Musings on Musicals

A collaborative blog - all welcome to post on musicals

Heaven On Their Minds - Carl Anderson - Jesus Christ Superstar (1973)

This is one of my favourite songs from one of my favourite musicals.  Directed by one of my favourite directors, Norman Jewison.  I'm looking forward to a local school production planned (PDF download information here) next month and I hope the students watch the film and in particular this amazing performance by Carl Anderson.

The Princess of Dreams Sings

Something cool happened to me last week and I wanted to share it with you.

When I was younger and despite having close family and friends, I had - like many of us - moments of self-doubt and a feelings of isolation. Specifically, I'd wonder and worry about who would there to help me through life's twists and turns. To help me through these times, I'd listen to a song by Irene Cara called "Out Here On My Own" from the Fame soundtrack. I've always related to this song. The specific lyric that spoke to me was:

"When I'm down and feelin' blue, I close my eyes so I can be with you"

It was my way of coping by dreaming about the person who would be with me through life's trials and tribulations. That dream came true when I met my soul mate, Kerry Pintado who I married almost 25 years ago.

So back to the cool thing. I re-connected with my extremely talented singer friend, Lee Safar two years ago. To me, she is a Princess of Dreams and is an Angel of Inspiration to many through her music and Dreamangel work. I'd been hounding her for months to do a cover of this special song at one of her gigs. She politely said she'd consider it and didn't expect to hear back as she jetted off to Los Angeles to further her singing career.

Lee came back to Australia in early June to play some gigs in Sydney. Last Friday, Kerry and I attended the first of her two shows at the Piano Bar in Sydney's King Cross. Lee had given me the honor of introducing her that evening and she did hint that she was going to do "that" song. I prepared my trusty Flipcam to record the moment on video (despite the occasional car horns, police sirens and drink shakers going off in the background).

Then, this happened ... I'll let Lee finish the story through the video (press play now).

Always interested in your thoughts via comments on this post.


 
 

Flash mob breaks record, 232 performers do umbrella dance to Singin' in the Rain /via @meaghery

Who would've thought my good mate and sports-nut Craig Meagher would provide this gem of a link via Twitter today, a flash mob gathered at the Bath Dance Festival in England and performed to Singin' in the Rain, my favourite film of all time.  They've claimed the Guinness World Record with 232 dancers for the world's largest umbrella dance.

Memories of The Sound of Music - Favourite Things /cc @iggypintado @kristinrohan @jadecraven @lurkmoophy

One of my favourite movies from childhood, The Sound of Music, still stands the test of time as great family entertainment.  I was thrilled to be reminded of it by my children tonight who had a school project involving learning the lyrics to the song "Favourite Things".  Here's some classic  footage from the film with the children singing part of the song, as they are missing Maria.

Next To Normal

I've always had a bit of a thing for the more obscure musicals out there. While most musical lovers were introduced via Rodgers and Hammerstein, Andrew Lloyd Weber or Les Mis, my interest was first sparked by Jason Robert Brown's Last Five Years. While not exactly fringe, it wasn't a Cameron Mackintosh either, and seems to have kept me on the track of liking newer, more contemporary musicals as opposed to the 'classics'.

In recent years, my love has been of the new school of popular musicals. I fell in love with Spring Awakening, In the Heights and [Title of Show], as well as discovering some other brilliant works like I Love You Because and I Sing! as well as the formidable repertoire of composers like Kerrigan and Lowdermilk, Jason Robert Brown and Pete MIlls.

My recent love has been of the musical Next To Normal, which was robbed of the Tony by Billy Elliot, but picked up Best Score and Best Leading Actress for Alice Ripley. Quite right too. Next Too Normal is a heartbreaking story of a mother with bipolar who refuses to accept reality, and the effects of her illness on her family.It deals with pretty heavy issues and does it with one of the best scores I've heard out of Broadway for a long while. 

Do yourselves a favour and get the recording of Next to Normal, or if you are making any trips to New York then book tickets! It's an amazing show that deserves not to be missed.

Signing off from London,