Musical Theatre Melodies to Celebrate 70th Anniversary of Rodgers and Hammerstein's ME AND JULIET

The next Musical Theatre Melodies broadcast, hosted by Rob Morrison on 96.5 FM on Tuesday, May 30 will mark the 70th anniversary of the Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II musical ME AND JULIET from the original 1953 Broadway cast recording starring Isabel Bigley, Bill Hayes, Joan McCracken, Mark Dawson, Arthur Maxwell and Bill Fortier.

This will be preceded by an interview with the leading man of the original Broadway production – Bill Hayes, who will share his memories of the musical and its original performers, Rodgers and Hammerstein and other aspects of his performing career, including his Daytime Emmy Award-nominated role in the long-running soap opera Days of Our Lives.

The program will conclude with song selections from the 1957 record album Bill Hayes Sings the Best of Disney, plus his 1955 US chart-topping hit recording of “The Ballad of Davy Crockett.”

One of Rodgers and Hammerstein's lesser-known musicals, Me and Juliet opened at the Majestic Theatre in New York City on 28 May 1953 where it ran for 358 performances.  With music by Richard Rodgers and a book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, the show was directed by George Abbott with Dances and Musical Numbers staged by Robert Alton.  The best-known song from the score “No Other Love” (introduced by Isabel Bigley and Bill Hayes) reused a melody known as “Beneath the Southern Cross” originally written by Rodgers for the 1952 US TV documentary series Victory at Sea.

In 2018, Bill Hayes and his wife and on-screen leading lady, Susan Seaforth Hayes, received an Emmy Award for Lifetime Achievement, and he has played Doug Williams on Days of Our Lives for 52 years, and at the age of 97 still appears on the show.  Bill will celebrate his 98th birthday on June 5.

The broadcast of Musical Theatre Melodies will be heard on May 30 in the US at 7 a.m. – 9 a.m. EDT in New York = 4 a.m. – 6 a.m. PDT Los Angeles time, and 9 - 11 p.m. EST local Melbourne time; (= 12 noon – 2 p.m. BST in Britain.)

For those listening in via the Internet on 96.5 Inner FM's website the webpage link for the Inner FM Web Radio player is http://right-click.com.au/rcPlayer2/index.php?c=innerfm or go to the Inner FM homepage at www.innerfm.org.au and follow the links from "Listen Live" on the top menu.

For those who are unable to tune in “live”, a podcast will be available to listen to posted on the webpage at https://innerfm.org.au//shows/musical-theatre-melodies/ within 15 minutes after the conclusion of the broadcast.