MP3 When the Lights Go On Again - EASY LISTENING: Musicals/Broadway
The Original Cast recording of the hit Off-Broadway 1940''s Musical - "When The Lights Go On Again"
22 MP3 Songs
EASY LISTENING: Musicals/Broadway, JAZZ: Swing/Big Band
Details:
"WHEN THE LIGHTS GO ON AGAIN"
was the runaway hit of the Off-Broadway 2006-2007 Season! Playing to sold out houses for nearly 8 months!
"When The Lights Go On Again" has the sound of four voices singing together in glorious harmony - delivering more than two dozen hit songs that perfectly recapture a wonderful and vanished musical era!"
Frank Scheck, The New York Post
THE STORY
The Moonlighters are an up and coming new vocal group who are making a name for themselves on the radio and are next in line with the Glenn Miller Orchestra should the rumor be true that the Modernaires really are splitting up. Then comes President Roosevelt’s fateful announcement that Japan has attacked Pearl Harbor. Our nation is at war. The Moonlighters do their patriotic best by focusing on material to boost the morale of their listeners by doing War Bond drives and entertaining the servicemen at The Stagedoor Canteen. Eventually Joe and Jim enlist, leaving The Moonlighters as a trio – and (as the audience learns) also leaving their sweethearts behind. The boys become the hit of their outfit entertaining the men in their unit while, back home, the trio joins the USO. Eventually the gang is reunited overseas where not only do the couples become officially engaged – but the servicemen and women are treated to a never-to-be-forgotten reunion concert by The Moonlighters!
THE CAST
The Moonlighters
Bill Daugherty
Paul Kropfl
Christina Morrell
and
Connie Pachl
THE BAND
Doyle Newmyer, piano
John Loehrke, bass
Jim Conant, guitar
Chip Fabrizi, drums
“At the tiny Triad Theater on New York''s upper west side they''ve been packing them in for a show that celebrates songs that were popular in the 1940’s! On the home front, WWII was a time of War Bond rallies, ration books, black-outs and Victory Gardens as every member of the household pitched in for the war effort. The show has attracted people from all over the country. The Moonlighters take you on a musical journey to another time!”
Bill Diehl, ABC News - Perspective
“Anyone who misses the music and style of the old WNEW-AM might want to drop by the Triad Theater."When the Lights Go on Again," is a musical show that''s built on some 28 World War II-era songs, mostly sung in Modernaires-style vocal harmony. They have a sweet, easy sound true to the arrangements and the spirit of songs like "Don''t Sit Under the Apple Tree," "Moonlight Serenade" and "The White Cliffs of Dover." It has the lively pace of a live radio remote, reminding us that there were a lot of awfully good songs back in those days!”
David Hinckley, The Daily News
“More lighthearted bliss awaits lovers of the Great American Songbook in “When the Lights Go On Again”, a celebration of the nostalgic songs of World War II at the Triad. The four bright and eager cast members include two guys with Harold Teen haircuts and two gals in Toni home permanents. The show really does combine beautiful songs with the kind of nostalgia that will live on in the hearts and minds of anyone who remembers the last meaningful and important war in history. When all is said and done, it’s the songs that make memories glow and hearts melt. And with 28 of them to make an entire decade live again, if you don’t hear something that moves you to reach for a Kleenex, then you might as well throw in the towel. So many terrific songs! So much enthusiasm! So much heartfelt entertainment value! I had a swell time, and so will you!”
Rex Reed, The New York Observer
''When The Lights Go On Again" has the sound of four voices singing together in glorious harmony - delivering more than two dozen hit songs that perfectly recapture a wonderful and vanished musical era. The performers - who sing beautifully, both in unison and alone - are occasionally interrupted by audio clips featuring the likes of Ike and Edward R. Murrow, also provide amusing re-creations of musical advertisements for such products as Pepsi-Cola and Cream of Wheat. This is one warm nostalgia trip, as the beaming faces of the older members of the audience suggest.”
Frank Scheck, The New York Post
“It’s a pretty good sign when a 1940’s-themed musical about a singing group is endorsed by one of the Andrew Sisters! A quartet called The Moonlighters performs regular radio broadcasts, blending harmonies so seamless it’s nearly impossible to distinguish where one voice begins and another leaves off! The 28 songs that propel the evening along are simply glorious and present the immensely talented cast with the perfect opportunities to shine. The three-piece band headed by Doyle Newmyer (who also did the fresh arrangements) is the perfect companion. Directed with such a loving and respectful touch by 1940’s aficionado Daugherty, it’s no wonder that this musically invigorating show has returned a second time from its wildly successful engagement last year to find a new toe-tapping crowd. And I promise your toes will tap!" Lindsey Wilson, Off-Broadway
“When the Lights Go On Again” is a smorgasbord of World War II songs that are all the sweeter thanks to vocal harmonies that blend so well they seem like the product of a Mixmaster. What these four performers and their onstage band deliver is deceptively complicated underneath a simple exterior. There is an earnest honesty to the story. Damned if you won''t find yourself sniffling at some obvious clichés. This excellent cast takes you on a gentle journey to the past. Daugherty, a classic Irish tenor, gives the show its tone of genial simplicity with his honest, unaffected performance. Pachl, a rich alto, provides character and humor. Kropfl is a smooth baritone crooner with nicely controlled charm. Morrell is a soprano with a lovely round tone to match her delicately understated performance. She is wonderfully real in her performance. Beyond their acting, though, it''s their vocal harmonies that make this show something special!” Scott & Barbara Siegel, Talkin’ Broadway
“The spirit of "When the Lights Go On Again" absolutely won me over! Daugherty laces his musical with the optimism and sacrifice native to that time, and even a soul like mine, not having experienced it first-hand, is made to long for the mentality. This genuine emotion is the force of the play. The songs, too, prove affecting in their sincerity, and the quartet acquit themselves with proficiency. When The Moonlighters reunite for the wistful "White Cliffs of Dover," the elderly audience joined in, and several wept in the dark. In that image, with the words floating amid a silent multitude of stories, there was something life-affirming and hopeful. It reconciled the production with the dearth of characterization, and that, to borrow the parlance of songwriter and World War II veteran Donald Wilhoite,"ain’t no hay."
Shane Ryan, Edge New York
“The songs of World War II are among the most flavorful ever written. This jewel of a revue serves them up with fine singing, gratifying evocative arrangements and lovely performances. These virtues alone make the show well worth seeing – but then halfway through the proceedings the emotional dimension kicks in, and what follows has so much heart and warmth that only the most hard-hearted could fail to be moved.”
Roy Sander, formerly of BackStage
"If you have a taste for the music of the 1940s, especially the vocal group sound, you’re in for a major, major treat! “When The Lights Go On Again” offers a wonderfully-sung, generous sample of the era’s popular songs. Connie Pachl shows great versatility and energy. She’s right on the money! Christina Morrell effectively projects sincerity and avoids the trap of overdoing the sweet factor that can make ingénue characters seem too precious. Talented Paul Kropfl is pure liquid pleasure when singing! There’s an appealing shyness in his performance that works wonders for the show! Bill Daugherty applies his honeyed tones and expertise to the proceedings as the group’s likeably enthusiastic leader. His affinity for this kind of material has been known for years and he’s in his element here and at his best. In addition to the singing quartet, the instrumental trio onstage al ldo excellent work! This show is highly recommended! It’s just plain swell!"
Rob Lester, TheaterScene
“An intimate, intoxicating musical tribute to the songs of the forties and World War II - I urge you to go immediately and be enthralled by this ninety minute nostalgic tour! Four fantastic performers – Bill Daugherty (also inspired director), Paul Kropfl (a young Sinatra) a sincere and vocally on target Christina Morrell and standout Connie Pachl - bring back the look and the sound of that bygone era. I loved this show! The singers are backed up by a three piece combo and Lori Leshner has endless ingenuity in her staging of the musical numbers. But it is the group effort with the most ear catching harmonies that make this show so special. The Moonlighters are in love with the material and each other and their love washes over all of us huddled around that vintage radio on stage at the Triad Theater!”
Oscar E. Moore, Talk Entertainment
“It takes a lot of talent to make a musical review work. It takes fabulous voices, tight harmonies, great characters and an extraordinary amount of charm. Fortunately, “When The Lights Go On Again” has all of these ingredients and proves to be a delightful evening of theatre! Whatever the magic is about this piece, all I can say is it works beautifully! It is a marvelous evening of nostalgia and great music! This show should be top on your list!” Jim Bessman, The Improper Magazine
"What a wonderful show! You absolutely captured the era. This is MY music - I''m coming back!"
Jules Pfeiffer, author & cartoonist
“I loved it! It was my period – I was in World War II. It brought tears to my eyes and laughter to my lips!"
David Brown, producer
“I spent time at The Hollywood Canteen dancing with the soldiers so this was very moving!”
Helen Gurley Brown, author & publisher
“This show has everything! You re-created the sounds and re-captured the feeling of an entire era in one evening!”
Joe Franklin, veteran talk show host
“I’m thrilled to know the music my sisters and I sang all those years ago is alive and well and a part of this production some 60 years later. Bill asked for my blessing and he has it – as well as my love and admiration. I hope this music touches your lives in the way it continues to touch mine.” Patty Andrews of The Andrews Sisters
“These are the songs my husband André and I helped introduce on “Your Hit Parade”. Why, I even recorded a few of them myself. What fun and what memories - and what a great idea for a show! Break a leg, kids!”
Bea Wain, Big Band Songstress