I was looking to see what information was available in the MMD Archives
about the Wurlitzer 165 organ at Glen Echo Park's carousel, where
I finally begun working this season.  I found the 2002.12.27 MMDigest
at http://www.mmdigest.com/Archives/Digests/200212/2002.12.27.09.html 
in which Matthew Caulfield provides tune lists for some of the Caliola
rolls that were once used on that organ.

I was interested by the listing for roll 6122, which Matthew gives as:

 1. Make Believe -- FT
 2. Old Man River -- FT
 3. Dance Away The Light [i.e. "Dance Away The Night" ??] -- Waltz
 4. Ta Ra Ra Boom De Ay -- FT
 5. Take Me Out To The Ball Game -- Waltz
 6. I Might Fall Back To You -- Polka

I wonder if anyone has any information about how Ralph Tussing came to
arrange this roll as he did.  Five of these six songs are associated
with "Show Boat," one of my favorite American musicals.  "Make Believe,"
"Old Man River," and "I Might Fall Back On You" are all original to the
musical's 1927 opening on Broadway.  "Ta Ra Ra Boom De Ay" was, I believe,
added to the score when "Show Boat" was presented in London in 1928.
This might not be right, but that song is definitely associated in some
capacity with the musical's score.

On the basis of these four songs all being from "Show Boat," I believe
I can positively identify "Dance Away the Night," which was also added
to the score in 1928, to be sung by Edith Day in the role of Magnolia.
I have heard "Dance Away the Night," though, and I would characterize
it as a fox trot rather than a waltz (of course, tunes can be changed
to become different styles).  To my knowledge, this song has never been
included in any American revival of "Show Boat," on-Broadway or off.
 
I just wonder how Tussing came to apparently be in possession of sheet
music from a 1928 British theater production in the '50s or '60s.  It
also seems unusual to me that this roll seems to be based on the theme
of music from "Show Boat."  I am familiar with the rolls Tussing arranged
for the 165 scale, none of which appear to have been based around any
theme (except for those compilation rolls which derived tunes from
pre-existing rolls).

Did Tussing ever make rolls of entirely new music based upon a theme?
"Take Me Out to the Ballgame" has not, as far as I know, been associated
with "Show Boat" in any way, so its presence on this roll is inexplicable
to me.

I hope I'm not wasting all you fellow subscribers' time with such an
esoteric question.  Things like this are just absolutely fascinating to
me!

TJ Fisher
Dover, New Hampshire (for the summer)