11 O'Clock Numbers - Peter Jorgensen

During the 40s and 50s, the so-called Golden Age of musical theatre, it was common to hear songs from Broadway shows on the airwaves. These songs were the "pop music" of the day. Audiences would know a Rodgers and Hammerstein tune before they even stepped foot in a theatre, since they were often played on the radio or sung at parties. This, however, is not the case today. The songs of musical theatre, while still popular among many, have not become quite as mainstream as today’s pop music. But there are still many, iconic songs over the years that have made it on to the pop charts and into the popular consciousness. Songs like (Till there was You from the Music Man, made famous by the Beatles) and My Favorite Things from The Sound of Music, and One Night In Bangkok. Certain composers, like Jason Robert Brown and his band, get play outside of the genre, but not many. Is it the genre? Is it the writers? Will it ever be the case again that we follow musical theatre songs the same way we listen to pop music? Today on "From the Pit,” we talk about how iconic, pop cross over songs from musical theatre. We speak with Peter Jorgensen, a director, actor, teacher and producer of musical theatre in Vancouver, about these questions and many more. So let's see what's popular today… From the Pit.