Best Sondheim Song for Sign Language Interpretation?

[brettarnett]

Posted: 11/18/11 at 1:09am

Hey guys!

I need your help! I have to do a interpretation or transliteration (my choice) of a song in American Sign Language or CASE, respectively. As the easiest songs to sign are ones that are mini scenes, the first composer I thought of was Mr. Sondheim. The only draw back is that his lyrics are almost always paced so quickly. Can you guys think of any powerful or funny sondheim songs that aren't too quick that may be a good performance piece for my final?

I need to come up with 3 possibilities by Tuesday. My only Idea so far is "Losing My Mind."

Oh and it doesn;t have to be Sondheim but I am far enough into my degree where the songs cannot be simple and straight forward. They must have depth beyond the words. But I am open to songs by other composers if you have suggestions.

Thanks again for all the help!

[SondheimFan5]

Posted: 11/18/11 at 1:12am

Really neat idea...


Try:
Everybody Says Don't, Not Getting Married Today, Franklin Shepherd Inc, Now (from 'Night Music'), I'm Still Here. Just because the first 4 are so fast they would be highly entertaining to watch, and the latter because I'd love to see hand gestures for all the names.


Updated On: 11/18/11 at 01:12 AM

[chewy5000]

Posted: 11/18/11 at 1:15am

Rose's Turn could be fun

[binau]

Posted: 11/18/11 at 1:16am

lol.

What about Send in the Clowns? It's quite slow and has pauses between the lyrics that would make it easy to sign. (Too simple?)

Updated On: 11/18/11 at 01:16 AM

[brettarnett]

Posted: 11/18/11 at 1:26am

Not Getting Married Today would be an absolute riot if I had enough time to learn it but I think I only have a couple days.
I'm Still Here-I initially thought this was going it be my song! But with all the names and references, I;d have to fingerspell too much therefore making less singing
But Now, Soon, or Later could be very promising... But Rose's Turn hmmm I'll try it out. Any more ideas?

[everythingISpossible]

Posted: 11/18/11 at 1:30am

Children Will Listen

[HeyMrMusic]

Posted: 11/18/11 at 1:41am

Haha, that would be so cruel, SondheimFan5! Those are all hard enough in English...

I think one that would work really well (if you're up for the challenge) is "Moments in the Woods" from Into the Woods. There are so many different acting beats and opposites that would work well with ASL. Just like the song in English, there would be shifts in tempo, body language, facial expression, questions and answers, etc. Again, this would be difficult, but it would be a fun one.

If you'd prefer something easier (well, a ballad), something like "No One Is Alone" from Into the Woods or maybe "I Remember" from Evening Primrose could work. Sondheim is a good composer to choose from because he uses imagery and comparisons that I think would work well when interpreted in ASL. Just as long as the lyric doesn't have heavy use of wordplay.

[brettarnett]

Posted: 11/18/11 at 2:09am

So far I think Everythingispossible and HeyMrMusic are winning, are you fluent in Asl HeyMrMusic? You do know a lot of asl components

[ClapYo'Hands]

Posted: 11/18/11 at 2:50am

Children Will Listen, My Friends or Move On. :) Updated On: 11/18/11 at 02:50 AM

[pinoyidol2006]

Posted: 11/18/11 at 4:13am

"Being Alive" - I don't think has any names in it if you do a version without the "How do you know so much about it..." crap
"I Feel Pretty" from WSS
"The Strip" from Gypsy would be HI-larious if you make sexy faces
"Now" or "Later" would be good. If you do "Soon," you'll have to cut the part when all three start singing.
"Every Day A Little Death" is a lovely song that's very doable, I think.
"Moments in the Woods" or "Giants in the Sky" I think would be pretty cool

Follies definitely has a lot of good ones.

P.S.
In the BBC Proms for Sondheim, they performed "Weekend in the Country." I wonder how the sign language interpreter at the event handled that.

[AMH]

Posted: 11/18/11 at 7:12am

I think "Hello, Little Girl" from INTO THE WOODS could be kind of funny.

[Bohemiatina]

Posted: 11/18/11 at 8:43am

How fun! When I was learning ASL, we had an assignment where we had to choose a random song to sign to. I did "I Speak 6 Languages" from "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee". It was a blast!

"Could I Leave You?" from Follies would be fun to play with. "Worst Pies in London" would be a hoot as well.

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 11/18/11 at 8:43am

Mr. Goldstone
Someone In A Tree
No One Is Alone
The Worst Pies In London

[HeyMrMusic]

Posted: 11/18/11 at 8:54am

brettarnett, I minored in ASL in college. I've gotten so rusty though since you don't encounter too many people when you do musical theatre. But I do love seeing interpreted shows. I didn't particularly like Memphis, but I happened to attend an ASL interpreted performance, and I thought the interpreters were giving more interesting performances than the onstage actors. There's a lot of acting that goes into ASL, which is I think what drew me to it.

I think one of the most moving interpretations I've seen is "Blue Wind" from Spring Awakening. Not Sondheim, but it was beautiful to see the interpreter create the imagery that is somewhat lost when listening to the lyrics alone.

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 11/18/11 at 8:58am

Not that I know much about ASL, but I immediately thought of That'll Show Him from Forum for some reason.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 11/18/11 at 9:07am

The easiest would be some of the material from PACIFIC OVERTURES because lots of the lyrics are written in simple Haiku like verse.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 11/18/11 at 10:31am

Brett, are you fluent in ASL? I'm studying to be an ASL interpreter as well and have been learning a few Sondheim songs on my own. If you're looking for something easy I enjoy signing "Stay With Me". A harder song but a lot of fun to sign is "The Worst Pies In London".

Other "easier" songs that would be good might be "There Won't Be Trumpets", "Not a Day Goes By", "Sorry-Grateful", "Loving You", "Children & Art", "Beautiful", "Sooner or Later".

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 11/18/11 at 10:58am

Does it have to be a solo? If not, my first thought was There Is No Other Way from Pacific Overtures. Another one I love is I Read from Passion.

Since you said it doesn't have to be Sondheim, here are some other thoughts:

Fable - Light in the Piazza
Invisible - Women on the Verge
Holding to the Ground - Falsettoland
When I Look at You - Scarlet Pimpernel
Change - A New Brain (very relevant for today's social and political climate)
With One Look - Sunset Boulevard (to me, signing a song about conveying expression with no words is rather poignant)
I Hate the Bus - Caroline, or Change
I Miss the Mountains - Next to Normal

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 11/18/11 at 11:02am

If you're looking for something other than Sondheim, "With One Look" or even "As If We Never Said Goodbye" would be great. "Memory" would be beautiful, as well.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 11/18/11 at 11:12am

Also, I signed "Dyin' Ain't So Bad" from BONNIE & CLYDE the other day. It's an excellent song to sign.

[twinbelters]

Posted: 11/18/11 at 1:20pm

I immediately thought of Somewhere and No One Is Alone. Non-Sondheim: If I Had A Million Dollars grok The Me Nobody Knows with signed solos. =)

[Gaveston2]

Posted: 11/18/11 at 1:34pm

I'm surprised nobody has suggested "Losing My Mind." If the OP is considering "Worst Pies in London", then "Losing..." is probably too simple. But I think it would be beautiful in ASL.

[brettarnett]

Posted: 11/18/11 at 3:41pm

Thanks for all the suggestions!

Jordan- Let's just say that I SHOULD be fluent. I have completed all my sign language classes and have been taking interpreting/transliteration classes. I have three classes left in my Interpreter Training Program (SL-ITP). But my one vice is that I don't practice enough, making my vocabulary suffer. But other than that I can commuicate very well using ASL. Strangely enough, when I am having a conversation my vocabulary is fine but wjen I am interpreting the situation is completely opposite. Well I guess it is not strange since interepting is very, very different than just speaking(or signing!) a language. How long have you been studying? Where are you going to school if you don't mind me asking? I wonder because I remember search for ITP programs in the city and was unable to come up with any, well except for one stellar looking program through LaGuardia. One thing I have found so far is that interpreting really is not that difficult but interpreting well is where the hard work comes in.

So far I think my three songs will be
-Losing My Mind
-The Strip(2008 version)
-????