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Musicals


Inanna

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I have four favourite Musicals:

Cats

Evita

Joseph

Wicked

 

Three out of four are Andrew Lloyd Webber shows. Might as well toss in Phantom and JCSS as well.

 

I would love to see Wicked! I own the soundtrack and have even read the book even though it was very very different.

 

So if you care to find me

Look to the western sky!

As someone told me lately:

"Ev'ryone deserves the chance to fly!"

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If Gene Kelly is dancing, I'm watchin'. I have not seen anyone to match him for the combination of skill and passion he brings to the dance.

Or Fred Astaire, or Cyd Charrise and if they happen to be in the same film, all the better. :sleeping-smiley-009

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Indeed!

 

Add the Nicholas Brothers and we've got a show!

 

You are not kidding! I wa not familiar with them, so Google being the friend it is.....

http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&aq=t&ie=UTF-8&rls=RNWE,RNWE:2006-12,RNWE:en&q=Nicholas+Brothers+video

The first hit on that page gives you a [almost] 5 minute video. Cab Calloway opens, and the Brothers take over!

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What about the greatest musical of all - HAIR! I love that movie so much!

 

Also the Sound Of Music, Grease, and many others that will come to me later. I saw Show Boat the other day for the first time, and what a show-stopper Ol' Man River is! I had goosebumps.

 

My sentimental stage favourite is Jesus Christ Superstar. It was the first musical I ever saw (when I was 10) and it had some big-name Aussie celebrities in it. A couple of years ago I bought it on CD and play it a lot. What a fantastic soundtrack!

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You are not kidding! I wa not familiar with them, so Google being the friend it is.....

http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&aq=t&ie=UTF-8&rls=RNWE,RNWE:2006-12,RNWE:en&q=Nicholas+Brothers+video

The first hit on that page gives you a [almost] 5 minute video. Cab Calloway opens, and the Brothers take over!

 

Oh man ... thank you for that!

It's been years since I've seen that clip - it's the best one with those insane leaping splits!

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I saw Show Boat the other day for the first time, and what a show-stopper Ol' Man River is! I had goosebumps.

 

Ol' Man River is one of my favorites of All Time as is...

 

Fish gotta swim, birds gotta fly,

I gotta love one man 'til I die,

So I can't help lovin' that man of mine.

 

 

In my most liberal of hearts I am so pleased that Show Boat, 1929, dealt with racism as a plot line.

Same is true with South Pacific (in '45?), also dealing with racism and then winning a Pulitzer Prize for just that. Hmmm, Cabaret comes to mind but really, that's another thread.

 

 

Musicals have been such a big part of my life, I love hearing them and watching them.

There was a time when musical theater produced cross-over hits, I can think of Louis Armstrong singing Hello Dolly and hearing it on the radio, My Favorite Things from Sound of Music was covered by Miles Davis. Even The Beatles covered Till There Was You from The Music Man.

 

 

Back when I was a wee lad, I listened to Camelot, Oliver!, My Fair Lady, Bye Bye Birdie and Man of La Mancha so often that eventually I could sing the skips in the record (I know, I know - I'm old!).

 

 

There are days when I claim some kind of sophistication and act the snob and only listen to A Little Night Music, Sweeney Todd and the other Sondheim's ... but really, give me a show stopper like Ol' Man River any day, it still gives this jaded heart the chills.

 

 

Dere's an ol' man called de Mississippi

Dat's de ol' man dat I'd like to be!

What does he care if de world's got troubles?

What does he care if de land ain't free?

 

Ol' man river,

Dat ol' man river

He mus'know sumpin'

But don't say nuthin',

He jes'keeps rollin'

He keeps on rollin' along.

 

He don' plant taters,

He don't plant cotton,

An' dem dat plants'em

is soon forgotten,

But ol'man river,

He jes keeps rollin'along.

 

You an'me, we sweat an' strain,

Body all achin' an' racket wid pain,

Tote dat barge!

Lif' dat bale!

Git a little drunk

An' you land in jail.

 

Ah gits weary

An' sick of tryin'

Ah'm tired of livin'

An' skeered of dyin',

But ol' man river,

He jes'keeps rolling' along.

 

Colored folks work on de Mississippi,

Colored folks work while de white folks play,

Pullin' dose boats from de dawn to sunset,

Gittin' no rest till de judgement day.

 

Don't look up

An' don't look down,

You don' dast make

De white boss frown.

Bend your knees

An'bow your head,

An' pull date rope

Until you' dead.

 

Let me go 'way from the Mississippi,

Let me go 'way from de white man boss;

Show me dat stream called de river Jordan,

Dat's de ol' stream dat I long to cross.

 

O' man river,

Dat ol' man river,

He mus'know sumpin'

But don't say nuthin'

He jes' keeps rollin'

He keeps on rollin' along.

 

Long ol' river forever keeps rollin' on...

 

He don' plant tater,

He don' plant cotton,

An' dem dat plants 'em

Is soon forgotten,

but ol' man river,

He jes' keeps rollin' along.

 

Long ol' river keeps hearing dat song.

You an' me, we sweat an' strain,

Body all achin an' racked wid pain.

Tote dat barge!

Lif' dat bale!

Git a little drunk

An' you land in jail.

 

Ah, gits weary

An' sick of tryin'

Ah'm tired of livin'

An' skeered of dyin',

But ol' man river,

He jes'keeps rollin' along!

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Thanks for the lyrics Wrath! I could just hear William Warfield singing as I read the words - what a wonderful voice!

 

I thought I'd seen a fair few musicals but this thread has been me realise I've been missing out on a lot! I think a trip to my local video shop is in order!

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I have seen Lion King twice with my kids and we were all mesmerised.

 

My son Philip who is 14 belongs to a local musical theatre group and attends every week - their latest production is Guys and Dolls for July. It will be a great surprise as he wont say which part he has or anything about it. Last summer it was Hairspray which was fantastic :sleeping-smiley-009

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I think a trip to my local video shop is in order!

 

Well then ....

 

You could go with the Best Picture movies that won Oscars:

West Side Story

Gigi

My Fair Lady

Chicago

Oliver!

An American in Paris

 

or maybe something a little more new?

Dreamgirls

Little Shop of Horrors

Chicago

Cry Baby (with Johnny Depp!)

South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut

Hedwig and the Angry Inch

 

perhaps simply Disney is your style -

Mulan

Beauty and the Beast

The Lion King

Little Mermaid

 

It's a wonderful world of musicals to explore and embrace!

Give 'em an act with lots of flash in it and the reaction will be passionate.

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If Gene Kelly is dancing, I'm watchin'. I have not seen anyone to match him for the combination of skill and passion he brings to the dance.

 

I wholeheartedly agree with you, there :tong: As I imagine I've said elsewhere, I never ever tire of Singin' in the Rain. I could watch Gene Kelly all day!

 

I finally watched Guys & Dolls at the weekend: I quite enjoyed it, although I think Marlon Brando and Jean Simmons' really made it watchable for me. (Btw, does anyone else watch Guys & Dolls thinking who weird it is that Marlon Brando's in it?? He's very good but every now and again, I started thinking "But he's Don Corleone! He's Colonel Kurtz! And he's singing?!" :sleeping-smiley-009)

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I would love to see Wicked! I own the soundtrack and have even read the book even though it was very very different.

 

So if you care to find me

Look to the western sky!

As someone told me lately:

"Ev'ryone deserves the chance to fly!"

 

If you get the chance to see it, go!! It is truly breath taking! I had goosebumps on my goosebumps! Defying Gravity left me speechless! My only regret is I never got to see Idina Menzel as Elphaba!

 

I've got the book and have yet to read it.

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i absolutely positively love phantom of the opera- ive seen it on broadway three times and in toronto once and ive seen the movie version too many times to count-- and i love carousel as well

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(Btw, does anyone else watch Guys & Dolls thinking who weird it is that Marlon Brando's in it?? He's very good but every now and again, I started thinking "But he's Don Corleone! He's Colonel Kurtz! And he's singing?!" :sleeping-smiley-009)

 

 

Ha-ha-ha, all too true. And if you think THAT is funny, watch Paint Your Wagon sometime and see Clint Eastwood singing "I Talk To the Trees", you'll fall down laughing -- go ahead, make my day!

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I wholeheartedly agree with you, there :tong: As I imagine I've said elsewhere, I never ever tire of Singin' in the Rain. I could watch Gene Kelly all day!

 

I finally watched Guys & Dolls at the weekend: I quite enjoyed it, although I think Marlon Brando and Jean Simmons' really made it watchable for me. (Btw, does anyone else watch Guys & Dolls thinking who weird it is that Marlon Brando's in it?? He's very good but every now and again, I started thinking "But he's Don Corleone! He's Colonel Kurtz! And he's singing?!" :sleeping-smiley-009)

 

I only found out the other day that Brando was in a musical. I still can't believe it! I can't wait to see this movie - I really can't imagine him singing and dancing.

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...Watch Paint Your Wagon sometime and see Clint Eastwood singing "I Talk To the Trees", you'll fall down laughing -- go ahead, make my day!

 

Oh I've seen a clip of that!! :sleeping-smiley-009 It is hilarious and very bizarre (and I also think Lee Marvin - is it him? - singing 'I Was Born Under a Wanderin' Star' is also very amusing. How low can you go?)

 

I only found out the other day that Brando was in a musical. I still can't believe it! I can't wait to see this movie - I really can't imagine him singing and dancing.

 

He's actually pretty good - but him just being 'Brando' makes it work. He's so charismatic!

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He's actually pretty good - but him just being 'Brando' makes it work. He's so charismatic!

 

I agree. Brando doesn't really dance much and his singing is kinda soft - but he has such a presence that he is wonderful as Sky.

I think all the actors enjoyed hamming it up in the gangster characters they were playing.

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I love Jesus Christ Superstar, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Phantom of the Opera, Nightmare Before Christmas, and Grease. :lol:

 

Oh, and West Side Story!!

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I adore musicals. In fact I have always wanted to be in one but the fact that I cant sing, doesnt really help!

 

Anyway, my favourites are:

 

West Side Story

7 brides for 7 brothers - I love Russ Tamblyn

Guys & Dolls

Les Miserables - seen this 3 times.

Company

Into the Woods

Sweeney Todd

Fiddler on the Roof

High Society

Oliver

Moulin Rouge

 

and I am incredibly excited as Priscilla Queen of the Desert is finally making its way to Auckland (the musical version) and I cant wait. :lol:

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