Regarding the musicians' strike, Allegro opened on 10/10/47 and was recorded on 10/19/47. The next Broadway show to be recorded was Kiss Me, Kate, which opened on 12/30/48 and was recorded beginning on 1/16/49. In between those dates six shows with decent runs did not receive official OBC recordings -- three were revues (Make Mine Manhattan, Inside U.S.A, Lend an Ear) and one (As the Girls Go) had a star who refused to be recorded. The other two shows to not receive a comprehensive cast recording were Love Life, which opened 10/7/48, and Where's Charley?, which opened10/11/48. Curiously Decca did record 2 songs from Where's Charley? on 2/15/49: "Make a Miracle" with Bolger and McLerie and "Once in Love with Amy" with Bolger and chorus.
Charley was a major hit -- it ran almost 2 years to 9/9/50 and did a return engagement from 1/29/51 through 3/10/51, more than enough time to record an album. To my knowledge, it's the most successful, distinguished Broadway book musical from the post-Oklahoma! era to not get an OBC recording -- one of the many mysteries in the realm of Broadway cast recordings. I wonder if McLerie knows the whole story. |
