What does a theater geek do when she’s run out of local shows to review (or time to see said shows)? Well, she digs up old shows, remembering how great each one of them is, and writes about them instead. Now I’m going to give you my suggested Ultimate Showtunes Playlist, or at least, as close to “ultimate” as I can get in 20 songs. (A lot of the best showtunes ever were left off this list, purely for the sake of keeping the length sane.) I’ve compiled this list trying to draw from all the styles and stories that have been on Broadway in the last fifty years or so, and included many of my personal favorites. (Plus I’ve included some samples of each song for you – 30 second clips that I think showcase the music much better than iTunes or Amazon previews.)

So, let’s get right to it, shall we? Here is my Ultimate Showtunes Playlist, listed in order of release.

1. “You Can’t Get a Man With a Gun” from Annie Get Your Gun (1946) – this song is a favorite of mine because it turns the classic heartbreak moment in a romance story into a comedy song. As the at least partially true story goes, Annie Oakley, female sharpshooter, is turned down by Frank Butler, who claims he only wants to marry a feminine woman – “a doll he can carry,” he explains in an even more recognizable song, “The Girl That I Marry.” When Frank Butler exits the stage, one might expect the forlorn Annie to launch into a ballad lamenting her unreturned feelings – and one would be pleasantly surprised with something completely different. Instead, she begins to belt the gutsy and lovable classic, “You Can’t Get a Man With a Gun,” complaining that being the best shot in the country doesn’t really mean squat when you’re trying to find a man. I’m not sure how far back this song and I go, since I first saw this show at age five, but I’ve always loved it. The role of Annie Oakley was created by Ethel Merman (only 20 years after the death of the actual Ms. Oakley), but my personal preference is for the revival recording, featuring Bernadette Peters, who presents the song with her crystal clear voice and adds her signature humor to her delivery of the lyrics.

Clip: You Can’t Get a Man With a Gun – Bernadette Peters

2. “Hello, Young Lovers” from The King and I (1951) – Rodgers and Hammerstein are the heroes of any modern musical fan. Or at least, I’d hope they are. I’ve gotten into arguments with my theater pals, on the topic of Rodgers and Hammerstein vs. Sondheim, but I won’t get into that. This is my editorial, and I say they’re heroes. So there (cue stomping of foot on ground like small child). I love most of their works, but have a definite soft spot for the tender love story in disguise, The King and I. “Hello, Young Lovers” is one of the most memorable songs from The King and I, but in fairness, most of the songs are pretty memorable. However, this has always been one of my favorites. It is the advice of a widowed woman, Anna, to a young couple going through that whole forbidden love plot that audiences find oh-so-sexy. Anna tells the couple to cherish each moment, and not to hold back, while at the same time reminiscing of her late husband and lover, Tom. And the melody is just downright catchy, which is why it was instantly my favorite song from the show when I heard it. The clip is of Julie Andrews as Anna singing this song for a film version of the show, and for the record, there is no one but Julie Andrews who plays Anna perfectly. No one.

Clip: Hello, Young Lovers – Julie Andrews

3. “In My Own Little Corner” from Cinderella (1957) – this song was technically not from a Broadway show (ah, technicalities). In the late 1950s, Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II wrote an original score to accompany the classic fairytale, Cinderella. The music was used in a made-for-TV movie starring a young Julie Andrews as Cinderella, rather than a stage musical – it was the only work of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s that was made for anything other than the stage. The score is filled with instant classics (that, in my opinion, far surpass the syrupy songs in the Disney cartoon of the fairytale), such as “A Lovely Night” or the instrumental “Cinderella’s Waltz.” But the public favorite seems to be “In My Own Little Corner,” a song still performed frequently today. It’s just a quiet, slow song that takes place in Cinderella’s “happy place,” her little chair in the little corner by the fireplace. Mostly, she sings about freedom she experiences in this safe spot, where “she can be whatever she wants to be.” It displays a stunning amount of optimism if you ask me, since this woman’s life pretty much sucks, and yet she still sees the positive in this one place that she finds peace. I attached a clip from the 1997 movie version of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella, produced by Disney (yes, Disney made a live action version of Cinderella – most people overlook it). That remake starred Brandy, with her gorgeously rich yet breathy soprano voice, as Cinderella.

Clip: In My Own Little Corner – Brandy

4. “Don’t Tell Mama” from Cabaret (1966) – for anyone unfamiliar with Kander and Ebb’s Cabaret, the whole show takes place in a cabaret-style German nightclub. One of the main characters is Sally, the headlining singer/dancer at the Kit-Kat Club. “Don’t Tell Mama” is Sally’s introduction song, or, by some definitions, her character song (the first song someone sings, usually giving background and insight into the character). In it, Sally pleads with all watching to keep her profession a secret from her mother (who apparently still believes Sally is touring Europe with her friends). It’s just a funny song, and since it’s from a classic show, I thought I’d include it. The original cast recording, featuring Jill Haworth as Sally Bowles, is below.

Clip: Don’t Tell Mama – Jill Haworth

5. “Music and the Mirror” from A Chorus Line (1975) – if there was ever a diva’s song, this is it. A Chorus Line is the pure definition of an ensemble show, and depending on how you look at it, there are either no main characters, or all seventeen cast members are main characters. And yet the pure diva energy radiating from one character in particular, Cassie, is so strong that attention always tends to be drawn to her. A Chorus Line tells the backstage story of every musical on Broadway, as it depicts seventeen young hopefuls auditioning to be in the chorus of a Broadway musical. Each sings of what got them to where they are, and of the emotional turmoil associated with being a working singer and dancer on Broadway. Cassie is a dancer desperate for work, and when she sings about her dedication to her craft in “Music and the Mirror,” it’s just unbelievable. Donna McKechnie, the original Cassie, was an utter unknown at the time, but as far as I’m concerned, no one has ever come close to matching her vocal performance in this role, and she doesn’t just play Cassie, she is Cassie. So naturally, the sample is of her on the original cast recording.

Clip: Music and the Mirror – Donna McKechnie

6. “Any Dream Will Do (Reprise)” from Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (1982) – add to the list of composers I can’t possibly leave off this playlist, Andrew Lloyd Webber. Whether you love or hate Webber, his musicals are about as iconic as it gets. Phantom of the Opera and Cats alone defined nearly a decade of musical theater style. And while I haven’t had the chance to watch all the dozen or so musicals he’s composed, my favorite so far is one of his “oldies but goodies” – Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Or, as I prefer to call it, Joseph and the Ridiculously Long Show Title – or I just abbreviate it as Joseph. This show, based on the Bible story of Joseph and his dreams was technically my first opera – there is no dialogue in it; the two and a half hour show is all song. (By the end, my parents couldn’t believe me and my 6 to 8 year old siblings had sat through the whole thing.) Because of the nature of the show, most songs do not stand well alone, and therefore the only song that is usually performed outside of the original musical is Joseph’s solo “Any Dream Will Do.” The whole shtick with Joseph is that he can interpret dreams and predict the future from it. I actually laugh when I remember that it’s a Bible story, because to me it sounds more like the stories of some nutcase who believes himself to be psychic. Nevertheless, I do love this song, as he sings about his dreams along with a chorus of adorable children (who sit on the stage as a “audience” during the show, and whose purpose is not quite clear). I use the reprise version here because I think the music is more catchy, since it’s a finale song, and I just find it to be more pleasing to the ear than the first number, which is also very good. And for the record, the criteria I used for picking this clip out of the zillion cast recordings for this show is that this is the CD I have in my basement.

Clip: Any Dream Will Do (Reprise) – 1993 Broadway Revival Cast

7. “Castle on a Cloud” from Les Misérables (1985) – Les Misérables is a landmark show. Since first being performed in French in Paris in 1980, the show has been played in 38 different countries in dozens of major productions, and countless more smaller performances. Instantly recognizable are the soft, opening strains of piano in “I Dreamed a Dream,” or the charcoal sketch of a sad-looking girl in torn rags that is the Les Misérables logo. “Castle on a Cloud” is a song that can get overlooked in such an overwhelming show; with over 30 musical numbers, it’s hard to remember that soft ballad in the middle of act one that runs barely over a minute and a half. And yet I find it to be one of the most beautiful, emotional songs. The song is performed by a young actress, usually 8 or 9 years old, as the child version of the main character Cosette (the little girl in the logo). Cosette speaks of her fantasies, of a castle on a cloud she visits in her dreams, where she no longer has to work as an abused servant, and where she finds a mother figure to replace her real mother, who dies at the beginning of the show. It’s short but incredibly sweet and sung in a beautiful high octave. The clip below is of Donna Vivino (who, incidentally, has grown up into a beautiful vocalist that stunned half of Seattle with her performance in Wicked at the Paramount last September), from the original Broadway cast recording.

Clip: Castle on a Cloud – Donna Vivino

8. “I Know Him So Well” from Chess (1986) – obviously, I couldn’t include a song from Mamma Mia! on this list. (Face it, no matter how good the show is, “Dancing Queen” isn’t a showtune by any definition.) But fortunately, I managed to still use music composed by the very talented team of Andersson and Ulvaeus on my list, by picking a song from the West End flop musical, Chess. Chess as a show was an overall failure, because the story doesn’t stand up well, and by the second act, things start to fall apart. Well, wait, that’s a lie. I don’t know that for sure. I couldn’t bear to watch any more than the first ten minutes of act two, and after that, I was bashing my head against a wall – so hopefully you get what I mean about the show. However, the show is a favorite for concert-style engagements (when the show is performed usually just once or twice, with minimal staging and sets), because despite the weak plot, the music is very memorable and can almost compensate.”I Know Him So Well” is a great female duet, and has a lot of musical subtleties that remind a lot of ABBA’s music, so it’s a good example of how distinctive the composers can be. The song also has a great setup – two women are singing about the man they both love, one his wife, and one his mistress. It’s almost tragically funny how at the same point in this song, they both decide that giving up and letting the other woman have him is best for everyone. The clip is from a concert version of Chess that was performed in the West End in 2008 (it was only a two-show engagement, but the show was taped and broadcast on PBS), featuring Kerry Ellis and Idina Menzel, two very talented women whose voices I adore.

Clip: I Know Him So Well – Idina Menzel and Kerry Ellis

9. “Children Will Listen” from Into the Woods (1987) – truth be told, I don’t like Stephen Sondheim. And now I’ll pause and wait for you all to stop throwing tomatoes at me. We done? Okay, good. My opinions aside, I knew I simply could not compile a sampling of contemporary musical theater without including Sondheim. So here it is, my favorite song from the only Sondheim show I really like, Into the Woods. This song is the show’s finale song and was originally performed by Bernadette Peters. The song is now a classic and standard soprano ballad. As the lyrics state, “Careful the things you say, children will listen. Careful the things you do, children will see.” Bernadette Peters has a gorgeous, lilting soprano voice that I can’t possibly describe, and the lyrics are too deep for me to sit here and try to pick through. Listen to the sample. Seriously.

Clip: Children Will Listen – Bernadette Peters and Cast

10. “If I Can’t Love Her” from Beauty and the Beast (1994) – I tried to stray away from the adapted Disney movie musicals, since a lot of the songs from the movies are so mainstream by now, that I wouldn’t quite consider them “showtunes,” and Beauty and the Beast is a perfect case in point. But some of the songs that were written for the Broadway versions of the Disney stories are too amazing to overlook. And this act one closer is just so powerful, and heartbreaking, that I couldn’t leave it off. In a play that revolves around a romance, a dramatic break up or rejection song at the end of act one is pretty common, although I think the situation in Beauty and the Beast, and especially this song, is plenty unusual. I love this song because it’s one of the first times the Beast shows true emotion, and it is delivered in such a raw form. I’m sure that as high school students, most of you are far too mature for cartoons and have not watched Beauty and the Beast in years…right? *coughs* Uhm, yeah, so anyway – “If I Can’t Love Her” is sung right after Belle flees from the Beast’s castle. Despite his somewhat animalistic behavior, an audience gets the sense that Beast is trying desperately to fall in love with Belle – and more importantly, get her to see him in a different light, and love him in return, since this is the only way he’ll ever be a human again. And I do believe that when the maiden you’re trying to romance runs away from you, that’s a pretty strong sign that things aren’t going well. And all I have to say about the attached clip is, if you’ve never heard Terrence Mann sing, you have no idea how much you’re missing in life.

Clip: If I Can’t Love Her – Terrence Mann

11. “Seasons of Love” from Rent (1996) – Rent is one of the few shows whose scores I love so much that they’re on this list twice. And I tried to make myself cut this from the list, but I couldn’t. “Seasons of Love” is a practically universal song. Children sing it at events to make people feel warm and fuzzy, Girl Scouts sing it at summer camp around the fire, and it’s safe to say that most people of my generation have at least heard the song, even if they don’t know it’s from a Broadway show. All one needs to hear to recognize this gospel-style number are the simple but perfectly arranged piano chords that open the song, and the phrase, “525,600 minutes.” As I said before, it really is just a warm and fuzzy, feelgood song. The message is cliched, but important. Rent was, in a way, composer Jonathon Larson’s final message to the world, but I feel that this song in particular is Jonathon’s last gift to us.

Clip: Seasons of Love – Original Broadway cast

12. “Take Me or Leave Me” from Rent (1996) – this song is a beautiful example of the quirky style of rock music that makes up Rent. I felt I had to include an angry song if I put “Seasons of Love” on the list, because Rent is one of those works of art that is driven mainly by frustration, and much of the music carries that heavy, rock theme. I am a self-professed “Renthead” (yes, that is what us Rent geeks call ourselves), and would be hard-pressed to pick a favorite song from this music-packed operetta, but according to my iTunes top 25, my favorite is “Take Me or Leave Me.” There are many couples in Rent, most of them at least slightly dysfunctional, and the on-and-off relationship of characters Maureen and Joanne is perhaps the worst of all. During the course of the show, they break up about four times. (Possibly more. Truth be told, I’ve lost count.) This is probably because Maureen possesses several, shall we say, undesirable traits. (And yet she’s my favorite character…hmm.) During one of their arguments, Maureen presents an ultimatum to her angry girlfriend – take her as she is, or leave her. When Joanne tells Maureen the exact same thing, it turns into a powerful, frustrated song that is made of pure awesome. I chose to use the movie version of the song for the clip, because I think the music was better produced and sounds fuller than on the Broadway cast recording. It features Idina Menzel, the original Maureen, and Tracie Thoms as Joanne.

Clip: Take Me or Leave Me – Idina Menzel and Tracie Thoms

13. “My Strongest Suit” from Aida (2000) – I mentioned this song in my theater column once before, in my review of the rock opera Aida. And now I’m mentioning it again, because it is without a doubt, my favorite song from this show. The first time I heard it, I freaked out and immediately bought the entire cast album on iTunes. It’s long but absolutely worth listening to the whole thing. Full of high notes, riffs, and rock-style vocals, the song is amazing and incredibly hard to sing. “My Strongest Suit” has some of the most impressive belting I’ve ever heard, simply because it is in a high range that is nearly impossible to truly belt. (Trust me on this – I’ve tried. And it hurts to try to sing like Sherie does on the soundtrack.) It’s upbeat, catchy, and makes one want to dance and sing at the same time. It also stands alone well, since it’s more character than plot based. I’ve always thought it would make a great pop song. Take a listen to Sherie Rene Scott, Broadway semi-star, belt the heck out of this musical masterpiece. And listen to the lyrics, because they still make me laugh, as the character Amneris is supposed to be such an unabashedly spoiled princess that it’s kind of lovable. “Forget the inner me, observe the outer – I am what I wear, and how I dress.”

Clip: My Strongest Suit – Sherie Rene Scott

14. “Life of the Party” from Andrew Lippa’s The Wild Party (2000) – okay, technically, The Wild Party was never a Broadway show. At least not this version. Two musicals by this title, based on the same poem, were staged within a few months of each other in New York, completely coincidentally. Andrew Lippa’s off-Broadway version was the less successful of the two, though neither ran more than a few weeks. Personally, I prefer the Lippa version, but I’m a general fan of his scores, so I may be considered biased. To give an idea of the style of the music, since I’m sure most of my readers aren’t familiar with this show, it has been often compared to Kander and Ebb’s Chicago, since they both cary the same sort of vaudeville theme, and the shows are set in the same era. The show is full of great solos for each main character, and I agonized over choosing between this and the character Queenie’s saucy “Raise the Roof,” but I picked this, simply because I prefer the smoother succession of the music. I love the slight raspiness and overall roughness to these vocals and it’s definitely a musical highlight. “Life of the Party” is the only solo by this character, but it says all that needs to be said about her. The whole show is rather raunchy, and actually, this song could be considered mild compared to all the others. It’s simply a statement of the character’s way of life – lots of parties, lots of alcohol, and no work, all play.

Clip: Life of the Party – Idina Menzel

15. “Defying Gravity” from Wicked (2003) – most people, and certainly all theater fans, have heard of the musical Wicked, and “Defying Gravity” is the signature showstopper number from that record-breaking hit. It’s been modified into pop songs, sung on the musical TV sensation Glee, and is the most modern of the showtunes that are considered iconic and unforgettable. I know there are plenty of theater lovers who hate Wicked, but I can’t fathom hearing the final note in this song, watching the witch “fly” above the stage, and not getting goosebumps of thrill. The best belting ever, the most empowering music, and the craziest vocal performances are all packed into this song. To “defy gravity” may be a cliche – just search iTunes, and you’ll find a dozen songs with the same title – and all that’s usually meant by it is to rebel, defy all that is supposedly set in stone. But it becomes not-so-cliche when Elphaba actually does defy gravity. (This is an awesome special effect and a testament to the production values of Wicked.) I love this song. That’s all I can possibly say, because there is no other way to articulate my feelings for it. Every single time I listen to “Defying Gravity” – especially the powerhouse vocals, with the incredible belted high F, that take place in the last minute of the song – I love it more and more. And while anyone who can successfully pull this off is a brilliant singer, there was no option but to use a clip of the sensational original Elphaba, Idina Menzel. And before you hit play, turn your speakers down, because this woman’s voice is intense enough to blow them up if you’re not careful.

Clip: Defying Gravity – Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth

16. “What is This Feeling?” from Wicked (2003) – this song must go on the list not because it illustrates a standard style used in theater songs, but rather, because it is the complete opposite of many of those standards. The title implies a song about a new found crush, and “love at first sight” songs, though usually unrealistic, are quite popular in musical theater. However, love at first sight is not quite the case with the main characters in Wicked. In actuality, the song is a hate at first sight song. Comically enough, I have actually heard this referred to as “the best lesbian love song in the history of theater,” because it really sounds like that’s what it will turn out to be if you just listen to the first verse of lyrics. “What is this feeling, so sudden and new? I felt the moment, I laid eyes on you….” Could it be lust? No, it is in fact, “loathing! unadulterated loathing!” I love this song just because of the pure comedy of these two girls who barely know each other pronouncing their hatred for each other, and the fact that they’re singing it. It twists what is the standard, which is what any fantastic song from a musical must do. And if I ever find myself thrown into a situation where I know the minute I meet someone that I hate them, I would rather sing to them than yell at them. Seems like a much nicer thing to do, don’t you think? So, here’s the clip, once again of the original witches of Wicked, Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth.

Clip: What is This Feeling? – Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth

17. “For Good” from Wicked (2003) – yes, another song from Wicked. I can’t help it – the show is so packed with different emotions and styles and heartstopping vocal performances that I feel I can’t represent it all with one or even two songs. “For Good” is possibly the most beautiful song I’ve ever heard, and I can’t even tell you how hard I cried the first time I saw this show. It’s what would be called the “eleven o’clock” number in the standard musical formula – the last song in the show, before the “finale” number, almost always soaring and powerful. (The name comes from the fact that the second to last song in a show was usually performed around 11 pm – there’s your random bit of theater trivia for the day.) Wicked is, in essence, a love story – but a different kind of love story. Totally platonic, which is why the kiddies love it. The whole show is about the relationship between Glinda and Elphaba (the Good and Wicked witches of Oz, respectively), and “For Good” is the sad conclusion and overall summary of the relationship. At this point in the show, Elphaba and Glinda know they will never see each other again, and they have this one moment – one song, as it works in musicals – to express everything that the other has meant to them, and say their final goodbyes. (Oh, there I go. I’m tearing up just writing this.) The song is led into by one last joke before the tears start, as the social outcast Elphaba tells Glinda, “You’re the only friend I’ve ever had.” To which little miss popular replies, “And I’ve had so many friends!” The tender moment is saved, as she continues, “But only one…that mattered.” And then they sing, and the whole audience reaches for the Kleenex.

Clip: For Good – Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth

18. “My Junk” from Spring Awakening (2006) – Spring Awakening is a show that is amazing beyond belief, and I suggest that you listen to the entire soundtrack, because it’s that good. (However, it is R-rated, so maybe wait until the kid you’re babysitting goes to bed.) But I chose this song, “My Junk,” for my list, because it’s a great ensemble piece. Although the show takes place in the late 19th century, the high school students at the center of it are portrayed as being more modern, as reflected in this song. All of the young girls are explaining their feelings for the boys they each like, referring to their hangups on said boys similarly to addiction, hence the title. I also love this song just because I like the cast, since Spring Awakening was cast with very talented but mostly smaller names, young adults who hadn’t made a name for themselves in the theater yet. (The recording below also includes Lea Michele, the original female lead of Spring Awakening, and beloved star of that one TV show that nobody can stop talking about.)

Clip: My Junk – Original Broadway Cast

19. “Listen to Your Heart” from Young Frankenstein (2007) – the original draft of this list included a song from The Producers, but I had to cut it because the list was getting WAY too long. But I did include another great Mel Brooks musical, the Broadway adaptation of the movie Young Frankenstein. “Listen to Your Heart” is meant to be a flirty love song, but as is usually the case in a Mel Brooks show, the lyrics are so far from what you’d expect, it makes for great comedy. As Dr. Frankenstein’s flirty lab assistant tries to persuade him to go on his emotions rather than rationality, she also tries to explain to him that for the best romance, it’s a good idea to give up on any thinking. To quote the lyrics, her exact suggestion to him is, “Let’s be stupid together!” It’s very romantic, really. In the clip, Sutton Foster is playing Inga the lab assistant. And Sutton Foster is, as a friend of mine might say, utterly fabulous.

Clip: Listen To Your Heart – Sutton Foster

20. “I Want the Good Times Back” from The Little Mermaid (2008) – consensus among all my theater geek friends is that this is probably the funniest villain song ever. Written by original Little Mermaid composer Alan Menken and newer Disney-employed lyricist Glenn Slater, it is probably the best of the songs added to the Broadway version. Ursula the Sea Witch didn’t have enough of a part in the movie in my opinion, considering that she’s the main antagonist in the plot. I also wasn’t a fan of the way the original voice actress portrayed the character, and find the revamp from cranky old hag to sarcastic comic villainness to be quite refreshing. Sherie Rene Scott managed to make Ursula all her own, and practically created a new role. Part of the new character is a quality of shamelessness – almost pride – at her utterly evil intentions. “I Want the Good Times Back” is also a perfect example of an “I want” song, a song that states a main character’s goal at the beginning of the show (usually the second or third song), and in this one, Ursula and her two eel henchmen long for the days when they wreaked havoc on all inhabitants of the ocean, and the lyrics are just hilarious. She sings of wanting back the feelings of causing destruction, crushing spirits, and being on top of the world – er, sea. And sure, “it’s sheer abuse of power,” but “ain’t that what power’s for?!”

Clip: I Want the Good Times Back – Sherie Rene Scott

I apologize to any theater geek whose favorites were left out. I’m a bit biased. That’s why this is in the opinion/editorial section. Comment with your favorite showtunes below if you’d like, because I’d love to hear from you!

Hurry up and get yourself to the Paramount, because no theater fan wants to miss their current show! Seattle has welcomed Harvey Fierstein and the rest of the touring cast of Fiddler on the Roof, and the show is running through this Sunday!

Fiddler is a classic musical and a favorite of many theater fans, and although I’m a modern musical girl, I knew I could not miss this. I attended the opening night performance on Tuesday, and although I was completely exhausted, I did like the show. I wouldn’t go so far as to call it a favorite (my tastes more fit the most recent generation of musicals, from the last 30 years or so), but it was definitely a well-written show and since I already knew a lot of the music, I did have fun. (I was not happy about missing this week’s Glee episode while I was at the Paramount, but you can’t have everything, right?)

A quick recap for anyone who has never heard of Fiddler on the Roof (although I think that’s kind of like never hearing of The Sound of Music, but what do I know?): it is a musical, written by Joseph Stein, set in the very early 20th century, in a small town called Anatevka. Popular songs from the show include “If I Were a Rich Man,” and “Matchmaker, Matchmaker.” It is basically the story of Tevye, a hard-working Jewish family man, who is trying to live his life true to his faith, in a world where many Orthodox customs are being challenged. Throughout the course of the show, the three eldest of Tevye’s five daughters get married (all picking their own groom, which served as enough of a shock to the parents), each one straying just a little bit further out of the norm of Orthodox Jewish traditons and customs. The final scenes show the beginning of things getting very bad for the Jews in Russia, when the Jewish population of Anatevka are served with an order to sell their homes and leave the village. The story is concluded there, but please don’t let my weak synopsis stop you from seeing the show. I promise, it is much more interesting than I’m making it out to be. There just are too many small plotlines for me to elaborate on right now. The show accomplished incredible things, from being the first show ever to run past 3,000 performances on Broadway, to winning nine of the ten Tony awards the original production was nominated for. The most recent revival of Fiddler has closed on Broadway, and this is the “farewell tour,” so this is probably your last chance to see the show for quite a while.

And since I can’t not talk about him, if you haven’t seen the billboards all over Seattle, gay icon Harvey Fierstein (an original star of Hairspray, and librettist of the Tony-nominated show La Cage aux Folles) is playing the lead character of Tevye, a role he played for several years on Broadway as well. Personally, I found him to be very funny (since the character is supposed to be a bit crazy), although he was hard to understand. Harvey Fierstein made an unusual choice and chose to effect an Eastern European accent for the character, since the story is set in Russia, and on top of that, he has a very raspy speaking voice naturally, so it can be a bit hard to discern what he’s saying. If you can, I’d suggest you either bring a huge fan of the show who can translate for you, or go to the evening performance this Sunday, which has closed captioning provided for hard-of-hearing audience members. It will definitely enhance the experience!

Tickets range from $30.50-73.50, not including fees, which is on the pricey side. However, if you can afford it, it’s a great price to pay to watch a legend like Harvey Fierstein live. Regular tickets are sold at the STG website here. A better option would be to try for student/educator rush tickets, which are last minute tickets given at a discount to anyone with a valid school ID. Rush tickets, if they are available, are sold at the Paramount Theater box office on one hour prior to the curtain time (at every showing of Fiddler except those on Saturday, May 29th), and cost $25 each. You are limited to one ticket per ID, so if you bring friends, make sure they have a school ID too. And enjoy the show, fellow theater geeks!

Those of you who have read my theater column from its inception at the start of the semester probably know that I reviewed the Broadway musical Beauty and the Beast awhile back, naming it as one of the top 7 musicals of the decade. And for me, Beauty and the Beast always will be a hit. But in that article, I said that regional productions of the show weren’t as good as the Disney produced one that played on Broadway for over a decade (5,461 performances, to be exact), and I need to take that back now.

For over three months now, I’ve been working with Broadway Bound Children’s Theater as an ensemble member in their spring show, which is–you guessed it–Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. And I don’t mean to brag, but our production kicks Disney’s butt. It is going to be absolutely fabulous, and the more Nova students who get to witness it, the better! Broadway Bound and its amazing musical productions have been an important part of the Seattle arts community for many years now. The shows are well produced, well directed, and are made up of casts of ridiculously talented children.

As I said, Beauty and the Beast is going to be marvelous. I’ve been watching everything come together since February, from the music to the choreography to the sets and costumes, and it’s all beyond belief. Trust me, if you’ve never seen Beauty and the Beast onstage before, you want to see Broadway Bound’s production. If you have seen it onstage, you will want to relive the experience at the end of this month when the show opens.

Tickets for Beauty and the Beast are available here via brownpapertickets.com. The show will be running at Broadway Performance Hall at Central Seattle Community College from May 21 to May 30. The performances rotate to feature three different casts, and while I personally would strongly encourage you to buy tickets for a cast 2 performance (we’re the best, I promise!), all the casts are great. Tickets are $17.50 each for a regular performance, or $7.50 for the student matinees (10 am each day from May 25-27). The student matinees are a great deal, especially for any Nova student who has to be at Central on a weekday anyway!

After Beauty and the Beast runs, Broadway Bound’s production for younger kids (grades K-5), Cinderella, will also be running at the Broadway Performance Hall. The version of Cinderella being performed is the version with music supplied by Rodgers and Hammerstein, and is a personal favorite of mine, so check that out too! More information on Cinderella is at broadwaybound.org.

In the next few weeks, the shows at our two wonderful local theaters are Rain: The Beatles Experience and Leonard Bernstein’s On the Town. And before I give you the information about these upcoming shows, I’d like to apologize to the approximately two people who follow my mini theater column for missing the opportunity to review Dreamgirls while it was at the Paramount earlier this month. It was an amazing production and I hope all theater geeks got to see it, but it’s now a past opportunity, so let’s look ahead for now!

First off, at the 5th Avenue Theater, a locally produced production of On the Town has been playing for the past week and will be continuing its run until May 2, so you still have a few weeks to check it out! The director and choreographer team that are bringing us this production were also behind the local productions of West Side Story and Cabaret in past theater seasons. The production is part of the “Seattle Celebrates Bernstein” festival that many major Seattle arts organizations have participated in. Leonard Bernstein is the genius composer behind the Broadway musicals Wonderful Town, Candide, and West Side Story, among others.

On the Town is based on an idea conceived by Jerome Robbins, and the storyline is about three sailors who are on leave for 24 hours in New York City, determined to have as much fun as possible in that time. Need I say any more? Obviously this plot is bound to be a good time, so you may want to check out this show. All information about the production and tickets is available here at the 5th Avenue Theater’s site.

Over the Paramount Theater, Rain: The Beatles Experience will be doing an extremely brief, four show run on the May 7-9 weekend. (For anyone familiar with musical show schedules and wondering why it’s four shows and not five, it’s because there will be no Sunday evening show. The May 9th matinee will be the final show in Seattle.)

Rain is a tribute to the Beatles and all their music, although I would not call it a jukebox musical – or even a Broadway musical. It’s more of a tribute band performance, as the show is really just a concert of Beatles songs performed by people dressing, acting, and talking like the actual Beatles. I can’t vouch for how good the production or the cast may be, although critics have said that they are a wonderful portrayal of the Beatles and “the next best thing” to the real Beatles (via reviews at www.raintribute.com and the Paramount theater website). I don’t know. I have trouble believing any imitation could be quite as good, but if you’re interested in going to see the show, be my guest. All information about Rain, and opportunities for tickets (this was originally an “add-on” show that you had to buy a season package to attend, but individual tickets are now available) are here.

STG logo taken from BroadwayWorld.com.

Today, “that crazy theater-obsessed girl” is bringing you information about local summer programs available for teens in the area of theater arts. Specifically, a slew of amazing classes hosted at Broadway Bound Children’s Theater, a local non-profit that is known for producing amazing, high-quality musicals casting only students, and giving all youth the opportunity to study and perform theater with wonderful professionals. For anyone who is interested in developing theater-oriented skills over their summer break, without committing huge chunks of time, Broadway Bound’s one-week-long performance camps are ideal.

Each of the camps offered at Broadway Bound (all take place in the University Heights Community Center in the U-district) gives five days to learn songs and dances, and develop skills and make friends, and each camp ends with a performance on the final day. I’m speaking firsthand saying that the camps at Broadway Bound are the most fun thing I’ve ever done on a school break. Over my mid-winter break, I spent four days learning the music and story of a great song, and on the fifth I got to perform it as a solo. It was an amazing experience and it was a great use of my break.

Because the camps are six hours a day and five days a week, and you can sign up in one-week segments, it’s a good option for someone interested in doing an arts camp, but not wanting to sacrifice any other summer activities – like travel, long-running classes, etc.

There are nine five-day long camp sessions available at Broadway Bound, and each week has one class that is specifically for teens (ages 13-17). Classes are available for younger children (as young as 6) as well, if you have any younger siblings, etc. Some of the teen classes include classes on vocal technique, monologue delivery, and dance styles in musical theater. There are also classes that will be learning songs from a selected show and performing them in a musical revue at the end of the week. Teen classes include revues for the shows Rent, Spring Awakening, and the TV show Glee. I’m excited and I want you to be, too!

Full tuition for each week is $250, but there are full and partial need-based scholarships available, and I would advise you to not pass up this opportunity. Broadway Bound is all about bringing the chance to participate in theater arts to youth, and if you’re serious about wanting to spend your break working in theater arts, I suggest you don’t let a lack of funds stop you from signing up! Visit Broadway Bound’s website for more information on the program, and this page for the full run-down and descriptions of the 2010 summer break camps, as well as the link to the registration form. And I hope to see some Nova kids at Broadway Bound this summer!

Scholarship information is available from the Broadway Bound office manager, Lauren Williams. Email for additional information: lauren@broadwaybound.org.

Now, I’d hate to be seen as a wimpy reviewer afraid to give out bad marks, so today I’m reviewing the musical playing for the rest of the weekend at the 5th Avenue Theater, Legally Blonde. Usually I have very little negative say about a musical, because I can find the good in almost any show. So I suppose my review of Legally Blonde will be more “mediocre” than bad. But nevertheless, I was getting sick of raving about every show in town all the time.

I have never seen the movie Legally Blonde, because frankly, I didn’t think I’d want to. So I have nothing to compare the musical version against, but here’s my take on it: the show is humorous. Ditzy. Fun. But it seems to me to be more of the type of musical that 11-year-old High School Musical fans like to attend, rather than a serious musical. I’m never against a funny musical, but this particular one wasn’t side-splittingly funny, and I couldn’t find any huge redeeming qualities in the music or the humor that made up for the tween-oriented storyline.

Really, I’m right on a  fence concerning Legally Blonde. To be upfront with my readers, I didn’t particularly want to see the show to begin with. A friend that went to see my favorite musical, Wicked, at my request, guilt-tripped me into going to her favorite musical in return. (She’s lucky I was able to find a $20 ticket to a weekday matinee, or the deal would’ve been off.) I went to the show trying to keep an open mind for my friend’s sake, which is probably why I’m not flaming the show altogether. The music is admittedly catchy and the plot is a cute, light story. And even though the music isn’t particularly complex and doesn’t really showcase any particular singers, the cast that’s performing at the 5th Avenue Theater is ridiculously talented and I was definitely glad to be able to see them all. The cast includes Becky Gulsvig as Elle Woods, who is a cute actress direct from Broadway who was the understudy for Elle in the original cast; and Coleen Sexton as Brooke Wyndham (a minor character, but Coleen majorly impressed me!).

On the flipside of the coin – Legally Blonde is a light kind of show for kids. If you quiz a group of middle school-aged girls (and possibly queer middle-school aged boys), the most popular musicals among them would almost undoubtedly be High School Musical, Hairspray, and Legally Blonde. (And if you can’t tell, my opinions of the first two are very low.) I consider it to be one of the watered-down, pop-style musicals that aren’t really designed for musical fans. The music is simple and the show overall is cheesy.

And yet, after saying all this, I have to admit that the opening number for Legally Blonde, also a big hit with young girls, “Omigod, You Guys!” has been running through my head since seeing the show, and I downloaded the soundtrack. So I guess I’m undecided. Here’s the short, condensed review for anyone considering seeing the show:

Rating on a scale of 1-10: 6.5

Appropriate for: ages 8+ (official rating is PG)

Best for: young children, people who haven’t seen many musicals, fans of the movie, or theatergoers in search of a lighthearted show

You can buy tickets to the four weekend shows at the end of Legally Blonde’s Seattle run here at the 5th Avenue Theater’s website. Tickets are rather reasonably priced for theater, starting at $29 for weekend matinees. And I’m going to plug the 5th Avenue’s 2010-2011 season here, because it’s recently been announced, and I’m very excited! The 5th Avenue is going to be hosting fresh-from-Broadway shows such as 9 to 5, Next to Normal, and In the Heights, as well as classic shows like Oklahoma! and Guys & Dolls!

images from BroadwayWorld.com and Playbill.com

Attention all Nova gamers: if you’re looking for something to do over your spring break, consider visiting the Seattle Public Library on April 1. The South Park branch of the library (located at 8604 Eighth Ave. S) will be hosting an all-ages gaming event. Why play outside when you could be in a nice, warm library, showing off your impressive finger reflexes to fellow gamers?

The event will be from 2:30 to 4:30 pm, and the news release says there will be Wii and Xbox games, as well as Dance Dance Revolution. There will also be board games for the more mellow “gamers.” The event is free and there is no need to register. There will also be snacks provided! (Thought I’d mention that, since it seems to be a selling point for many Nova students.)

You can call the South Park Branch of the Seattle Public Library at 206-615-1688 for additional information. This is a great opportunity to socialize with other gamers, new and experienced, and have a lot of fun, so I hope I’ll see you there!

The musical and choreographic sensation Chicago is playing at the Paramount Theater this weekend! Chicago is a classic Kander & Ebb musical set in the 1920s, and is packed with some of the best choreography and most memorable music I’ve ever seen on a stage.

I saw Chicago and enjoyed it very much, which was a bit of shock to me, since I’m a modern musical type of gal. It’s one of those pieces that continues to be great long after it’s written (Chicago first hit Broadway in 1975, making it three and a half decades old by now!). Most theater fans who have never even seen the show will recognize numbers from it, such as the standard “All That Jazz.” Chicago is full of numbers that are exactly like what the title “All That Jazz” conjures in the mind – pure vaudeville, with bright and shiny choreography and snazzy staging.

The plot of Chicago is definitely PG-13, as it revolves mainly around a woman named Roxie Hart, who has been accused of the murder of her lover. The story follows Roxie as she goes to prison and encounters several other “murderesses,” all of whom killed a male lover in various crimes of passion and are trying to get off the hook for them. The story has a very clear political message, because as the plot develops, Roxie hires a very expensive, fast-talking lawyer to get her off the hook; a man whose strategy is to “give them the old razzle dazzle.” That is, create flashy stories meant to emotionally manipulate jury members and the public to get a favorable outcome. The message is very clear: if you win the hearts of the right people, it doesn’t matter whether you’re guilty or not.

I really liked those clearly political themes in Chicago, because the writers make very good points and observations. The show is also a bit satirical, poking fun at lawyers similar to the fictitious Billy Flynn character, as well as the justice system as a whole.

It’s humorous and fun and flashy all at the same time. It’s a great experience of classic musical theater, and for anyone who is a fan of the classic, 30s- and 40s-style Broadway musicals, you can’t go wrong with Chicago. This particular production that is at the Paramount is excellent, and filled with extremely talented people, including Seinfeld’s John O’Hurley, and the Chicago veteran Brenda Braxton. If you’re looking for something to do over the weekend, I suggest you stop by the Paramount Theater box office, or click the link below and look into getting tickets for Chicago!

Tickets can still be purchased for all four weekend performances of Chicago here at the STG website. You can visit the official site for Chicago for more information about the show.

If you see Chicago this weekend, or attended one of the earlier performances, let me know what you thought in the comments section! I want to know!

1. Wicked

Opened October 30, 2003 – still running

Wicked is, without a doubt, the most successful new musical of the decade. Since hitting Broadway in late 2003, Wicked has been constantly breaking records for weekly grosses. The show broke yet another record just last week – the week ending January 3, 2010 – making over $2.1 million with just their Broadway production. The North American box office gross for that week – including Wicked’s two national tours, and the long-running San Francisco production – exceeded $7 million. And the success is, if I do say so myself, very well deserved.

I saw Wicked when it did a recent, month-long stint at the Paramount Theater. From beginning to end, I was thrilled. I laughed, I cried, I applauded madly during the standing ovation. I even went back to see it a second time towards the end of its run in Seattle. The show is produced by Universal Studios, so it is one of those big, flashy musicals. Thousands of lightbulbs illuminating the stage, six or seven costume changes per ensemble member, and, well, the story begins with a prissy-looking girl riding onto the stage in a giant mechanical “bubble.” I love the charm of a high-energy, low-production show just as much as the next theatergoer, but there is something so deliciously exciting about a completely over-the-top production.

Wicked is a Wizard of Oz spin-off, based on a novel by Gregory Maguire, about two accidental college roommates, who just happen to later become “Glinda the Good Witch of the North,” and the “Wicked Witch of the West.” At first, the outcast, green-skinned girl simply loathes the shallow, blonde popular girl, and the feeling is mutual – but eventually, the two become best friends, connecting on their differences. It’s a story about being the outcast – you’re bound to feel outcast if you were born with green skin like Elphaba (the “Wicked” witch), whose character is introduced by one her first lines: “No, I am not seasick; yes, I have always been green; and no, I didn’t eat grass as a child!” It can also be seen as a story about strong women, struggling with friendship and self-identities. It’s one of the few musicals with two female leads, rather than two males, or a male and a female.

The music, composed by Stephen Schwartz (who also penned the scores of Godspell and Pippin), is a delightfully complex score for both the orchestra and the performers. The vocal performances follow an all-encompassing path to match the emotional journey of the characters in the show, and range from soprano opera (No One Mourns the Wicked, “Goodness knows, the wicked’s lives are lonely; goodness knows, the wicked die alone.”) to perky pop (Popular – “I’ll show you what shoes to wear, how to fix your hair – everything that really counts to be popular!”) to classic, Broadway-style belting number (Defying Gravity – “I think I’ll try defying gravity, and you can’t pull me down!”), creating two of the hardest leading roles I’ve ever witnessed in musical theater. After careful study of most of the women who have ever played Elphaba or Galinda (who towards the end of Act I, changes her name to Glinda), I have found that no one less than spectacular has ever been placed in either role. The vocals required for a performance of Wicked are so stunning that it is absolutely worth seeing the show, even with understudies on for both leads.

It’s been said by many reviewers greater than me, there’s something in Wicked for everyone: kids, teens, and adults, all genders, and all types of music fans. I would give it an above-top rating – an eleven on a scale of one to ten. Anyone who enjoys musicals, or music in general, or even a good, heart-wrenching, emotional story should absolutely see Wicked if they get the chance.

Images taken from webblogs.ctlv.com and idina-here.com.

2. Rent

Opened April 29, 1996 – closed September 7, 2008

Rent opened in the 90s, receiving a swarm of media attention even before it hit Broadway, due to the tragic but very exploitable fact that the show’s composer and playwright, Jonathon Larson, then 35, died on opening night. What a ride he missed. Rent’s 12-year run on Broadway (the 8th longest Broadway run in history) didn’t come to a close until rather recently (September 2008), and it won over a dozen major awards, including the Pulitzer Prize for drama and several Tonys, along the way.

The very idea of Rent is drastically different from any other musical on Broadway today, and was even more shocking back in the 90s. Very realistic to the appearance of lower Manhattan in 1989, where the story is set, most of the characters are starving bohemian artists – and quite a few of them are living with HIV/AIDS. Characters include a heroin-addicted, HIV-positive exotic dancer; a bisexual, outspoken performance artist and anarchist; and an indiscriminately kind and generous cross-dresser who is, rather appropriately, named Angel. Add the raw rock music that makes the score, and the simple but emotionally provocative lyrics by Jonathon Larson, and you have a musical for the young generation.

I will confess to never having seen Rent live onstage. However, I watched (and re-watched) the final performance on Broadway, which was released on DVD, as well as the musical movie of the show, featuring six of the eight principal members of the original Broadway cast. Even through a TV screen, the energy of the young actors in the cast and the emotional arc the characters travel is overpowering. I had never been so emotionally attached to a musical, but this one had me on the edge of my seat (and, I’m not going to lie – crying). The story is pretty harsh for younger kids (since it includes AIDS, drugs, death, and sexuality issues), but Rent has been very well-received by its target audience (young adults), because of its young, fresh look and sound, and the all-summarizing philosophy repeated throughout the show: “Forget regret, or life is yours to miss. No other road, no other way – no day but today.”

The original Rent was conceived to be a modern take on the Puccini opera La Boheme, set in late 20th century Manhattan rather than early 19th century France. (It is worth being noted that, by now, the show has been translated into several different languages, including La Boheme’s original Italian.) But although many of the characters draw their names from, and many small plot points are based on the original opera, Jonathon Larson’s music is drastically different. Rent opted out of having an orchestra like most musicals. The live music is supplied by just a few rock musicians at the back of the stage, armed with two electric guitars, a bass, keyboards, and a drum kit. Most of Rent’s conversations are also in song (the number “Light My Candle” is a brilliant piece of story-telling through song), and it is considered to be one of the first rock operas. This deviation from classic musical numbers coupled with the radical storyline means that even if you’re not a fan of musicals, you may want to try Rent. It defined a generation when it opened back in 1996, and still affects youth today.

Images taken from blogwaybaby.com and idina-here.com.