{"id":2731,"date":"2017-03-14T15:41:51","date_gmt":"2017-03-14T15:41:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/?p=2731"},"modified":"2020-04-28T16:39:07","modified_gmt":"2020-04-28T16:39:07","slug":"genuinely-roaring-twenties-22-female-solo-ideas-from-the-jazz-age","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/genuinely-roaring-twenties-22-female-solo-ideas-from-the-jazz-age\/","title":{"rendered":"Genuinely Roaring Twenties:  22 Female Solo Ideas From The Jazz Age"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"fusion-one-full fusion-layout-column fusion-column-last fusion-spacing-yes section-header-post\" style=\"margin-top:;margin-bottom:;\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper\"><h3 style=\"text-align: left;\">Genuinely Roaring Twenties:\u00a022 Female Solo Ideas From The Jazz Age<\/h3>\n<font size=\"2\" color=\"grey\"><span style=\"border:1px solid ;-webkit-border-radius:50%;-moz-border-radius:50%;border-radius:50%;-moz-box-shadow: 0 0 3px rgba(0,0,0,.3);-webkit-box-shadow: 0 0 3px rgba(0,0,0,.3);box-shadow: 0 0 3px rgba(0,0,0,.3);margin-right:25px;float:left;\" class=\"fusion-imageframe imageframe-glow imageframe-1 hover-type-none author-image\"><a class=\"fusion-no-lightbox\" href=\"http:\/\/performerstuff.com\" target=\"_self\"> <img alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/large-13015398_10208783920372319_8251907998121298385_n.jpg\" class=\"img-responsive\" style=\"-webkit-border-radius:50%;-moz-border-radius:50%;border-radius:50%;\"\/><\/a><\/span><p>Written by\u00a0Jackson Upperco<\/p>\n<p>March 13, 2017<\/p>\n<\/font><div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-one-full fusion-layout-column fusion-column-last fusion-spacing-yes section-body-post\" style=\"margin-top:;margin-bottom:;\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper\"><p style=\"text-align: left;\">So you\u2019re auditioning for the role of Millie in <em>Thoroughly Modern Millie <\/em>(2002)<em>? <\/em>Velma in <em>Chicago <\/em>(1975)? The Drowsy Chaperone herself in <em>The Drowsy Chaperone <\/em>(2006)? Well, put some authentic Roaring \u201820s in your repertoire \u2013 starting with this collection of solo suggestions for audition and study from Musical Theatre\u2019s Jazz Age. All of the selections below, chosen by a self-proclaimed expert on the scores of this era, are guaranteed to put you in the mind and flavor \u2013 the <em>real <\/em>mind and flavor \u2013 of this iconic decade. From classic additions to the Great American Songbook to jazzy (seldom sung) gems waiting to be rediscovered \u2013 this EXCLUSIVE list is one to be studied and bookmarked!<\/p>\n<h4>1. \u201cI\u2019m Craving For That Kind Of Love\u201d from <em>Shuffle Along <\/em>(1921)(<em>Soprano<\/em>)<\/h4>\n<br><div align=\"center\"><div class=\"fusion-video fusion-youtube\" style=\"max-width:600px;max-height:350px;\"><div class=\"video-shortcode\"><iframe title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/lZVKk3Nrpu4?wmode=transparent&autoplay=0\" width=\"600\" height=\"350\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><\/div><\/div><br><p style=\"text-align: left;\"><em>Shuffle Along <\/em>was the first successful Broadway musical starring and written by African Americans to permeate the tastes of the predominantly white theatrical community. The score, by Eubie Blake and Noble Sissle, was jazzy and modern, and this number, in which a woman craves for a love who\u2019ll \u201ckiss me, kiss me, kiss me with his tempting lips\u201d is a little known delight.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-one-full fusion-layout-column fusion-column-last fusion-spacing-yes section-body-post\" style=\"margin-top:;margin-bottom:;\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper\"><h4 style=\"text-align: left;\">2. \u201c(I\u2019ll Build A) Stairway To Paradise\u201d from <em>George White\u2019s Scandals Of 1922\u00a0<\/em>(<em>Mezzo<\/em>)<\/h4>\n<br><div align=\"center\"><div class=\"fusion-video fusion-youtube\" style=\"max-width:600px;max-height:350px;\"><div class=\"video-shortcode\"><iframe title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Hzv-AhKl3VU?wmode=transparent&autoplay=0\" width=\"600\" height=\"350\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><\/div><\/div><br><p style=\"text-align: left;\"><em>George White\u2019s<\/em> <em>Scandals <\/em>was the second most popular annual Broadway revue of the era (behind only the <em>Ziegfeld Follies<\/em>). While Ziegfeld\u2019s productions often looked toward the beauty of the past, White set his gaze on the hot and heavy present \u2013 evidenced by this scintillating tune composed by the up-and-coming George Gershwin. This was a true showstopper.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"ps-content\" href=\"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/product\/29248\/Ill-Build-A-Stairway-To-Paradise\" target=\"_blank\">Get the Sheet Music Here<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-one-full fusion-layout-column fusion-column-last fusion-spacing-yes section-body-post\" style=\"margin-top:;margin-bottom:;\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper\"><h4>3. \u201cBring On The Pepper\u201d from <em>The<\/em> <em>Music Box Revue Of 1922\u00a0<\/em>(<em>Mezzo<\/em>)<\/h4>\n<br><div align=\"center\"><div class=\"fusion-video fusion-youtube\" style=\"max-width:600px;max-height:350px;\"><div class=\"video-shortcode\"><iframe title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/DT9PvJNChdg?wmode=transparent&autoplay=0\" width=\"600\" height=\"350\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><\/div><\/div><br><p style=\"text-align: left;\">Irving Berlin, who wrote both the music and lyrics for this admittedly spicy number, was one of the most prolific contributors to the Great American Songbook, and his efforts for the 1921-\u201824 series of <em>Music Box Revues <\/em>is a terrific source of early \u201820s jazz. This number, originally sung by a trio of sisters, begs for music \u201cwith pepper.\u201d Well, here\u2019s an example.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-one-full fusion-layout-column fusion-column-last fusion-spacing-yes section-body-post\" style=\"margin-top:;margin-bottom:;\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper\"><h4>4. \u201cShimmy With Me\u201d from <em>The Cabaret Girl <\/em>(1922) (<em>Soprano<\/em>)<\/h4>\n<br><div align=\"center\"><div class=\"fusion-video fusion-youtube\" style=\"max-width:600px;max-height:350px;\"><div class=\"video-shortcode\"><iframe title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/r-l6n1UseHo?wmode=transparent&autoplay=0\" width=\"600\" height=\"350\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><\/div><\/div><br><p style=\"text-align: left;\">Before Rodgers and Hammerstein wrote a 1943 musical that would challenge all shows thereafter to integrate song and story, composer Jerome Kern (with help from smart lyricists, like Hammerstein) had spent the prior three decades moving the theatre in this direction. His work, evidenced by this plainly spoken British show tune, is effervescent.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-one-full fusion-layout-column fusion-column-last fusion-spacing-yes section-body-post\" style=\"margin-top:;margin-bottom:;\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper\"><h4>5. \u201cNashville Nightingale\u201d from <em>Nifties Of 1923\u00a0<\/em>(<em>Soprano<\/em>)<\/h4>\n<br><div align=\"center\"><div class=\"fusion-video fusion-youtube\" style=\"max-width:600px;max-height:350px;\"><div class=\"video-shortcode\"><iframe title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Kxy4IrgGDxs?wmode=transparent&autoplay=0\" width=\"600\" height=\"350\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><\/div><\/div><br><p style=\"text-align: left;\">More early Gershwin rhythmic heat comes from this Nashville flavored ode to a singer who knows how to \u201cthrill.\u201d Slinky and quintessentially Gershwin, this number \u2013 from one of the lesser musical revues of the era \u2013 was resurrected and given enhanced popularity thanks to several recordings by musical comedy star Barbara Cook (<em>The Music Man<\/em>).<\/p>\n<div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-one-full fusion-layout-column fusion-column-last fusion-spacing-yes section-body-post\" style=\"margin-top:;margin-bottom:;\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper\"><h4>6. \u201cI\u2019m In Love Again\u201d from <em>Greenwich Village Follies Of 1924\u00a0<\/em>(<em>Mezzo<\/em>)<\/h4>\n<br><div align=\"center\"><div class=\"fusion-video fusion-youtube\" style=\"max-width:600px;max-height:350px;\"><div class=\"video-shortcode\"><iframe title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/_T6dS7yqOZo?wmode=transparent&autoplay=0\" width=\"600\" height=\"350\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><\/div><\/div><br><p style=\"text-align: left;\">It would take several more years before Cole Porter would become the toast of Broadway, but this offering from 1924 \u2013 housed in another of the era\u2019s musical revues (the slightly \u201chipster\u201d <em>Greenwich Village Follies<\/em>) \u2013 offers a taste of the greatness he\u2019ll become. Considered too hot for its era, it finally caught vogue several seasons later, in 1927.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-one-full fusion-layout-column fusion-column-last fusion-spacing-yes section-body-post\" style=\"margin-top:;margin-bottom:;\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper\"><h4>7.\u00a0\u201c\u2019Where-Has-My-Hubby-Gone?\u2019 Blues\u201d from <em>No, No Nanette <\/em>(1925) (<em>Mezzo<\/em>)<\/h4>\n<br><div align=\"center\"><div class=\"fusion-video fusion-youtube\" style=\"max-width:600px;max-height:350px;\"><div class=\"video-shortcode\"><iframe title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/vBH9KERaa68?wmode=transparent&autoplay=0\" width=\"600\" height=\"350\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><\/div><\/div><br><p style=\"text-align: left;\">Thanks to a brilliant 1971 revival with relatively little score tinkering, <em>No, No Nanette <\/em>is one the better remembered shows of this era. But the intentions behind this tune, used in \u201971 as a showstopper, can sometimes be clouded. A half-parody of the typical blues songs of the era, the situation has a flirtatious woman worrying about her husband\u2019s philandering.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-one-full fusion-layout-column fusion-column-last fusion-spacing-yes section-body-post\" style=\"margin-top:;margin-bottom:;\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper\"><h4>8. \u201cBlue Skies\u201d from <em>Betsy <\/em>(1926) (<em>Mezzo<\/em>)<\/h4>\n<br><div align=\"center\"><div class=\"fusion-video fusion-youtube\" style=\"max-width:600px;max-height:350px;\"><div class=\"video-shortcode\"><iframe title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/bnhL0iee7sk?wmode=transparent&autoplay=0\" width=\"600\" height=\"350\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><\/div><\/div><br><p style=\"text-align: left;\">Perhaps the most famous ditty on this list, this Irving Berlin number \u2013 used often to represent the unbridled (and with hindsight, na\u00efve) optimism of pre-Depression America \u2013 can be a real crowd pleaser. It was a sensation when Ziegfeld commissioned it for a Rodgers and Hart show (without alerting them); the challenge now is to make it your own.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"ps-content\" href=\"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/product\/63643\/Blue-Skies\" target=\"_blank\">Get the Sheet Music Here<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-one-full fusion-layout-column fusion-column-last fusion-spacing-yes section-body-post\" style=\"margin-top:;margin-bottom:;\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper\"><h4>9. \u201cThe Varsity Drag\u201d from <em>Good News! <\/em>(1927) (<em>Mezzo<\/em>)<\/h4>\n<br><div align=\"center\"><div class=\"fusion-video fusion-youtube\" style=\"max-width:600px;max-height:350px;\"><div class=\"video-shortcode\"><iframe title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/xbKhQzPe6vU?wmode=transparent&autoplay=0\" width=\"600\" height=\"350\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><\/div><\/div><br><p style=\"text-align: left;\">The songwriting trio of B.G. DeSylva, Lew Brown, and Ray Henderson had a handful of popular, sporty, and youth-oriented musicals in the late \u201820s. This, about a college football game, is the best remembered and most revised. Of the score\u2019s many classic songs, this hot dance number, led by a true flapper, is ideal for anyone who wants to strut.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"ps-content\" href=\"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/product\/24424\/The-Varsity-Drag\" target=\"_blank\">Get the Sheet Music Here<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-one-full fusion-layout-column fusion-column-last fusion-spacing-yes section-body-post\" style=\"margin-top:;margin-bottom:;\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper\"><h4>10. \u201cBill\u201d from <em>Show Boat <\/em>(1927) (<em>Soprano<\/em>)<\/h4>\n<br><div align=\"center\"><div class=\"fusion-video fusion-youtube\" style=\"max-width:600px;max-height:350px;\"><div class=\"video-shortcode\"><iframe title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/6ajAkim_9p4?wmode=transparent&autoplay=0\" width=\"600\" height=\"350\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><\/div><\/div><br><p style=\"text-align: left;\">From the most important musical of the decade \u2013 a dramatic step forward in the aforementioned integration of song and story \u2013 this is THE quintessential torch song and was performed by the quintessential torch singer, Helen Morgan, an alcoholic (same as her character in the show) who owned an illegal speakeasy. Revel in this piece\u2019s hidden layers.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"ps-content\" href=\"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/product\/11674\/Bill\" target=\"_blank\">Get the Sheet Music Here<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-one-full fusion-layout-column fusion-column-last fusion-spacing-yes section-body-post\" style=\"margin-top:;margin-bottom:;\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper\"><h4>11. \u201cHow Long Has This Been Going On?\u201d from <em>Rosalie <\/em>(1928) (<em>Soprano<\/em>)<\/h4>\n<br><div align=\"center\"><div class=\"fusion-video fusion-youtube\" style=\"max-width:600px;max-height:350px;\"><div class=\"video-shortcode\"><iframe title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/pav-4C86uWo?wmode=transparent&autoplay=0\" width=\"600\" height=\"350\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><\/div><\/div><br><p style=\"text-align: left;\"><em>Rosalie <\/em>was an ambitious musical attempt to reconcile the old world (represented by operetta composer Sigmund Romberg) and the new one (represented by the Gershwin Brothers), and this velvety tune, by the latter, can tell you \u2013 sans words \u2013 which one came out on the figurative top. Here, a woman is awakened to new feelings of love.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"ps-content\" href=\"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/product\/40869\/How-Long-Has-This-Been-Going-On\" target=\"_blank\">Get the Sheet Music Here<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-one-full fusion-layout-column fusion-column-last fusion-spacing-yes section-body-post\" style=\"margin-top:;margin-bottom:;\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper\"><h4>12. \u201cYou Took Advantage Of Me\u201d from <em>Present Arms <\/em>(1928) (<em>Mezzo<\/em>)<\/h4>\n<br><div align=\"center\"><div class=\"fusion-video fusion-youtube\" style=\"max-width:600px;max-height:350px;\"><div class=\"video-shortcode\"><iframe title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/8n-t1nVikis?wmode=transparent&autoplay=0\" width=\"600\" height=\"350\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><\/div><br><\/div><p style=\"text-align: left;\">Elaine Stritch made a hit with this number in the 1954 revival of Rodgers and Hart\u2019s 1936 musical <em>On Your Toes<\/em>. It was originally from a 1928 show called <em>Present Arms<\/em>, where it was sung as a duet. Frankly, it works just as well as a solo (because that show\u2019s plot was, naturally, trivial), and as long as you project that \u201820s frame of mind, go on an\u2019 belt your heart out.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"ps-content\" href=\"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/product\/5889\/You-Took-Advantage-Of-Me\" target=\"_blank\">Get the Sheet Music Here<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-one-full fusion-layout-column fusion-column-last fusion-spacing-yes section-body-post\" style=\"margin-top:;margin-bottom:;\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper\"><h4>13. \u201cI Must Have That Man\u201d from <em>Blackbirds Of 1928\u00a0<\/em>(<em>Soprano<\/em>)<\/h4>\n<br><div align=\"center\"><div class=\"fusion-video fusion-youtube\" style=\"max-width:600px;max-height:350px;\"><div class=\"video-shortcode\"><iframe title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/dpG-HTxwDmU?wmode=transparent&autoplay=0\" width=\"600\" height=\"350\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><\/div><\/div><br><p style=\"text-align: left;\"><em>Blackbirds <\/em>was a seminal revue starring African Americans \u2013 this time with songs by Jimmy McHugh and lyricist Dorothy Fields \u2013 that had played London in \u201926 before coming to New York two years later with a new, fresh American score. Adelaide Hall introduced this number, whose title is fairly self-explanatory; you <em>know <\/em>what she wants.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-one-full fusion-layout-column fusion-column-last fusion-spacing-yes section-body-post\" style=\"margin-top:;margin-bottom:;\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper\"><h4>14. \u201cThe Lost Liberty Blues\u201d from <em>La Revue Des Ambassadeurs <\/em>(1928) (<em>Mezzo<\/em>)<\/h4>\n<br><div align=\"center\"><div class=\"fusion-video fusion-youtube\" style=\"max-width:600px;max-height:350px;\"><div class=\"video-shortcode\"><iframe title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/qW6eM7kEKKA?wmode=transparent&autoplay=0\" width=\"600\" height=\"350\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><\/div><\/div><br><p style=\"text-align: left;\">1928 was Cole Porter\u2019s breakthrough year\u2013 thanks to several hits from the musical comedy <em>Paris <\/em>\u2013 but this number comes from a revue staged at a famous Parisian nightclub. (The score finally made its way across the Atlantic in 2014 for a rare concert performance.) This cheeky song features the Statue of Liberty bemoaning an identity crisis.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-one-full fusion-layout-column fusion-column-last fusion-spacing-yes section-body-post\" style=\"margin-top:;margin-bottom:;\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper\"><h4>15. \u201cI Wanna Be Loved By You\u201d from <em>Good Boy <\/em>(1928) (<em>Mezzo<\/em>)<\/h4>\n<br><div align=\"center\"><div class=\"fusion-video fusion-youtube\" style=\"max-width:600px;max-height:350px;\"><div class=\"video-shortcode\"><iframe title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/v8yT4E-J04I?wmode=transparent&autoplay=0\" width=\"600\" height=\"350\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><\/div><\/div><br><p style=\"text-align: left;\">Okay \u2013 this number is VERY well known thanks to a rendition in <em>Some Like It Hot <\/em>by Marilyn Monroe, with whom this song is associated; it was actually originated by Helen Kane, the inspiration for the character of Betty Boop. Because this popular number is connected with two strong performers, if you choose to work with it, delve into the material and make it fresh!<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"ps-content\" href=\"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/product\/17216\/I-Wanna-Be-Loved-By-You\" target=\"_blank\">Get the Sheet Music Here<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-one-full fusion-layout-column fusion-column-last fusion-spacing-yes section-body-post\" style=\"margin-top:;margin-bottom:;\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper\"><h4>16. \u201cI Want A Man\u201d from <em>Rainbow <\/em>(1928) (<em>Mezzo<\/em>)<\/h4>\n<br><div align=\"center\"><div class=\"fusion-video fusion-youtube\" style=\"max-width:600px;max-height:350px;\"><div class=\"video-shortcode\"><iframe title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/y1Ltu4SIhno?wmode=transparent&autoplay=0\" width=\"600\" height=\"350\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><\/div><\/div><br><p style=\"text-align: left;\">Vincent Youmans (composer of the aforementioned <em>No, No Nanette<\/em>) always wanted to be as musically resonant as Gershwin and dramatically potent as Kern. This musical drama, <em>Rainbow<\/em>, about the California Gold Rush, was his attempt at a <em>Show Boat<\/em>, and this criminally neglected number introduced by the vampy Libby Holman is rich in possibilities.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-one-full fusion-layout-column fusion-column-last fusion-spacing-yes section-body-post\" style=\"margin-top:;margin-bottom:;\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper\"><h4>17. \u201cLove Me Or Leave Me\u201d from <em>Whoopee! <\/em>(1928) (<em>Mezzo<\/em>)<\/h4>\n<br><div align=\"center\"><div class=\"fusion-video fusion-youtube\" style=\"max-width:600px;max-height:350px;\"><div class=\"video-shortcode\"><iframe title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/CVijhG0P1I8?wmode=transparent&autoplay=0\" width=\"600\" height=\"350\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><\/div><\/div><br><p style=\"text-align: left;\">Ruth Etting was a famous Ziegfeld chanteuse and recording artist who put over this sentimental torch song, about a woman who\u2019d rather be lonely than love somebody else, in the Eddie Cantor hit <em>Whoopee! <\/em>She played a movie star with little connection to the plot \u2013 essentially interrupting the action to perform this soon-to-be hit tune.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"ps-content\" href=\"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/product\/18928\/Love-Me-Or-Leave-Me\" target=\"_blank\">Get the Sheet Music Here<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-one-full fusion-layout-column fusion-column-last fusion-spacing-yes section-body-post\" style=\"margin-top:;margin-bottom:;\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper\"><h4>18. \u201cI Want To Be Bad\u201d from <em>Follow Thru <\/em>(1929) (<em>Mezzo<\/em>)<\/h4>\n<br><div align=\"center\"><div class=\"fusion-video fusion-youtube\" style=\"max-width:600px;max-height:350px;\"><div class=\"video-shortcode\"><iframe title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/SfQMSJHGnZ4?wmode=transparent&autoplay=0\" width=\"600\" height=\"350\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><\/div><\/div><br><p style=\"text-align: left;\">Another serving of fun by DeSylva, Brown, and Henderson, this number was introduced by the same originator of <em>Good News!\u2019 <\/em>\u201cVarsity Drag.\u201d Although the show was about golfing, there was still time for a classic flapper tune and this \u2013 in which a woman admits that \u201cif it\u2019s naughty to rouge your lips\u2026\u201d then she wants \u201cto be bad\u201d \u2013 is it!<\/p>\n<div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-one-full fusion-layout-column fusion-column-last fusion-spacing-yes section-body-post\" style=\"margin-top:;margin-bottom:;\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper\"><h4>19. \u201cCan\u2019t We Be Friends?\u201d from <em>The Little Show <\/em>(1929) (<em>Mezzo<\/em>)<\/h4>\n<br><div align=\"center\"><div class=\"fusion-video fusion-youtube\" style=\"max-width:600px;max-height:350px;\"><div class=\"video-shortcode\"><iframe title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/rFsg63dggCQ?wmode=transparent&autoplay=0\" width=\"600\" height=\"350\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><\/div><\/div><br><p style=\"text-align: left;\">This torch song for brooding songbird Libby Holman was written by Kay Swift and her husband Paul James. (Swift, who had a lengthy affair with George Gershwin, was one of the era\u2019s only female songsmiths and became the first to compose a full score in 1930.) The sentiment here is relatable: a woman worries that her crush will reject her with the classic, \u201ccan\u2019t we be friends?\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"ps-content\" href=\"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/product\/28388\/Cant-We-Be-Friends\" target=\"_blank\">Get the Sheet Music Here<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-one-full fusion-layout-column fusion-column-last fusion-spacing-yes section-body-post\" style=\"margin-top:;margin-bottom:;\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper\"><h4>20. \u201cMore Than You Know\u201d from <em>Great Day! <\/em>(1929) (<em>Mezzo<\/em>)<\/h4>\n<br><div align=\"center\"><div class=\"fusion-video fusion-youtube\" style=\"max-width:600px;max-height:350px;\"><div class=\"video-shortcode\"><iframe title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/x2DruA40Czw?wmode=transparent&autoplay=0\" width=\"600\" height=\"350\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><\/div><\/div><br><p style=\"text-align: left;\">A marvelous contribution by Youmans to the Great American Songbook, this potential belter is a classic example of the \u201cI love him so much\u201d number that we find in musicals from <em>every<\/em> era. But the bluesy nature of the music makes it typically \u201820s, and if you\u2019re looking for a good ol\u2019 classic standard, this is a great selection for study and play.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"ps-content\" href=\"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/product\/5837\/More-Than-You-Know\" target=\"_blank\">Get the Sheet Music Here<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-one-full fusion-layout-column fusion-column-last fusion-spacing-yes section-body-post\" style=\"margin-top:;margin-bottom:;\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper\"><h4>21. \u201cIf Love Were All\u201d from <em>Bitter Sweet <\/em>(1929) (<em>Soprano<\/em>)<\/h4>\n<br><div align=\"center\"><div class=\"fusion-video fusion-youtube\" style=\"max-width:600px;max-height:350px;\"><div class=\"video-shortcode\"><iframe title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/botWzN_HhEM?wmode=transparent&autoplay=0\" width=\"600\" height=\"350\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><\/div><\/div><br><p style=\"text-align: left;\">Written to be sung by a peripheral character (a singer at a Viennese caf\u00e9), this aching Noel Coward ballad \u2013 from a British operetta with terribly modern sensibilities \u2013 has come to be considered a Performer\u2019s Anthem. It was made famous decades later by Judy Garland, who really felt this line: \u201csince my life began, the most I\u2019ve had is just a talent to amuse\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"ps-content\" href=\"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/product\/28622\/If-Love-Were-All\" target=\"_blank\">Get the Sheet Music Here<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-one-full fusion-layout-column fusion-column-last fusion-spacing-yes section-body-post\" style=\"margin-top:;margin-bottom:;\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper\"><h4>22. \u201cBoyfriend Back Home\u201d from <em>Fifty Million Frenchmen <\/em>(1929) (<em>Mezzo<\/em>)<\/h4>\n<br><div align=\"center\"><div class=\"fusion-video fusion-youtube\" style=\"max-width:600px;max-height:350px;\"><div class=\"video-shortcode\"><iframe title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/vc2b43MoLB8?wmode=transparent&autoplay=0\" width=\"600\" height=\"350\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><\/div><\/div><br><p style=\"text-align: left;\">There are several female solo suggestions worth highlighting from this buoyant Cole Porter score (including \u201cFind Me A Primitive Man\u201d and \u201cI\u2019m Unlucky At Gambling\u201d), but the songster\u2019s lyrics are so divine in this entry \u2013 with rollicking late \u201820s references \u2013 that there\u2019s no better way to get an idea of this era than here with this lesser-known Porter gem.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">For more information on the scores and composers of this era, visit the author\u2019s blog: <a href=\"http:\/\/jacksonupperco.com\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline; color: #ba9bc9;\"><strong>jacksonupperco.com<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\">Listen to a Spotify Playlist of these audition songs here:<\/h3>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/embed\/playlist\/51z214QHVWH8Sxmo713LPx\" width=\"300\" height=\"380\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<br><br><h3 style=\"text-align: left;\">Looking for more material? Check out our other stories below!<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/guys-25-more-wow-able-solos-from-broadways-golden-age\/\">Guys: 25 MORE Wow-Able Solos From Broadway\u2019s Golden Age<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/ladies-25-more-wow-able-solos-from-broadways-golden-age\/\">Ladies: 25 MORE Wow-Able Solos From Broadway\u2019s Golden Age<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/top-10-contemporary-male-audition-cuts\/\">Top 10 Contemporary Male Audition Cuts<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/top-10-contemporary-female-audition-cuts\/\">Top 10 Contemporary Female Audition Cuts<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Top 10 Traditional Male Audition Cuts<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/10-monologues-for-women-who-speak-their-mind\/\">10 Monologues for Women Who Speak Their Mind<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/theatrenerds.com\/10-female-monologues-from-love-sick-characters\/\">10 Female Monologues From Love-Sick Characters<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/10-monologues-from-male-characters-fathers-brothers-and-sons\/\">10 Monologues from Male Characters: Fathers, Brothers, and Sons<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/10-monologues-for-people-who-have-a-bone-to-pick\/\">10 Monologues for People Who Have a Bone to Pick<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/10-great-monologues-from-lgbtq-identifying-characters\/\">10 Great Monologues from LGBTQ-Identifying Characters<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/10-monologues-for-characters-who-have-theatre-on-the-brain\/\">10 Monologues for Characters Who Have Theatre on the Brain<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/10-male-monologues-from-characters-dealing-with-death\/\">10 Male Monologues from Characters Dealing With Death<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/guys-25-wow-able-solos-from-broadways-golden-age\/\">Guys: 25 Wow-Able Solos from Broadway\u2019s Golden Age<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/ladies-25-wow-able-solos-from-broadways-golden-age\/\">Ladies: 25 Wow-Able Solos from Broadway\u2019s Golden Age<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><hr \/>\n<h5><em><strong>Jackson Upperco<\/strong>\u00a0is a lover of retro television, forgotten Broadway\u00a0musicals, and Pre-Code Hollywood. He boasts a Bachelors Degree in\u00a0Film and Television from Boston University. You can keep up with all of\u00a0his entertainment interests at\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/jacksonupperco.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">jacksonupperco.com<\/a>.<\/em><\/h5>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" [...]","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6033,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[470,259,262,302,453],"tags":[343,344,242,145,219],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2731"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2731"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2731\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6033"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2731"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2731"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2731"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}