In My Easter Bonnet!

It’s just a quick blog tonight as I’m between shows and I want to get an early night. I’ve been stepping out all week in my Easter Bonnet performing my Easter Show only to find in perfect tradition that the weather decided to change from lovely sun to rain today which makes the song “April Showers” especially appropriate! I have 15 shows to do over the next 9 days so it’s a very busy time and I really must make sure I get to bed not too late tonight.

This week I have been opening my show with Irving Berlin’s song Easter Parade and I’ve been doing a bit of research into it’s origins. I’m a huge Irving Berlin fan and there is nothing I enjoy more than singing his music. I always thought that Irving wrote Easter Parade as the tital song to the 1948 musical which stared Fred Astair and Judy Garland but this is in fact not the case. The refrain was based on Berlin’s 1917 song “Smile and Show Your Dimple”. I can’t say I have ever seen the sheet music for that one so I guess “Smile and Show Your Dimple” got lost and re-worked into something better with “Easter Parade” over the passage of time. Introduced in the 1933 Broadway revue “As Thousands Cheer” by Marilyn Miller and Clifton Webb. It was subsequently used in the films “Alexander’s Ragtime Band” (another of my favourite songs) in 1938, “Holiday Inn” in 1942 and the one we recognise it for “Easter Parade” in 48. A song with quite a history!

Check out my Article in the Best of British!

For those of you who follow me on facebook will have seen my article has just come out in the Best of British magazine this week. If you haven’t picked up your copy yet do nip down to WH Smiths and you can find me on page 40 in the Forties Post and my advert on page 47. This month I have witan about the changing musical trends on the 1940s scene and what we can expect in the next few years. My tip is an increased interest in the 1920s and I’m looking forward very much to singing in Bexhill on the 19th  July for the Bexhill Roaring 20s event which will be held out-side the De la War Pavilion. – A beautiful Art Decco theatre I know very well and which sits right on the sea front. Last year this event atracted over 1500 visiers and this year they are expecting over 2500. In the mean time don’t forget you can catch me at the Lincolnsfield children’s Centre, Bushey Hall Drive, Bushey, Herts WD23 2ES for the “40s Family Experience Weekend” on the 11th 12th April. I will be performing 3 shows daily plus at the Saturday night dance. More details on that will be found in my next blog along with my “Life on the Wicked Stage” show which will be taking place in Leighton Buzzard at Ollie Vees in the Tiki Lounge on the 18th April so Keep Watching.

Time for Bed now as I need my rest for a very busy week ahead Toodle Pip and Bye for Now! 😉