Girls, It Is The End Of An Era!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                          Since 1948, the ground floor of the Brill Building, on the corner of Broadway and West 49th Street, has housed the Colony Record Store, which was a haven for collectors and burgeoning Theater Queens, including yours truly, when young.

                           From the early 1970s, when I would troop in to the city--all by my innocent self--to catch matinees of Broadway shows (I wasn't yet ready for the nighttime scene, darlings!!!!), my visit would not be complete, without a stop at the Colony.

                            And, most times, I never came away empty handed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                           Especially in the days of vinyl, the Colony was not just the place for current shows, but especially hard to find ones!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                             I mean, no department store in New Jersey would have heard of "She Loves Me!"
Let alone, "Fade Out, Fade In!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

                              I got them all at the Colony!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                              There was a catch, loves; isn't there always?????  The Colony, because of its specialty items, was often higher priced than the average store.  But it was well worth it.

                               I still recall the most expensive purchase I made.  This was back in 1977, when "Annie" was the hottest ticket on Broadway!!!!  Of course, you know I saw it, darlings!!!!  The Original!!!!!!!!  Anyway, in a Times article on the actresses playing the Orphans, it mentioned that one of them Janine Ruane, (now a medical technician at a Pennsylvania hospital) had the leading child role of Susan Walker in a production of "Here's Love!".  I said to myself, "What's that?"  I knew enough musical titles by that point, but I had never heard of "Here's Love!"  When I dug deeper, I discovered it was a musicalization of one of my favorite movies, the Christmas classic, "Miracle On 34th Street."  It was also the last show score written by Meredith Wilson (best known for "The Music Man"), and contained one semi-standard song I discovered I had known for most of my life--"It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas."  The stars were Janis Paige (whom we just loved on the cast recording of "The Pajama Game," darlings!!!!) and Craig Stevens.

                             I just had to hear this score; hell, I just HAD to own the recording.  Now, back then, I was still living at home, money was not plentiful (is it now, loves???? Hmmmm...well, in a different way!!!), and, when I walked into the Colony and found the Original Cast Album of "Here's Love!" I discovered it was one of their then most highly priced items--$45!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                             At this time, I was actually in my early Twenties (REALLY, as opposed to now, where my PROFESSIONAL age is 24!!!!!), but was still getting carded for movies, bars, whatever was Adults Only.  No wonder I was perfect for singing "Frank Mills!!!!!"  Well, I marched up to  the register with this record, money in tow, and when this big, jaded, New York City store clerk, saw this waif-like ingenue, I think he took pity on me--because, when he saw I was willing to and able to pay the full amount--he gave me a $5 discount!!!!!!!!!!!!  I guess he thought I must have broken my piggy bank, or was using up my Life's Savings.  Hell, back then, he wasn't far off the mark!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                            That was my most memorable experience at the Colony.  As the years went on, and I moved to New York, my purchases dropped, but never was I in the area, without popping in.  Sometimes I would buy a CD, other times a Vocal Selections book.  They were very good on those, too, having shows no other music store would have even known to have!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                            The Colony is a fixture on that street, and I think it should stay there forever!!!!!!  Alas, comes news from its owner that, in six weeks, it will close, yielding to the digitalization and technological expansion that changed the nature of the business.

                             I am sure I will not be the only one sorry to see the Colony go.  But I think its memory
should be preserved, in a special way.

                               You know the neon figure of the bobby-soxed girl, jumping in the girl, declaring, "I Found It!", at the Colony????"  That sign and image should be preserved somewhere on that building, as a landmark memorial!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                Remember, you heard it first here, dolls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!