March 2022 at Musical Cyberspace is all about songs with people’s names in the title.

“Blow, Gabriel, Blow” is a thrilling showstopper in the gospel “get happy” mould from the classic Cole Porter show, Anything Goes. It’s a straightforward piece, beautifully crafted and neatly set up in the script without – in line with the conventions of musical comedy in the 1930s – having to be overly concerned with an organic integration between the book and score. Written to showcase Ethel Merman’s powerhouse belt, many divas of the musical theatre stage from Ethel Merman and Elaine Paige to Patti LuPone and Sutton Foster have put their stamp on this song.

Who’s your favourite? I’m partial to Patti LuPone – can anyone else sing the hell outta “Blow, Gabriel, Blow” the way she does? Head on to the comments and let us know!