"When is the last time you heard a tune from Anything Goes on top forty radio?"
"Are you forgetting the song that used 'If I Were A Rich Man' from Fiddler, or the rap version of 'Hard Knock Life'?"
I suggest you re-read your own comments. The "song that used from Fiddler"..."The rap version" of Hard Knock Life.
Are you expecting me to be grateful because someone took those theater hooks and used them in this fashion? You've got to be kidding me. If you want to impress, show me the last time a song such as "One Night in Bangkok" made it to the top of the Billboard pop charts on it's own as it's own single. A song directly from a Broadway show written for the stage in the show style and not one that was deconstructed and cut to pieces with the melody lifted because it had a great hook.
There is nothing snobbish, ignorant or arrogant about wanting to leave the theater humming something that doesn't give me a headache or sound like what they play at Woodstock with a bunch of muddy frat boys stage diving throughout the performance.
Forget pop tunes. When is the last time a song written for a Broadway musical got onto the US dance charts? Lauper's "Sex Is in the Heel" dance single got to #6 last year, and it got one of the loudest ovations at the performance we saw last night.
Even in the pop charts, it's been a long time since a show tune crossed over. "No Matter What" was 1996 for Boyzone. "Any Dream Will Do" was a UK hit in 1991. "One Night in Bangkok" was 1985.
You'd have to look to TV or film for any more recent book musical hits.
Thanks, After Eight. At my age, though, Standing Room isn't a good option anymore for me. Guess I should kick myself in the keister because I waited so long. But thanks for your consideration.
Guess my only option is to pray for a cancellation on the day of a performance. Not really gonna' happen, but it's my last straw in the wind to cling to.
Good comment, about "product being assembled," as this show felt that way from the very first scene (and why have a kid who absolutely could not sing?) And speaking of singing, yes, at the Tuesday preview, I wondered if Billy Porter had laryngitis and was holding back, or is that his natural voice nowadays?
And no, although the score was pleasant, not a single song stood out. All pretty much sounded the same. And this deserves a Tony award? Pretty sad state...
Re music/songs to remember--my 34yo niece,working Mum, sees many musicals that visits her city.We recently saw the same show-I commented that there was no memorable music-her response-she didn't care-she had a great time and thoroughly enjoyed the show and thought it was $100.well spent.Maybe that is what todays' composers are doing--just trying to give the audience a good time-if a song happens to live outside the show--that's just a bonus.
If you want to go to the Billboard Charts (and the Billboard Dance Chart is admittedly a strange place to go in that regard, or at least a niche place to go) let's not forget that last year THE BOOK OF MORMON reached #3 on the Album Chart (territory unheard of since HAIR...) or that, shudders to think it nevertheless, season 3 of GLEE sent both "Somewhere" and "You Can't Stop the Beat" into the Hot 100 Singles Chart.
Words don't deserve that kind of malarkey. They're innocent, neutral, precise, standing for this, describing that, meaning the other, so if you look after them you can build bridges across incomprehension and chaos. But when they get their corners knocked off, they're no good anymore…I don't think writers are sacred, but words are. They deserve respect. If you get the right ones in the right order, you can nudge the world a little.
I was just flipping through the photos of the robe ceremony. I wasn't paying attention to the names on the pictures. I actually thought the pictures were of a woman. He is beautiful.
He is. I saw the show today and I couldn't keep my eyes off him. But he was also the only one who had no idea what the lyrics were, and he wasn't even trying to sing for most of the numbers. Because of that, I assumed he was the swing we had today who maybe hadn't had enough rehearsal time before going on, so the fact that he is a regular Angel is actually kind of disappointing.
Nothing matters but knowing nothing matters. ~ Wicked
Everything in life is only for now. ~ Avenue Q
There is no future, there is no past. I live this moment as my last. ~ Rent
Did you like it? I just saw it and I couldn't believe how much I fell in love with it and with Porter. I wanted to throw roses at the stage after his last song.
For anyone who's interested, Robert Pendilla is currently playing the Joey Taranto track (an Angel, the wrestling emcee etc) as Joey's injured. Has anyone seen Robert or any of the swings in the Angels tracks?
Jordan we LOVED it. I went back and looked at the pans written by Teachout , Matthew Murray and Robert Feldberg to see if I could understand what planet they are living on. I couldn't.
I'd have a tough time choosing between this and Matilda for the Tony, but I think it would be KB based on the score.
CZJ at opening night party for A Little Night Music, Dec 13, 2009.
Does anyone know who's temporarily replacing Joey Taranto as an angel? I saw a tweet yesterday they were brining someone in while he was recovering from a broken leg
I saw it last night and noticed two covers listed on the understudy board. There was an insert for Timothy Ware who was on for Eugene Barry-Hill, but no slip for the Angel cover. I think it was Robert Pendilla on for Joey, but I can't be sure.
"In theater, the process of it is the experience. Everyone goes through the process, and everyone has the experience together. It doesn't last - only in people's memories and in their hearts. That's the beauty and sadness of it. But that's life - beauty and the sadness. And that is why theater is life." - Sherie Rene Scott