Broadway To Main Street

Composer John Barry was best-known as the musical muse of 007, but he spun gold in many songs and a few stage shows. Check out Michael Crawford, Barbra Streisand, Louis Armstrong, Shirley Bassey and more in this tribute episode.

  Ease on down B2MS as we look at the great outliers--shows whose creators got their one shot at musical theater fame: The Wiz, 1776, Promises Promises, Dreamgirls, and more.

Johnny Mercer was not only one of America's greatest lyricists, he was a fabulous singer of his own material and others. We set up more than a dozen Mercer songs, sung by Johnny with Bobby Darin, Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, Bing Crosby and more.

Tap your troubles away.  Move the coffee table and get up and dance; great numbers from West Side Story, Hairspray, Gypsy, Damn Yankees and more.

In the 1950s and '60s, wonderful songs were recorded by pop artists from Broadway shows that never had a cast recording. Here are Barbra Streisand, Steve Lawrence, Nancy Wilson, Robert Goulet and more.  

There have been many great musicals--Where's Charley?, Pal Joey, Love Life--that never had an original cast album. Here are some wonderful songs from these shows, performed by Frank Sinatra, Lotte Lenya, Jo Stafford, and more.

David Merrick was one of Broadway's greatest producers--and greatest scoundrels. C'mon along and listen to a banquet of songs from great hits--Hello, Dolly!, Oliver!, 42nd Street--terrible flops, and outrageous anecdotes.

Hello, gorgeous! It's about time--the fantastic 1964 Broadway collaboration among Barbra Streisand, Jule Styne, and Fanny Brice. Guest appearances by Diana Ross, Barbara Cook, Idina Menzel, and Brice herself.

Travel is also a state of mind. Great songs from Newsies, As Thousands Cheer, Guys and Dolls, and written by the Gershwins, Frank Loesser, Rodgers and Hart and more conjure up our nostalgia for wanderlust.

Even minor Rodgers and Hammerstein is major American music. Hear Dick Haymes, Judy Garland, John Coltrane, Bing Crosby, Bernadette Peters and more perform songs from off the beaten track.

The samba beat meets the Broadway songbook; classic tunes sung and swayed by Sinatra and Jobim, Sarah Vaughan, Astrud Gilberto, Quincy Jones, Sammy Davis and more.

A follow-up to our popular celebration of the legendary performances that DIDN'T win Tony Awards (some not even nominated!). Mandy Patinkin and Bernadette Peters, plus Elaine Stritch, Kristin Chenoweth, Matthew Broderick, and more.

For our annual July 4th program, we turn to "1776"--this time, the entire recording of the extremely rare 1970 West End production; if you like this musical, you'll want to sign on to this extraordinary hour.

Miss Peggy Lee was a once-in-a-lifetime singer who treasured the Broadway songbook. Spend a little time with us as we celebrate her centenary with Lee's impeccable renderings of the show tune canon.

A celebratory look at the legendary performances that DIDN'T win Tony Awards (some not even nominated!). We hand out prizes to Julie Andrews, Ethel Merman, Barbra Streisand, and more.

For over a century, champions—Sammy Davis, Paul Robeson, Lena Horne, Brian Stokes Mitchell—gave voice to the black experience on Broadway; here are the songs and shows that broke down barriers.

Fifty years ago at the Tonys, Broadway audiences were rendering their applause to Lauren Bacall, Katharine Hepburn, Cleavon Little, Melba Moore--and to special guests Noel Coward and Barbra Streisand. Take a step back in time and revel in their accomplishments.

The great Kander and Ebb score to Chicago is a tribute to vaudeville. Here are the original inspirations for the songs--Helen Morgan, Sophie Tucker, Eddie Cantor--side-by-side with their Broadway counterparts. It's all show business, kid.

A spotlight on the songs--all tunes originally from Broadway--performed by America's greatest song-and-dance man.  Fred Astaire takes a tuneful spin through the Gershwins, Cole Porter, Schwartz and Dietz and more.

Ready or not--here comes Momma! A musical bouquet for Mother's Day, featuring songs from all sorts of shows--Gypsy, Hairspray, Minnie's Boys--and all sorts of songwriters--Noel Coward, Kander and Ebb, David Yazbek.