All tagged Stephen Schwartz
Hardly anyone ever speaks of this long-running musical of the 1970s, and a revival of the show most certainly will never happen, but it is hard to dismiss the Broadway success of The Magic Show. Tailored around and to the talents of magician Doug Henning, The Magic Showfeatured a score by Stephen Schwartz (Pippin, Godspell, Wicked) and a book by Bob Randall. Though the Schwartz score has some gems worth listening to, the plot for The Magic Showis relatively thin. This is arguably beside the point, since the real intention of the musical was not to succeed as a musical at all, but to capitalize on Henning’s talents as an illusionist and on his celebrity (which was climbing in the early 1970s).
Anyone who loves Disney films has been enchanted by the music of Alan Menken. His melodies are both infectious and magical, capturing the musical tone of each character they bring to life. Arguably, all his songs are terrific, so making a top ten list is futile and someone’s favorite will always be left out. However, the ten that I have chosen to celebrate are, in my estimation, the perfect marriage of Menken melody with magical Disney moments. I hope you will enjoy my compilation, the “Magical Musical Menken Moments in Disney Films”.
This week, musical theatre lovers were greeted with the bittersweet news that the film adaptation of the mega-hit Wicked is going to happen, but we will have to wait until 2019 before they will see their favorite green lady on the big screen. The producers have been talking about the film version of Wicked for years, but they seem to be defying urgency in its path to fruition. Is there a reason why it is taking so long, or are they just waiting for the Broadway production's popularity to peter out?
The Fourth of July is almost upon us and this weekend most of us will be celebrating with hot dogs, fireworks, and showtunes. Yes…you heard me, showtunes. Exploring musical theatre scores from over the last century, there are a handful of jubilant, patriotic tunes celebrating America, as well as a few unlikely songs that touch on the topic of what it means to be an American. Today’s blog is a celebration of those songs.
