Honorable mentions: “She Cries,” “The World Was Dancing” If there were such a thing as a Platonic ideal, the Platonic ideal of a Broadway romantic duet would be “I’d Give It All for You.” It checks the boxes: stars heterosexuals, appears late in the show, features reunification of a couple who have split, provides roughly… Read More Songs from Musicals: #11, “I’d Give It All for You,” from Songs for a New World
Honorable mentions: “Unusual Way,” “Guido’s Song” I’ve listened to “My Husband Makes Movies” about a zillion times since Nine was released as a movie back in 2009. Nine as a film is not very much like Nine the musical, and neither are very much like 8 1/2, which both are based on (and not really… Read More Songs from Musicals: #12, “My Husband Makes Movies,” from Nine
Honorable mentions: “The Prince Is Giving a Ball,” “Do I Love You Because You’re Beautiful?” There are good love stories about people who have been in love for a while, maybe. There aren’t very many at all about people who consistently love each other throughout; they’re about people learning to love one another again, or… Read More Songs from Musicals: #13, “Ten Minutes Ago,” from Cinderella
Honorable mentions: “Heaven on Their Minds,” “The Temple” (Got here just in time for Easter. Boom.) I wish ministers would spend more time noticing that Jesus of Nazareth was a man, a real historical person. This is basically indisputable; one can honestly and intelligently argue about his birthplace, the message of his ministry, and his… Read More Songs from Musicals: #15, “Gethsemane,” from Jesus Christ Superstar
Honorable mentions: “How I Know You,” “Not Me” Aida hit Broadway in 2000, about four years after Rent did, and they bear surprisingly strong similarities. Both of them want to be socially conscious: Aida is Romeo and Juliet for race (though it could say significantly more about race than it does), while race is just… Read More Songs from Musicals: #16, “Elaborate Lives,” from Aida
Honorable mentions: “Farewell Letter,” “Happiness” No musical begins with so strong a statement of what will come next as Passion. Two handsome people, both youngish and strong, lie in bed together. “I’m so happy I’m afraid I’ll die here in your arms,” the woman sings. “What would you do if I died like this, right… Read More Songs from Musicals: #17, “Garden Sequence,” from Passion
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvLP7DmuBsI Honorable mentions: “Down Once More/Track Down This Murderer,” “Why Have You Brought Us Here?” Okay, grab a pen or pencil and a piece of scratch paper. You have one minute to write down everything you associate with The Phantom of the Opera. It might be a song, or character, or something from the production… Read More Songs from Musicals: #18, “Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again,” from The Phantom of the Opera
Honorable mentions: “Another Day,” “I’ll Cover You (Reprise)” I have so many feelings about Rent, and they are scattered around this blog and in my text messages and on my Facebook, and I’m going to centralize at least a couple of them here. There’s a spectrum, and it’s got “La Vie Boheme” on one end… Read More Songs from Musicals: #19, “What You Own,” from Rent
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oK9tOcJFTbc (This is not really a great video; the last minute and a half of this is not, in fact, “If I Said I Love You.” I thought I’d have this problem at some point, and I’m pleasantly surprised it took this long. Go find it on Spotify.) Honorable mentions: “I’ll Be There,” “Here on… Read More Songs from Musicals: #20, “If I Said I Love You,” from The Pirate Queen
Honorable mentions: “Too Many Mornings,” “You’re Gonna Love Tomorrow/Love Will See Us Through” I’ve already talked about Follies at some length on this blog, back before I started this little series. Then I was working with “Losing My Mind,” which is one of the key songs from this musical, and which is not unlike “One… Read More Songs from Musicals: #21, “One More Kiss,” from Follies
Seeing Things Secondhand 