Oh hello welcome to yet another pointless blog project....yes I got carried away. Here is Week 1's playlist.
My plan is to theme every week. And because obviously I love nothing more than talking about musicals, I will also do a little bit of writing about either each song, and the musical it's from or the overall list (depending on the list) The general aim is 'use my useless information to expand your libraries'
But for week 1, because it seemed fun, I thought I would give you a few of my initial 'falling in love with musicals' examples...and a bit about them. You are free to judge me.
1. Close Every Door- Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
you were a child in the 90s, you sang this song in school, in Brownies, wherever. It is engrained on our consciousness. It was also the first musical theatre album I bought, on cassette, from Woolworths (are those words any of you know?!) and I listened to it on my walkman.
Nostalgia aside, it is an expertly crafted musical theatre song. And as is Go Go Go Joseph in general a work of Musical Theatre mastery. Albeit a camp as tits 80s one.
Also, Phillip Schofield was a better Joseph, don't @ me, we know it's true.
2. Once Before I Go- The Boy From Oz.
Storytime, Mum had seen Hugh on Michael Parkinson's TV show (Jesus this is dating me) talking about doing a musical, and told me about him singing. That December we went to NY for the second time ever, and the first time on our own later that year. Walking through Grand Central Station we saw a poster for the show and Mum goes 'that's it that's the show' so we queued up at TKTS and saw it from like the back of the balcony. You know people talk about that magic moment where they were hooked? when he sang this. One bar in. That's it, I'd sold my soul to the theatre.
The Boy From Oz is an excellent biopic/jukebox musical, even if it was scared to say the word 'AIDS' oh yeah and guess where my 'career' such as it is came from...
3. All That Jazz- Chicago.
This one is not deep. The film came out when I was in Uni. Catherine Zeta Jones was born to play that role. This song is a banger, it is iconic. Bob Fosse was a genius. But also a dick.
Also when Velma screeches 'Ooooh I'm noone's wife but oooooh I love my life' big mood.
If you haven't watched Fosse/Verdon, watch it and let your jaw drop when they reveal how the choreography for 'And We Both Reached for the Gun' happened. Also if you've never seen the film Chicago. Watch it, Baranski is a legend.
4. Sunday (Finale) - Sunday in the Park with George.
This was the first time I ever felt just compelled to stand up and applaud. I can't explain it, and maybe it doesn't come across in the recorded version, why it's so moving. But it just is. And that's the joy of it. Of all the musical actually 'Children and Art' is my favourite, but musically it's not as interesting.
But if you manage to listen to all of this, listen out for the little musical reputations across the piece, they're telling you the story...and THAT is why you feel compelled to get up at the end. It's not told to you by that point, it's IN you...yes it's pretentious, but it's also true. It's just so so cleverly woven. Arguably his best. And yes, yes the 2006 production did quite the number on some of us. (Fuck you Jenna Russell, respectfully fuck you).
'So many possibilities' I'm listening to this as I write and that got me.
5. Louder Than Words, Tick Tick Boom.
I saw Jonathan Larson's other musical before Rent. And honestly, it's a gem of a thing, even if you don't know him or even if you don't like Rent. It's a hymn to loving theatre and being an artist and so is this song. The musical is so charmingly 90s now too it's worth a listen. It's a perfect 90 minute coming of age story, made bittersweet by knowing the end of Jonathan's story. This song reminds me of my ex too, but in a 'smile because it happened' kinda way.
'Why do we follow leaders, who never lead? why does it take catastrophe to start a revolution' ...seems apt right?
6. I Wanna Be A Producer- The Producers
The first show I saw alone on Broadway. Literally right off a plane. I don't even know why.
I loathe Mel Brooks, like with a burning burning passion. I don't find his films funny in the least. But there was some weird kind of musical theatre alchemy that worked with The Producers. I think because there's enough of a love letter to Broadway in Thomas Meehan's writing that it makes it charming where the film was...not. I accidentally learned about old fashioned Broadway from Mel Brook's parody/ode to it. And actually, I Wanna Be A Producer is a brilliant example of that. Because you've got to love and really understand something to successfully parody it. And you can actually learn more from a parody than the real thing sometimes. Anyway, I saw this musical a lot. It was dated as a film then, and yes, maybe it wouldn't be the hit it was then today...but I maintain it's still a classic.
...and Matthew Broderick is darn adorable.
I still hate Mel Brooks though.
7. Bui Doi- Miss Saigon
This was the first of the 'Big Ones' I saw. I saw Ramin do it. That was special. Ahem. But it's also the one of the 'Big Ones' I'm weirdly fond of. Yes, the racist elements were and are to be frowned at. But i don't blame Claude and co entirely after all someone told them to adapt the racist opera...
Anyway there's no denying Boublil and Schonberg can write a song, and this is the greatest song written for a secondary male character in any musical maybe ever. And that is fascinating from a musical history point of view.
8. There's A Fine Fine Line- Avenue Q
Like the above, pretty sure this is a more familiar one. But I saw Avenue Q about 6 times in London during the original run. And I used to belt this one out for about 2 years before that. Much like The Producers, it has to know musical theatre in order to break the rules. And it does it so well. Also puppet sex.
9. Cabaret- Cabaret
One of the first musicals I fell in love with from afar, and the first that started my curating my musical 'taste' rather than just 'I saw that I liked it'
I have long long been obsessed with Alan Cumming. But his Bent did one hell of a number on me. And then I fell in love with his Emcee. Also for me Cabaret was the perfect intersection between my previous identity as a History graduate and my new theatre life...and the Sam Mendes version is a close to perfection as a musical can be. But cabaret is, to borrow the phrase 'beautiful' in that it's not. It's so dark and twisty, it doesn't sound like musical theatre. It's dark and gritty and the sound of it is often jarring...but ooh there's lots in it. And that's fascinating.
Also, Alan Cumming is one of the most beautiful humans inside and out. And my heart still breaks for Natasha Richardson.
10. What You Own- Rent
Well, it had to be in there...I'm not going to bore anyone with my Rent story in full here. But for me, in terms of an 'out of context song' (because that's hard when it's sung-through), this sums it up. It's the pop-rock mash-up Larson aimed for in sound. But it's also that relationship between characters, it sounds like the pent up angst between the best friends. It also has the political/philosophical elements of Rent bound up in it.
I've seen it that many times I feel the choreography in my bones with every line. I don't care that I'm a loser. But Roger and Mark are the heart of Rent, not the love stories. Thye are the love story. That's the way in there. We will, obviously be returning to Rent....
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