The Perfect Blendship: 22 Same-Sex Duets From Broadway’s Golden Age

Written by Jackson Upperco

November 11, 2016

Theatre lovers, are you looking for a fun, but not overdone, duet from Broadway’s Golden Age – the years in between Oklahoma! (1943) and Hair (1967) – that you can perform with your best pal? Dudes, put away “Brush Up Your Shakespeare” and dudettes, leave “Marry The Man Today” for yesterday – they’ve both been done to death! Below are 22 lesser-heard duets – 11 for guys, 11 for dolls – that are worth your time and attention. Take a look, and be sure to share these with your bestie!

Roses:

1. “You Can Have Him” from Miss Liberty (1949)



An American news writer and a French dancer in 1880s New York offer to give their mutual beau to the other.

2. “It’s Me” from Me And Juliet (1953)



Two musical theatre performers in the 1950s relish the feeling of commanding a stage with awe and delight.

Sheet music: “It’s Me”

3. “You Don’t Know Him” from Oh, Captain! (1958)



The wife of a British captain insists that she knows her husband better than his French girlfriend.

4. “Gettin’ A Man” from Saratoga (1959)



An old southern belle (literally named Belle) and a colorful maid bemoan the difficulties in finding a husband.

5. “Hey, Look Me Over!” from Wildcat (1960)



A tomboy with dreams of prosperity urges her more ladylike sister to seize life by its figurative horns.MSheet music: “Hey, Look Me Over!”

6. “There’s Always A Woman” from Anyone Can Whistle (1964)



A corrupt mayor and a skeptical nurse surruptiously sneer at each other while espousing faux niceties.

7. “Baby, Dream Your Dream” from Sweet Charity (1966)



Two dance hall hostesses (read: hookers) try to mock the idea of an ordinary life, only to realize they want it too.

Sheet music: “Baby, Dream Your Dream”

8. “Bosom Buddies” from Mame (1966)



Two old friends meet up to smile and snipe at each other – as only two old friends could do.

Sheet Music: “Bosom Buddies”

9. “Home For Wayward Girls” from Breakfast At Tiffany’s (1966)



Holly Golightly and her society friend joke that they belong in a home for wayward girls.

10. “Henry Sweet Henry / A Woman In Love” from Henry, Sweet Henry (1967)



Two love-starved teenagers idolize an aging avant garde composer, for whom they have both fallen.

11. “They Don’t Make ‘Em Like That Anymore” from How Now, Dow Jones (1967)



A tour guide of the New York Stock Exchange and the voice of Dow Jones both have man problems.

Romeos:

1. “Scylla And Charybdis” from The Golden Apple (1954)



Two stockbrokers do a vaudeville-inspired routine in this musical adaptation of The Odyssey set in turn of the century America.

2. “Without You, I’m Nothing (Reprise)” from Wonderful (1956)



A performer and his manager gratefully insist that they’d be nothing without the other!

3. “She’s Not Enough Woman For Me” from Redhead (1959)



An American strong man tells his comedian friend that a lady he just met simply isn’t his type.

4. “Take Me Along” from Take Me Along (1959)



A small-town newspaper publisher and his boozing brother-in-law get ready for a joyous picnic.

 

5. “Now I’m Ready For A Frau” from The Gay Life (1961)



A notorious playboy in 1904 Vienna tells his best friend that he’s finally ready to take a wife.

6. “Lovely (Reprise)” from A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum (1962)



An Ancient Roman slave hoping to secure freedom dresses another slave as a courtesan as part of an elaborate ruse.

Sheet music: “Lovely (Reprise)”

7. “You Never Met A Feller Like Me” from Pickwick (1963)



Sam Pickwick, a rich gent in 1828 England, strikes up a friendship with Sam Weller, whom he hires as a valet.

 

8. “Honest Man” from Bajour (1964)



The patriarchs of two rival gypsy clans make an agreement to get their two kids wed – but neither trusts the other.

9. “Where Would You Be Without Me?” from The Roar Of The Greasepaint – The Smell Of The Crowd (1965)



An allegorical duet between two members of different societal classes done in the style of a British music hall production.

10. “You’ve Got What I Need” from It’s A Bird, It’s A Plane, It’s Superman (1966)



Jealous of Superman, a theatre columnist teams up with a mad scientist to take down the legendary hero.

11. “It Might As Well Be Her” from Walking Happy (1966)



A meek cobbler in 1880 England is resigned to marry his girl, with some encouragement from a co-worker.


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Jackson Upperco is a lover of retro television, forgotten Broadway musicals, and Pre-Code Hollywood. He boasts a Bachelors Degree in Film and Television from Boston University. You can keep up with all of his entertainment interests at jacksonupperco.com.
Thumbnail image from Mame. Courtesy of LIFE Magazine.