Back to Before by a 17 year-old boy

#1

Back to Before by a 17 year-old boy

Posted: 8/10/10 at 2:09am

Just wondered what anyone thought. I always find it interesting when a song can take on an entirely different context when you shift the performer or the situation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHjb2xyVxQ4

Updated On: 8/10/10 at 02:09 AM

#2

Back to Before by a 17 year-old boy

Posted: 8/10/10 at 2:14am

I remember seeing this a while ago, and thinking how nice his voice is.

#3

Back to Before by a 17 year-old boy

Posted: 8/10/10 at 2:16am

Not impressed.

#4

Back to Before by a 17 year-old boy

Posted: 8/10/10 at 2:17am

I would have settled with "You were my wife. It never occured to have more." I'm not sure if the message would be the same, but regardless, he's really good.

#5

Back to Before by a 17 year-old boy

Posted: 8/10/10 at 2:23am

Wow. The related clip of Aaron Tveit singing it.

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#6

Back to Before by a 17 year-old boy

Posted: 8/10/10 at 2:41am

I did similar lyric changes when I did it. Except I went to "You were my life" so that the rhyme stayed.

It sounds like he was straining for the upper notes.

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http://www.youtube.com/huskcharmer

#7

Back to Before by a 17 year-old boy

Posted: 8/10/10 at 2:46am

There wasn't much emotion there.

#8

Back to Before by a 17 year-old boy

Posted: 8/10/10 at 2:47am

Listen/watch the same kid sing Scott Alan's "Now". VERY nice.

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#9

Back to Before by a 17 year-old boy

Posted: 8/10/10 at 5:24am

I would.

#10

Back to Before by a 17 year-old boy

Posted: 8/10/10 at 7:38am

Yea, not much going on there emotionally.

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....but the world goes 'round

#11

Back to Before by a 17 year-old boy

Posted: 8/10/10 at 7:49am

He needs to get rid of the annoying habit of shaking his head from side to side to indicate emotion. Other than that, I think if he wore Mother's hat we'd barely notice the vocal straining at all.

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Art has a double face, of expression and illusion.

#12

Back to Before by a 17 year-old boy

Posted: 8/10/10 at 8:09am

I agree about Aaron Tveit's verson. Gave me chills, he is amazing...the other kid, not so much.

#13

Back to Before by a 17 year-old boy

Posted: 8/10/10 at 8:16am

When you are following Noll and Mazzie you have to at least bring some urgency or intensity. That was limp. Plus, he breaks character and smiles after he does one of the money notes. It didnt do it for me.

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"The sexual energy between the mother and son really concerns me!"-random woman behind me at Next to Normal "I want to meet him after and bang him!"-random woman who exposed her breasts at Rock of Ages, referring to James Carpinello

#14

Back to Before by a 17 year-old boy

Posted: 8/10/10 at 10:58am

I wasn't blown away by his performance but was surprised by how effective it was. I kept thinking how he hardly made any changes and suddenly it was about a kid telling his parents he's gay.

#15

Back to Before by a 17 year-old boy

Posted: 8/10/10 at 11:56am

Joe, I love your point about how the context of the song shifts based on the singer. Here I was just critiquing the kid, but you raise a great point about the poignancy. I felt the same when I saw a gay kid sing "Defying Gravity" and all of a sudden it was about coming out.

That being said, the kid doesn't come out in the video and if he reads as gay when singing he is gonna get passed over for a lot of leading man roles. Its sad but true.

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"The sexual energy between the mother and son really concerns me!"-random woman behind me at Next to Normal "I want to meet him after and bang him!"-random woman who exposed her breasts at Rock of Ages, referring to James Carpinello

#16

Back to Before by a 17 year-old boy

Posted: 8/10/10 at 12:10pm

Strong potential. Nice talent, good looker, but needs acting lessons. And yes, he needs to get rid of his habit of shaking his head (perhaps he was inspired by Catherine Zeta-Jones' performance on the Tonys?...).

Here's to hoping he gets in a great musical theatre conservatory or program at a university/college. If he awakens his emotional life and is able to bring that into his acting...he could very well be in the next generation of Broadway talent.

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"The Spectacle has, indeed, an emotional attraction of its own, but, of all the parts, it is the least artistic, and connected least with the art of poetry. For the power of Tragedy, we may be sure, is felt even apart from representation and actors. Besides, the production of spectacular effects depends more on the art of the stage machinist than on that of the poet."
--Aristotle

#17

Back to Before by a 17 year-old boy

Posted: 8/10/10 at 12:18pm

I've always thought that 'Back to Before' could be taken out of the Ragtime context and used for individual purposes. That said, the lyrics 'women in white, and sturdy young men at the......" took me right back to the world of Ragtime/the time period.

This young man in the video is very bold and I applaud his tenacity to stay with his chosen moments. Good for him. After all, theatre is about taking risks.

#18

Back to Before by a 17 year-old boy

Posted: 8/10/10 at 1:09pm

See I liked the new symbolism of that line: A choice between "Women in white" (i.e a bridal gown) and messing around behind the boathouse with one of those "Sturdy young men at the oars." I thought of the Pet Shop Boys talking about "Behind the cricket pavilion and the bicycle shed/ Trembling as your dreams came true"

#19

Back to Before by a 17 year-old boy

Posted: 8/10/10 at 2:18pm

If he were a woman this would have been good. Not because the song shouldn't ever be sung by a man..... but because he seems to have approached it like a woman to be honest. Nice voice, femininely acted. IMO.

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#20

Back to Before by a 17 year-old boy

Posted: 8/10/10 at 10:35pm

He sounds like a girl.

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#21

Back to Before by a 17 year-old boy

Posted: 8/10/10 at 11:15pm

JoeKV99, that's a great way of looking at it, and to be honest, I hadn't thought of it in that way...the same way I never thought of Your Daddy's Son as such:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yb7OkdI8adQ&playnext=1&videos=02nqP8p1ZQg

Looking at it from that angle would require such a committed actor who interpreted the lyrics as such a way you described it. I simply applaud this young man for his bold take on the song and wish him all the best in his chosen profession. He's got talent!!!!

#22

Back to Before by a 17 year-old boy

Posted: 8/10/10 at 11:21pm

So how long before this kid is cast in a tour or something like that other girl who did Ladies Who Lunch exactly like Barbara Walsh?

#23

Back to Before by a 17 year-old boy

Posted: 8/10/10 at 11:42pm

Not to undermine his talent by any means, but do you think it was his direct intention to shift the meaning?

#24

Back to Before by a 17 year-old boy

Posted: 8/11/10 at 12:06am

Anyone bother to see how high it goes? Even with the key shift the tessitura is pretty high.

#25

Back to Before by a 17 year-old boy

Posted: 8/11/10 at 12:08am

I think Ab4. At least that is what the big note at the end is (We can never go back to before)