Posted: 6/3/16 at 2:05am
On paper, "Nothing" from A Chorus Line is, I think, one of the greatest songs ever written for a musical. It tells us everything we need to know about the character, it tells a complete story with a beginning, middle, triumphant climax, and sad denouement, and it encompasses virtually the entire emotional spectrum, all wrapped up in a lovely, infectious melody. When I sing it to myself, I can actually make myself cry, it's so good (the song, not my singing).
In practice, though, it's another story. I can't listen to the original Broadway recording without physically cringing. I don't know what's worse: the jingly, '70s TV theme song arrangement, or Priscilla Lopez's hammy performance. She sings it without any inflection, and delivers every line, no matter the content, with the same uniform perkiness, as if she's singing "If My Friends Could See Me Now" or something, rather than a deeply heartfelt paean to performance. And unfortunately, every performance I've seen of this song take its cue from her, treating it like some comic trifle and not the powerhouse showstopper it could be.
Anyone else feel this way about a song? Are there any songs that you wish you could stage, just to unlock their potential and show the world what they can be?
