Friday, August 04, 2006

Friday Five! On Broadway....

Well, here we go with another version of the Friday Five meme! Today we're getting all uptown with Broadway! Get out that top hat and cane, or the greasepaint--are you ready for the Great White Way?

1. Describe the last play or musical you saw. (At least provide the what, when, where, and why). What was your opinion of it?

Just two weeks ago I saw "Norman, is That You?" It was a fund-raiser as part of the Pride activities here in Windsor. The beneficiary was the Rainbow Fund, a scholarship for GLBT students at the University. The fund was founded by the young man who was shot back in January. It was very funny--about a young gay man, Norman, living in New York City with his psychiatrist lover, when his father comes to stay with him because Norman's mother has run off to Montreal with Norman's uncle (his father's brother). You see, Norman has not come out to his parents. It's funny and bittersweet--some of the things Norman's father does are the stereotypical things parents do when their kids come out to them--blame the lover, try to set them up with a sex worker (if they're male), blame the other parent, berate themselves...it's all there. The cast was great--they begged to be in this play, and there are only five roles, so competition was rough.

2. All time favorite play? Musical?

Play--probably either MacBeth or King Lear, although Lion in Winter is right up there too.
Musical--well, I know all the words to all the songs in Camelot. But I prefer the music in Evita, Cats, Cabaret and Carousel. I didn't say I was logical...

3. “The Producers,” “The Philadelphia Story,” “Hairspray,” “The Wedding Singer”…all were movies before they were musicals (okay “The Philadelphia Story” was a play and then a movie, and they changed its name when it became a musical, but whatever). What non-musical movie do you think should next get the musical treatment?

How about "Legally Blonde?" OK, OK. Perhaps "9 to 5?" It's halfway there already! I really can't think of one.

4. Favorite song from a musical? Why?

"When You Walk Through a Storm," from Carousel, because it helped me get through my freshman year at college (it was the musical my senior year of high school, plus I knew I sang it better than the girl who got the part). Well, or "The Jellicle Cats" from "Cats," because it's fun. Or "The Battle of the Thames," from the same musical, for the same reason. Or maybe "Buenes Aires," from Evita (except that Madonna never learned how to pronounce it properly), because it swoops you along and makes you want to go to "B.A.!" On the other hand, it was "Don't Cry for Me, Argentina" that I sang last time I did karaoke... Of course, there are the "patter songs" from Gilbert and Sullivan--my favourite G&S is "The Pirates of Penzance." "I am the very model of a modern major-general!"

5. The most recent trend in Broadway musical revues is to construct a show around the oeuvre of a particular super-group or composer, where existing songs are woven together with some kind of through story. The most successful of these (“Jersey Boys” (The Four Seasons), “Mamma Mia” (ABBA), “Movin’ Out” (Billy Joel)) have made a mint, but many (“All Shook Up” (Elvis), “Hot Feet” (Earth, Wind and Fire)) have bombed. What great pop/rock singer/composer or super-group should be the next to be featured, and what might the story-line be for such a show?

The Moody Blues; about the sixties and a group/band that gathers in San Francisco, and has a poet for a songwriter. That's about all I can come with on the spur of the moment. Maybe they travel around the US on a bus. But definitely the Moody Blues.

Bonus question for singer/actors. Favorite part you’ve ever played/sung.

Haha! You all will love this! I played Gollum in a musical production of "The Hobbit" by a young people's theater group when I was fourteen. I wore a wet suit and green makeup, and loved every minute of it. "What has roots as no one sees, taller, taller, far than trees?" (yes, that's from "The Riddle Song") "What has it got in its pocketses?" "We hates it, we hates the Baggins! We hates it forever!" Chew that scenery... The only reason I let Andy Serkis do the role for the movies is that I don't have Gollum's, um, shape, anymore...

Whoa, it's off to the CD rack for me! Time to play some of that great music!


"I know all the details of Caractacus's uniform!"


3 comments:

Marie said...

Ah, Evita. I do love that music. I was in the chorus for that show when I taught at a parochial school. Lots of alumni came back to be in it and they were my age then. It was a hoot. I often hear myself singing "Hello and goodbye. I've just unemployed you," when some snippy sales person ticks me off.

Hope the flood clean up is going well. You don't by any chance have a guest preacher this Sunday do you? If so, I may have been in class with her.

Rainbow Pastor said...

Yes, I certainly do have a guest preacher! I don't have the day off, however, as I am visiting another church for their anniversary celebration...

Unknown said...

I love your Gollum memory!

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