what at night seems oh so scenic may be cynic by and by

[sab]

I stole a meme from gamesiplay; her version is longer and has some very interesting questions, but I was too lazy and just adapted the meme for my own me devices. That said:



I'll just do the answers I wanna:

Ten Favorite Broadway* MUSICALS (not necessarily in order of preference, just random):

1. Into the Woods
2. South Pacific
3. The Music Man
4. The Fantasticks (*off Broadway, but if I love it twice, can it count?)
5. The Fantasticks
6. Jesus Christ Superstar
7. Evita
8. Falsettos
9. Les Miserables
10. The Fantasticks again; I saw it 15 times on Sullivan St including its final week before closure.

I have seen all these live; Falsettos and Into the Woods on Broadway several times apiece.

My favorite song from each?

1, Into the Woods: At first I thought Moments in the Woods, most certainly, though It Takes Two. I was lucky enough to see this with Joanna Gleason and she rocks my socks. And I can do the whole It's Your Fault while drinking a glass of water, but in the end, my favorite is No More, when the Baker and the Mysterious Father get squared away.
2, South Pacific: I'm Gonna Wash that Man Right Out of my Hair, and of course Bali Hai is gorgeous.
3, The Music Man: The Sadder But Wiser Girl for Me, probably... or is it Marian the Librarian. No, it's Minuet in G.
4, The Fantasticks: Round and Round is the eeriest.
5, The Fantasticks: Metaphor is just a work of genius.
6, Jesus Christ Superstar: Heaven on Their Minds, probably, though the song the disciples sing the night of the Last Supper (I've forgotten its name) is also marvelous
7, Evita: Oh, I know, but these two are the only ALWs that made the list, okay? And they're GOOD, dammit. Evita I adore Waltz for Eva and Che like a madwoman, but The Rainbow Tour and even sadder, Rainbow High hold a special place in my heart. And while the rest are Madonna version, the best ever is probably Patti LuPone's Another Suitcase, Another Hall.
8, Falsettos: oy. It's gotta be the various riffs on Everything Will Be All Right. The sad struggle of denial and acceptance.
9, Les Miserables: not ALW, people! No judgments! Easily One Day More. One of the great anthems of musical theater.
10, The Fantasticks: it's too hard. I love this play with everything I've got. I mean, who can beat Plant a Radish? Or of course Never Say No? And it's almost an insult not to worship Try to Remember. In conclusion, my favorite song from The Fantasticks is This Plum is too Ripe.

Dammit. Now I miss 181 Sullivan St. I saw it with all the good casts, and Bill Tost never missed a performance; he was Matt's father every time. I even saw Jerry Orbach as El Gallo twice. The box office people knew me. Tix were $10 with a student ID. The gallery upstairs was gorgeous and the stage itself, a little black box, so intimate -- maybe 85 seats -- so intense with Matt screaming I Can See It and poor Louisa in the rose-colored glasses going Round and Round...

Comments

[krazykitkat.livejournal.com]

Two more days and I can buy tickets for An Evening with Mandy Patinkin and Patti LuPone. I saw Mandy in concert at the Sydney Opera House a couple of years ago and it was a dream come true (have all his cds). I said then that if he ever comes down to Oz again, I was there... And to see Patti LuPone as well...

Les Mis is a favourite. But I'm also a Phantom of the Opera tragic.

[iamsab.livejournal.com]

Mandy and Patti: KICKIN' double bill! I'm sizzling with envy... stupid stupid Australia being so stupidly far away grumble grumble...

[krazykitkat.livejournal.com]

They're touring the US at the moment, schedule here (http://www.mandypatinkin.org/schedule-2.htm).

I'm impressed he's coming down to Oz again (and New Zealand), he must have enjoyed it down here.

[gamesiplay.livejournal.com]

1. SO JEALOUS you saw Joanna Gleason, omg.

2. JCS and Evita are my top two ALW shows, too (though I like some Song and Dance numbers thanks to Bernadette Peters)... mainly, I think, because of the sharper perspective that Judas and Che respectively add to the stories. I'll give ALW this-- when he finds a trick that works, he sticks with it.

3. I had no idea you were such a Fantasticks nerd! I cry every time I hear "Try to Remember."

[gamesiplay.livejournal.com]

ALSO. I didn't know you saw Falsettos on Broadway! Original cast or replacements?!

[iamsab.livejournal.com]

Michael Rupert, baby. Full original cast, THRICE. :P Do you have the same embarrassing crush on Chip Zien that I do? I squee whenever he shows up on some random TV show.

I kind of hate you a little.

[gamesiplay.livejournal.com]

Oh, god. Now the most important question: can I touch you? *g*

ahahahaha, Chip Zien, I so do. Funnily enough, just last night I was watching an episode of Wonderland (the show Peter Berg did before Friday Night Lights), and there was Chip Zien guest-starring, and I literally screamed, and my roommate came running into my bedroom because she thought our resident mouse had returned. True story.

[iamsab.livejournal.com]

ALSO I saw Bernadette Peters in Into The Woods, most of the original cast and my BFF Chip Zien. I also saw ITW with Phylicia Rashad, but let's face it, NO one is Bernadette Peters.

And no one, not even Mandy Patinkin, is Michael Rupert.

[gamesiplay.livejournal.com]

And no one, not even Mandy Patinkin, is Michael Rupert.

THANK YOU FOR FEELING THIS WAY TOO.

I mean. I really love Mandy Patinkin embarrassingly. But Michael Rupert, man. Michael Rupert.

[corianderstem.livejournal.com]

Jesus Christ Superstar: Heaven on Their Minds,

Oh my god, yes.

[sparklyfabulous]

falsettos!! i never saw the original run but i did go to the original cast reunion reading at playwrights horizons a few years ago (...well, more like SIX years ago, god). i love it so much.