Theme: Broadway Showstoppers - The last word in each theme entry is a well-known one-word Broadway show.
23A. Airport pickup spot : BAGGAGE CAROUSEL. The conveyor belt in baggage claim area. "Carousel".
39A. Norman landmark : UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA. "Oklahoma!". Hi, Lois!
56A. Troublemaker's credo? : NO REST FOR THE WICKED. "Wicked". My favorite entry.
82A. One might prompt a curtain call : BIG ROUND OF APPLAUSE. "Applause". Unknown to me.
99A. Fleeting celebrity : FIFTEEN MINUTES OF FAME. "Fame".
120A. Relax : LET DOWN ONE'S HAIR. "Hair".
C.C. here. Happy Father's Day to all the fathers who read this blog.
When I first read the puzzle title, I was worried that each theme entry might be a truncated Broadway show, you know, the names just stop suddenly, like our absurd Thursday puzzle. Was hugely relieved when I nailed the third entry and grokked the gimmick.
We often see 7-9 theme entries on Sunday. This grid only has 6, mainly because all the answers are very long. Hard to negotiate the maze and build a clean grid.
Across:
1. Cotton-picking handful : BOLL
5. Like pro football players : MALE
9. Libreville is its capital : GABON. I know capitals of all Asian countries. Not African.
14. Seasonal crew? : ELVES. For Darling Santa.
19. Moises of baseball : ALOU
20. One often thickens on stage : PLOT. Nice clue.
21. Word with soap : OPERA. Soap opera.
22. Corporate reward : RAISE. Salary.
26. Ballet __ : RUSSE. So the plural is Ballets Russes?
27. "__ and his money ..." : A FOOL
28. Toledo toast : SALUD. French is SALUT.
29. Certain Honshu resident : OSAKAN
31. __ Sauer: handgun : SIG. Not familiar to me.
33. Library ID : ISBN
35. Urges : ITCHES
46. Prop- suffix : ANE
47. Captain Hook's last words are its motto : ETON. What's their motto?
48. Gives an earful : YELLS AT
49. Frat characters? : PSIs. This clue often stumps me.
50. Some HDTVs : RCAs
52. Sunscreen additive : ALOE
54. Alas., once : TERR (Territory). Alas! I did not notice the . at first.
55. Iona College athletes : GAELS
61. British miler Steve : OVETT. Total stranger.
62. One in a pool : STENO. Office pool.
63. Trendy tea : CHAI. Spiced tea.
64. Some NFL linemen : RTs
67. Class unit : LESSON
69. Assistants and such : STAFF
72. Like a wake : ASTERN. Wave wake.
74. 2000 Gere title role : DR T
75. It may be fenced : LOOT. Not yard fence.
78. Mrs. Gorbachev : RAISA
81. Relative of -ish : ESQUE. As in Rubenesque vs. zaftig.
86. Dressing target : SALAD
89. "Let __!" : IT GO
90. Inventor Sikorsky : IGOR
91. Cheese holder : RITZ
92. Nutmeg covering : ARIL. Classic crosswordese.
93. Like most sandals : TOELESS
96. Fictional futuristic race : ELOI. "The Time Machine" race.
98. Big foot letters : EEE
103. Some kitchens : EAT-INS
104. Gossip : DIRT
105. Moral slip : SIN. Forgive me, Father, for I slipped.
106. Cellist awarded a posthumous Lifetime Achievement Grammy in 1989 : CASALS (Pablo)
110. Second-deepest U.S. lake : TAHOE
113. Convertible alternatives : T-TOPS
117. Burst of activity : SPASM
123. Come to terms : AGREE
124. Many a chat room visitor : AOLer
125. __ Center: N.J. arena : IZOD. Learned from doing Xword.
126. Italian hot spot : ETNA
127. Like some bulls : PAPAL. Papal bull. Got me.
128. Hoity-toity types : SNOBS
129. British tax : CESS
130. Voicemail accumulation: Abbr. : MSGs
Down:
1. Radner's Wawa : BABA
2. Minnesota's St. __ College : OLAF. Gimme, gimme!
3. Company symbol : LOGO
4. 1931 count portrayer : LUGOSI (Bela). Count Dracula.
5. SUV stat : MPG
6. Some draft picks : ALEs. Can't fool me again.
7. Like "la vida" in a Ricky Martin hit : LOCA. Crazy!
8. And others, to Cicero : ET ALII
9. Splitting word? : GOODBYE. Nice clue too.
10. Springfield storekeeper : APU. "The Simpsons".
11. Carlos's kiss : BESO. Remember your first kiss? How old were you?
12. Mined finds : ORES
13. "The Lion King" lioness : NALA
14. Slips : ERRATA
15. Takeoff place : LAUNCH PAD. See, only on Sundays can you have 9-letter non-theme fill.
16. Before and after "�," compared with : VIS. Vis-�-vis.
17. Safe opener? : ESS. The opening letter in Safe.
18. Have a look : SEE
24. Better way to be wanted? : ALIVE. Dead or alive. I drew a blank.
25. Needing practice : RUSTY
30. Clan attire : KILT
32. Gain access to : GET AT
34. "Peaceful Warrior" actor : NOLTE (Nick)
36. Flimflam : HOSE
37. Silents star Jannings : EMIL. First Oscar Best Actor.
38. Sign of freshness : SASS
39. Find out : UNCOVER
40. Most handy : NEAREST
41. Massages deeply : ROLFs. Stumped me last time. Again today, Melissa!
42. Hoity-toity type : SNOOT
43. Took off : FLEW
44. "Hamlet" courtier : OSRIC
45. Olympic volleyball medalist __ Kiraly : KARCH. No idea. Great shot.
46. Big name in traitors : ARNOLD (Benedict). Schwarzenegger too I suppose.
51. Match parts : SETS
53. Part of a Spanish 101 conjugation : ERES. You are.
55. Seuss, actually : GEISEL
57. Not easily excited : STOLID
58. "The Closer" channel : TNT
59. Stock and then some : HOARD
60. "The Jungle Book" python : KAA. Complete unknown to me.
64. Passing notes? : REQUIEM. Xchefwalt would have loved this clue.
65. Chairman of the board, for one : TRUSTEE
66. Blessed event? : SNEEZE
68. Fireside quaff : NOG
70. __ Schwarz: 5th Avenue toy store : FAO
71. '30s-'40s actress D'Orsay : FIFI. Man, that's old. Nope. Nope!
73. Former despot : TSAR
76. Hunter of the stars : ORION
77. Carved pole : TOTEM
79. Prudent advisers : SAGES
80. Skating gold medalist __ Anton Ohno : APOLO
82. Latvia-Sweden separator : BALTIC SEA. Another highlight of the grid.
83. Grapefruit relative : UGLI. I tried one last year. Quite sweet.
84. Eternally : NO END
85. Faculty mems. : PROFs
86. Heist target : SAFE. Dupe with earlier ESS clue.
87. La Scala highlight : ARIA
88. Garage apparatus : LIFT
93. Angel Clare's love, in an 1891 novel : TESS
94. Lochinvars : SUITORS
95. Turkey's place, in song : STRAW. What song?
97. "__ Lovin' That You Want": Rihanna hit : IF IT'S. Not a Rihanna fan.
100. Crown cover : ENAMEL
101. Like some restaurants : ETHNIC
102. Game opener : ANTHEM
107. It might precede bad news : ALAS
108. 2009-'11 CIA director Panetta : LEON. Next Secretary of Defense.
109. City of NW France : ST LO
111. Slow flow : OOZE
112. "The Dukes of Hazzard" deputy : ENOS. Slaughtered me. No idea.
114. Porridge base : OATS
115D. Ball game opener? : PING. Ping pang. (Correction: Ping Pong.)
116. Ladies of Sp. : SRAs
117. It's tapped for syrup : SAP
118. FedEx Cup org. : PGA. 8-shot lead for McIlory. The kid is good.
119. Ernst collaborator : ARP (Jean)
121. Belle of the ball : DEB. Lovely "ball" clechos.
122. People people, briefly : EDs (Editors). "People" magazine.
C.C.
