song ideas?

#1

song ideas?

Posted: 8/26/04 at 2:31pm

I"m putting together a typical NYC cabaret on my life, and was hoping someone could give me a better idea for a song about coming out of the closet...right now I'm doing "I Am What I Am"...and thats kind of expected and icky, so I'd love some other ideas. The show is kind of power-ballad heavy right now, so anything not ballady could work well.

Any ideas of songs? Particularly something that I can lift out of it's context in its original show.

#2

re: song ideas?

Posted: 8/26/04 at 2:34pm

instead of looking at it like a "coming out" song - why not sing a love song and just change the word from "her" to "him"...that should tell the audience that you are a homosexual. There are plenty of uptempo love songs to be found in the Broadway repertoire, and many are even fun and catchy...
(somebody help me out here) Coming out on stage is so overdone these days, I think its better just to express yourself as a man who loves men, and let the audience come to their own conclusions about you, than to hit them over the head with your sexuality right from the get-go.

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"I don't really get the ending,all i can go with is when after several months,Judith saw Pat sang,and later she kissed him on the toilet,after that the story back to where Pat went down from the stage after he'd sung,and he went to the italian lady.I just don't get it,what Judith exatcly meant when he kissed Pat that she had seen,and did Pat end up together with The Italian Lady?Please help me,thank u very much!" Quote from someone on IMDB in reference to a movie he/she didn't understand. Such grammar!

#3

re: song ideas?

Posted: 8/26/04 at 2:38pm

ive always liked that little song from Pippin, "I Guess I miss the man" is the first lyric, though the title escapes me right now...that is kinda sad though...

every day a little death

unexpected song....i think it works very well for a gay man

i have no idea what your life is like, so i don't know how helpful any of this can be...sorry...

#4

re: song ideas?

Posted: 8/26/04 at 2:48pm

I particularly like "Smalltown Boy". I think it would be a nice cabaret number that describes coming out.

#5

re: song ideas?

Posted: 8/26/04 at 2:51pm

Every day a little death is a good idea.

It comes in the cabaret at a point where I am just becoming okay with it myself. It's a realization, so it needs to come to the audience at that point.

Yeah, it's overdone as a topic...but it's my life, so while I wouldn't produce a new Bway show with that as the sole basis (nor will my show be centered around it), this show is about being honest despite what most people do.

I'm gonna start looking at Night Music...some good ideas in there.

#6

re: song ideas?

Posted: 8/26/04 at 2:53pm

I know you are not looking for a ballad, but I really fancy 50 percent from Ballroom. I think the message of this song is fabulous, especially with the "Gay Marrige" issue so hot now. "I Don't share his name, but he says he loves me, does'nt that make him belong to me?" I get chills everytime I think about it.

#7

re: song ideas?

Posted: 8/26/04 at 3:02pm

cmon nate, i don't think any subject matter is overdone as long as it's given a fresh perspective--for example, i wouldn't dismiss "I Am...Wife" as a "gay play" so i say go for it, girl!

lol

ps--i think there's alot of sondheim that works for gay men...hmmm who would've guessed?

#8

re: song ideas?

Posted: 8/26/04 at 3:26pm

What I meant, was that if I've seen one cabaret about a gay man coming out, I've seen a hundred - its just been done to death. Its ok to make it a part of the entire experience - but I think it detracts from the show if it becomes a focus. Thats all I was trying to say. (guess I'm just sick of seeing guys force their sexuality on the entire paying audience in such a way that it's obnoxious and in-their-face.)

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"I don't really get the ending,all i can go with is when after several months,Judith saw Pat sang,and later she kissed him on the toilet,after that the story back to where Pat went down from the stage after he'd sung,and he went to the italian lady.I just don't get it,what Judith exatcly meant when he kissed Pat that she had seen,and did Pat end up together with The Italian Lady?Please help me,thank u very much!" Quote from someone on IMDB in reference to a movie he/she didn't understand. Such grammar!

#9

re: song ideas?

Posted: 8/26/04 at 3:31pm

well, redhot--guess you know better than i do--i am NOT a fan of cabaret (the medium, not the show)

#10

re: song ideas?

Posted: 8/26/04 at 4:00pm

Cabaret is certainly not for everyone. It took me a while to get used to the idea - and mostly because there is an abundance of bad cabaret out there...when you get to see a truly great performer, like Julie Reyburn, Julie Wilson,etc; then you're lucky to see a wonderful performance. Its hard to find the performers who are REAL - who don't overact and try to impress you, but who just live in the moment and express what the lyrics are trying to say. Those are the performers who give me chills and inspire me to try and emulate their committment to truth.

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"I don't really get the ending,all i can go with is when after several months,Judith saw Pat sang,and later she kissed him on the toilet,after that the story back to where Pat went down from the stage after he'd sung,and he went to the italian lady.I just don't get it,what Judith exatcly meant when he kissed Pat that she had seen,and did Pat end up together with The Italian Lady?Please help me,thank u very much!" Quote from someone on IMDB in reference to a movie he/she didn't understand. Such grammar!

#11

re: song ideas?

Posted: 8/26/04 at 4:01pm

redhot--i think that goes for just about every performer...

#12

re: song ideas?

Posted: 8/26/04 at 4:06pm

I don't know that I've ever seen a cabaret with someone who "forced" their sexuality on an audience. Sure, a lot of gay people will mention being annoyed at not being able to love openly, etc...but it is being done so much to combat the hundreds and hundreds of years of oppressive Protestantism in this country. Perhaps it's ok for a lot of cabarets on the subject...you know, to re-saturate the world and balance the hate with the openness.

Not that my cabaret will be about this, of course. =)

#13

re: song ideas?

Posted: 8/26/04 at 4:07pm

Funny enough...I'm already using that song in another part of the show...right before the end of the show.

LOVE that song.

#14

re: song ideas?

Posted: 8/26/04 at 4:12pm

He can do it - Purlie (duet for 2 women)
Down Home - Purlie (duet for a man and a woman)

Two of my favorites

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Just give the world Love. - S. Wonder

#15

re: song ideas?

Posted: 8/26/04 at 4:14pm

I knew i was missing something by not buying the purlie BCR.

#16

re: song ideas?

Posted: 8/26/04 at 4:20pm

Purlie BCR?

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Just give the world Love. - S. Wonder

#17

re: song ideas?

Posted: 8/26/04 at 4:22pm

Broadway Cast Recording.

#18

re: song ideas?

Posted: 8/26/04 at 4:24pm

It is available on CD. I happend to be in a best buy, just browsing, about 2 years ago and there it was!!! It is the 1st B'way show I ever saw. If you can't find it anywhere, I would be glad to burn you a copy! (I even have it on vinyl! Does that date me or what?!!)

G

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Just give the world Love. - S. Wonder

#19

re: song ideas?

Posted: 8/26/04 at 4:25pm

Wow. You've dated yourself. Is this Elaine Stritch?

#20

re: song ideas?

Posted: 8/26/04 at 4:29pm

Huh?!!! Elaine sings Ladies who lunch.....but I have to apologize...I was posting in the wrong thread!!!! I thought this was the one with the person looking for songs for another cabaret show!!! But I enjoyed posting here anyway!!!

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Just give the world Love. - S. Wonder

#21

re: song ideas?

Posted: 8/26/04 at 4:32pm

But now that I know you are looking for a song about coming out of the closet....It is not a B'way tune but it is one of the most beautiful songs I have heard about being gay:

Elton's song - Elton John (From the album "The Fox")

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Just give the world Love. - S. Wonder

#22

re: song ideas?

Posted: 8/26/04 at 4:36pm

nate, i think he missed your elaine stritch joke

#23

re: song ideas?

Posted: 8/26/04 at 4:36pm

I was just mocking your claim that you were old because you have Purlie on vinyl. So, I called you Elaine Stritch...who is old. Very old. Looking at death just around the riverbend old.

Get it?

=)

Yes. I am lame.

#24

re: song ideas?

Posted: 8/26/04 at 4:41pm

Elaine Stritch will outlive us all, Possums...and rightfully so!

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"I don't really get the ending,all i can go with is when after several months,Judith saw Pat sang,and later she kissed him on the toilet,after that the story back to where Pat went down from the stage after he'd sung,and he went to the italian lady.I just don't get it,what Judith exatcly meant when he kissed Pat that she had seen,and did Pat end up together with The Italian Lady?Please help me,thank u very much!" Quote from someone on IMDB in reference to a movie he/she didn't understand. Such grammar!

#25

re: song ideas?

Posted: 8/26/04 at 4:44pm

Gotcha!!! And Redhot....I'll drink to that! (And one for Mahler!)

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Just give the world Love. - S. Wonder