Little Moments on Cast Recordings That You Love — Page 14

GREY GARDENS - In "Around the World" when Christine says "And if you infer that they were using her, I WILL SHOVE YOU UNDER THE GODDAMN BED!" it gives me goosebumps.

EDWIN DROOD - The entirety of Patti singing "Moonfall." One of my favorite musical songs of all time.

WICKED - That heinous woman literally screaming the final note on the album. It makes me happy.

Next to Normal
I'm Alive (Reprise) "...the medicine failed and the doctors lied."
How his voice gets during these lyrics and he just sneers "lied"

So Anyway
"What doctors called dysfunction, we tried to call romance..."
Ripley pausing for the slightest moment before "doctors", and there's just something about the way she sings this that I can't really put my finger on, but I'm obsessed with it.

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I'm becoming obsessed with Next to Normal...

My favorite OCR moment: "Try the grey stuff...its delicious!" from Beauty and the Beast...LOVE IT!!!

Next to Normal-

When Diana deadpans "walking" at the beginning of "Make Up Your Mind."

Natalies "this is one ****ed up seduction."

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On the Hair revival recording, loving Kacie Sheik's "Air," especially, "I'm looking rather attractive NOW THAT I'm radioactive, just watch me spark I glow in the dark."

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And another Next to Normal moment...
Perfect for You
"You've got some nerve, Henry, and I'm just all nerves."
I think it's a mix of the lyrics and the power put behind it. Amazing.

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Continuing with the next to normal moments... I love "What makes you think I'd lose my mind for you? I'm no sociopath. I'm no Sylvia Plath." in "Didn't I See This Movie?".

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My (current) favourite moment in Next to Normal is ... well, everything Adam Chanler Berat sings, but particularly in A Promise "a boy wonders should I stay ... oh oh-oh oh, either way." Gorgeous.

Just some highlights from cast recordings that I've been listening to a lot lately...

The Story Of My Life
I Didn't See Alvin: "I didn't see that tear on his coat" right after a rather long silence around 0:50. Kills me every time.

Company (recent Broadway revival)
Marry Me A Little: "want me more than others, not exclusively" around 0:35

Shrek The Musical
Who I'd Be: Brian's sigh when he sings "I get the girl" around 2:17

In The Heights
Finale: "The hydrants are open cool breezes blow" in the background around 4:30

Next To Normal
I've Been: "this act we act gets more and more absurd" around 0:32
You Don't Know: the drums around 0:27
So Anyway: "it's time for me to fly" around 2:20
I'm Alive: "no, no, no" around 2:34

When it comes to N2N, I could go on and on... :)

Elke,

I second 'Hydrants are open'. I'm also obsessed with Andrea's vibrato on the words street when she says 'on the street' during Carnaval Del Barrio.

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RAGTIME
*Your Daddy's Son: Pretty much this entire song...but I love her sharp intake of breath after "when I buried you in the ground" It's like she's finally waking up from her hysterical rant. LOVE IT!
*Justice: When Coalhouse sings "and til then, i will not MAAAAAAAARRY." chills everytime.
*and the climax of Til We Reach That Day: Oh Lord I PRAAAAAAY! and its a capella with the entire chorus singing that minor chord. Amazing.

Next to Normal
*I think the entire melody of I Miss the Mountains is so wonderfully written, but the entire into with the piano and strings, and Alice's part about "the wild girl running free" is awesome. I love the way she sort of bites her R's throughout the recording.
*I second Make Up Your Mind/Catch Me I'm Falling because of the heartbeats that come in when everyone's singing "catch me, I'm falling" and when J. Robert Spencer sings "he's not here" and Jennifer Damiano sings "she's not there". Fantastic.

The Last Five Years
*The Next Ten Minutes: When Jamie and Cathy are waltzing at their wedding, the audience should be enjoying the happiest moments of their lives, but the violins play "I Could Never Rescue You," just like they do during "I'm Still Hurting." It's subconsciously reminding the audience of their ill-fated relationship. Genius

The current cast of HAIR recording:

During the "Aquarius/Ain't Got No/Yip Up the Sun" combo in the end. When Gavin starts singing "Ain't Got No" and right after the first drum bang. His voice sort of cracks and with each successive drum bang it sounds more and more like he's dying. Then the final "Ain't Got No" is so melodic.... Kills me every time I hear it.

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Michael Ball in Les Mis - "My world if she's not the-ey-ere".

As We Stumble Along (reprise) from Drowsy, "It does what a musical is supposed to do, it lifts you up and gives you a little tune to carry with you in your head for when you're feeling blue" I just melt. That show gives me the warm fuzzies!

Much as I hate to admit it, the intro to One Song Glory on the movie soundtrack of Rent.

Those are the first few that come to mind without my ipod to hand.