CARELESS RAPTURE – From Ivor Novello and Christopher Hassall

Presented by Rob Morrison on 15th September 2026

Musical Theatre Melodies broadcast on Tuesday, 15th September will feature a 90th anniversary tribute to the Ivor Novello and Christopher Hassall musical Careless Rapture, from the 1936 original London cast highlights recordings starring Dorothy Dickson, Olive Gilbert, Ivor Novello, Sybil Crawley and Eric Starling; plus additional numbers from the 1968 BBC radio cast recording with Elaine Blighton, Leslie Fry and Jon Lawrenson.

This will be preceded by an introduction by the British Musical Theatre historian, archivist and author – Rex Bunnett.

The programme will conclude with a selection of recordings by the original 1916 original London cast members of the Ivor Novello and Jerome Kern musical Theodore & Co. including David Burnaby, Julia James, Fred Leslie, George Grossmith, Madge Saunders, Henri Leoni and Leslie Henson.

THE APPLE TREE – 60th Anniversary

Presented by Rob Morrison on 8th September 2026

Musical Theatre Melodies broadcast on Tuesday, 8th September will feature a 60th anniversary tribute to the Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick musical The Apple Tree (three one-act musicals based on stories by Mark Twain, Frank R. Stockton & Jules Feiffer), from the 1966 original Broadway cast recording starring Alan Alda, Barbara Harris and Larry Blyden.

This will be preceded by an archival interview that I recorded with Sheldon Harnick talking about the musical in 2015.  

The programme will conclude with demos of “cut” songs from the musical performed by Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick, plus songs from their 1966 US TV musical version of Oscar Wilde’s The Canterville Ghost, from the TV soundtrack recording starring Michael Redgrave, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Natalie Schafer, David Charkham, Mark Coleano, Tippy Walker and Peter Noone.

MAN WITH A LOAD OF MISCHIEF – at 60

Presented by Rob Morrison on 1st September 2026

Musical Theatre Melodies broadcast on Tuesday, 1st September will feature a 60th anniversary tribute to the John Clifton and Ben Tarver musical Man With a Load of Mischief (based on the play by Ashley Dukes), from the 1966 original off-Broadway cast recording starring Tom Noel, Leslie Nicol, Raymond Thorne, Reid Shelton, Virginia Vestoff and Alice Cannon.

The programme will conclude with an interview with the New York-based Tony Award-nominated actor-singer-director Walter Willison about his upcoming concert version of the Mark Sandrich Jr. and Sidney Michaels musical Ben Franklin in Paris to be staged at 54 Below in New York on 13th September and streamed “live” over the Internet at the equivalent time of 9 a.m. EST in Melbourne on 14th September (= 12 midnight BST in Britain on 14th), see https://54below.org/events/livestream-ben-franklin-in-paris/ for further details.