Dartmouth, MA — “SHOW TUNES IN THE AFTERNOON” hosted by ‘Lectric Lar’ on WUMD.ROCKS, will celebrate it’s thirteenth year anniversary on February 12, 2018.
The show first aired (WUMD FM) onFebruary 14, 2005 at 3 P.M. and had been on the air every Monday from 3 P.M. to 6 P.M. In June 2017, the station switched to a digital streaming only format, but Show Tunes in the Afternoon continued to be hosted every Monday. The program features music from Broadway, Off-Broadway and London musical theatre as well as the occasional Broadway Show style movie.
The mission to expose listeners all a wider variety of musical theatre, expanding on the well-known classics and extending to the not-often-heard songs from not-so-well-known (almost Broadway) musicals. The music spans all genres and styles, and includes American and British musical theatre, theatre from other countries, and the occasional “theatrical” movie soundtracks.
The show occasionally features interviews with local theatre groups, revealing the interesting backstage tidbits of the production. Many times the groups provide free tickets for listeners to win on the air.
Each week a “This Week in Broadway History” segment looks at shows that opened (or closed) on Broadway during the same week in years past, some as far back as 150 years.
Annually, the show hosts a “Show Tunes Bingo” game for several weeks starting in December, where participants can send in there filled bingo cards to enter a drawing for prizes. They complete their entry by listening to the show for songs listed on their bingo card, and filling in the date and time it played. When a row, a column or a diagonal is complete, the card can be entered into the drawing.
Larry Houbre, AKA ‘Lectric Lar’, conceived the idea for the show during the summer of 2004. Having been involved with theatre since 1974 when he was in high school, he is familiar with the music, which includes up-lifting, emotion provoking, and just plain fun songs. Facts and trivia about the shows are interspersed between sets, revealing the rich history of the genre.