All tagged A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
Stephen Sondheim is perhaps the most revered and worshipped composer-lyricist in the American Musical Theatre, and though he has earned that status with an extraordinary canon of work, certain musicals he has written are obviously better than others. Opinion and personal preferences, of course, play into one’s feelings about his shows. As an experiment to sort out my enthusiasm and criticism of his work, I have ranked Sondheim’s musicals from his worst to his best.
Let the judgment begin…
We all love to laugh. There is nothing better than a deep, gut-busting release to make us feel a little bit better about the world we live in. Broadway musicals, especially those written in the Rodgers and Hammerstein format, usually had a serious lead couple and then a supporting pair who were there for comic relief. There are a lot of funny roles in musical theatre that performers would give their eye teeth to have a crack at. Today, I celebrate the “Top Ten Best Comedy Roles in Musical Theatre”.
Growing up, I was always enthralled by commercial jingles. These catchy little snatches of musical genius, that you associated with a particular product or service, were a great way to keep audiences (consumers) thinking about products long after the commercial had ended. As I came into my love for musical theatre, I was surprised to find that showtunes were often utilized in this way. Usually with altered lyrics, but featuring those catchy melodies, this was an effective tool. Here are some of the showtunes I remember showing up in commercials...
This time of year it is especially hard to get excited about exercise. It is brutally cold and going for a walk seems like torture. Many are reduced to schlep on a treadmill, while others are quite content to use the "Think System" where exercise is concerned. I tend to be more motivated to walk when showtunes are involved, so I often load up my iPod with peppy melodies from my favorite musicals and make my jaunt around the cubicles in my workplace: 45 minutes each morning and 45 minutes each lunch break.
Over time, I have found that a certain configuration of Broadway songs works best for me. Placed in the right order, I feel naturally inclined to increase momentum as I go, building toward a twenty-minute cardio workout, and then cooling down to that sensation of prickly flutters in my thighs. I thought that I would share with my readers my playlist for working off the fat. What is astounding is, when I actually do it, I feel great and lose about two pounds a week.
