The Final Jeopardy question (11/5/2012) in the category “Broadway Musicals” was:

Based on a 1926 play & real-life events, it’s now the longest-running American musical in Broadway history.

Our new champ, Paul Nelson made $14,000 on Friday and defeated a 7-day champion. Today he is up against two lovely ladies with first names both ending in “i”: Bobbi Hiltibidal, from Topeka, KS and  Shari Dwoskin, originally from Montreal, Canada.

Bobbi found the Jeopardy! round Daily Double in “Around the Forest.” It was the second clue chosen and she had $200, having answered the first correctly. Paul and Shari had nothing yet. Bobbi bet the $1,000 allowance and she was RIGHT.

This topmost layer of vines, treetops and other plants preserves the forest’s moisture and also provides a food supply for monkeys and other creatures, some of which never come down their whole lives.
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WHAT IS A CANOPY?

Shari finished in the lead with $7,000. Paul was second with $3,800 and Bobbi was last with $1,200.

Paul found the first Double Jeopardy Daily Double in “Adjectives.” He was in second place with $4,600, $7,200 behind Shari in the lead. He bet $4,000 and he was RIGHT, managing to get the answer out in question form befor the buzzer, after counting it out on his fingers (which was lucky because by the time he did that, he wouldn’t have had time to think of a different adjective anyway).

This 10-letter word means “greedy” & goes back to one of the 7 deadly sins.
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WHAT IS AVARICIOUS?

Paul found the last Daily Double in “New York Senators.” He now had $9,800, only $2,000 behind Shari’s lead. He bet $2,000, and he was RIGHT.

A New York senator from 1791 to 1797, he later presided over the Senate as Vice President.
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WHO IS AARON BURR?

Funny moment: On the $2,000 clue in “Adjectives,” (It means “characteristic of an uncle”), Paul provided the correct response — avuncular — and quipped “describing you, Alex,” much to the amusement of the audience.

Paul finished in the lead with $18,600. Shari was next with $11,000 and Bobbi was in third place with $7,200.

Only ONE of the contestants got Final Jeopardy! right.

WHAT IS CHICAGO?

“Chicago is a 1926 play written by Maurine Dallas Watkins. It was based on two unrelated 1924 cases of two women, Beulah Annan and Belva Gaertner, who were both suspected and later acquitted for murder, that Watkins had covered for the Chicago Tribune as a reporter. The play would later inspire a 1927 movie; Roxie Hart, a 1942 movie; and a 1975 stage musical, which in turn inspired the 2002 Best Picture-winning film. Watkins wrote the script (originally titled “Brave Little Woman”) as a class assignment while attending the Yale Drama School. The play debuted on Broadway at the Sam Harris Theatre in late December 1926, directed by George Abbott, where it ran for 172 performances. To avoid confusion with the musical play and rights held by that show’s producers and creators, the play is now titled Play Ball, when it is performed.” (wikipedia)

The original Broadway production (of Chicago) opened June 3, 1975, at the 46th Street Theatre and ran for 936 performances. Bob Fosse choreographed the original production, and his style is strongly identified with the show. Chicago’s 1996 Broadway revival holds the record for the longest-running musical revival and the longest-running American musical in Broadway history, and is the fourth longest-running show in Broadway history. (wikipedia)

Bobbi got it right and bet $4,000. She finished with $11,200.

Shari wrote down “Rent.” She lost $3,500, finishing with $7,500.

Paul wrote down “Les Miserables.” He lost $3,400 and finished with $15,200, more than enough to retain his title. His 2-day total is $29,200.