Streaming Review: BATHTUBS OVER BROADWAY-A Fantastic, Award-Winning Documentary About Industrial Musicals
By: Marina Kennedy Jul. 28, 2020
There's a highly acclaimed, award-winning documentary that every entertainment aficionado should see. Bathtubs Over Broadway is a 2018 film directed by Dava Whisenant and written by Ozzy Inguanzo and Dava Whisenant, Viewers will be fascinated by the presentation that brings to life industrial musicals of the 50's, 60's and 70's. Major companies created the shows to promote and showcase their products. These splashy musicals were performed to improve sales and profits while motivating management and sales teams.
The documentary follows Steve Young, a longtime comedy writer for the Late Show with David Letterman. Young had few interests outside of his writing job, but when he started gathering humorous songs for a segment of the show, he discovered record albums that would make a huge impression on him.
Young proceeded to track down rare albums along with video footage from industrial musicals. During the process of his research, Young made lasting friendships with some of the record collectors and composers he encountered. What started as part of his position at Late Night with David Letterman soon became a passion project.
Industrial musicals were well funded by companies that mounted elaborate, entertaining shows with big song and dance numbers. They were produced by big corporations such as John Deere and General Motors. The musicals were known to feature famous, upcoming performers including Chita Rivera, Martin Short, Florence Henderson, Susan Stroman, and many more.
One of the many memorable, clever songs featured in the Bathtubs Over Broadway is "Bathrooms are Coming" from an American Standard Company show. And David Letterman fans will be pleased to see clips of him in the documentary.
If you love "Bathtubs Over Broadway" as much as we did, there is even a soundtrack available. For more information and to see a trailer, visit https://www.bathtubsoverbroadway.com/.
Want to watch?
You can watch Bathtubs Over Broadway from home via: Netflix and Prime Video.
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