The forty songs featured in Showtune come from Herman's Broadway musicals Milk and Honey (1961), Hello, Dolly!

(1964), Mame (1966), Dear World (1969), Mack & Mabel (1974), The Grand Tour (1979), A Day in Hollywood / A Night in the Ukraine (1980), and La Cage aux Folles (1983).

[3] Its songs are grouped into thematic scenes that tell stories and place a strong emphasis on Herman's lyrics and their optimistic messages.

In the latter number, the cast simulates a train, with the men's bowler hats becoming smokestacks and the ladies' parasols acting as the wheels.

A serious and romantic segment follows, with "I Don't Want to Know", "Song on the Sand", "Shalom", "I'll Be Here Tomorrow", "If He Walked Into My Life" and "I Promise You a Happy Ending".

These tender recollections yield to a big finale with a medley of production numbers "Mame", "The Best of Times" and a reprise of "It's Today".

Showtune was originally titled Tune the Grand Up, and premiered May 1, 1985 at The 1177 Club in the Gramercy Towers on Nob Hill in San Francisco.

[citation needed] In March 1987, a production of Tune the Grand Up opened at the Lyceum Space Theatre in San Diego, California.

[6] The show was directed and choreographed by Barbara Valente, with the cast that included Cindy Herron, John Nockels, Tim Connell, Mimi Unser, Darlene Popovic and James Followell.

[6] In September 1987, a third production of Tune the Grand Up was financed by actor Richard Smart at the 490 seat Kahilu Theatre in the town of Kamuela, Hawaii.

The cast was Pierce Brandt, Dan Johnson, Michelle E. Jordan, Barry Lloyd, Marsha Mercant and Jan Wasser.

[5][3] In 1998, the revue was produced twice in London, by Strome in association with Sharleen Cooper Cohen,[9] with a new title, The Best of Times.

[11] The cast was Garth Bardsley, Kathryn Evans, James Followell (pianist), Sarah Payne, Jamie Golding and Lindsay Hamilton.

[11] In October 2002, the revue, now retitled Showtune, had an out-of-town tryout at the Helen Hayes Theatre in Nyack, New York.

[18] Since 2003, Showtune has been licensed for hundreds of productions in the United States, England, Scotland, Wales, Australia and Japan.