T.V Musicals

I was thinking back on some of my favorite t.v. shows the other day and I realized a trend, many shows had at least one musical episode from  Community  to even cartoons like Spongebob Squarepants (the latter ironically having a a stage show now ). But should t.v have musical episodes. Now I'm not talking about S.M.A.S.H, Glee or Galavant where the show is centered around music but rather the shows that are not and go back to their non musical ways after the episode. It does depend how it is done, for example if the cast can sing or not, if not then no. Sometimes if music is incoortapted in other episodes it fits in better. Sometimes it is such a huge contrast from the norm that it could hit and other times the audience will be left saying " well that came out if nowhere, what else is on ". In my personal opinion it varies from show to show, but when it's forced you can tell, when it does work it is a pleasant surprise.

What's on My Playlist vol. 1

Welcome to a new segment where I just share what tunes I have been listening to, this will be super specific so you will know what version to look in to in case you want to add it to your playlist or buy these songs. This is not a list though a couple more, as well as some reviews and other fun projects are coming. These are just what I have been blasting on repeat , shows older and more current are included.

Breath from " In The Heights " - This song has so much character development in it, also an amazing tempo and a calmer feel, this is a great one

Put on Your Sunday Clothes from the revival of " Hello Dolly " - a perfect classic feel, amazing build up and a very catchy song

Waving Through A Window from " Dear Evan Hansen " - Ever since hearing this shortly before the Tony Awards such a powerful song from such a great show

Me and the Sky from " Come From Away "- a new but beautiful song full of heart, I highly recommend this one

Pure Imagination from " Charlie and the Choclate Facotry "  London Cast- A different interpretation of a classic song much like how the show is a different interpration of the book and films. This classic song carried over from the film " Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Facorty " is another great and uplifting version,  I am very excited to look at the version with Christian Borle where that version comes out

Open A New Window from " Mame " - I am still fairly new to musicals, this blog is not only a place to enjoy broadway but for the writer and reader ti grow as we bith discover bew things. So when I look for new shows it's going back and fourth between the classics and what us currently running, with a little help form the internet and my Broadway
encyclopedia I discovered this song from this classic show, this is nothing short of uplifting and catchy, truly a classic tune

And that is it for this installment, see you again soon, and I hope I introduced you to some songs for your playlist.

Upcoming Musicals I am Looking Forward To

Recently news has been flooding in on next year's Broadway season, as someone who always loves adding more songs to my ever expanding playlist old and new here are a few of the shows I will be keeping my eye on.

. Frozen: although the movie has been everywhere since the film debuted, but Disney has a track record of making awesome stage adaptations of films, even making films that were not the best really amazing for example Newsies is in my top 5, and I recommend it any day it is some if Alan Menkins best. So I am optimistic to see the new songs and whay they do with twice the amount of time, and my guess is " let it go" will be the big song before intermission

. Spongebob Squarepants the musical: when I first read about this show opening in Chicago I rolled my eyes, but I am interested, how are they going to bring this cartoon to the stage? What will the story be? I not only am slightly optimistic but also I am insanely curious to see how this will play out.

.Carousel and My Fair Lady Revival : After falling in love with the revival of " Hello Dolly " I am open to seeing more classic shows brought back, as I wait to hear more I plan on doing research about the productions and original runs, I love these revivals because they show us how these shows became classic in the first place is  and still hold up today.

There are many more shows announced, some are just rumors, but I am open to hearing about other shows, I was so focused on " The Great Comet " that " Dear Evan Hansen " surprised me and I just started listening to it three days before  the Tony Awards because I knew it was nominated. So surprises still come

The 71st Annual Tony Awards : The Performances

Now that the dust has settled and the awards have been handed out let's look back at each performance from the 71st Annual Tony Awards.

The Openeing :  Was hit and miss, for people who have followed all the shows this season it was hilarious, but for those who wanted to find new performances this would be hard to follow, funny for those who got it, and a strong ending.

Come From Far Away  " Welcome to the Rock ": Very catchy and a solid opening number, had a lot of heart and really set the tone of the show and had great atmosphere, an excellent tune to open with.

Miss Saigon " I'd Give My Life for You/ Exodus" : it was grand in scope but I was very confused . The scene chosen had heavy emotion but I did not know the context, though  I felt like I was seeing a crucial moment from the show and I didn't know the whole story, so I had to do some research. Otherwise it was fine

Falsettos " A Day in Falsetto Land": peppy and upbeat, but the song didn't stick with me like some of the others did, a serviceable opening number with a catchy melody but I forgot about it until now.

Dear Evan Hansen " Waving Through A Window " : this was nothing short of amazing, this was my favorite performance of the night, it captured a strong emotion the whole way through, nothing short of excellent, a new favorite on my playlist.

Groundhog Day " Seeing You": A cute love song, it was enjoyable but not a really standout performance

Hello Dolly " A Penny in my Pocket " : A ton of fun, David Hyde Peirce held his own with this catchy tune that was originally cut, but it had that enjoyable classic feel, a treat indeed and another song I added to my playlist shortly after the show .

Cynthia Erivo, Leslie Odom Jr. And the Radio City Rockkettes "New York " : Super amazing and fun, the dancing  was incredible, I only wish there was a tad more singing, but overall this was great

War Paint " Face to Face " " A very powerful number, packed with emotion with amazing vocals, a very solid performance and both of the singers did a fantastic job

Natasha, Pierre and The Great Comet of 1812 " Dust and Ashes/ The Abduction" : very energetic and memorable, with amazing vocals and instrumentation , especially from Josh Groban, but it also felt like it was all over the place, mashing the two songs together made me kind of wish they just picked one, and even though this must be a great view on stage, I felt so much was going on the camera man didn't know where to focus, a good performance with a few flaws.

Bandstand " Nobody " excellent music and choreography, very energetic and captured the feel of that era, set the mood and was a very catchy tune, this underrated gem was fantastic

The Closing number: nice, sweet and simple, had a classic feel and a grand finale to a great night

Now the countdown until next year begins

People who I want to host the next Tony Awards

New Hosts I want to see  :

Lin Manuel Miranda- enough said

Emily Blunt - she does musical movies I say let her host theaters biggest night

Bette Midler- she would definitely make it a night to remember

Returning Hosts I want to see again:

Nathan lane- he has been a staple of theater so a return for a fourth time would be welcome

Neil Patrick Harris - He has rocked the house and would do it again

Hugh Jackman - see above reasoning

James Corden- He did amazing last year and I think he has a lot to offer

No matter who hosts though, one thing is sure, it celebrates theater with some unforgettable performances

The 71st Annual Tony Awards Post Awards Celebration

And with that another Tony Award show has passed as we wait for next years favorites, but I am not done yet, this week will be my post award show celebration, so what does that entail? I will be talking about event as well as diving into a few of the shows mentioned, so raise the curtains this award celebration is far from over

Looking Back at Last Years Tony Awards.

Before I jump head first into shows like " Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812 " and " Dear Evan Hansen". Let's look back at 5 moments that stood out to me from last year's Tony Awards. And these are just 5 moments, no one is above the other.

5. The Color Purple Performance : encouraged, inspired are but a few of the emotions I felt after this powerful performance, I have not listened to any more of the show as of this post, this one performance did what it was set out to do, it caught my attention and made me want to learn more about this production. If the album is as amazing as this I am on for a surprise.

4. The Ham for Ham
I loved the Ham for Ham lottery youtube videos, they always brought something different from actors performing different songs to different takes from celebrities on Hamilton favorites (weird al and Jimmy Fallon are some of my faves). Seeing all the different casts of the current Broadway line up perform classics was a real treat

3. The love for the Orlando nightclub victims : A terrible incident had happened that morning, families were broken in a senseless act of violence, yet the theater did what it does best, accept anyone no matter who they were with open arms, from sppeches and acknowledgements, the theater is truly a one of a kind place that accepts everyone.

2. The opening number: after a heartfelt speech James Cordern took the stage and brought an unforgettable performance, singing and dancing through so many Broadway shows was a great time, with a but if inspiration at the end saying it could be you on the stage, from fun to heart warming, it was a great way to start the night.

1. All the Hamilton: though it may have not beat the record held by " The Producers" for most Tony Awards it did make an impact. From great speeches from the cast to the Broadway legand Barbara Streisand presenting the final award, this show got all the love it deserved and will go down in history as a classic

With the Tonys being tonight as of this post here's to an amazing unforgettable night filled with great performances, and let's see who wins, I will recap the show among a few other surprises. Till then enjoy the show

The Tony Awards

The Tony Awards are amazing, they are like the super bowl for theater fans. This always sticks out to me because we get tidbits of shows we have listened to on constant repeat or find our new favorite show from the small performance. I feel that the big competitors this season will be between the great comet and dear Evan Hansen. I'll will share my reviews and reactions as the day gets closer and ultimately arrives .

Top 5 Reprises

Just the other day I was listening to Annie one of my favorite shows..... wait a second you have heard this all before this is a top 5 of some of my favorite reprises, the reprise can not be a part of a finale since that deserves a list on its own. Minor Spoilers for certain shows ahead, 

5. A Man Has Dreams/ Spoonful of Sugar reprise (Mary Poppins, Broadway) : This is a great moment in the show where we see Mr Banks at his lowest only for Bert to help him refocus and know whats important, using a song that was meant to teach something to the kids helps Mr Banks set things right, and that is what makes a good reprise, using the same melody and sometimes similar lyrics to bring something new to the story. 

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4. To Thine Own Self reprise (Something Rotten) : Something Rotten is something special, it's a fun show with many homages to Shakespeare one of my favorite playwrights, but we will talk more about the bard later and lets talk about the reprise. This reprise has a character finally apologizing and asking for help, the song is slower and sweeter and has tons of heart, reaching what one of the other characters wanted to convey, going full circle

3. Tomorrow reprise (Annie): Now here we are the number that had me thinking about reprises to begin with, this may not change the words but it adds more vocals, and it helps progress the story, with a touch of historical fiction that proves to be fun and comical, this reprise does a good job of using one of the best songs from the show. 

2. Legally Blonde Reprise (' ... ') : This song is a lot of fun, happening immediately after the song " Legally Blonde" this song has Elle Woods getting back into the swing of things while also being a giant number with a great dance break, the song beings pumping you up, but before the epic final note there are hints to the other great songs from earlier in the sow, it is an awesome reprise with a medley sprinkled in for good measure. 

1. Watch What Happen reprise ( Newsies) (L) : This is not my favorite song from Newsies maybe not even in my top five, but this is an amazing respire and a prime example that people who want to have a reprise in their work should follow. This not only shows a character who feels down, being encouraged and deciding to jump back into the fray in a short song. The four voice melody and use of an already catchy tune again but for another purpose fits like a glove. This is not only a tune you snap  along too, this is also a great song to listen to when all hope seems lost, a great fun encouraging song, not just another reprise to fill up space. 

So there is my list, what are your favorite reprises please share I may even find a new show I will want to talk about, until I revisit and reprise this topic, hope you enjoyed my list.