President Obama Gives Queen of England the Gift of Broadway
President Barack Obama knows what the gift that keeps on giving is: musical theater. During his first big overseas trip, the Prez bestowed Queen Elizabeth II a personalized iPod, one pre-loaded with 40 songs from legendary Broadway productions including Chicago, West Side Story, South Pacific, Hair and The Phantom of the Opera. The iPod was accompanied by a rare book of songs from Broadway songwriters Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, signed by Rodgers in May 1952.
The royal playlist consists of: “Oklahoma!,” Oklahoma! “If I Loved You” Carousel, “You’ll Never Walk Alone” Carousel, “There’s No Business Like Show Business” Annie Get Your Gun, “Once in Love with Amy” Where's Charley, “Some Enchanted Evening” South Pacific, “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, “Getting to Know You” The King and I, “Shall We Dance?” The King and I, “I Could Have Danced All Night” My Fair Lady, “I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face” My Fair Lady, “The Party’s Over” Bells Are Ringing, “Maria” West Side Story, “Tonight” West Side Story, “Seventy-Six Trombones” The Music Man, “Everything’s Coming Up Roses” Gypsy, “The Sound of Music” The Sound of Music, “Try to Remember” The Fantasticks, “Camelot” Camelot, “If Ever I Would Leave You” Camelot, “Hello, Dolly!” Hello, Dolly!, “If I Were a Rich Man” Fiddler on the Roof, “People” Funny Girl, “On a Clear Day You Can See Forever” On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, “The Impossible Dream” Man of La Mancha, “Mame” Mame, “Cabaret” Cabaret, “Aquarius” Hair, “Send in the Clowns” A Little Night Music, “All That Jazz” Chicago, “One” A Chorus Line, “Tomorrow” Annie, “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina” Evita, “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” Dreamgirls, “Memory” Cats, “The Best of Times” La Cage Aux Folles, “I Dreamed a Dream” Les Miserables, “The Music of the Night” The Phantom of the Opera, “As If We Never Said Goodbye” Sunset Blvd and “Seasons of Love” Rent.
The iPod, an upgrade from the 6BG model the Queen purchased in 2005, was also reportedly pre-loaded with a video of her visit to the States in 2007.
Obama didn’t leave the musical encounter empty handed—Her Majesty gave him signed portraits of herself and the Duke of Edinburgh.