'' Swinging on a Star '' is a musical revue, featuring the music of Johnny Burke, with the lyrics by Burke and the music by Burke and several of his partners, such as

Erroll Garner Erroll Louis Garner (June 15, 1921 – January 2, 1977) was an American jazz pianist and composer known for his swing playing and ballads. His instrumental ballad " Misty", his best-known composition, has become a jazz standard. It was first r ...

and Jimmy Van Heusen. The name of the revue is from the Oscar-winning song that Burke wrote with Jimmy Van Heusen for the 1944 film ''

Going My Way ''Going My Way'' is a 1944 American musical comedy drama film directed by Leo McCarey and starring Bing Crosby and Barry Fitzgerald. Written by Frank Butler and Frank Cavett based on a story by McCarey, the film is about a new young priest tak ...

.''

Productions

''Swinging on a Star'' premiered at the

George Street Playhouse George Street Playhouse is a theater company in New Brunswick, New Jersey, in the city's Civic Square government and theater district. It's one of the state's preeminent professional theaters committed to the production of new and established ...

, New Brunswick, New Jersey, on April 16, 1994, running to May 1994. The revue was conceived, written and directed by Michael Leeds, with costumes by Judy Dearing, sets by Deborah Jasien and choreography by

Kathleen Marshall Kathleen Marshall (born September 28, 1962) is an American director, choreographer, and creative consultant. Life and career Born in Madison, Wisconsin, she graduated from Taylor Allderdice High School in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1980 and ...

. The cast featured Michael McGrath, Alton Fitzgerald White, Kathy Fitzgerald and Lewis Cleale.Dietz, Dan. ''Swinging on a Star'', ''The Complete Book of 1990s Broadway Musicals'', Rowman & Littlefield, 2016, , p. 212 The revue was next produced at the

Goodspeed Opera House Goodspeed Musicals is a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and advancement of musical theater and the creation of new works, located in East Haddam, Connecticut. A distinctive feature of the view from the Connecticut River, th ...

, Connecticut in 1995. The show opened on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

at the

Music Box Theatre The Music Box Theatre is a Broadway theater at 239 West 45th Street ( George Abbott Way) in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1921, the Music Box Theatre was designed by C. Howard Crane in a Palladian-inspir ...

on October 22, 1995 and closed on January 13, 1996 after 96 performances and 19 previews. Directed by Michael Leeds and choreographed by Kathleen Marshall, it featured Michael McGrath, Teresa Burrell, Lewis Cleale, Denise Faye, Eugene Fleming, Kathy Fitzgerald, and Alvaleta Guess." 'Swinging on a Star' Broadway"
Playbill, retrieved January 3, 2018

Synopsis and songs

Each segment showed a different time and place. ;Act I ;''Speakeasy-Chicago'' (1920s) *You're Not the Only Oyster in the Stew *Chicago Style *Ain't It a Shame About Mame *

What's New? What's New?" is a 1939 popular song composed by Bob Haggart, with lyrics by Johnny Burke. It was originally an instrumental tune titled "I'm Free" by Haggart in 1938, when Haggart was a member of Bob Crosby and His Orchestra. The tune was writt ...

*Doctor Rhythm ;''Depression-The Bowery'' * Pennies from Heaven *When Stanislaus Got Married *His Rocking Horse Ran Away *Annie Doesn't Live Here Anymore ;''Radio Show- New York City'' (1940s) *Annie Doesn't Live Here Anymore *Scatterbrain *One, Two, Button Your Shoe *What Does It Take to Make You Take to Me? *Irresistible *An Apple for the Teacher ;''USO Show-The Pacific Islands'' *Thank Your Lucky Stars and Stripes *

Personality Personality is the characteristic sets of behaviors, cognitions, and emotional patterns that are formed from biological and environmental factors, and which change over time. While there is no generally agreed-upon definition of personality, m ...

*There's Always the Blues *

Polka Dots and Moonbeams "Polka Dots and Moonbeams" is a popular song with music by Jimmy Van Heusen and lyrics by Johnny Burke, published in 1940. It was Frank Sinatra's first hit recorded with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra. The song is one of the top 100 most-frequently r ...

Swinging on a Star "Swinging on a Star" is an American pop standard with music composed by Jimmy Van Heusen and lyrics by Johnny Burke. It was introduced by Bing Crosby in the 1944 film '' Going My Way'', winning an Academy Award for Best Original Song that year, ...

*Stars and Stripes ;Act II ;''Ballroom'' *Don't Let That Moon Get Away *All You Want to Do Is Dance *You Danced with Dynamite * Imagination * It Could Happen to You ;''Road To...'' *

Road To Morocco ''Road to Morocco'' is a 1942 American comedy film starring Bing Crosby, Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour, and featuring Anthony Quinn and Dona Drake. The film, which was written by Frank Butler and Don Hartman and directed by David Butler for Para ...

*Apalachicola, FLA *You Don't Have to Know the Language *Going My Way *Shadows on the Swanee *Pakistan *Road to Morocco (Reprise) ;''Supper Club'' (1950s) * But Beautiful *

Like Someone in Love "Like Someone in Love" is a popular song composed in 1944 by Jimmy Van Heusen, with lyrics by Johnny Burke. It was written (along with "Sleigh Ride in July") for the 1944 film, ''Belle of the Yukon'', where it was sung by Dinah Shore. It was a hi ...

* Moonlight Becomes You *If Love Ain't There (It Ain't There) * Sunday, Monday, or Always *

Misty Misty may refer to: Music * ''Misty'' (Ray Stevens album), an album by Ray Stevens featuring the above song * ''Misty'' (Richard "Groove" Holmes album), an album by Richard "Groove" Holmes featuring the above song * ''Misty'' (Eddie "Lockjaw" ...

* Here's That Rainy Day *Pennies from Heaven (Reprise) *Swinging on a Star (Reprise) ;Sources: "Swinging on a Star: The Johnny Burke Musical" (1996), Johnny Burke, Joe Bushkin, Michael Leeds, pp. 4 and 7, ; Guide to Musical Theatre; IBDB.com" ''Swinging on a Star'' Songs"
ibdb.com, retrieved January 3, 2018

Productions

Synopsis and songs

Awards and nominations

Original Broadway production

References

External links