All in Top Ten
Whether we want to admit it or not, the holidays are here. Since tickets to Hamilton seem like an unlikely present this Christmas or Hanukkah (unless you bought them six months ago or don’t mind waiting until 2020 to see it), the Broadway musical enthusiast will have to look elsewhere for gift ideas to put on their wish list. Fortunately, there are a great many wonderful and unique options guaranteed to make every musical theatre fan a happy camper this holiday season.
Broadway musicals are often full of happy characters who cannot wait to sing their heart out or tap a little routine for you. The generalities people attach to Broadway as a happy place of song and dance are often, just that, generalities. Those of us who truly love the art form know differently. Musicals are often filled with complex characters without altruistic motives. Today's blog entry celebrates those dastardly characters of musical theatre who help us see the other side of things: the dark side of the moon so to speak. How we revel in their malicious and sinister dealings.
Considering the final products of both the LIVE television productions of The Sound of Music and Peter Pan in the last two years, I probably wouldn’t wish this format on any musical. I do, however, think that taking musicals with iconic, beloved film or television versions and recreating them as live television productions is just asking for trouble. People adore Julie Andrews’s in The Sound of Music, Carrie Underwood as Maria Von Trapp was bound to pale in comparison, no matter how hard she tried.
Stephen Sondheim is perhaps the greatest teacher of all, hiding pearls of wisdom throughout his lyrics that offer uniquely sage perspectives on the world. Now, I am not suggesting that you should adopt all of the philosophies within his musicals, as Sweeney Todd and Assassins might serve as a ticket to prison, but there are some songs that just so perfectly capture the lessons of life that they deserve to be committed to memory for the wisdom they impart. So, today’s “Top-Ten List” will feature my favorite “Stephen Sondheim Songs to Live By.”
