Bill" even makes an appearance -- not SHOWBOAT's tender ode by a gal to her guy, but a tuneful tribute to...the almighty buck! (written for the 1919 show ZIP! GOES A MILLION.) Never one to waste a song, Kern got three uses out of the melody and title for "Bill", having written it originally as a love song for OH, LADY! LADY!

ONCE IN A BLUE MOON features original cast members Greg MacKellan, Anna Marie Gutierrez and Scott Grinthal. Actor/director MacKellan, who co-produces the Lost Musical Series with Stephanie Rhoads, has also produced six compact discs of forgotten show tunes. Gutierrez starred as Alice Challice in 42nd St. Moon's production of DARLING OF THE DAY last season. She also played Grizabella in the national tour of CATS and the title role in the national tour of EVITA. Grinthal was hailed by Gerald Nachman in TheaterWeek as "one of the Bay Area's most exciting young singers," and has been seen locally in TheatreWorks' THE WORLD GOES ROUND, and Marin Theatre Company's SIDE BY SIDE BY SONDHEIM, as well as 42nd St. Moon Lost Musical productions of DUBARRY WAS A LADY and JUBILEE. Musical direction is provided by Pat Parr who has been musical director for 42nd St. Moon's productions of SOMETHING FOR THE BOYS and HOLLYWOOD PINAFORE. Parr also directs the San Francisco Gay and Lesbian Chorus.

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