In middle school, I became obsessed with the Broadway revival of "Show Boat," which had Rebecca Luker, the one and only "Magnolia" to earn a Tony nomination (thus far). Listening to the recording, you have an easy time getting swept up in Magnolia's story: the early innocence (including the conditional love song, "Make Believe," a kind of proto-"If I Loved You") ....to the big turning point ("You Are Love") ....to disillusionment, to a sadder-but-wiser state ("After the Ball").... Rebecca Luker was anointed the new Barbara Cook, the new Julie Andrews--and she went on to borrow from the Cook ("Music Man") and Andrews ("Sound of Music") repertoire. It's a great treat to see her performing at the Kennedy Center Honors for these two ladies; you can find the clips on YouTube. Late in her career, Luker (a candid interviewee) admitted that she wished she hadn't been such an ingenue. "I wish I...