Now Playing -
pledge drive time on WFUV
Now Eating -
Now Feeling -
Now Tweeting
- Melanie
Being that it's two days later and I have a bit more perspective, I have a confession to make.
Mandy Patinkin made us sing backup on "Trouble" from The Music Man.
It nearly made me cry with happiness.
Now, I don't exactly have good memories associated with The Music Man. In eighth grade, my grandmother died while I was performing in it. It was the first show I saw a now-dead friend perform in, the summer before we went off to college together. It doesn't have a closing number (well, not unless Susan Stroman has something to do with it.) All these things, put matter-of-factly like that, may not constitute much trauma to the average Joe. But trust me on this: Melanie + The Music Man = not a good history.
That said, I am a sucker for musical theatre. Like you couldn't tell, I know. But what I mean by that is, like folks that cry at Olympic Medal Ceremonies and Kodak commercials (Mel raises hand sheepishly from the back row), I cry at big production numbers. Happy, sad, comic or deadly serious, the whole convention of the musical theatre production number just hits me where I live. "Sit Down, John," and the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. The "Carousel Waltz" (and don't get me started on the Dream Ballet.) When the drummer starts wailing on the crash cymbal and the chorus comes in in "We'll Take a Glass Together" from Grand Hotel. I used to sneak to the back of the house to listen to the men sing harmony in "Luck Be a Lady." "One Day More." "Okla-frickin'-homa!" Even the curtain call of Pimpernel. Yes, it's a convention. Yes, it's done to evoke a certain feeling in the audience, to wring it out of them if necessary. What can I say? It works for me.
On a related note, every little bit of Music Man that I come in contact with makes me want to do it even more. It fits my voice perfectly. It's a good character for me, and one that the director should not have trouble "seeing" me as, which I think was part of the problem with Carousel. [Mel rolls her eyes and thinks, "It's called acting, folks!"] But it's not until next June. tap-tap-tappity-tap.... That's a long way off, and anything can happen. But that doesn't prevent me from woodshedding to death a score I already know pretty damn well with my voice teacher. Be prepared, folks.
~^ would you like to
leave word? ^~
0
of you lovely people have left word so
far
~^ what
was ~ what
will be ^~
~^ randomize me! ^~
a very fine cat indeed - Friday, Jan. 17, 2014
happy new year! - Thursday, Jan. 24, 2013
this is where i am - Saturday, Jun. 30, 2012
this is how it is - Friday, Feb. 24, 2012
a very late last year's wrap-up - Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012
~^
^~
