By Kirsten Scott
There are things we hope our children will inherit, and things we wish they'd leave behind. I really wish I hadn't passed on my headaches and asthma to my son. But I'm thrilled that, thus far (knock on wood!), he hasn't picked up my bad back. Both my kids have their dad's body type, which means long legs and high hips. This isn't such a bad thing. They also both love to write stories and read. I'm taking credit for that one.
But here's one I hadn't expected. This Christmas, I discovered my daughter inherited my obsession with musicals.
It started a few days before Christmas, when she begged us to let her watch the movie version of Annie. This wasn't the one I remembered, with Carol Burnett playing a drunken Miss Hannigan.
This was a Disney version with a straight-haired Annie (can you imagine?) and Kathy Bates as the dastardly Hannigan. Despite these questionable changes, it was the same Annie. Same great story that sweeps you away just like a good romance. Same amazing kids belting out their parts like there's no tomorrow. (Ha ha -- there's always tomorrow!)
Same great songs you can't stop singing.
I shared this love of musicals from an early age. My favorite Disney cartoons always had music. Like Sleeping Beauty (I know you, I've walked with you once upon a dream...). Damn that Prince Philip could sing. I moved on from there to the great old Broadway musicals, like Guys and Dolls, and Anything Goes. I was a sucker for every Bing Crosby and Fred Astair movie I could find.
Here's a YouTube video from Guys and Dolls. It's Marlon Brando, folks. How can you not watch this?
I had two eighties musicals I also loved -- Grease II (no, I'm not kidding -- the one with Michelle Pfeiffer), and the Pirate Movie, which was a modern retelling of the Pirates of Penzance, with Kristy McNichols. Seriously. I watched these movies over and over.
If you disdain the Pirate Movie, try watching this clip. It's completely absurd. I love it as much now as I did then.
And if you've forgotten how fabulous Michelle Pfeiffer was, watch this. Oh, just watching this made me fall in love with Maxwell Caufield all over again. And can you believe Michelle's hair? Damn, I still want that hair.
I'm afraid I haven't see Glee, the new TV show everyone loves. I was working too hard this fall to watch it, and now I'm saving it up for the summer, when I can watch the whole season at once. But I know I'm going to love it. I can't wait.
So -- what's your favorite musical? Do you go old school, with Brando and Bing? Have any Eighties musicals in your closet? Do you watch Glee? And please, admit it, you love the Pirate Movie, right? Or Grease II? Hmmm? Anyone?
101 comments:
me !
Way to go, Mariska! You can teach the bird to sing!
i love to watch Grease. one of my favorite all time :)
Oh, yes, I know I loved Grease II but nothing can really compare to the original.
Okay people, you can watch the whole Pirate Movie on YouTube! Thank heavens for technology.
I love Grease 2!!!
My most memorable New Years eve actually has Grease 2 in it. I was in 5th grade and at my bestfriends birthday sleepover and we watched Grease 2, and LOVED IT! I think we watched it 2 or 3 times. We all fell in love with the english guy. Don't know who he is.
If you can imagine 8 sugar high 5th grade girls singing all the songs in Grease 2, and arguing over why the english guy would like us better than someone else.
I have never seen the Pirate Movie, but will now go out and look for it.
I love musicals too. The first one that comes to mind is The Sound of Music. When I first discovered it I was staying at my grandparents house adn sleeping in my Aunts office area, because it had a TV. The movie was on 2 VHS, I watched it over and over that night.
One of my good friends in High School made me a cassette tape of CATS. I still listen to it and I LOVE IT.
My husband on the other hand HATES musicals. I recently watch Mamma Mia (for the 50th or so time) and he asked me if I'd rather have my books or my musicals cuz he wasn't sure if he could handle both of them. LOL I told him he could if he tried, he proceded to leave the house and go fishing for a few hours. Called me before he came home to see if the musical was over. LOL
Oh Dorthy, I love you!! I've never met anyone who could appreciate Grease II before! And your story is perfect. That movie appeals most to 5th grade girls. And the english guy (I assume you mean the hero guy) is Maxwell Caufield. I think he went on to do some TV soaps.
Of course, I adore the Sound of Music. My daughter's only 6, so I'm holding off on showing it to her until I think she'll appreciate it. But I can't wait.
LOL about the hubby. Mine is sitting next to me shaking his head that, after all this time, I'm still enjoying the Pirate Movie.
By the way, I just learned from the closing credits that the Pirate Movie was filmed entirely in Australia!
Hey, Kirsten! Way to speak to my heart! You know I've been ODing on White Christmas for the last several weeks. My kids have even taken on alter egos--one's Rosemary Clooney & one's Vera Ellen. I've been christened Bing Crosby & my husband is Danny Kaye. Which is okay by me, as I've always been partial to Danny. :-)
I adored Grease II! And maybe this is a tangent but I also love ice skating movies. The Cutting Edge comes to mind. DB Sweeney anybody? I loved him.
Thanks for a lovely trip into my musical past. I'm going to YouTube all my favorites now.
Hey Suz -- you know The Cutting Edge is on my list of all time favorite movies, right? My trifecta of movie perfection: The Pirate Movie, The Cutting Edge, and Grease II.
That's how I roll.
But I love that you get to be Bing. Can you do the voice?
Kirsten~
I'm now watching the Pirate Movie via YouTube.
so far I LOVE IT!
Thank you so much for telling us about it. I'm only half way through it, so I'm going to go finish it.
Dorthy, I am humbled and gratified. If I can just show one person the true meaning of...LOL. Okay, I'm seriously thrilled that you're enjoying it. Have a great time.
I'm off to bed, kittens! See you in the morning!
I'm a huge Grease fan. Huge Grease II fan. I remember, gosh 6th or 7th grade singing Cool Rider all the time. I think that is when I fell in love with motorcycles. I also love The Sound of Music, and Fiddler on the Roof. Those are the ones that come to mind.
Have fun with him Mariska
Kirsten
One of my all time favourite musicals is The Pirate Movie and when my kids were younger we used to watch it over and over I never tire of that movie even now my kids will watch it when they can LOL. I love Grease but I wasn't so keen on Grease 11. I love all the old musicals Seven Brides For Seven Brothers tops them and the Sound Of Music The Wizard Of Oz. I lcve a good musical that you can sing along to and tap your feet. I haven't watched Glee so I am not sure about that show.
I love sitting down and watching a good movie with my daughters.
Have Fun
Helen
Our family is a "musical" family,
we all love musicals, all three
generations of us! #1 musical for
us is West Side Story, followed
by Grease and Xanadu. We're mostly
"old school" when it comes to our
musical tastes! Although #1 son &
#1 daughter do enjoy watching Glee.
Pat Cochran
Congrats Mariska!
I have a feeling the GR is exhausted after all his New Year revels. :-)
Cute post, Kirsten! Who doesn't love a good musical, though I must admit I prefer to see them live onstage than on film. I once saw a live performance of Pirates of Penzance with Jim Belushi as the pirate king, TONS o fun! And The Mikado is GREAT too!
Mostly, I'm an Andrew Lloyd-Webber fan. "Cats" is my all time fave, but Phantom and JC Superstar are very close behind. And who can resist "Don't Cry for Me Agentina" from Evita?!?! Just saw a TERRIFIC and SULTRY tango performed to it on my last cruise. WOOO HOOO!!! MUCHO CALOR!!!
AC
Just finished The Pirate Movie.
It was awesome!
Loved the line :
"You say you love me" Fredrick
"As Midnight loves the moon." Mable
Alrigt now that it is 1 am and the movie is over, I think I'm going to go to bed.
Good night/morning everyone!
Wow, that shot of Michelle Pfeiffer looks like Jodie Foster when she was young! (Am I the only one who remembers Foster from The Courtship of Eddie's Father TV show?)
i've actually never seen grease or grease in its entirety but i've heard music from it and they're pretty catchy.
my favorite songs from a broadway musical would have to be wicked (almost all the songs in that play i love) and avenue q (ALL the songs in that play i love and some are quite naughty!)
i am a huge glee fan (the BEST show ever!!) and it's actually one of the two only show regularly/religiously watch on tv. i was so happy when they did a song from wicked!
great post kirsten and congrats on the gr mariska :)
I saw Glee for the first time last week, our local channel ran it back to back for two hours. Wonderful! I usually only watch NCIS and Big Bang Theory, but I'm going to try and not miss Glee.
I love the original Dr. Dolittle movie.
Congrats, mariska!
I'll admit it: I am a The Sound of Music junkie. An complete and utter addict. Though I must admit that every now and then I prefer Dave the Laugh's version of The Hills are Alive... but only when I've been reading Louise Rennison books too often. Her sense of humour distorts mine, somehow, and pants jokes suddenly seem like the highest form of humour.
I did watch Glee for a while, but I have hugey huge huge issues with many elements of the show, so now I just listen to the music. I find that I don't want to throw things at the screen that way. I really can't afford a new TV, so not throwing things is a very good idea.
But apart from that, I'm not really huge on musicals in general. I've never seen the Pirate Movie or Grease II, though I have seen the first Grease movie quite a few times. And I'm rather fond of The Phantom of the Opera (he's there, inside my miiiiiiiiind~). But yeah, apart from all that, not a musical person. Erm... actually, I am a musical person, I'm just not a person who likes musicals. If that makes sense.
Happy New Year, everyone! May 2010 be a perfect '10' for all the Banditas and our very special BB's.
Great post, Kirsten! I adore musicals. Grease is a favourite - just love it. Of the modern musicals, Chicago is my all-time fave - love me some Fosse. Also like Jesus Christ, Superstar, Joseph and Evita. *ducking* I'm not a Phantom fan at all.
Oooh and the Queen musical We Will Rock You and, of course, Mama Mia. I enjoyed Cats too.
My real faves are the classics like Seven Brides, Kiss me Kate (Brush Up Your Shakespeare is sooo wonderful! An awesome number), Holiday Inn, White Christmas, Scrooge! and Oliver! And the various Rogers and Hammersteins. And anything with Doris Day singing. And High Society.
And, who can resist Rocky Horror?! LOL
Kirsten - This was such a fun blog! I remember taking my daughter when she was little to see Annie on the stage. We had to remind her not to sing along with the music (grin). Hadn't heard of the Kathy Bates version of Annie. Carol Burnett will always be my Mrs. Hannigan (with a curly red-haired Annie as well).
Right now my favorite musical is Wicked. I believe it's coming to the movies soon. I also love Mamma Mia though the film version made it very clear that Pierce Brosnan can't sing but that's okay - he contributes in other ways (grin).
haven't seen The Pirate Movie - off to watch it now
I love musicals! Oklahoma! and Grease are my absolute favorites. I have yet to see Mama Mia, but I love the music! It's in my dvd pile just waiting for me to watch it. And I am embarrassed to admit that I did see the Pirate Movie many years ago. It was rather silly, even then.
Margay
OMG...I LOVE musicals!!
"It's a hard knock life for us..."
Annie was the first Broadway produced musical I ever saw. It came in a touring company to Louisville back in the :cough: 80's and I saw it THREE times! A good stage production is WAY better than most movie versions IMHO.
I've vaguely heard of The Pirate Movie and sorry....Grease outweighed Grease II by far...
In my mind (and not in my mirror) I AM Olivia Newton-John in that black outfit.
I love all of Andrew's musicals, JC Superstar being the first. But of all of those I am a RABID fan (not squirrel Susan) of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat". Again, a touring company came to town here and I went THREE times.
I'll watch a production of that near about anywhere and cannot wait to replace the VHS version I had with Donny Osmond with a DVD one...
"I look handsome, I look smart, I am a walking work of art in my coat of many colors..."
The first picture that comes to mind for me is Mame, loved the book, loved the movie.
I love musicals---the old ones!
In no particular order are my faves:
"State Fair" with Jeanne Craine and Dana Andrews
"Oklahoma!"
"Seven Brides For Seven Brothers"
"White Christmas"
"The Sound of Music"
"High Society"
I love Bing, Robert Goulet, Perry Como, Andy Williams---all wonderful singers and crooners.
Oh, Renee, I am so with you! It must have been a middle school thing. But I had forgotten the obsession with motorcycles. I had one of those too! I even tried to convince my parents to let me get one. And I think I was making progress (my dad loved motorcycles and had one himself) until one of my sister's friends got in a serious accident on his. Suddenly, no more bike for me. :-(
Did you ever go anywhere with your motorcycle fantasy? Got a Harley in the garage by any chance?
Helen -- another Pirate Movie fan!! I'm just beside myself. So your grandkids enjoy it? I'm wondering if my kids are old enough. There's enough slapstick humor that my nine year old would appreciate it, but I'm a little concerned he might actually get some of the more risque jokes (Mabel: You'll get thirty lashes! Pirate King: Promises, promises.)
Did you know it was filmed in Australia? The scenery is so beautiful.
Oh, and YES on Howard Peel! Seven Brides was one of my favorites. I almost put that in the blog but figured I had to stop myself somewhere.
Oh Pat -- my heart just stopped beating. Did you say Xanadu?
(Xanadu, Xand-a-du-oo-ooo, Now you are here, inside my heart...)
I have no idea if those are the right lyrics, but that's embedded in my memory of that movie. Olivia Newton Jon as one of the Pliades? Is that right? Oh, man, I loved that show. And the opening scene is them falling to earth and ROLLERSKATING -- can that be right? Have you seen the movie lately?
I'm feeling faint...too fabulous...too fabulous...
@Joan--
My sister loves the Donny Osmond version of JATTDC. He is so unlike "Donny" in that role, isn't he?!
Oh, but Pat, West Side Story. Now, let's talk about the depressing love story thing. Do you like that in books? Are you a fan of the heart-tugging but heart-breaking love story? Like Titanic?
I can't handle them. As they say in the Pirate Movie -- "give me a happy ending...every time...)
But I do love the dancing in West Side Story. And the music.
Hey AC! You are such a world traveler. No wonder you love Evita!
Can I make a confession? The only one of those ALW musicals I've actually seen is Phantom. I just never get to see things live. My musicals were all ones that you could get on TV, or see when put on live by my high school.
My version of Grease II was taped from when it aired on TV. And here's the funny thing. There's a song in the musical called "Reproduction" that they censored out of the TV version! Ha! I saw it years later and didn't even know that song was supposed to be there.
But I am wildly jealous of you getting to see Jim Belushi live. Did he sing? Was he hilarious?
Oh Dorthy, I might cry! I'm so glad you liked the movie!! Hurray! :-)
(great line, BTW!)
Eilis -- I can't say I remember Jodi from that show, but I do love love love Jodi. She's my ultimate combination of brains, looks, and toughness. Jodi kicks butt.
Hey Chelley -- I have a feeling you'd love Grease! Can you get the DVD? I mean, this is really required viewing for someone who is a dedicated Glee watcher. LOL.
I haven't seen Wicked or avenue q, though I've been told both are fantastic. Like I told Aunty Cindy, I've never been able to get to live musicals much, and I hate to ruin a really good one by watching a bad movie version when it really ought to be seen live. Wicked was in town last summer and I should have made the hubby go. Or maybe I just need a friend in town who loves musicals as much as I do. It's no fun to go with a dh who just doesn't get it. KWIM?
So when you go see shows, do you drag along a companion, or go it alone? I know a woman who goes alone and loves it. (She saw Wicked three times in a row this summer!) Maybe I should try that.
Gillian, I just can't wait to watch Glee. Everyone seems to love it, even the somewhat cynical dh. He has played a couple of the big song/dance numbers for me and they were awesome.
But what's the original Dr. Dolittle? Musical? Who was in it? I am intrigued -- can't believe I never heard of it! I mean, I know the book but didn't know there was a show made of it.
Hey Lynz! I am with you on the Sound of Music, though my obsession pertains more broadly to anything Julie Andrews. Don't get me (or Susan) started on Mary Poppins. HUGE FAN of that one. HUGE.
I am fascinated by your comment about Glee -- I haven't heard anyone being driven crazy by it. Are you are a real glee-club-er? Is it how totally unrealistic the show is that bugs you? Don't they put together these amazing routines in like, five minutes, right when they're about to go on stage? I can see how this could be troublesome. ;-)
Hey Anna! Happy New Year to you, too! :-)
Now, despite the fact that you don't love Phantom (awk!) I will let you live because you also love Bing and Howard Keel. Isn't it funny how Fred and Bing really weren't particularly attractive, but we adore them anyway because of their voices? (Can't say that about Howard because he was 6 feet something and hot) I wonder if today they'd be stars. Too homely for Hollywood in the twenty-first century?
Interesting that the same thing didn't seem to apply to women. All the incredible crooners (Doris Day, Rosemary Clooney) were also gorgeous. Hmm...Interesting...
Hey Donna -- that's hilarious about your daughter. I can't imagine taking mine to see the live show. She'd probably run up on stage and start singing and dancing with them! LOL!
I loved Mama Mia, despite the fact that it was a horrible movie and Pierce can't sing to save his life! I went to see it with my nieces and even though they were horrified by me dancing in my seat, it was so fun to see it with a bunch of girls. And oh, how I love Meryl Streep, and oh how I cried during that song she sings with her daughter. Oh, I'm almost crying now just imagining it!
So there's going to be a movie version of Wicked? That would be awesome -- I can't wait to see it!
Hey Margay! You better get to watching those DVDs! And try to get a couple of girlfriends together to watch Mama Mia. Definitely enhances the experience. We could have a slumber party and all pile into your house. ;-)
And yes, the Pirate Movie is unbelievably silly. And way over the top and cheesy. But it's intentional. And it still works. That's what I was trying to explain to dh last night. Yes, it's completely ridiculous, but it still works. That's the magic.
Enjoy your DVDs! You've got some fun waiting for you.
Morning Joanie! Yes, I absolutely agree with you that Annie is better live. Absolutely. And I heard that however fun Mama Mia was on screen, it was a million times better live. I wish I could have seen it.
You are so fun with your repeated viewings! Do you do this on your own or drag someone along with your obsession?
I haven't seen Joseph -- I know I must. I'll have to look for a high school or something putting it on this year. I simply can't afford the real show ticket prices, but some of those high schools are awesome.
Wait, is it possible no one has mentioned Godspell yet?
Hi Dianna! I've never seen Mame, though I've heard about it. Is it a love story?
Hi Deb -- happy Saturday to you! Thanks for sending me down memory lane. I hadn't thought about High Society for a while -- now I'm going to have to search for the DVD so I can rewatch. It's got Bing in it, right?
You are so fun with your repeated viewings! Do you do this on your own or drag someone along with your obsession?
I do usually drag somebody, er, I mean invite somebody.
With the Joseph marathon, I dragged my brother to it..he was thrilled to sit in the front row!!!
I clicked publish too quick...
My brother grudgingly went and then rolled his eyes when we went to our front row seats....
He also refused to sing along....
I guess brothers do do some things for their sisters :D
Aw -- I think that's so sweet that he'd go with you. I wish I lived closer and we could go together! I wouldn't roll my eyes. I'd be weeping with joy! :-)
Super topic, Kirsten! I love, love, love musicals. My old-time favorite was WEST SIDE STORY which I saw off-off Broadway when I was sixteen. I still get chills thinking of the edgy Romeo and Juliet story.
Of the "newer" musicals, however, Les Miserables is my favorite. So stirring!
Mariska, congrats on taking home the rooster!
Inara, I also have a certain affection for musicals. My favorite is Camelot. I love almost all the songs and have the original cast album that features Richard Burton talking his way through Arthur's songs while Julie Andrews and Robert Goulet are simply delightful as Guinevere and Lancelot.
In second place would be Les Miserables, which the dh and I saw from nosebleed seats in London's West End many years ago. We took my parents to see a touring company not long after we were married, and they enjoyed it immensely.
We all enjoyed Wicked, listed in this morning's NYT feature on the cheap tickets booth as NOT have available seats. The dh especially loved it because he loves The Wizard of Oz.
We took the boy, when he was little, to see Pirates of Penzance, a local production. He likes attending plays, so he seemed to enjoy it. I'd seen a version starring Peter ("Herman," and if you don't know who that is, you're young indeed) Noone and Maureen McGovern in New York, on a student ticket, years before. It was wonderful.
And we all thought Little Shop of Horrors was great. At the end, when the giant plant (operated by the Henson workshop) arched out over the audience, the boy balled up his little fist. "If it comes up here," he confided, "I'm gonna hit it." You go, boy!
And I think the music from Fame is great, though the story was a bit of a downer.
So you are not alone in this fascination. :-)
I have gotten away from musicals, loved them when I was younger, as a kid, Loved 'The Sound of Music', another I still love, the British musical, "Oliver!" based on Dickens 'Oliver Twist', and since I love old movies, 'Singin' in the Rain' still brings a smile to my face, I love Gene Kelly's athletic dancing, and he was a pretty good singer too! Great, witty story as well.
Movies with singing appeal too, (as in, singing as part of the story, as opposed to bursting into song for no reason, LOL)
Like 'Pal Joey' with Frank Sinatra, and 'Love Me or Leave Me' with Doris Day and James Cagney.
But recent musicals, can't get into them, prefer the oldies.
But Grease hold a special place in my heart, loved 'Greased Lightning'.
My favorite oldie is The King and I with Yul Brynner.
Mamma Mia is my favorite newer musical.
I loved Mama Mia too, but I'm a huge Meryl Streep fan--so no surprise. Generally, I prefer older musicals. No one has mentioned several of my favorites: Meet Me in St. Louis, Brigadoon, An American in Paris, and Funny Face.
I remember watching those old Ginger Rogers/Fred Astaire movies when I was a kid. They were on TV on Saturday afternoons. Also loved The Sound of Music, Mary Poppins, My Fair Lady, etc. And one of my favorite episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer was the musical episode. And Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog (also by Joss Whedon) is great.
You will love Glee. It's awesome.
Donna, I saw Wicked on Broadway in 2008, and it was fantastic.
Congrats mariska, on getting the rooster!
Great post! I am not much into musicals at all! Although I did enjoy Grease! I love the music for the 70's and 80's. Its what I listen to all the time! I also love The Cutting Edge and Dirty Dancing, if you consider them to be musicals
Kirsten said: "But I am wildly jealous of you getting to see Jim Belushi live. Did he sing? Was he hilarious?"
Yes and YES! At one point he grabbed the conductor's baton and started conducting the orchestra. :-)
This was MANY MOONS ago (when I was still married to my first husband) so both Jim and I were relatively young and svelte. :-P He wore the puffy-sleeved white shirt and skin-tight purple pants! This was in the marvelous old Curran Theater in San Francisco, where I also saw Phantom (with Michael Crawford!) for the very first time.
Kirsten, I recommend you try some of your local 'little theater' musical productions. That's the ONLY place I've seen The Mikado and Kiss Me Kate live. I think you'll be happily surprised at how much fun such shows can be. Usually whatever the locals lack in professional talent they more than make up for in enthusiasm!
AC
Kirsten, the closest I got to my motorcycle fantasy was when I was 18 and let some nameless college hwaty take for a ride on his crotch rocket.
I still have hope though, hubs is very much wanting a Harley, especially since my bil got his custom ordered one about a year ago.
When I was a junior in HS we went on a family vacation to SD. It just happened to be during the huge Sturgis week. I was in hog heaven, and it had nothing to do with the riders. :) My poor, poor Highway Patrolman father, of course he was nervous since he'd had run-ins in the past with bikers.
Maybe when I make my first sale (because I will-positive thinking) I'll get hubs a motorcycle. It might not be a Harley, but at least I can have the wind blowing through my hair.
Hi Jo! Thanks so much -- and I can't believe we went this long without talking about Les Mis. I haven't seen the whole thing, I've just listened to the music, but I absolutely adore On My Own, and Castle on a cloud. Ah, I could just cry thinking about how lovely that music is.
Kirsten
Yes I did know it was filmed here in Australia and the scenery is beautiful. It was very popular here when it was released.
I went to see JC Superstar on stage many years ago and loved that and I also went to see The Rocky Horror Picture Show live a couple of times and that is very good but I have never seen that movie.
Have Fun
Helen
Hey, Kirsten, what a lovely post! From one musical lover to another, I salute you. I grew up on musicals - still know most of the words to the Rodgers and Hammerstein ones (the corn is as high as an elephant's eye!) and My Fair Lady and Fiddler on the Roof. My mum had a particular fondness for the Student Prince so that's another one that I can burst into at any moment - which is a pity as hardly anybody knows the songs from that. Drink, drink, drink to eyes that are bright, as bright as the stars up above! It's interesting - when I grew up, loving musicals was hopelessly uncool. I'm so glad things like High School Musical have brought them back into fashion again. They're too good to languish unloved! In my teens and twenties, I had an obsession with the popular 30s musicals. Still think they had some of the best songs ever with the Gershwins and Kern and Berlin writing the scores. I mean, doesn't get much better than that, does it? Loved Fred Astaire and I must say the operettas with Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddie were really romantic. Not sure they're due for a revival, though!
I think my favorite musical is West Side Story. I adore that score. It wasn't one the folks particularly liked - too much percussion and clashing harmony for them. And one I love although I've never seen it is Candide - some absolutely amazing music in that.
LOVE musicals! Cha cha cha!
Hey Nancy -- you are a musical fan through and through! I love it! Little Shop of Horrors freaked me out, I must admit (I saw the movie version, not a stage version) though I love the songs. I'm not sure I could see it again. The whole dentist thing is too intense for me! LOL.
And OH -- Fame! I want to live forever! That was my favorite show on TV. I was desperate to be the serious cello playing girl who finds her inner cool self in high school. Never quite did, obviously. *VBG*
Hey Drew -- you've got some excellent picks in your line up. I watched Singing in the Rain over and over. No one can really compare to Gene Kelley for sheer masculine beauty in his dancing. He's just awesome. And I love your point about movies with music, as opposed to movie musicals. I don't know Pal Joey -- what's that one about?
Hi Gigi! Ah, the King and I. Such a wonderful romance. I can tell you have a deep, romantic soul (and love bald guys -- am I right?) LOL.
Did you see Mama Mia with other women? I think that's the key to enjoying it.
Oh Janga, I can't believe how many fabulous shows I've forgotten -- Funny Face and an American in Paris. Two of the best. Love Gene Kelley and Audrey Hepburn. Did you enjoy her other movies? Breakfast at Tiffany's? Sabrina?
I love her in My Fair Lady, but didn't they splice in Julie Andrew's voice for that movie?
LOL, Kirsten...A mom after my own heart.
My kids watched musicals from the time they first got to watch The Little Mermaid. We progressed to all the Rogers & Hammerstein movies, (still laugh at 4 y.o. Eric standing in the middle of the room, hands on hips, saying, "etcetera, etcetera, etcetera...").
THEN came NEWSIES. Don't remember that one? Christian Bale and the now star of GLEE were the two male teen leads. FANTABULOUS! The kids wore out the tape we had!
One of my favorites is SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS...I mean, how many redheaded men can you watch sing and dance, all with great voices....mmmmmmmmmm Howard Keel! We discussed WHITE CHRISTMAS last month, but I adore that movie and is there a more fun song than GREASED LIGHTENING from GREASE? I mean...HOW did they get that song past censors?
Hey Trish-- love that gorgeous picture of you! And yes, who didn't love all those Fred and Ginger pictures. I enjoyed the songs, but neither of them had the greatest voices. But man, the dancing. I could watch them dance forever. Do you remember the movie with Ginger in that incredible feathered dress?
Movie legend.
Hey Virginia -- I could just listen to 70s and 80s music forever. Bliss. :-)
Hey, I don't care if they are musicals -- I love the Cutting Edge and Dirty Dancing. Do you have a favorite song from DD? I remember listening to that album over and over when I was in high school.
Oh AC, now that you've described it I'm even more jealous. What a treat and what a great memory.
I am definitely going to look for some local productions to take the kids to. I loved Kiss Me Kate. When I was in high school I had a musical theater fantasy and took a semester long voice class. My final piece was from Kiss Me Kate.
But I must confess that even with direct vocal instruction, I was never very good. Deep sigh.
Oh Renee, what a fabulous fantasy! I think you should definitely get a bike and please -- can you get a pink helmet? I know, terrible, right? But I love girls on bikes with pink helmets! It's so in your face feminine combined with the tough bike thing. I love the contrast.
I have my fingers crossed for your sale -- but why buy the bike for dh first? Sounds to me like when you sell, you should buy the bike for yourself! :-)
Hey Fo! I should have known with your musical tastes you'd be a fan of the musicals with real music (VBG) like West Side Story. And isn't it Stephen Sondheim (?) who writes the really complex scores with lots of difficult harmonies?
I hadn't even thought about HIgh School Musical. That's like the Grease for today's generation. I was thrilled to see it get so popular because it's totally clean, happy, and has a great message. Cheesy, but I'd rather kids fell in love with clean and cheesy than intellectual but violent and depressing!
Hey Suz -- isn't it great to raise kids on musicals and not video games? :-)
There are so many great new Disney musicals -- they really made some wonderful music with the Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast. I don't know Newsies -- was that a TV or theater show? I should get it!
NEWSIES was a Disney production about the paperboy strike of the 1920's against the big pulishers like Pulitzer. Also about the slum conditions of New York and child labor. It was very, very cool.
Oh gosh, I love Glee! And Guys and Dolls! Uh, musicals...oh boy...I don't have one favourite.
...Once Upon a Mattress(various versions), A Little Night Music(original cast recording, can't remember if it's Broadway or London...and I saw an opera company's production), Cinderella(Rodgers & Hammerstein), Thoroughly Modern Millie(1967 film and the soundtrack to the Broadway musical), The Pirates of Penzance(1983 film with Kevin Kline), Disney's Newsies...and though I don't like the look of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, I love the music...uh...I feel like I'm missing some others...
Hi Kirsten!
Pal Joey, http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0050815/
1957, Frankie plays a real heel in this, dangling Rita Hayworth and Kim Novak (the bad girl and the good girl respectively)on a line.
He refers to a woman as a 'mouse'. Frank is actually Rita's boy toy, LOL!
It was done on broadway first, a Rodgers and Hart musical.
Frank sings "The Lady is a Tramp",among other songs, he is basically a lounge lizard in this.
nominated for 4 Oscars, hope you can check it out sometime Kirsten!
And I don't want to flaunt my classic movie knowledge around, (I KILL everyone at the silver screen edition of Trival Pursuit, LOL!)
My Fair Lady: Julie Andrews played the role on Broadway, when it came time to make the movie, they passed on her and picked Audrey Hepburn, who could not sing. The dubbed her voice with Marni Nixon, a woman who sang for a lot of stars.
Julie Andrews when on to get the role in Mary Poppins, and in a nice bit of revenge, beat Audrey Hepburn for the best actress Oscar that year! LOL!
Hey Mariska! The bird came back to you! He's had a wild new year, let me tell you....mason jars, hollers, wild women...he's due a little R&R. :>
Kirsten, I've not had time to read all the comments, but I had to LOL about Annie and Grease II. I thought I was the only one who like Grease II better than I. I liked the guy being the underdog, with his argyle socks... Grins.
Musicals are fabulous, in my book. I adore them. :> Sweeney Todd, Oklahoma My Fair Lady, High School Musical (Yes, I have Disney-aged kids) Jump in, Light in the PIazza, ..so many Love them all.
I can't pick one musical. *LOL*
On the Town: I love sailors and I love Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra
Show Boat: Howard Keel is a dreamboat and I can't help lovin' that man of mine!
7 Brides for 7 Brothers: the FUNNIEST barn raising of all time. *LOL*
Chicago: He had it comin'--and he ran into my knife 10 times.
Brigadoon: because I love Scotsmen...and Gene Kelly.
The Pirate: again with Gene Kelly, in shorts
Meet Me in St. Louis: it's where Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas comes from. *sighs*
Holiday Inn: Where "White Christmas" comes from, and quite funny. Love Bing and Fred together.
Walk the Line: not technically a musical--but hey, those guys actually sang and did great jobs!
Sound of Music: didn't like it when I was a kid, but I love it more and more as an adult for some reason.
Mary Poppins: Hilarious and wonderful; and I hope Mary and Bert hook up later.
South Pacific: I need to get this on DVD--but I love this one. Sailors. A hero who dies at the end *sighs*; and a HEA for a nurse and an expatriot. Oh, my.
The King and I: Ecetera, ecetera, ecetera.
Singin in the Rain: oldie but goodie.
Can't believe I forgot Kiss Me Kate or The Unsinkable Molly Brown.
Hey Drew...wasn't that based on a real story about a singer who gets sliced and diced by his mob connections? Or is that another movie I'm thinking of?
Wow, MsHellion, what a list! I'd forgotten about Showboat, which I thought was wonderful. Yeah, Howard Keel sure could sing.
I have the sheet music for that somewhere. Alas, but I loaned my Camelot sheet music to someone who never gave it back.
And Old Man River is a wonderfully evocative song.
Just got in from work to discover the GR is in for some singing lessons from Mariska and Kirsten is a musical FANATIC!!
I love musicals whether I am in them or watching them. Once I started singing opera for a living my Austrian vocal coach forbade my singing in musicals. (some snobby opera coach thing. The man made Hitler look like a slacker)
But from the first time I saw The Sound of Music (I think I was about 9) I was hooked. And my Mom is a HUGE Julie Andrews fan. When I first moved to Germany (I lived just across the river from Salzburg) one of the first things I did was take the Sound of Music tour! It was FABULOUS!! If you get the chance go! The best part was that the steps where they did the Do, a deer song are actually the entrance to the Bishop's gardens and the Mozarteum backed up to those gardens. I walked those steps every day.
My favorite musicals are My Fair Lady and The King and I. Great songs and great leading roles for the soprano. VBG
For nearly 20 years I have HATED Oklahoma. I had a bad experience performing in it when I was in grad school (we had a Curly who was gorgeous to look at, but he COULD NOT SING!) and I simply refused to watch or sing it ever again. Then someone told me about the Hugh Jackman version on DVD. So, now I must revise my hatred of Oklahoma to say "I only love the Hugh Jackman version!"
My favorite Weber musicals are Phantom and Les Miserables. Those are the only two for which I might be coaxed to come out of retirement. LOL
I deleted my comment, I realized I gave away a major plot point to a movie, not cool, LOL!
Suzanne, the movie you are thinking of, I think, is Sinatra in "Meet Danny Wilson" if I remember correctly, the mob does some slicing and dicing! Sinatra of course, plays a nightclub singer.
Haven't seen that movie in ages! Must check TCM to see if it is coming on again anytime soon!
See, now if I'd gotten serious, I'd have a list like Hellion's. :> Love me some 7 Brides and love me some Unsinkable Molly Brown. Ahhh, so good.
Jeanne, I think Hugh Jackman won a British theater award for his performance as Curly. But I couldn't swear to it.
I love Grease, Sound of Music and South Pacific but my all time favorite is The Phantom of the Opera. I have seen on stage at least 5 times. I love Gerard Butler in the movie version. I better say I love Gerard Butler in any thing! :-)
I'm baaack! Just spent the afternoon
out with my Dil and sweet, sweet
granddaughter Ashley,just shopping
and lunching. Enjoying a girls' afternoon out before Ash returns
to college at the end of the week.
I must say that I'm in a Musical
Heaven just catching up on the Blog
posts and remembering all these
wonderful musicals!
Pat Cochran
I've always liked musicals, but my daughter went through a period where she just devoured them. She dragged me to New York to see RENT with her, and I dragged her to THE PRODUCERS in turn. We also saw GREASE in NYC when she was 13. She and her dad saw LION KING and MARY POPPINS in London a few years ago -- I haven't seen either of those yet. I also saw BEAUTY AND THE BEAST and PHANTOM OF THE OPERA on stage with my daughter.
When I was in 7th or 8th grade, I had a tiny part in Bye Bye Birdie, so I've always had a soft spot for that one.
I love the songs from South Pacific, Sound of Music, West Side Story, Meet Me in St. Louis, Godspell and Brigadoon, but I prefer the songs to the films.
My own favorites (besides Rent) include Camelot, Carousel, Moulin Rouge, A Chorus Line (which I've seen live about 20 times), Fiddler on the Roof, Music Man, Cinderella (Leslie Ann Warren) and Funny Girl.
Pissenlit --
I have to admit I've never even heard of a bunch of these! ***(Once Upon a Mattress(various versions), A Little Night Music(original cast recording, can't remember if it's Broadway or London...and I saw an opera company's production), Cinderella(Rodgers & Hammerstein), Thoroughly Modern Millie(1967 film and the soundtrack to the Broadway musical)). ***
You are a true musical devotee! I'm impressed! I guess besides having a TBR pile, I've now got a TBW (watched) list. I sure do hope Netflix has some of these so I can put them in my queue!
Thanks for adding to my list! :-)
Hey Drew -- thanks for the great recommendation and the movie trivia. :-) I knew that wasn't Audrey singing in My Fair Lady. Poor thing could never have carried that off.
Next time we play trivia pursuit, I want you on my team. Or maybe when I need to phone a friend. Will you be my lifeline? LOL.
Okay Ms. Hellion -- that's an impressive list!! I'm glad to see so many of my favorites on there. And another Howard Keel fan -- I read about him today in a Wikipedia article and it said he toiled in relative obscurity and never really made it big in his time. Also had a hard time with alcohol. Makes you sad when you see this incredible person on the screen and then learn about their struggles in real life.
I hope Howard knows that his movies continue to inspire people after all these years!
Hey Louisa, welcome back from work! :-) I just got off duty myself (ha -- put the kids to bed, that means!). I wasn't sure if you'd like musicals or not. LOL that your vocal coach wouldn't let you watch them. That cracks me up.
The Sound of Music tour must have been amazing. I can't imagine actually walking and looking at the places where they filmed. I would have been in heaven.
BTW, I think it's perfectly reasonable to only like the Hugh Jackman version of anything. Anything at all. I've never loved Oklahoma -- there are some great songs, but that Poor Jud is Dead thing freaked me out. I'm easily freaked.
Speaking of easily freaked, JEANNE -- Sweeny Todd doesn't really fit into my whole musical thing. LOL. I could never in a million years watch that show. There are somethings that shouldn't be put to music, KWIM?
Lady Graeye -- I completely agree with you on Phantom. I saw it live once (one of the few things I've seen live!) and it was so incredible. That organ...the chandalier...oh, it was absolutely thrilling.
I listened to the original book on tape once, which was pretty interesting. Worth spending a few hours on, though I admit to fast forwarding through ten or fifteen chapters. LOL.
Hi Pat! Glad you enjoyed the blog. I must say, that girls night out thing sounds awesome. I keep telling my daughter I can't wait until she's old enough for us to go shopping together. I want to share my addiction with someone. :-)
Hi Becke! thanks for stopping by, and I love the list of musicals. You mentioned Godspell, one of my favorites, and the Producers, which I would love love love to see. But I would want to see the original Nathan Lane version. Nobody else would do.
I hear the Lion King is fantastic. I guess everyone agrees since it's been on Broadway forevah. I envy you the trips to NYC for shows. The only musicals I've seen live are on stage in Oregon or at my high school. LOL. I clearly need to get out more!
My favorite will always be Camelot. Love the whole story line of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, with Merlin's magic and the pagentry of those Medieval times.
The songs are beautiful!
Most recently, I enjoyed Across the Universe with all the Beatle songs and Rent! Touching story of one year in the lives of people dealing with drug addictions, Aides and death.
Kirsten - my husband and I saw Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder in the Producers when that movie was new, and always loved it. When the Nathan Lane version came out, we knew we HAD to see it. We bit the bullet and forked out for the super expensive tickets, and saw it en route to my brother's wedding in Vermont back in 2001. It was the original Broadway cast, and Nathan Lane was unsurpassed.
I laughed so hard my face was striped with mascara. I was actually in pain from laughing so much and at one point thought I might suffocate if I didn't stop laughing long enough to catch my breath.
My kids didn't like it as much as we did, but Britney Spears was in the audience and they got to meet her, so they were happy campers, too.
As to The Lion King, my husband and daughter bought cheap tickets the day of the show and ended up in the THIRD ROW. My husband said he knew he was in trouble when he started getting choked up five minutes into the show.
Post a Comment