So what theatrical songs do you find yourself humming or singing uncontrollably?

If you are anything like me you will sometimes find yourself humming or singing uncontrollably and like me it will be a showtune. My favourite one to sing, especially at this time of year, is 'Poisoning Pigeons in the Park' from the 1980s revue show 'Tom Foolery'.

(Tom Lehrer performing Poisoning Pigeons in the Park)

I asked LibraryGirl the question and her answer was 'Hello' from 'The Book of Mormon'.

What I want to know from you my lovely readers is what songs do you find yourself singing or humming? Please leave your answers in the comment section below.

Xtofer

Still Waters Run Deep produced at The Royal Olympic on this day in 1855

On the 14th of May 1855 'Still Waters Run Deep' was produced at the Olympic Theatre, London. The play was written by Tom Taylor and was an adaptation of Charles de Bernards 'Novel of le Gendre.' Tom Taylor was a well known playwright who had his greatest success as a writer for Punch magazine. Taylor had over 100 plays produced but his most famous one is 'Our American Cousin' which was a massive success in the USA. It was declared to be one of the funniest plays written by the American critics although today the play is remembered as being the play that was on in the Ford Theatre the night Abraham Lincoln was shot.

Magic tricks are theatre 1

Since a very young age I have loved magic tricks. Paul Daniels was on television all the time when I was younger and his energy and funny voice, I was a child I thought his voice was funny, suckered me in and then voila he would dazzle me with some illusion. I have since seen him live twice and have always enjoyed being tricked by magicians and illusionists. Magic tricks are obviously a huge part of theatre as the greatest special effects have generally begun as tricks designed by magicians over the years for their stage shows. I will not go into detail about magic as I am just a fan but I will be on occasion posting videos of tricks I have seen that have obviously been used outside the magicians act, generally in the theatre. The first is one of the most amazing things I have ever seen, its a floating light bulb that lights up despite not being attached to any power source... that's fine I could probably explain that (if I wanted to ruin the fun) but the floating part... it is just insane... if you don't believe me just watch.

I give you Harry Blackstone Jr and the Floating light bulb illusion (the video is from 1977 but he had apparently been performing it since 1962)

I believe part of this illusion has recently been used in the Broadway Musical 'The Addams Family.'



On this day in Theatrical history William Farren, the second, born in 1786

On this day in 1786 William Farren the second was born into an acting family. His father was an actor and his brother Percy ran a troupe in Plymouth. William Farrens father had reached the pinnacle of his career in 1784 when he played Othello at Covent Garden, he would remain at Covent Garden until his death in 1795. Farren had been left £8000, the modern equivalent is seven hundred and ninety thousand pounds, by his father and so was able to start a career on the stage without worrying about his earnings. He would join his brothers troupe in Plymouth and debut on the stage of the Theatre Royal Plymouth in 1806 in the play 'Love a la Mode' by Charles Macklin. Moving on from this debut he carved a career from himself out of playing "crusty old bachelors, jealous old husbands, stormy fathers, worrying uncles or old fops" and reached the London stage in 1818 as Sir Peter Teazle in 'School for Scandal' at Covent Garden. Farren would then flit back and forth between the companies at Covent Garden and Drury Lane, although he did have a spell as the stage manager at the Haymarket, before falling ill onstage with paralysis in 1843. His popularity dropped after he came back from his illness due to the negative effect it had on all the aspects of his acting, so he moved into actor management and took over the Strand Theatre and later the Olympic theatre. Farren passed away at his home in Brompton Square in 1861.