In this episode, we cover three one-word shows– APPLAUSE, COCO, and PURLIE– that haven't had much life after their original productions, and discuss whether or not they deserve another look. (Spoiler: for the most part, no.)

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As we wrap up 1990, we try to answer all your burning questions: How many cooks were REALLY in the kitchen behind the scenes of Grand Hotel? Is "Chet" a normal nickname for "George"? What the hell is going on in "The Trolley Song"? All this and more!!!!!

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Did you know that 1990 was 31 years ago???? We were distressed by that news, too. We try to trace the origins of Kathleen Turner's accent, explore Cy Coleman's jazz roots, and answer once and for all: DOES love change everything???

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What's longer: a hippie's hair, or this episode? We uncover a HAIR-spiracy, debate the appropriate holidays to eat turkey, and speculate on which Tony presenters were definitely doin' it backstage.

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“Hair Deluxe Edition – 2003.” The Official Masterworks Broadway Site, 26 Feb. 2015.

“Hairstory.” Hair the Musical by Gerome Ragni, James Rado, and Music by Galt MacDermot, 14 Feb. 2009. 

Blumenthal, Ralph. “MUNICH AUDIENCE WELCOMES 'HAIR'; Applause and Foot Stamping Follow Musical Numbers.” The New York Times, 26 Oct. 1968.

Barnes, Clive. “Theater: 'Hair' -- It's Fresh and Frank; Likable Rock Musical Moves to Broadway.” The New York Times, 30 Apr. 1968. 

Lewis, Anthony. “LONDONERS COOL TO 'HAIR'S' NUDITY; Four-Letter Words Shock Few at Musical's Debut.” The New York Times, 29 Sept. 1968.

Wilson, John S. “Fresh New Winds Blow Through 'Hair'; ' Hair's' New Winds.” The New York Times, 7 July 1968.

Thompson, Howard. “250 Test Skills at 'Hair' Auditions.” The New York Times, 3 Nov. 1969. 

Barnes, Clive. “Theater: 'Hair' -- It's Fresh and Frank; Likable Rock Musical Moves to Broadway.” The New York Times, 30 Apr. 1968. 

Weiler, A. H. “Butler Parts His 'Hair'; Butler Parts His 'Hair'.” The New York Times, 6 Oct. 1968. 

“'Hair' Reaches Australia.” The New York Times, 7 June 1969.

Barnes, Clive. “The Theater: 'Hair,' a Love-Rock Musical, Inaugurates Shakespeare Festival's Anspacher Playhouse; Contemporary Youth Depicted in Play Structure Is the First Saved as Landmark.” The New York Times, 30 Oct. 1967. 

“HAIR' WINS DELAY ON EMMY NOMINEES.” The New York Times, 20 Mar. 1968. 

Zolotow, Sam. “Producer of 'Hair' To Attack Scalpers And Aid Charities.” The New York Times, 16 May 1968.

Lewis, Anthony. “HAIR' TO ESCAPE SHEARS IN BRITAIN; Power of the Censor to End Before London Opening.” The New York Times, 31 July 1968.

“Hair' Authors Take Leave.” The New York Times, 4 July 1968.

“Mexican Actors Favor 'Hair' Cast Deportation.” The New York Times, 8 Jan. 1969. 

“' Hair' to Update Display For Window Shoppers.” The New York Times, 15 July 1969. 

Berkvist, Robert. “He Put 'Hair' on Broadway's Chest; He Put 'Hair' On Broadway 's Chest.” The New York Times, 11 May 1969. 

“Princess Anne Dances On Stage During 'Hair'” The New York Times, 16 Apr. 1969. 

“'Hair,' Without Nude Scene, Will Appear on Channel 13.” The New York Times, 20 Aug. 1968. 

“Authors of 'Hair' Protest Their Removal From Cast.” The New York Times, 13 Apr. 1969.

“ROCK' N' ROLL MUSICAL MOVING TO CHEETAH.” The New York Times, 6 Dec. 1967. 

Berkvist, Robert. “Changes Color of 'Hair'.” The New York Times, 14 Sept. 1969. 

Kloman, William. “'2001' And 'Hair' -- Are They The Groove of the Future?” The New York Times, 12 May 1968. 

Shepard, Richard F. “Actor-Authors of 'Hair' Barred From Theater.” The New York Times, 12 Apr. 1969. 

Wilson, John S. “Rock Goes the Musical Theater.” The New York Times, 19 Nov. 1967. 

Bender, Marylin. “Topless, And No Bottoms, Either; ' Hair' -- Topless, and No Bottoms, Either.” The New York Times, 28 Apr. 1968.

Barnes, Clive. “Hair' Holds Up Under 2d Look.” The New York Times, 5 Feb. 1969. 

Zolotow, Sam. “Two Stars of 'Hair' Are Back in Show As Feud Is Ended.” The New York Times, 18 Apr. 1969.

“Mexico Imposes Curb On Nude Scene in 'Hair'.” The New York Times, 4 Jan. 1969. 

Cook, Joan. “In the 60's, Hair Was a Fighting Word.” The New York Times, 31 Dec. 1969. 

Funke, Lewis. “Inside Musicals; Inside The World Of Musicals.” The New York Times, 27 Apr. 1969. 

“Mexico Shuts 'Hair' And Expels Its Cast After One Showing.” The New York Times, 6 Jan. 1969. 

Schjeldahl, Peter. “Can 'Hair' Be Taught To Hate?” The New York Times, 27 Sept. 1970.

“15,000 Mark 'Hair's' 4th Birthday.” The New York Times, 8 May 1972. 

“ASTRONAUTS FIND 'HAIR' OFFENSIVE.” The New York Times, 6 June 1970. 

Barnes, Clive. “Theater: The Sound Off Broadway; Musicals Help 'Invalid' Survive Comfortably And There Is Promise in Drama Ventures.” The New York Times, 2 Mar. 1968. 

“Supreme Court Clears 'Hair' for Boston Run.” The New York Times, 23 May 1970. 

“Little Rock Group Barred In Attempt to Block 'Hair'.” The New York Times, 13 Aug. 1971. 

“Theater: Whither the Stage Musical?; Shows Fail to Work in Contemporary Idiom Old-Fashioned Variety Look Backward.” The New York Times, 22 Dec. 1967. 

Kerr, Walter. “It Let's Down Its 'Hair' Pedigree.” The New York Times, 22 Oct. 1972. 

Cook, Joan. “A Piano Prodigy at 3, Now the Conductor of 'Hair'.” The New York Times, 5 Nov. 1970. 

Klemesrud, Judy. “Shelley Plimpton: From 'Hair' to Maternity.” The New York Times, 13 Sept. 1970. 

“Lamont Washington Dies at 24; Actor Had Played Hud In ‘Hair'.” The New York Times, 26 Aug. 1968. 

Brantley, Ben. “A Frizzy, Fizzy Welcome to the Untamed '60s.” The New York Times, 31 Mar. 2009. 

Brantley, Ben. “Let the Sunshine In, and the Shadows.” The New York Times, 8 Aug. 2008. 

Kennedy, Louise. Hair, The Boston Globe, 1 Apr. 2009.

Brantley, Ben. “When Love Was In and Youthful Confidence High.” The New York Times, 5 May 2001. 

Vineberg, Steve. “A Revival Of 'Hair,' A Graying Pit Band.” The New York Times, 29 Apr. 2001. 

Miller, Scott. Scott Miller on Hair. 

Rose, Lisa. “40 Years of 'Hair'.” Nj.com, 20 July 2008.

DRAMATURGY FOR UC SANTA CRUZ'S PRODUCTION OF THE MUSICAL "HAIR", 2010.

Reed, Rex. “Bacharach -- No More 'Promises'; Burt Bacharach: No More 'Promises'.” The New York Times, 15 Dec. 1968. 

Wilson, John S. “The New Sound Of 'Promises'.” The New York Times, 16 Feb. 1969. 

Barnes, Clive. “Theater: Simon-Bacharach 'Promises, Promises' Begins Run at the Shubert; Jerry Orbach Starred as Mouse-Fink Hero.” The New York Times, 2 Dec. 1968. 

Klein, Alvin. “'Promises, Promises' In Goodspeed Revival.” The New York Times, 7 Nov. 1993. 

Shepard, Richard F. “Anatomy of an Opening Night: 'Promises, Promises'; Agony and Ecstasy of All Involved Is Dissected.” The New York Times, 3 Dec. 1968. 

Brantley, Ben. “Back in the '60s: Let's Tryst Again.” The New York Times, 25 Apr. 2010. 

Cook, Joan. “'Lyricist Readies His 'Brainchild'.” The New York Times, 17 Mar. 1974. 

Zwerin, Michael. “From the Archives: Burt Bacharach Behind the Scenes During the Out-of-Town Tryout of Promises, Promises.” Playbill, 24 June 2018. 

“Burt Bacharach And Hal David: A 50-Year Musical Duet.” NPR, 11 June 2010. 

“Music And Lyrics: Burt Bacharach And Hal David.” NPR, 5 May 2010. 

“Burt Bacharach.” Burt Bacharach | Songwriters Hall of Fame. 

Dale, Michael. “BWW Review: Tyne Daly Brings Jerry Herman's DEAR WORLD To The York Theatre.” BroadwayWorld.com, 28 Feb. 2017. 

“Dear World' Postponed.” The New York Times, 20 Dec. 1968. 

Zolotow, Sam. “Peter Glenville Taking Over Angela Lansbury's 'Dear World'.” The New York Times, 24 Oct. 1968. 

Barnes, Clive. “Theater: 'The Madwoman of Chaillot' Set to Music; 'Dear World' Arrives at Mark Hellinger Angela Lansbury and Godreau Excel.” The New York Times, 7 Feb. 1969. 

Barnes, Clive. “Theater: 'The Madwoman of Chaillot' Set to Music; 'Dear World' Arrives at Mark Hellinger Angela Lansbury and Godreau Excel (Published 1969).” The New York Times, 7 Feb. 1969. 

Zolotow, Sam. “RISING SHOW COSTS ARE ANTICIPATED; So Sponsor Lifts Top Prices on Next Season's Tickets.” The New York Times, 29 Feb. 1968. 

Wolf, Matt. “Oddity in the Key of Whimsy.” The New York Times, 19 Feb. 2013. 

Kerr, Walter. “When Angela Sings 'I Will Not Have It'; When Angela Sings 'I Will Not Have It'. The New York Times, 16 Feb. 1969. 

“What's Opened in the Theater.”The New York Times. 

“Canterbury Tales' to Open.” The New York Times, 12 Oct. 1968. 

“3 Sign for 'Canterbury Tales'.” The New York Times, 6 Nov. 1968. 

Barnes, Clive. “Theater: A Musical 'Canterbury Tales'; Chaucer Poetry Hasn't Crossed Ocean Well.” The New York Times, 4 Feb. 1969. 

Barnes, Clive. “Theater: 'Canterbury Tales' in Version That Sings; Noted Yugoslav Directs Musical in London Chaucer Work Adapted by Ex-Oxford Don.” The New York Times, 7 Sept. 1968. 

Barnes, Clive. “Stage: Updated Chaucer; A 'Canterbury' Musical Opens Off Broadway.” The New York Times, 26 Jan. 1969.

Corry, John. “Stage: Chaucer Tales Open the New Rialto; Ribald Romp.” The New York Times, 13 Feb. 1980. 

“Chaucer's Broadway Trip.” The New York Times, 27 Jan. 1969. 

West, Ben.  “Musical of the Month: The Fig Leaves Are Falling.” The New York Public Library, 17 Apr. 2013. 

Barnes, Clive. “Theater: 'The Fig Leaves Are Falling'; Sherman-Hague Show Is at the Broadhurst.” The New York Times, 3 Jan. 1969. 

Gold, Daniel. “By the Fadduh of '60s Parodies.” The New York Times, 16 Jan. 2013. 

Barnes, Clive. “The Theater: A Musical of the Draft Riots of 1863; Maggie Flynn' Opens at the ANTA Shirley Jones Starred With Jack Cassidy.” The New York Times, 24 Oct. 1968. 

Zolotow, Sam. “MUSICAL TO STAR SHIRLEY JONES; ' Maggie Flynn' to Bring Her Back to Broadway Oct. 22.” The New York Times, 30 May 1968. 

Klemesrud, Judy. “30 Minutes From Broadway -- 2 Stars Live in a 'Haunted' Castle.” The New York Times, 27 Dec. 1968. 

Kerr, Walter. “The Winner . . .; 'The Great White Hope'.” The New York Times, 13 Oct. 1968. 

Barnes, Clive. “Theater: 'White Hope,' Tale of Modern Othello, Opens in Capital; Howard Sackler's Play Given at Arena Stage.” The New York Times, 14 Dec. 1967. 

Barnes, Clive. “Theater: Howard Sackler's 'Great White Hope'; Play at the Alvin Stars James Earl Jones Edwin Sherin Staged Cheated Hero's Story.” The New York Times, 4 Oct. 1968. 

Sullivan, Dan. “The Theater: Art Carney and 'Lovers'; Plays by Brian Friel Open at Beaumont.” The New York Times, 26 July 1968. 

Barnes, Clive. “Theater: 'Hadrian VII,' English Pope; Alec McCowen Stars in Classic Fantasy.” The New York Times, 9 Jan. 1969. 

Filichia, Peter. Broadway Musicals: The Biggest Hit & the Biggest Flop of the Season 1959 to 2009. Applause Books, 2010.

Mordden, Ethan. Open a New Window: the Broadway Musical in the 1960s. Palgrave Macmillan, 2002.

Mandelbaum, Ken. Not Since Carrie: Forty Years of Broadway Musical Flops. St. Martin's Press, 1992.

Guernsey, Otis L. Curtain Time: The New York Theatre (1965-1987). Applause , 1987.

Jones, John Bush. Our Musicals, Ourselves: a Social History of the American Musical Theatre. Brandeis University Press, 2011.

Turan, Kenneth, and Joseph Papp. Free for All: Joe Papp, the Public, and the Greatest Theater Story Ever Told. Anchor Books, 2010. 

Wollman, Elizabeth L. 

The Theater Will Rock: a History of the Rock Musical, from Hair to Hedwig

. Univ. of Michigan Press, 2013.

From 1776 to 1969 to 2021, all we can say is: get it together, America!!!!

Email us at [email protected], and follow us on Twitter and Instagram (@mylittletonys) for additional content about this season’s shows!

Zolotow, Sam. “2 Musicals Get 8 Nominations For Tony Prizes.” The New York Times, 18 Mar. 1969. 

Funke, Lewis. “'Great White Hope' and '1776' Win Tonys.” The New York Times, 21 Apr. 1969.

Grode, Eric. “The 1969 Tonys Was a Night to Remember. Just Ask James Earl Jones.”The New York Times, 5 June 2019.

Wilson, John S. “1776' -- No Tunes For Humming.” The New York Times, 27 Apr. 1969.

Barnes, Clive. “Theater: Spirited '1776'; Founding Fathers' Tale Is a Happy Musical.” The New York Times, 17 Mar. 1969.

Funke, Lewis. “1776, 'Like It Was'; The Rialto: 1776, 'Like It Was'.” The New York Times, 8 Sept. 1968.

Barnes, Clive. “Theater: Spirited '1776'; Founding Fathers' Tale Is a Happy Musical.” The New York Times, 17 Mar. 1969. 

Lasson, Robert, and David Eynon. “Was That the Spirit of 1776?; Spirit Of '76?” The New York Times, 9 Mar. 1969. 

Kerr, Walter. “1776,' And All's Well; 1776,' and All's Well.” The New York Times, 23 Mar. 1969.

Canby, Vincent. “'1776' Comes to the Music Hall Screen.” The New York Times, 10 Nov. 1972. 

Calta, Louis. “White House Books Uncut '1776'.” The New York Times, 23 Jan. 1970. 

Robertson, Nan. “White House Is Host to '1776,' Its First Full‐Length Broadway Show.” The New York Times, 23 Feb. 1970. 

France, Simone. “A RARE TREAT.’” The New York Times, 27 Apr. 1969. 

“The Legacy of 1776: A Conversation with William Daniels and Lin-Manuel Miranda.” New York City Center, 2016. 

Funke, Lewis. “1776' Reaps Fruit Of Long Research.” The New York Times, 18 Mar. 1969. 

Paulson, Michael.“The Musical '1776' Will Return to Broadway in 2021.”The New York Times, 6 May 2019. 

Genzlinger, Neil. “Peter Hunt, Who Directed the Broadway Hit '1776,' Dies at 81.” The New York Times, 30 Apr. 2020. 

Fassler, Ron. “FOR LOVE OF LIBERTY AND ‘1776’.” Medium, 13 July 2018. 

Fassler, Ron. “MORE OF ‘1776.’” Medium, 17 Mar. 2019.

“Is It True?: Fact-Checking 1776.” New York City Center, 2016.

Brantley, Ben. “Review: 'Zorba!' Starring John Turturro.” The New York Times, 7 May 2015. 

Rich, Frank. “THE STAGE: 'ZORBA' AND QUINN.” The New York Times, 17 Oct. 1983. 

Kerr, Walter. “'Zorba' -- Palette or People?; 'Zorba' -- Palette or People?” The New York Times, 24 Nov. 1968.

Wilson, John S. “A Fired-Up 'Zorba'. The New York Times, 15 Dec. 1968. 

“'Zorba' to Close Saturday.” The New York Times, 5 Aug. 1969. 

Herz, Manuel David. “Which One Is Right About 'Zorba'?” The New York Times, 15 Dec. 1968. 

“Detained 'Zorba' Composer Transferred to Sanitarium.” The New York Times, 12 Apr. 1970. 

McCandlish, Phillips.“'Zorba,' in a Musical Guise, Is Alive and Well in Boston.” The New York Times, 4 Nov. 1968. 

Calta, Louis. “'Zorba' and Musical, 'Company,' To Occupy Harold Prince in '70.” The New York Times, 12 Nov. 1969. 

Barnes, Clive. “Theater: 'Zorba' Is Here With Music; Bernardi Star of Show Staged by Prince.” The New York Times, 18 Nov. 1968. 

Yavers, Steven. “EXCELLENT.” The New York Times, 19 Jan. 1969. 

Reed, Rex. “Say, Darling, Look At Hal Prince Now; Say, Darling, Look At Hal Prince Now.” The New York Times, 24 Nov. 1968. 

Miller, Scott. “Inside Zorba.”

The Hollywood Reporter Staff. “John Turturro in 'Zorba!': Theater Review.” The Hollywood Reporter, 9 May 2015. 

Rich, Frank. “Zorba: News: The Harvard Crimson.” The Harvard Crimson, 1968. 

Murray, Larry. “ZORBA! from Kander and Ebb Returns and Is Livelier – and Darker – than Ever at Encores!” BERKSHIRE ON STAGE, 9 May 2015.

Christiansen, Richard. “JOEL GREY SUPERVISES RE-CREATION OF `ZORBA`.” Chicagotribune.com, 4 Sept. 2018.

Green, Jesse. “Theater Review: At Encores!, Zorba Tries to Find the Greek Fire.” Vulture, 7 May 2015. 

Mondello, Bob. “George M. Cohan, 'The Man Who Created Broadway,' Was An Anthem Machine.” NPR, 20 Dec. 2018. 

“George M. Cohan, 64, Dies at Home Here. The New York Times, 6 Nov. 1942.

Nicholas, Antonella. “10 Things You Didn't Know About George M. Cohan” The National Endowment of the Arts, 2019. 

“George M!' Players Move. The New York Times, 19 Aug. 1968. 

Barnes, Clive. “The Theater: 'George M!'; Joel Grey Plays Cohan in Musical at Palace.” The New York Times, 11 Apr. 1968. 

Kerr, Walter. “Yankee Doodle's Out of Breath; ' George M!'.” The New York Times, 21 Apr. 1968. 

“Nixon Applauds and Is Applauded at 'George M!'; Attends Theater Here With Family and Friends -- Calls Musical 'Wonderful'.” The New York Times, 14 Nov. 1968. 

“MUSICAL'S SPONSOR GETS STAY ON TONYS.” The New York Times, 27 Mar 1968. 

Filichia, Peter. Broadway Musicals: The Biggest Hit & the Biggest Flop of the Season 1959 to 2009. Applause Books, 2010.

Kander, John, et al. Colored Lights: Forty Years of Words and Music, Showbiz, Collaboration, and All That Jazz. Faber & Faber, 2004.

Mordden, Ethan. Open a New Window: the Broadway Musical in the 1960s. Palgrave Macmillan, 2002.

Mandelbaum, Ken. Not Since Carrie: Forty Years of Broadway Musical Flops. St. Martin's Press, 1992.

Guernsey, Otis L. Curtain Time: The New York Theatre (1965-1987). Applause , 1987.

Jones, John Bush. Our Musicals, Ourselves: a Social History of the American Musical Theatre. Brandeis University Press, 2011.

Viertel, Jack. Secret Life of the American Musical: How Broadway Shows Are Built. Sarah Crichton Books,Farrar, Straus and Grioux, 2017.

Prince, Harold. Sense of Occasion. Applause Theater, 2019. 

😘

We've had our fun this season, but now we're telling you: it's all over. We dissect the disrespectful treatment of Jennifer Holliday and the cast of DREAMGIRLS, get our first real chance to talk about Michael Bennett, and reveal the subject of our first Patreon bonus ep!

Support us at patreon.com/mylittletonys, email us at [email protected], and follow us on Twitter and Instagram (@mylittletonys) for additional content about this season’s shows!

We finish up our season with one of the most contentious Tony showdowns. Of. All. Time. First up, we explore Tommy Tune's unorthodox skincare routine, unmask Liliane Montevecchi as NINE's secret puppetmaster, and wonder who even cares about a many-colored coat when you have Laurie Beechman's belt.

Support us at patreon.com/mylittletonys, email us at [email protected], and follow us on Twitter and Instagram (@mylittletonys) for additional content about this season’s shows!

Between American Idiot and Fela! we wonder: can contemporary Broadway ever effectively capture counterculture? And more importantly, does it even matter???

Support us at patreon.com/mylittletonys, email us at [email protected], and follow us on Twitter and Instagram (@mylittletonys) for additional content about this season’s shows!

It's 2010! Broadway goes Hollywood and everyone's mad! The economy is failing! Everything feels recycled! We're all very tired! Send in the clowns!

Support us at patreon.com/mylittletonys, email us at [email protected], and follow us on Twitter and Instagram (@mylittletonys) for additional content about this season’s shows!

In a low-key year, we get heart eyes for Alfred Drake, watch Gwen Verdon high-kick her way to stardom, and imagine an alternate future hosting "My Little Perrys."

Support us at patreon.com/mylittletonys, email us at [email protected], and follow us on Twitter and Instagram (@mylittletonys) for additional content about this season’s shows!