h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

My next journal entry will be the lyrics for 'S Club Library', a charity concert I did some time ago, so I thought I'd balance that horror with some musings on recent CD releases.

It's no secret that I love musicals, but over the last couple of months, I've been really , as several great new releases have arrived, with a few more in the next month or so.

Mary Poppins, Original London Cast. Magical, wonderful, even better than the film. The updates of favourites like 'Step in Time' and 'Supercalif...' are great, and the new songs by the wonderful Stiles and Drewe are equally wonderful. 'Anything Can Happen' is an anthemic song which deserves to enter the public consciousness.

Altar Boyz, Off-Broadway Cast. This one is just silly, but truly wonderful. The concept is that a Christian (specifically Catholic) boyband is about to make its New York debut, and the CD consists of the songs they perform. They are very, very, very funny, but probably most funny if you are a regular churchgoer. The songs include 'Church Rulez', which explains when to stand up, sit down, kneel etc. in catholic mass, 'Epiphany', which is a 'this is who I am, and I'm proud of it' song, and the best of the lot 'Something About You' which is a Christian love song. Given that pop songs tend to focus on lust rather than love, you can imagine that this goes in a very silly direction. Well worth it!

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Original Broadway Cast. One of this year's strongest candidates for Tony awards, this is good fun with witty lyrics and engaging tunes. It's obviously a comedy (it's based on the wonderful film), but it doesn't go down the 'aren't musicals silly' route that The Producers and Spamalot seem to revel in. Great performances from up-and-coming broadway starts Sherie Rene Scott and Nortbert Leo Butz, plus a very droll John Lithgow. Great overture with shades of The Pink Panther.

I've also enjoyed recent purchases of 'A Fine and Private Place' and 'A New Brain', which is more serious than the others. Coming over the next few weeks are other gems which I'll just have to buy, including two other new Broadway shows, 'The Light in the Piazza' and 'The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee'. Then there's a re-release of Sondheim's 'Merrily We Roll Along', which I have neglected to add to my collection in the past. I'm in musical lover's heaven, but might have to give up eating if this continues!

Anyway, I'll stop there, as I'm probably boring most of you (if anyone's even still reading, and if you are, you deserve a ).

David

Ha, read it!


Most of these are completely unfamiliar, but it still sounds cool. Have fun!

A for you then, Lady P!

Most of them are very new shows (from the last six months or so), so it's not all that surprising that they're unfamiliar.

David

Blimey! A real edumacashun about musicals eh, Mary?
I'm enjoying this and so rightfully claim my .
*waits tensely with eyes shut and vest akimbo*

An enthusiastic for Vestboy! And for all!

Hurrah!
Did you hear that Gene Wilder (D'oh I can't remember his original first name, but surname was Silverman, I think) chose the name Gene Wilder to be his stage name and later went into therapy.

He remembered that his mother had a heart attack when he was 7 and her doctor told him that he was never to argue with his mother, "Or she would die." The doctor also told him that he was to "make her laugh."

He said that these two things formed the rest of his life.

The therapist asked him to think about his mother's name.
Gene realised for the first time that it was Jeanne and it sounded identical to Gene - subconsciously he had given himself his mother's name!

I didn't know that. How very intriguing.

Wow... that's cool. Strange to think he'd never noticed that before.

Actors are strange. I've worked with a bunch of professional actors, and I share a house with someone who used to be an actor. It doesn't surprise me at all that someone from their profession would manage not to notice that. The actor's mind works in interesting ways...

Which brings up the question... what's the 'Wilder'? Wilder than what?

Gene Fully-Domesticated wasn't so well known as an actor.