Maltby and Shire

During a recent medical procedure that involved anesthesia, Michael came up with a brilliant idea for this week’s Dress Circle (6/13 7:00 p.m.). We never program a “Labor Day” program because the Sunday of that weekend is generally the first Sunday, so we default to our monthly feature looking at shows that opened in September. Through the dim haze of waking up, Michael thought, “What comes after Labor Day?” The response came quickly and with great clarity: After Labor Day comes “Baby Day”! For some reason Ted wanted to run with that idea, so we’re bringing you a program of “baby” songs from the musicals showcasing a wide variety of “babies.”

On this week’s Dress Circle (7/12 7:00 p.m.), we’re going to look at an important aspect of a musical: the “I want” song. An “I Want” song appears in many musicals and is usually within the first 20 minutes or so. It lets the audience know the inner-workings of a character, usually the lead, and generally establishes the reasons for why that character does what he or she does throughout the evening.

41 years ago on a Thursday evening, the first presentation of The Dress Circle aired, and on this week’s program (2/16 7:00 p.m.), we’re going to celebrate that inauspicious beginning with songs from some of the musicals that were playing around the time our program began.

We’re continuing with our series of programs to prepare you for Thanksgiving and the holidays beyond on this week’s Dress Circle (11/17 7:00 p.m.). So far, we’ve looked at “home for the holidays,” and this week, we’re going to be looking at the things we’re truly thankful for: friends.