1950s pop culture

We are going back to school and the carefree days of the 1950s to Rydell High School, for this Grease-themed show.

Tonight on the show, we celebrate 50 years of Grease, which debuted OFF-Broadway on February 14, 1972, and was the first Off-Broadway musical to be done under Broadway Contracts. The show moved to Broadway in June 1972, and was on Broadway for eight years and 3,380 shows, becoming the longest-running musical (at least for awhile). The show, written by Jim Jacobs & Warren Casey, debuted in Chicago in 1971, and was based off their high school experiences in the 1950s. The musical was part of the 1950s revival of the 1970s, which saw the likes of American Graffiti, Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley, M*A*S*H, Sha Na Na, and...

Grease the film was released on June 16, 1978, and was the highest-grossing musical film for over 30 years, and the # 2 Best-Selling Album of 1978 (and the # 2 Best-Selling Album from a John Travolta movie, as well). Some songs from the original musical ("Alma Mater", "It's Raining on Prom Night", and "All Choked Up") were replaced in the film by songs that we all know and love ("Grease", "Hopelessly Devoted To You", and "You're the One That I Want"). "Hopelessly Devoted to You" scored the film's only Oscar nomination, and "You're The One That I Want" was # 1 in the Billboard Hot 100 in the Summer of 1978.

The 2007 Reality Competition Program, "Grease: You're The One That I Want" was a reality casting call for the title roles in the 2007 Broadway Revival, that was re-tooled from the 1978 film. The 2017 LIVE Musical Special on FOX was also re-tooled from the '78 film as well.

In this hour, you'll hear songs from both the Soundtrack of the 1972 Broadway Cast Musical and 1978 Blockbuster Film.

Tonight on the show, Songs from 1950.

SPORTS CHAMPIONS:
NBA: Minneapolis Lakers
NFL: Cleveland Browns
World Series: New York Yankees
Stanley Cup: Detroit Red Wings
World Cup: Uruguay
NCAA Basketball: City College of New York (CCNY) Beavers
NCAA Football: Oklahoma Sooners
The Game/Big Ten NINE: Michigan Wolverines

Headlines Links:
Infoplease (1950) - https://www.infoplease.com/year/1950
The People's History (1950) - http://www.thepeoplehistory.com/1950.html

1959...
Castro takes over Cuba. Alaska and Hawaii enter Statehood. NASA introduces the Mercury Seven. Bonanza becomes the first regular TV series to air in color. Three of Rock and Roll's finest rising stars are killed in a plane crash on "The Day The Music Died". Nixon and Khruschev have the first Big Table at the Kitchen Table.

Making their debuts in 1959: The Grammy Awards, Pantyhose, Motown Records, The St. Lawrence Seaway, BIC Ballpoint Pen, the 50-Star American Flag, and Barbie (and Ken)

Here at home, City Council President Westlake defeats Mayor Sensenbrenner in the November Mayoral Election. The Columbus Citizen and Ohio State Journal merge into one as The Columbus Citizen-Journal. Kingsdale Shopping Center is built on 38 acres of land in Upper Arlington. A flood sweeps through Ohio in January. Michael DiSalle is sworn in as Ohio's Governor.

GRAMMYS (Held for the Very First Time):
Record/Song of the Year: "Volare" (Domenico Modugno)
Album of the Year: Soundtrack from Peter Gunn (Henry Mancini)

OSCARS (for 1958 films):
Best Picture: Gigi (a perfect 9-for-9)
Best Actor: David Niven, Separate Tables
Best Actress: Susan Hayward, I Want to Live!
Best Supporting Actor: Burl Ives, The Big Country
Best Supporting Actress: Wendy Hiller, Separate Tables
Best Director: Vincente Minnelli, Gigi
Best Original Song: "Gigi" (by Lerner & Loewe)

EMMY AWARDS:

SPORTS CHAMPIONS:
NCAA Basketball: Cal-Berkeley Golden Bears
NCAA Football: Syracuse Orangemen
Big Ten Football: Wisconsin Badgers
NFL: Baltimore Colts
NBA: Boston Celtics (this was the very first Celtics/Lakers NBA Finals, and the ONLY one when the Lakers were still in Minnesota)
Stanley Cup: Montreal Canadiens
World Series: Los Angeles Dodgers (first World Series since moving from Brooklyn)
The Game: Michigan

TONY AWARDS:
Best Play -
Best Musical - Redhead

LINKS:
1959 Facts - https://molinehigh1959.webs.com/1959.htm