14. Everyone’s a Little Bit Racist from Avenue Q (2003) — here’s another repeat show from one of my previous lists. I can’t help it; no matter how many new shows I see, some are still my permanent favorites. Avenue Q is one of those favorites. The music also holds a special place in my heart now that I’ve been in the show (this summer at the Seattle Children’s Theater). Now, you may say, “What kind of a song title is that? That sounds horrible!” The message of the song is that yes, we are, in fact, all racist. But for most of us, just a little bit. I think what offends most people about the idea of this song, is that they think the song is perpetuating a standard that says it’s okay to be racist, which is not at all what it’s about. The song, which is presented in a very Sesame Street-like “we’re going to learn something today” style, is meant to point out that no matter how “color-blind” you may think you are, everyone makes judgments on race–and we need to be conscientious of that. So, more than anything, “Everyone’s a Little Bit Racist” is a call for social awareness. The consensus that the residents of Ave Q reach is that, “If we all could just admit that we are racist, a little bit, even though we all know that it’s wrong, maybe it would help us get along.” Trust me, listen to it, and you’ll find yourself humming it even in the most inappropriate contexts soon enough. It’s catchier than you’d expect a song about racism to be. The clip below features the members of the original Broadway cast.

Clip: Everyone’s a Little Bit Racist — Original Broadway Cast

15. I Wish I Could Go Back to College from Avenue Q (2003) — why did I include this song, when I’ve already used another Avenue Q song? Because this song is beautiful, in a very unique way that I’ve never heard in any other showtune. (Although I suppose it’s possible that I just haven’t listened far enough.) One of the big themes in musical theater songs is regret, because nothing builds character better than dwelling on the regrets of your past. In this almost bittersweet number, several of the residents of Avenue Q sing in a split scene about how much they wish they could return to the safe, guided ways of their college days. This song more than any other proves that the composers of Avenue Q have a unique ability to be hilarious and serious at the same time. The themes in this song are so emotional, and yet it still makes you laugh. Not only is it a song of longing for what is past, it is also meant to reflect that maybe those things that seemed impossible then really weren’t all that bad–like when they start reminiscing about being stuck in the computer lab at 4 am, working on a paper due the next day, as if it were a fond memory (because apparently, real life is much worse). Also, I have to say that the harmonies in “I Wish I Could Go Back to College” are the best in the entire show. They’re just perfect.

Clip: I Wish I Could Go Back to College — Original Broadway Cast

16. Electricity from Billy Elliot (2008) — I finally saw Billy Elliot last spring when it was in town, and I have to say, it wasn’t nearly as good as I had expected. Not that it was bad, but I had my expectations built up by all the hype, the awards, and the fact that other compositions by Elton John are so freaking awesome. Billy Elliot was good, as Broadway musicals go, and the choreography and dancing were incredible, but I don’t know, it didn’t resonate with me like I had expected it to. The only thing that has really stuck with me since seeing it is the song “Electricity.” Billy Elliot the musical is based off of the 2000 movie, and, as I previously mentioned, the music is done by Elton John. The story is about a little boy who, by random chance, discovers his immense passion for ballet, and goes on a quest to get accepted into the Royal Ballet School in London. The dancing part of the audition doesn’t go quite as well as Billy expects, but he wins the school over with his answer to their final question, “What does it feel like when you dance?” He says that it’s like electricity, sparking inside of him. This is followed by the most spectacular dance break ever. The clip from the original London cast recording features Liam Mowes, who was one of the three young boys who rotated the role of Billy Elliot in the original cast. (Note that his accent prevents him from pronouncing the second ‘t’ in ‘electricity.’ Adorable, isn’t it?)

Clip: Electricity — Liam Mowes

17. The Lamest Place in the World from 13 (2008) — camp alert! Okay, yes, 13 is a pretty ridiculous musical, but at the same time, it’s something wonderful. It is, to date, the only Broadway musical in history to have an entirely teenage cast, and the story is about the fear and anxiety associated with middle school, being the new kid, and coming of age. I have to say, this show is is a concept that might not have worked if the music wasn’t up to scratch, but Jason Robert Brown is a genius, and his music is what holds the show together, with a style that has been described as combining Rent and Glee (which sounds absolutely horrific, I know–but somehow, it works). 13 is also a favorite for middle schools and youth theaters, because it is not only easy to cast, but very relatable for teens. The cast includes all of the common middle school archetypes–the stupid jock, the bitchy cheerleader, and the new kid in town. “The Lamest Place in the World” is the song in which Patrice, local laughing stock of the popular kids, introduces her new neighbor to Appleton, Indiana. She tells him outright that it is “the lamest place in the world,” but that it’s not quite so bad now that he’s there. It’s a very cute song, and carries that signature Jason Robert Brown touch. (His music is just crazy enough that you can always tell it’s his.) The recording below is of Allie Trimm on the original Broadway cast recording.

Clip: The Lamest Place in the World — Allie Trimm

18. Get Out and Stay Out from 9 to 5 (2009) — 9 to 5 is one of the most ridiculous, campy shows I’ve seen in the last season. But something about it was just infectious, because I went to see it a total of three times during its run at the 5th Avenue Theater. The musical is based on the 1980 film of the same name, which starred Dolly Parton (who wrote the music and lyrics for the Broadway musical version of the story). It’s a crazy story about three women who work for a “sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot,” and then due to a series of bizarre events, end up plotting to give the guy what’s coming to him. It’s a very fantasy-like show, and very feminist-oriented as well. My favorite number from the show was, without a doubt, the belting solo by the character of Judy, “Get Out and Stay Out.” Basically, it represents everything she wants to say to her soon-to-be ex-husband. It’s powerful, emotionally and vocally, and actually pretty well written. (I like Dolly Parton, but I honestly didn’t expect her to produce such a good–if incredibly campy–score to a musical.) The clip below is of the original Broadway cast recording, and let me put a big disclaimer here: I am not, by posting this clip, in any way endorsing the talents of the singer. There are no other sufficient recordings, but it would be an understatement to say that I am not this singer’s biggest fan. To say that her voice very much gets on my nerves would be getting a little closer to the truth. (The girl who was playing this role when the show was in Seattle was fantastic, however. I wish I had a decent recording of her, so that you could actually enjoy this song for what it is.)

Clip: Get Out and Stay Out — Stephanie J. Block

19. The Music of My Soul from Memphis (2009) — I know I’ve included Memphis on my lists before, but that was just based on the Tony performance they gave. After actually seeing the show, I love it so much more. The best way I can describe it is, Memphis tells the same story as Hairspray, except that it’s the “grown up” version of the issue, rather than the teen-centered storyline of Hairspray. Memphis is very loosely based on the life of a white DJ in the late 1950s who brought “race music” (a term that I am uncomfortable with, but that’s how it is described in the context of the show) to the mainstream “white” radio stations in Memphis. Huey, the DJ, is frequently described as a fool, who can’t keep a job and still lives with his mother. He gets fired from his job at a department store for playing race records on the store’s intercom system, and he manages to land a gig as a DJ that shoots him to the status of local celebrity, through a combination of luck and stupidity. He falls in love with a female singer who performs at the local “colored people” bar–where Huey is less than welcome at first, to put it mildly. When asked why he wants to be somewhere that he doesn’t belong, Huey sings “The Music of My Soul,” a song about his relationship to blues music and how it changed his life. Chad Kimball (a Seattle native) as Huey has a great quality of soul in his voice, that comes out more and more as he gets more into what he’s singing. The included clip is from the original Broadway cast recording.

Clip: The Music of My Soul — Chad Kimball and Montego Glover

20. Just Another Day from Next to Normal (2009) — Next to Normal became one of my favorite musicals when I saw it February, at the 5th Ave Theater. It is an intensely dramatic show, and for more info you can read my original review of it here. I’ll try not to rehash the things I said about the show in my first review, but basically, Next to Normal is a musical about a family dealing with mental illness, and “Just Another Day,” the opening number, shows just how far from normal this family is functioning. Every member of the family has different challenges to face, and in the opening number, as they all prepare for their day, they all sing about the feeling that going with the same old, completely not normal, thing every day brings. One of the great things about Next to Normal is that it feels like a huge show, even with its tiny cast. “Just Another Day” perfectly encapsulates the ensemble feel of the show. The clip below features the original Broadway cast.

Clip: Just Another Day — Original Broadway Cast

21. I’m Alive from Next to Normal (2009) — another song, because this one is so catchy that it will never leave your head. Also, the character of Gabe is totally the “teenage hunk” character of Next to Normal, but I won’t get into that. “I’m Alive” is a really, really good song, but it’s also kind of touchy for me to talk about it too much, because Next to Normal is one of those shows where if you know too many spoilers, it becomes a lot less interesting. The basic idea of the song is that this character is asserting his presence, because he doesn’t want to be forgotten. This song shows off the pop/rock stylings of composer Tom Kitt, who is known primarily for his raw and edgy scores. “I’m Alive” could be a pop song with a little bit of tweaking. It has the guitar lines, the tenor voice with the awesome riffing, and that upbeat feel to it. I guess the only thing it would lose is the major impact that the dramatic staging makes on the way an audience experiences this song. You can listen to the clip below, featuring Aaron Tveit of the original Broadway cast, but I am issuing a warning that this is one of those songs that will infest your brain like an angry parasite after you hear it once. You’ll never be able to get rid of it.

Clip: I’m Alive — Aaron Tveit

22. In the Arms from The Addams Family (2010) — yes, I did just say The Addams Family. On Broadway. Today, a good percentage of the new musicals that come to Broadway are based on already popular franchises and movies (Legally Blonde, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, and Spiderman are good examples), and a lot of the time, these shows are nothing to write home about at best (Legally Blonde), and an absolute atrocity of musical theater at worst (Spiderman). I actually enjoyed The Addams Family, suprisingly enough, but that may have been because I had such low expectations to begin with. To be honest, I only went because my parents bought me tickets to it on Broadway for my birthday, and because it was starring Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth, two of the greatest legends on Broadway today. The plot of the musical focuses on Wednesday’s new boyfriend bringing his parents over for that big first meeting. While it may seem at first that young Lucas’s parents (played by Terrence Mann and Carolee Carmello) are far more normal than the characters of Morticia and Gomez, it quickly becomes clear over dinner that the normality they display is a kind of forced one, leaving them with a very unhappy marriage and home life. Throughout the course of the only somewhat ridiculous show, Lucas and his parents get stuck at the Addams’ house due to weather, and an interaction with the pet giant squid converts the father back into the squid-loving hippie freak he was pretending not to be. I won’t pretend to pick some deeper meaning out of this, because it’s insane. I just really like showtunes about squids, okay? Clip is the original Broadway cast recording. Terrence Mann rules (as does anyone else who can sing this song with a completely straight face).

Clip: In the Arms — Terrence Mann

23. Mr. Rogers Medley from Everyday Rapture (2010) — I have avoided putting this show on any of my playlists for too long, and I just couldn’t do it anymore. Everyday Rapture is a bit of a compilation show, and all of its music was sampled from other artists (Judy Garland, Coldplay, and Mr. Rogers as a few examples), so it shouldn’t really count for original showtune playlists. But darn it, I love this show, so it’s on here. Everyday Rapture was essentially a solo show for actress Sherie Rene Scott. Although there are three other cast members, the story revolves around Sherie’s life story, including the whole “born in Topeka, Kansas into a Mennonite family and then becoming a Broadway star” thing. The story is told in a humorous way that takes advantage of Scott’s prowess as a comedic actress, and makes you as a viewer feel like you really know her. In the one-act show, many of the monologues focus on Sherie’s musical influences and inspirations in her early life, particularly Judy Garland and Mr. Rogers. One of my favorite numbers is the medley of three of Mr. Rogers’s most famous songs, in a unique, kind of poppy, very Broadway style. It’s cute, it’s fun, and it’s one of my favorite showtunes on my iPod, even if it’s not original. The clip from the original cast recording features Sherie Rene Scott, of course, along with her back-up singers, Betsy Wolfe and Lindsay Mendez–also known as the the Mennon-ettes.

Clip: Mr. Rogers Medley – Sherie Rene Scott, Betsy Wolfe, Lindsay Mendez

24. You and Me (But Mostly Me) from The Book of Mormon (2011) — go see The Book of Mormon. Seriously. Although it’s practically impossible to get tickets to it at this point–I think the Broadway production is actually sold out until the scheduled end of the world in December 2012. The Book of Mormon is written by Matt Stone and Trey Parker (of South Park fame) and Robert Lopez (Avenue Q co-composer), was the winner of nine 2011 Tony Awards, and it is freaking awesome. The musical is about two young Mormon men being sent out on their mission (because when they come of age, Mormon boys are supposed to go on a two-year mission). Kevin Price, promising and arrogant 19-year-old, is paired for his mission with Arnold Cunningham, who is, basically, a dawdling idiot. In this number, Elder Price sings about his great expectations for their mission, and how he plans to achieve glory as “the Mormon who changed all of mankind.” He tells Elder Cunningham that they can do this together, so long as Cunningham simply stays out of his way. It’s so entertaining, because Cunningham is so happy for the attention and companionship, that he’s more than happy to go along with it. (Also, this number is a stylistic parody of “The Wizard and I” from Wicked, so that explains why I like it so much musically speaking.)

Clip: You and Me (But Mostly Me) — Andrew Rannells and Josh Gad

25. I Believe from The Book of Mormon (2011) — yes, another song. What can I say? The show is awesome. Now, one of the first things to note about “I Believe” is that it is an incredibly transparent parody of “I Have Confidence” from The Sound of Music. (There are a lot of parodies in The Book of Mormon; the guys who wrote the music are big musical enthusiasts and apparently wanted to satirize a bit.) You don’t have to have heard “I Have Confidence” to appreciate this song, but it’s about ten times funnier if you are familiar with the original. This song comes after the main character, Elder Price, has faced many trials of faith, having been sent to Uganda on his mission and witnessed so many horrible things that he basically runs away from his duty. But in his moment of revelation, he realizes that he needs to trust that his faith will get him through anything–including dealings with a warlord with a penchant for shooting people in the face. In fact, in the middle of the song, he actually runs right into said warlord’s camp and tries to convert him in his sudden burst of faith and happiness. Elder Price sings about all of the more outlandish claims in the Book of Mormon (such as, the Garden of Eden being in Jackson County, MO), and how, as a Mormon, it is his duty to not question, but simply believe. Some people might consider this song offensive to the faith as a whole, but with the knowledge I have of its context in the show, and the people who wrote it, I would say that it’s really not. And apparently, the show has been a big hit among Mormon audiences as well. Listen to the clip below (of Andrew Rannells on the original Broadway cast recording) if you’d like to decide for yourself.

Clip: I Believe — Andrew Rannells

Very often, I look at one of my older showtunes playlsists and think, “Why on earth did I include this song?” or “I didn’t write enough about this song. I have so much more understanding of this character/situation/show now,” or “I should have used a song from (whatever show I last saw)!” I have seen maybe 10-12 musicals, plus a sampling of a whole new Broadway season at the Tony Awards, since I last published a playlist, and many of those shows are represented here. Some of these shows, I included on the list before, but I wanted to delve deeper into the scores now that I’ve seen them. I think this showtunes playlist should be seen as a work in progress. Because even with all the new music I discover, much to my shame as a theater geek, there are dozens upon dozens of classics I cannot say I have seen. I’ve never seen Oklahoma. I bought the movie version of Evita, but I still haven’t watched it. And I don’t even know what Stephen Sondheim’s Follies is about (sorry Grandpa). But here, I present 25 more songs that I feel represent some of the best of musical theater, as I know it as of this writing. Enjoy!

1. Let’s Misbehave from Anything Goes (1934) — so many people don’t realize it, but Cole Porter actually had a tendency to be rather controversial in his music. Many of his songs were not things that would have been considered appropriate for radio broadcast at the time he was writing. A surprising number of Cole Porter standards carry implicit references to sex, and this one is no exception. I did flub with the release year a bit here; Anything Goes first hit Broadway in 1934, in a production starring Ethel Merman, but that version did not include this particular song. In fact, there are several versions of the libretto of Anything Goes, all featuring the same characters and setting, but messing around with the relationships, and the sequence of events. The 1962 off-Broadway revival is the version I am most familiar with, as it’s the only cast recording I currently own. The 1962 version of Anything Goes was the only one to include “Let’s Misbehave,” a song that was originally written by Porter in 1927, and was tried out in a few of his musicals and never quite worked in any of them. I personally like it in this setting, in which the charming Reno Sweeney convinces a very dignified (and engaged) man to partake in sexual innuendo and teasing with her. The clip is, of course, from the 1962 recording, featuring Eileen Rodgers as Reno.

Clip: Let’s Misbehave — Eileen Rodgers

2. Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat from Guys and Dolls (1950) — one classic I saw for the first time since writing my last playlist is Guys and Dolls (thank you, 5th Ave Theater). I was somewhat familiar with the music before, but didn’t want to use the songs on a playlist when I didn’t have a full understanding of their in-show context. Now that I’ve seen it, I picked out one of my favorites to share with you, dear readers. Definitely, one of the catchiest numbers in the entire show is “Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat.” The story of Guys and Dolls revolves around a group of men who run an illegal craps game. When one of the gamblers falls in love with the leader of a local mission, in a pathetic attempt to impress her, he offers to recruit some “sinners” for her mission. Long story short, due to a lucky roll of the dice, he wins the souls of his fellow gamblers in a round of craps, and drags them all to the Save-a-Soul Mission for their prayer meeting. As the meeting starts to fizzle, the ringleader encourages “Nicely-Nicely Johnson” to give testimony on his “spiritual journey.” Nicely quickly whips up some bogus story about having a dream that encourages him to leave the path of the sinner. In this dream, Nicely says he found himself on the boat to heaven, with his dice. The good passengers, however, are having none of it–they refuse to partake in his sinful gambling, and tell him to “sit down; you’re rockin’ the boat.” The other gamblers quickly agree and jump in. Of course, these guys are totally lying about their intent to find God and abandon their lives of sin, but that just makes it even funnier. I used the 1992 Broadway revival cast recording for my clip, and it features Walter Bobbie as Nicely-Nicely Johnson.

Clip: Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat — Walter Bobbie

3. Whatever Lola Wants from Damn Yankees (1955) — everybody loves a sexy temptress song, and few play the sexy temptress as well as the legendary Gwen Verdon. Some of Verdon’s most famous roles include Charity in Sweet Charity, Roxie in the original production of Chicago, and, of course, Lola in Damn Yankees. Lola is the woman sent by the devil to Joe, the main character of Damn Yankees, to seduce him. Basically, if Lola succeeds and seduces Joe, his soul is damned for all eternity, which is kind of in the devil’s favor. So Lola goes and lays on the charm, basically going to any measures necessary to get this poor guy to cheat on his wife. This number is very simple musically speaking. The thing that makes it most memorable from the rest of the show, though, is the slight exotic feel that comes from Verdon’s fake accent (I’m not actually sure what she’s going for with the accent, but it sounds good), and the general tone of the music. I can’t describe it in technical terms, but there’s definitely something distinctive about this song. Also, there’s something bizarrely fascinating about a female seductress who has no motivation other than to condemn the souls of the men she manipulates. You can listen to Gwen Verdon in her Tony-winning performance as Lola, on the original cast recording below.

Clip: Whatever Lola Wants — Gwen Verdon

4. Wouldn’t it Be Loverly from My Fair Lady (1956) — because you can never have enough Julie Andrews. What can I say about this song? It’s from My Fair Lady, written by Frederick Loewe and Alan Jay Lerner, about a young Cockney woman who is taken in for schooling to rid herself of her “unseemly” accent, by two men who have made a bet on whether or not this woman can be “reformed.” It sounds like a silly concept, but it’s one of the most treasured musicals of all time, possibly because of the whimsical nature of the story (and a score by Loewe and Lerner never hurts a show). The cutest song (in my opinion) is the one in which Eliza Doolittle sings about everything she wishes she had in her life, from “a room somewhere far away from the cold night air” to “someone’s head resting on my knee, warm and tender as he can be.” But with her endearing Cockney accent, when she says how lovely these things would be, it comes out sounding more like “lover-ly.” It’s quite adorable, actually–especially in the way that Julie Andrews, the original Eliza, did it, with the preciseness of her voice and her fake accent. I honestly think no one will ever top the way Julie Andrews played this role, but of course, I feel that way about many of her performances. The clip is, of course, of Ms. Andrews singing this fantastic song, which is a standard of musical theater by now, 55 years after hitting Broadway.

Clip: Wouldn’t it Be Loverly — Julie Andrews

5. L’Chaim (To Life) from Fiddler on the Roof (1964) — for starters, let me just say that nowhere can I find a confirmation of whether the title of this song is officially “L’Chaim” or “To Life.” They both mean the same thing, actually, but one is in Yiddish, and the other is an English translation. However, different copies of cast recordings, the script, the score, and Playbills for Fiddler on the Roof all seem to be in disagreement about which is the correct song title. Personally, I’d put my money on “L’Chaim” being the winner. This song got a place on the list because while I was listening to Fiddler, it occurred to me that I’ve had very few, if any, celebratory songs on my previous playlists. It’s mostly been depressing or lovestruck, sappy stuff, which doesn’t seem all that representative of musical theater as a whole. I also have very few songs on my playlists that involve drunken Jewish men yelling in Yiddish, so that’s a plus on the originality scale. “To Life” is one of my favorite numbers from Fiddler, because it’s basically the only happy song in the whole show. Fiddler on the Roof is just not meant to be a happy show. Pretty much the only celebration is when Tevye agrees to marry his eldest daughter to Lazar Wolf, the richest man in the village, and Lazar buys drinks for everyone in the tavern. It’s a very twisted optimistic view on life as well, as all the men toast to good fortune, with the stipulation, “If our good fortune never comes, here’s to whatever comes.” Clip is of Zero Mostel, who is the Tevye, on the original Broadway cast recording.

Clip: L’Chaim (To Life) — Zero Mostel

6. Summer Nights from Grease (1972) — in retrospect, how did I manage to avoid using songs from Grease until now? It’s one of the more popular musicals with kids these days, probably due to the timelessness of the film version (you know, the one with Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta). I have to say, this show has never really interested me. In all honesty, the story is horrible–it’s about a good girl who changes who she is to get a bad boy to fall in love with her. Probably not the best message. But the music is great. It’s a mixture of 50s-style doo-wop and rock and roll. And I spent all summer watching little kids at theater camp singing “Summer Nights,” so this one in particular has grown on me. Grease’s story starts at the beginning of the school year, and in the song “Summer Nights,” the characters Danny and Sandy both brag to their respective friends about what transpired during their summer love affair. Danny tells his boys that he “went all the way” with the good girl Sandy, while Sandy harps on to her female friends about how sensitive and emotional their relationship was. They are, of course, both lying; or at least exaggerating a little. But as high schoolers, both groups of friends eat it up, and it is a very cute song. Now, Grease is one of the very, very few musicals that I strongly prefer in the film version, as opposed to the stage one, so the clip I included is of Olivia Newton-John as Sandy and John Travolta as Danny.

Clip: Summer Nights — Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta

7. Don’t Cry for Me, Argentina from Evita (1979) — this is one of those huge shows that it’s hard to believe I went so long without including. I’ve never included it because, as stated in my intro, I’ve never seen it. Even though I probably should have. (Is it really my fault if the last time a tour of Evita rolled around to where I was living, I was 8 years old?) But it is a big show, and “Don’t Cry for Me, Argentina” is without question the most famous song from it. In case you didn’t know, Evita is the musical based on the life of Eva Perón, the first lady of Argentina who was possibly even more famous than her husband, President Juan Perón. Okay, maybe that’s an exaggeration. However, due to the popularity of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, Eva Perón is probably a more recognizable name to non-Argentinians today than her husband. In this epic number, Perón addresses her supporters from a balcony and informs them that although maybe her original motives were not pure, she plans to represent the people of Argentina, and basically assures them that they can trust her. I used the original Broadway cast recording, which Patti LuPone as Eva. I thought she did great, but according to numerous reports, she hated playing that role (and with good reason–it pretty much wrecked her voice permanently). But I don’t have any other versions of this song. You can listen to the clip and decide for yourself whether she was capable of handling the role or not.

Clip: Don’t Cry for Me, Argentina — Patti LuPone

8. Unexpected Song from Song and Dance (1985) — apparently this playlist is the Andrew Lloyd Webber feature. I suppose I haven’t included quite enough of his musicals in my previous lists. I’ve never actually seen Song and Dance, and I don’t even know what it’s about. (And if you want to know, do a Google search and leave me out of it.) But ever since learning “Unexpected Song” for an audition, I’ve been in love with it. It’s smooth, flowing, and perfectly timed. It’s also sort of hideously cliched in the way of love songs, but aren’t most Webber love songs? (For my points of reference, I direct you to “All I Ask of You” and “I Don’t Know How to Love Him.”) The song itself is a metaphor for the feeling of isolation from the rest of world you feel when you suddenly fall in love–the singer states that it is all around her, like “an unexpected song, that only we are hearing.” I warned you that it was cheesy. The main (and I believe only) character in Song and Dance was originally played by Sarah Brightman, but when the show was on Broadway (for about five minutes), Brightman was replaced with the eternally talented Bernadette Peters, who did it much better. As far as I can tell, the critical reception of the show itself wasn’t overwhelming, but Bernadette Peters in this role was a big deal. It was her first Tony-award winning role, and the released cast recording is actually called Bernadette Peters in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Song and Dance, with the former name in larger print than the latter on the cover. So, here is a clip of “Unexpected Song” from Bernadette Peters in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Song and Dance.

Clip: Unexpected Song — Bernadette Peters

9. I Dreamed a Dream from Les Misérables (1987) — one of the things that has happened since I last published a playlist is that I have gone nuts for Les Mis. It is a great classic of musical theater, but I didn’t see it for the first time until a 25th Anniversary Concert was filmed for showing in movie theaters, and then a brand new tour of the anniversary production arrived in Seattle this summer. It takes a few viewings (and possibly a reading of Victor Hugo’s novel) to grow on you, because it’s about three hours long and completely sung through, so it takes quite a while to digest everything presented. More than one of my friends have said they find the show boring, but I love it. “I Dreamed a Dream” is possibly the most famous showtune of all time (thanks a lot, Susan Boyle), not to mention the fact that Les Misérables is one of the most famous musicals in the world. I don’t even know where to begin when describing why the song is awesome. From a musical standpoint, it is a soaring ballad, incredibly hard to sing, and has beautiful orchestration. Character-wise, the song is Fantine’s reflection on her life, which has not gone all that well, to say the least. The song is about the optimistic view of the world that the young Fantine held, but as the song progresses, all the pain and loss of faith that has come from all the trials Fantine has faced become clear. Now, a lot of women have played Fantine, and most of them are excellent, but I saw no choice but to use the 25th Anniversary Concert recording for my clip, because it features Lea Salonga as Fantine, and Lea Salonga goes beyond excellent. While I try to avoid calling an actor “the best” in any given role, in this case, it’s just true. Her vocals are crystal clear, powerful, and technically perfect; on top of that, she’s a simply amazing actress. I hope you enjoy the clip as much as I do.

Clip: I Dreamed a Dream — Lea Salonga

10. Master of the House from Les Misérables (1987) — you didn’t really think that after I raved about Les Mis like that, I was going to only include one (over-used) song from it, did you? No, I am, in fact, using three songs from Les Mis on this playlist, meaning that on the musical diversity and addictiveness scale, it ranks up there with Wicked in my book. (The only drawback is, this show has no attractive green women who can fly.) “Master of the House” is another one of my favorites from this show, because it is the only upbeat song the whole show. Much like in Fiddler on the Roof (see above), there is very little to be happy about in Les Misérables (hence the name, The Miserable Ones). Everybody’s poor, everybody’s dying, and the main love story is horribly contrived. It would seem that the only people who are happy in this story, are the villains. M. and Mme. Thénardier are scummy, low-life people that you couldn’t imagine liking, but you have to because they’re so bare-faced about what jerks they are. When Thénardier sings an incredibly catchy song about how he’s the con man who rips travelers off by running the local inn, with a big smile on his face…you have to love it. You just have to. The thing about Thénardier is, he’s a thief, a corpse-looter, a business criminal, and the kind of guy you would never want to invite into your home, but it makes him happy. And that’s what makes him and Mme Thénardier the comic relief as well as the villains of the show. The recording I used is also from the 25th Anniversary Concert, not because I don’t like the original cast recordings of Les Mis, but because Matt Lucas, who played Thénardier in the filmed concert, was completely and utterly brilliant.

Clip: Master of the House — Matt Lucas and 25th Anniversary Concert Cast

11. Do You Hear the People Sing? from Les Misérables (1987) — last Les Mis song, I promise. But I think it would be some kind of mutiny to leave “Do You Hear The People Sing?” out of any comprehensive sampling of Les Misérables. While anyone who is well-informed will tell you that the musical is not necessarily about revolution (and in fact, it isn’t–it’s about redemption), the French revolution is the setting in which much of the story takes place. Well, one of the French revolutions. There was apparently more than one significant French revolution, which I was not aware of until I saw Les Mis and got incredibly confused by the timeline. The one we’re talking about here is the June Rebellion, and you can Google it if you’re curious. But I’m not here to teach you about history. “Do You Hear the People Sing?” is the theme for an uprising of the people. As previously mentioned, the majority of the characters in Les Misérables are lower-class citizens of Paris, and everyone is suffering economically. When they finally decide that they’ve had just about enough, the students build a barricade (also known as one kick-ass full stage set piece) in the streets of Paris and make their stand. Enjolras, the leader of the group, sings “Do You Hear the People Sing?” as they prepare for the revolution. As far as I’m concerned, it’s practically the anthem for Les Misérables, and it’s a great song. Its message is still applicable today. The recording is once again the O2 Concert Cast, because the 25th Anniversary Concert featured a huge ensemble of former Les Mis stars, and the recording is of over 200 people singing this. Freaking amazing.

Clip: Do You Hear the People Sing? — 25th Anniversary Concert Cast

12. The Phantom of the Opera from The Phantom of the Opera (1988) — you gotta love a Broadway musical that sounds like a combination of opera and Pink Floyd. Thank you, 1980s and Andrew Lloyd Webber. I really don’t know of any shows besides Phantom that are seemingly based entirely on rock synths. No, in all honesty, I do like the music from The Phantom of the Opera. I had to see it multiple times to really enjoy it, but it is a good show. (Not exactly the rave review you’d expect for the biggest Broadway show of the last 50 years, I suppose, but there it is.) The title song is arguably the most memorable from the show, although I’m sure there are people who would argue with me that it is “Music of the Night.” But “The Phantom of the Opera” is just a masterpiece; its sound is haunting and yet entrancing, with the ever-subtle echoing chorus part. As Christine is being kidnapped by the infamous opera ghost, she and he duet about the discovery of just what this entity is. And then she sings this ridiculously high note for a ridiculously long time, pretty much just because she can. It’s eccentric, certainly, but it fits perfectly for this show, and it’s undeniably a classic at this point. The original London cast (also the original Broadway cast) is in the clip below, which has Michael Crawford as the Phantom and Sarah Brightman as Christine.

Clip: The Phantom of the Opera — Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman

13. I’d Give My Life for You from Miss Saigon (1991) — “I’d Give My Life for You” is a song of undying maternal love, and although in Miss Saigon it takes place under very unusual circumstances, I think that doesn’t make it any less beautiful. (About those unusual circumstances: I’ll give you the condensed version–Kim, or “Miss Saigon,” is singing this song to her young son, who was fathered by an American soldier she fell in love with during the Vietnam war, but was soon after abandoned by.) Kim’s love as a mother, as she sings about it in this song, is an easily relatable emotion, even to a non-parent, and relativity is what makes a great character. Miss Saigon is a modern reinterpretation of Madame Butterfly (or, as a lesson on analogies I once read said, Madame Butterfly : Miss Saigon as La Bohéme : Rent), written by the composers of Les Misérables. When Lea Salonga sings this number on the original London cast recording (she was 18 at the time of the recording), her voice is so beautifully haunting that it adds a whole other dimension to the words she’s singing. (Okay, I admit it–I’m in love with Lea Salonga. Actually, we’re getting married; she’s just not aware of it yet.)

Clip: I’d Give My Life for You — Lea Salonga

Check back in for part B of The Showtunes Playlist 3, to be posted soon!

I suppose it’s no secret that something about the fairy tale of Cinderella is special. After all, it’s one of those stories that pretty much everybody knows by the time they’re in grade school. I can’t even count how many times the story has been adapted into stage shows, movies, and the like, but for years, my favorite has been the musical adaptation by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. (If you read my theater column regularly, this is not news, or at all surprising to you, and you are probably well aware that I am a Rodgers and Hammerstein fangirl.) Even the Rodgers and Hammerstein version of Cinderella exists in many different incarnations, from a 1957 made-for-TV movie, to a drastically redone 1997 Disney movie starring the pop star Brandy, to a recent international tour that adapted the films for a stage musical. The version that the 5th Avenue is doing seems to be based on a combination of the Disney movie and the 2008 tour, but it doesn’t really mirror any of the previous versions I’ve seen–which is good. That means it is awesome entirely in its own right.

So, with that background info out of the way, here’s a few things I loved about the 5th’s production, and what made it better than all the other Cinderella shows I’ve seen, and all the other 5th Avenue Theatre productions. Firstly, I do think it has blended the best aspects of every Cinderella production I’ve seen, by including some Rodgers and Hammerstein songs that were originally written for other things, but have been included as part of Cinderella in the past. They also modified some of the characters for a more relatable, comic story. For instance, the royal steward is one of my favorite characters, simply for the comic relief he provides as the typical “bumbling servant” character, and he is all too often left out entirely. And then there’s the Fairy Godmother, who seems, somewhere along the line, to have developed a refreshingly sassy “I’m not helping you until you help yourself” attitude. Also, one of the wicked stepsisters is in drag. It doesn’t get much better than that.

Secondly would be the technical aspects of the show. Cinderella has production values and a stylistic design that make a theater techie drool. The sets are gorgeous and very artistically unique, somewhat mimicking the outlandish-ness of the set designs in the 1997 Disney movie. The magic effects are accompanied by pyrotechnics and stage “magic” (which, believe me, is just as hard as real magic to pull off). And, as the final cherry on top, the costumes are sparkly. Yay, sparkly costumes!

The last thing is, of course, the cast. It’s probably obvious how much of a theater geek I am, because I can never review a show–any show–without commenting on the cast. But in Cinderella, it really is necessary. I have never before seen a production, of anything, that was perfectly cast. And then I saw Cinderella. Really, every single casting decision and direction I saw onstage, I completely agreed with. Cinderella was director Brandon Ivie’s first time directing at the 5th Avenue, and he is definitely somebody to keep an eye on. Whatever it is he’s directing next, I’m going to see it. Everything, and everybody was brilliant–so brilliant, in fact, that they all managed to win me over without being compared to all the other actors I’ve seen in these roles. The star is of course, Cinderella, who is being played by Jennifer Paz, a tiny woman with one hell of a voice and an adorable character for Cinderella. She was fantastic, and you can also add her to the list of people whose future projects I will be stalking (in a completely non-creepy, fan of the arts kind of way). But really, there were more actors than I can list that impressed me. Brandon O’Neill, who I’ve seen in multiple 5th Ave productions, gave his best performance yet as the dreamy and down-to-earth Prince Christopher; Greg McCormick Allen was totally hilarious as Lionel, the royal steward; Nick Garrison and Sarah Rudinoff work perfectly together as a pair of wicked stepsisters; and Kendra Kassebaum, who is essentially cuteness concentrated, was so indescribably enchanting that she had everybody wishing she was their Fairy Godmother.

So, there you have it. Are you getting ready to go see Cinderella yet? If so, I suppose I’ve done my job. Cinderella runs at the 5th Avenue Theatre downtown through December 31, 2011, so you have plenty of time, including your winter break. I’d absolutely recommend this show over The Nutcracker, A Christmas Carol, or any of the other holiday season shows running in town. Take your visiting family, or your younger siblings to see it. Totally kid-friendly–I lost track of how many little girls I spotted at the theater, all glammed up in their Cinderella costumes and tiaras. It’s an amazing experience, and a lovely way to spend an evening (or afternoon). And in case you’ve forgotten, the 5th Ave offers discounted day-of-show tickets to theater goers under 25 years old. All you need is proof of age and $20, and you can go see the best holiday show in town. For information about show times and ticketing, visit the 5th Avenue’s website here.

Photo credit: The 5th Ave Theatre.

As I mentioned in my season announcement for the 5th, Saving Aimee is based on the life of Aimee Semple McPherson, who was one of the first Christian preachers to reach the masses through modern media, and the founder of The International Church of the Foursquare Gospel. Ms. McPherson was one of the most influential women in the country in her heyday in the 1920s. With that kind of fame often comes scandal that the public loves to hear about, and Aimee McPherson’s life was no exception. The well-respected preacher, publicly known as “Sister Aimee,” was married and divorced three times in her life, and she was surrounded by scandal when she was hit with criminal charges in 1926 for allegedly faking her own kidnapping to run off with her (married) lover. The musical tells the story of Aimee’s life, and her journey to being “Sister Aimee,” in the context of that trial. Sister Aimee was definitely an intruiging enigma. She preached to thousands and helped many, and yet much of her teaching contradicted her practice and her personal life. While the musical is certainly dramatized, and not entirely historically accurate to many accounts of Aimee as a person, it is definitely a fascinating look at a woman who changed the world during her lifetime.

Another plus to seeing this show, which I can’t go without mentioning, is the cast. The cast of Saving Aimee is filled with Seattle-area performers, “regulars” in 5th Ave productions, and Broadway veterans alike. Broadway actress Carolee Carmello is starring as Aimee McPherson, reprising the role that she created in an earlier (2007) workshop of the show. One of the perks of seeing a brand new musical is the opportunity to see talented actors in roles that were, essentially, created for them. When a creative team gets together to put together a musical, very often, the vocal and acting idiosyncrasies in the actors they have playing the leads end up shaping a vital part in the characters. Seeing Carolee Carmello as Aimee was a real treat, because the role was so obviously created to cater to some of Carmello’s more unique performance traits. I’ve seen Carolee Carmello perform in other roles (most recently, I saw her in The Addams Family on Broadway last winter), and while she is undeniably a stellar performer, I may have enjoyed her in this role the most, and that was probably because playing Aimee highlights all of her strengths, making for a fierce character.

Now, very often (or maybe always—I don’t know—I’m not at the 5th for every show, hard as it may be to believe) before a performance of a in-development show at the 5th Avenue, the executive director and producer, David Armstrong, will give a small speech to the audience about the making of the show, reminding us how important an audience is to creating a new musical. The 5th does something very unique, in that it has a special email on its website set up for feedback about new shows. Audiences were encouraged, earlier this summer at Aladdin, and this Sunday night when I went to see Saving Aimee, to send in comments or suggestions to help the show’s creators. Modern technology is a marvelous thing, is it not?

I would definitely encourage you to go see Saving Aimee if you have the time and money. Heck, go and see it again even if you saw it already. Changes are reportedly being made to this show every day, and you can help the process by sending in your comments on the show (click here to be redirected to the 5th’s website for more info on that). This is the part of my article where I remind you, once again, that the 5th does offer $20 day-of-show tickets to patrons who can show proof of age that they are 25 or under at the ticketing window. You are given the best available seats when you get day-of-show tickets, and I have seen some great shows in great seats for this price. Take advantage! They also offer $20 “return tickets” to anyone with a ticket stub from a previous performance of Saving Aimee, encouraging audience members to return and provide more feedback. Box office hours and other ticketing information can be found at the 5th’s website here by clicking on “Ticketing Info.” Have fun, fellow theatergoers, and enjoy the show!

Images used belong to the 5th Ave Theatre.

The Phantom of the Opera is one of the most iconic musicals in existence. Even people who know nothing about Broadway musicals can recognize the Phantom, with his eerie, white, half-face mask. I was so excited to see the Royal Albert Hall (RAH) production that I woke up early on a Sunday morning, since the show was starting at 11 am Pacific time. And I was not disappointed. This particular production was very well cast, filmed, and staged.

For those of you not familiar with The Phantom of the Opera, let me give you a quick rundown. As I mentioned earlier, it is the longest-running musical in Broadway history, having opened in New York in 1988, and still running at the same theater. That works out to nearly 10,000 performances. The novel Le Fantôme de l’Opéra by Gaston Leroux is a very popular basis for stage shows, probably due to its theatrical setting and the elegance and mystery of the story. Leroux’s novel has been adapted into a silent film (1925), an organ music film (1962), and even an off-Broadway musical called Phantom, written by Maury Yeston and Arthur Kopit (1991); but of all adaptations, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s 1986 rock opera has experienced the most resounding success. Webber’s version of Phantom has had dozens of “carbon-copy” productions, identical to the original, running in more than 20 countries since opening in London.

The Royal Albert Hall production is an “all-new” production–possibly the first to not follow the carbon-copy model–although it is very similar to the original. The most notable difference was the absence of the famous stage effect where the chandelier, which dangles above the audience as if it were a part of the theater’s structure, crashes down to the stage at the end of act one. I was…mildly upset at this missing effect, but there could have been several reasons for it (the RAH is much bigger than other theaters Phantom has performed in, and the rigging would be very complex to set up in a new venue for a short run), and lots of other interesting things were present. The cast was enormous. The company listing on the official website lists an incredible 99 ensemble members, plus 20 dancers and 19 principles (yes, I really counted). That’s 138 cast members, and god only knows how many techs. As an actor, all I can wonder is, how big is the freaking green room at Royal Albert Hall!? But I digress.

The stars of the cast were, of course, Christine Daaé and the Phantom, played by Sierra Boggess and Ramin Karimloo, respectively. Boggess and Karimloo have both played their respective roles in other productions of Phantom, and most recently, originated the roles of Christine and Phantom in the only-mostly-awful sequel to the original, Love Never Dies. (I could go off on a tangent and talk about how I feel about that show, but really, all that needs to be said about it is “sequel to The Phantom of the Opera.” That phrase in itself is horrific enough, and I suggest we move on now.) Both actors are brilliant, and have vocal ranges that are absolutely up to the task of these demanding roles. I enjoyed their performances immensely, and would even say that I much preferred Sierra Boggess as Christine to the original, Sarah Brightman. (I know, I know. I’m awful.) Overall, the production was not something to be missed, by Phantom fans, or just musical fans.

Now that I’ve got you all disappointed, because you didn’t go see this, here comes the good news. Phantom of the Opera: The 25th Anniversary will be re-showing in movie theaters on October 5th & 6th this week, with an “encore” presentation on October 11th, which means you still have a chance to catch it on the silver screen! Alternatively, releases of CD, DVD & Blu-ray of the production have already been announced (because they apparently intend to capitalize on this event as much as humanly possible). To find which theaters in Seattle are screening, check the official website here for the 25th anniversary production.

Images used are from The Phantom of the Opera official website and belong to their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.

The 5th Avenue Theater (on 5th Ave in downtown Seattle) produces amazing musicals, has some really awesome programs for high school students interested in musical theater, and is all around, one of my favorite places in this city. Their new season is now underway, and the lineup looks incredible, so I have to share with you! The 2011-2012 season for the 5th Avenue Theater has a good mix of classics and new musicals, and all the upcoming will be produced by or in partnership with the 5th.

First of all, next week, Saving Aimee is opening at the 5th (on Sept. 30) and will run through most of October. Saving Aimee is a musical based on the life of Aimee Semple McPherson, who was a radio evangelist. Just the phrase “radio evangelist” was enough to get me excited about this show, because we don’t often think about popular media before the advent of television. But if that’s not enough for you, the musical has a book and lyrics written by talk show host Kathie Lee Gifford, and music by experienced theater and popular music composers David Friedman and David Pomeranz. Saving Aimee will be running from Sept. 30 through Oct. 29.

Up next, just in time for the holiday season, will be Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella, a personal favorite of mine. I’ve said it before and will say it again: Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella is WAY better than the animated Disney movie. The music for this version of Cinderella was originally written for a PBS movie (starring a young Julie Andrews as Cinderella), but has since been adapted for the stage. The show puts many twists on the classic story, and I would recommend going to see it even if you think you don’t like fairytales! This is one of the shows I’ve been looking forward ever since the 5th made the announcement of their upcoming season. Cinderella will run from Nov. 25 to Dec. 31.

In February, we have the original Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, often called the birth of musical theater as it is today, and even the greatest musical of all time. That is, of course, Oklahoma! I can’t endorse the statements above, because I have unfortunately yet to see the show onstage (I know, I know–I’m a horrible Rodgers and Hammerstein fan), but the fact that Oklahoma! is a major part of musical theater history is undeniable. It’s the classic American “feel good” type of show, and pretty much a must-see for anyone who calls themselves a musical fan. (And yes, I’m going.) Oklahoma! was originally supposed to play the 5th at the end of the last season, but was postponed on short notice, when the 5th announced it was going to be premiering a new Disney musical, the stage version of Aladdin, and it unfortunately clashed with the scheduled run. But Oklahoma! will finally be in town, from Feb. 3 to March 4, 2012, and I don’t know about you, but I’m more than ready!

In the spring, the new musical First Date will be running at A Contemporary Theater (ACT), two blocks away, in collaboration with the 5th Ave. In this past season, the 5th Ave and the ACT partnered on a production of the musical Vanities, and it was wonderful. I’m hoping to see the same from First Date, advertised as a new musical comedy about the drama of a first date. The two theaters seem to be keeping a bit of a lid on information about this show, but it certainly sounds like it will be good time! And in general, for anyone who keeps an eye out for new pieces of musical theater, be on the alert for this! First Date runs at the Falls Theater at the ACT, on Union Street, from March 10 to May 20, 2012. Tickets are available at the ACT’s website here, however currently only season subscriptions are on sale, and single tickets cannot yet be purchased.

Back over at the 5th, opening in late April–just in time for the start of the baseball season–is the great classic by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross, Damn Yankees. This musical is the story of a (somewhat pathetic) baseball fan who makes a pact with Satan in order to help his team win the pennant. Sounds fun, right? I’m not going to pretend to know squat about baseball, or even to care, but according to my mom, during the 1950s the New York Yankees pretty much dominated major league baseball. Desperate to beat those “damn Yankees,” the main character sells his soul in exchange for an alter ego, great baseball skills, and the chance to join his beloved team, the Washington Senators. (You’ve never heard of them, have you? Didn’t think so. They’re not around anymore. Hmm, I wonder why.) A brilliant piece of history and a legendary musical, Damn Yankees is playing from April 21 to May 20, 2012.

And saving the best for last: the much-awaited 5th Ave production of Rent! Of course, when I say “much-awaited,” I mean by me. I can’t speak for anyone else, but I for one am ridiculously excited for this. If you follow my column (and saw my Top 7 Musicals of the Decade review), you have probably figured out that I am a little bit obsessed with Rent. It’s one of my all-time favorites, to listen to, to talk about, and especially to see live. To me, Rent is a magical show, and when I see it performed live onstage, no matter where, I go through that same extraordinary feeling. I love seeing re-stagings and reinventions of this “new classic” musical, and with the 5th Ave’s track record for incredible musical productions, I couldn’t be more excited. All I can say is, don’t miss this! Rent is currently scheduled to be the last show of the season, running from July 21 through Aug. 19, 2012.

So there you have it. I hope you are now preparing to go buy tickets to any or all of these shows! There are several options for buying tickets for youth, including high school students. There is special season subscription package for theater patrons aged 30 or younger, where you can get great seats to 4 or more 5th Ave shows, for just $33 a ticket! There are also day-of-show tickets available for most 5th Ave productions (availability limited) for patrons under 25. For more information on tickets, go to the 5th’s website here.

WEDNESDAY OPTIONS

Patrice: Seattle: In Your City – Limit on participants (12)

This will be a small and committed group of students that may participate in rotating opportunities in the Seattle area. These opportunities will be off campus and may take place during other hours than the 1:30pm-4:00pm time slot. Options include but not limited to Operation Sack Lunch (cooking/feeding homeless), Providence Mt. St. Vincent (elderly care for intergenerational activities) and the VA Hospital.

The group will form other opportunities based on the organizations in the area and interest. This social justice requires commitment and responsible students. This is not for students who just want to hang or need to have me watching them at all times. Meet in Patrice’s room (room #26) for this social justice!

Becky and Karen: ART MAKING AND SOCIAL JUSTICE  (no limit)

This is an opportunity  to build  community and create visual art. Students will lead a search to find organizations to donate hand -made objects of art and love which could include children’s hospital , ten trees,  and  hospice. We will work together to brainstorm about what kind of visual art students would be interested in creating. We hope to build connection and community through visual art.

NEW OPTION! Beth: Crafting for Fundraising

Just added this week, a new social justice activity hosted by a Nova parent. Need cool, handcrafted options to sell at fundraisers? Come learn how to make easy, sell-able crafts, and decide together where to donate your crafted items. Meets in Karen’s room at normal social justice time.

Christina/Kelsey:  A Capella /Helping Animals (no limit) (Christina is facilitating with Kelsey but these are two separate activities – sign up for either with Christina)

Christina is definitely willing to host/facilitate/run the A Capella group again! Singing for social justice and for change is the goal of this activity/class/group. There are many instances of the power of song to bring people together, to inspire people to see things differently, to convey messages of hope, outrage, sorrow, longing, to create connections across cultures, and to provide a vehicle for working together as one. On Wednesday afternoons from 1:30 -4, we will learn songs and rhythms together, by ear and with music. We will explore ways in which song has “moved the earth” by exploring the history and biography of singing social change agents.
As our repertoire grows in response to requests from Nova students, coors, committees, and other social justice committees, we will make ourselves available to sing at events where our voices can support and inspire. This will probably involve some out-of-school time, and will require flexibility, energy, and generosity from singers.
We will actively request input from Sharon Cronin, of the Center for Linguistic and Cultural Democracy, for song and event suggestions supporting the struggles of Spanish speaking immigrants in our community. We will connect with Mary K. McNeill, she who conducted the all-ages chorus for the Dalai Lama, to share her multi-lingual compositions, and to explore opportunities to sing for peace and compassion. We have access to the material of Libana (http://www.libana.com/), a group of powerful and kind singing women. We will connect with the Reverend Pat Wright of the Total Experience Gospel Choir for her ideas and advice, with the possibility of collaboration. We will apply to perform at the Northwest Folklife Festival next May.

Kelsey wants to fundraise for and work with local animal shelters. (sign up with Christina)

Bryan: Social Time with Lowell Elementary Students (limit 10 students)

These wonderful children have disabilities that physically differentiate them from “typical” looking people and in our society. These students are in constant danger of marginalization and need friends and allies . Having friends and allies from Nova will strengthen our community and create lasting friendships. The outcome of this experience will be a passion for advocacy, a greater depth of empathy, and a connection with new friends that will last a lifetime.

This social justice activity will be a social experience with students who have special needs. The students in this class have disabilities that require that they use a wheelchair to sit upright and get around. They are typically non-verbal communicators meaning they use pre-programmed electronic switches to communicate. They also use non-verbal physical cues and facial expressions to communicate.

Our friends from Lowell will want to spend time with Nova friends who enjoy hanging out in their classroom listening to music, working on art projects, playing basketball, going for walks around Capitol Hill, and being social.

This group of students is vibrant and they enjoy social time. They are a cool and fun group to hang out with. Please join us if you are interested!

Susan: Quilting/Finding Food for Hungry Nova Kids!!!!!! (limit 25 students)

Quilting: Learn to make quilts and give them to projects like Linus Project, who serves hospitalized kids, Camp Ten Trees Auction, Lambert House.

Finding Food for Hungry Nova Kids: Make contacts for food donations, collecting food and determining distribution methods. This will serve Nova students who are in need. This could also expand to include other needed items beyond food.

Barbara: Sewing (20)

Learn to sew or use your sewing skills!  We will be making dresses for young folks who live in orphanages in Africa.

Debbie: Beginning – Advanced Knitting (limit 35 students)

If you know how to knit, create; and if you don’t, learn how to knit (occ ed credit offered if you document your work and learning) and then share your individual and group creations with the linus project and/or SBOC families, and/or other agencies or persons in need of some hand-knit creations.

Eyva and Ellen: Action Faction and Beyond/Women’s Sem World Travel/Queer Teen Zine  (no limit) (These are three separate activities but participation in any is open to be fluid and shared between another social justice activity!)

Action Faction Mission Statement:

As an all-inclusive committee, we work to create a safe and respectful community for all genders and sexualities. We combat sexuality and gender identity oppression by creating positive actions in Nova and beyond. Positive actions include maintaining safe spaces for discussions, resources and events. We believe that any social justice movement must work towards inclusion of other social justice goals. We recognize that all oppressions are connected and in no way do we want out actions to propagate other forms of oppression. We welcome all. Beyond Action Faction: Imagine this mission but beyond the Nova Community!

Partner Organization: Queer Youth Space, The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence (They gave us a grant for 1500!), Camp Ten Trees (potential for long term internships), Allyship and the Homeless Queer Youth Coalition, Bailey-Gatzert, Home Alive and any other groups folks want to work with.

Action Faction at Nova:
cares for the bathrooms to create safe gender space for all users and maintains the walls space
has resources for trans youth city wide
hosts gender fluidity week
political actions and education for Nova

Beyond Action Faction will also:
support joint fund raising efforts with our partners
support projects that our partners are doing

Ellen is creating a Queer Teen Zine!!!! (sign up with Eyva)

Adam:  Interlaken Park Restoration (no limit)

Students and participating staff will work with a community volunteer in the ongoing effort at Interlaken Park to remove invasive species and plant native plants. Students and participating staff will also have the opportunity to partner with other local organizations, including EarthCorps, the SCA, Nature Consortium, and the Seattle Parks Department to enact similar work at other Seattle Parks. Our work is part of the larger effort toward environmental justice in our urban communities as we improve the health of Seattle’s green spaces. Improving the health of our city parks provides access to green spaces for all Seattle residents, helps to clean our local air and water, and improves habitat for our more-than-human neighbors. Students will also gain skills working in participation with local service organizations, a valuable skill applicable to any volunteer experience.

The Dark Knight Batman: Nova’s Literary Mag (limit 30 students)

This will be the beginning of the Nova Literary Magazine/Book. You all will name it, but with this book, crammed full of Nova Short Stories, Art, Poetry,
Essays, and in time, a CD of music and/or readings from Nova bands and writers, we will raise money to support different organizations who need money in these desperate times.
The class time, at first, will focus on the writing and reading of short stories. You will learn how to write a short story by writing to prompts and later teaching a short lesson. You can workshop your stories, or hone your already AWESOME short story writing skills.
Later on in the semester, will we move to putting the book together.
You can earn either Language Arts or OcEd credit for participating in this social justice project.
Service Learning hours and credit will be determined on amount of participation and attendance.
Let’s change a little bit of the world with our art. The Dark Knight Batman’s social justice activity meets in Terrance’s room.

Jen: Paper Crafting for a Cause (limit 25 students)

Want to be able to express your artistic side while earning social justice hours? Of course you do! Whether we make vases of paper flowers for local nursing homes, cards for service members to stay in contact with their families, or scrapbook pages to help families document amazing once in a lifetime experiences with their ill or recovering child, we can make a difference for the better in the lives of others while we enjoy and learn in the process. Projects and charities/locations supported will be determined by group members and can change throughout the year.

Stephanie: The Naked Truth On Stereotypes (limit 19 students)

The Naked Truth On Stereotypes uses theater and storytelling to expose and debunk socially constructed myths of identity and stereotypes, while building community and sharing our truths with each other.

OTHER DAY OPTIONS

Melissa: Diversity at Nova (NEW COMMITTEE ON FRIDAYS THAT COUNTS AS SOCIAL JUSTICE!!!!) (unlimited)

Diversity at Nova – a new social justice project seeking students to build a team with Melissa that works to support and celebrate the diversity of peoples and experiences at Nova. We will identify issues, concerns, needs, etc. at our school in order to implement and nurture positive changes to our school culture. We will program activities and events for continuous learning, cultural competencies, and community-building for all students and staff.

Joe/Toni/Zander/Miles -Teaching Music to kids – Wed 3:45 -5 (unlimited)

Teaching music to kids will be teaching instrumental music to grades 2-8 who otherwise would not have the option to learn an instrument. Time is possible to change!

Eyva Winet – Science Geeks @Bailey Gatzert (already signed up and started)

Room 32/Bailey Gatzert/Field Trips : Tue 1:30-2:25; Tue 2:30-3:55

Mission: Love the Science! Share the Science! Fight the power!
Tasks: Execute cool science field trips, host a science fair, bring cool science to Bailey-Gatzert, share science at open house/exhibition night, invent something that could be published in MAKE magazine. We have new lego mindstorm robot kits to share with rad fifth graders at Bailey-Gatzert. You can learn and share how to make almost any household product with safer and more environmentally sustainable ingredients.
Social Justice: Science is power! Science education is not emphasized and often cut out of schools that “don’t perform well on high stakes testing” to make more time to teach to the test. This means that students with the least amount of societal privilege are further punished by not getting to learn, love and explore science! Boooooooo! Fight the isms by helping me bring science to the people!

Stefan Gruber: Hollow Earth Radio (already signed up and started)

Walking Field Trip to HER (6 blocks away), Gruber’s Lab : Tue 2:30-3:55

Hollow Earth Radio is the Pacific Northwest’s freeform online radio station that presents a forum for underrepresented music, sounds and perspectives.
They are brand to to the community and need a lot of help with chores, flyering, merch design and creation, and old fashioned on the street journalism and audio creation. For those who pitch in the best, some shadowing of DJs is available.

Freeform Radio:
HER is a freeform radio. Freeform radio is a programming format in which the DJ is given total control over what music to play, regardless of music genre or commercial interests. Freeform radio stands in contrast to most commercial radio stations, in which DJs have little or no influence over programming structure or playlists.

Nondiscrimination Policy: HER does not condone discrimination. As a volunteer, we expect you to be respectful (off-air at the station and in the community when representing HER and on-air) of all people no matter the age, race, gender, sexual orientation, size, ethnicity, political stance, socioeconomic status disability, etc.

(group limited to 14, gatekeeping assignment TBD)

Next to Normal is a staggeringly beautiful, heart-wrenching, modern musical about the trials of a family dealing with a mother living with bipolar disorder. Before I go any further, I feel obligated to say that if mental illness is upsetting or a delicate subject for you, this is probably not the musical for you. This show is not happy. It is incredibly honest, and there don’t seem to be areas that they are afraid to explore. Next to Normal is also not for children, as it includes foul language, as well as talk about death, drugs, and suicide. That said, I personally found it to be very moving, and was fascinated.

The main character, Diana Goodman, is a suburban housewife whose bipolar disorder has taken a turn for the worse. After months of therapy and medications, she is eventually recommended for electroconvulsive therapy – shock therapy. The family’s world is turned upside-down, as they all wonder if they’ll ever live a “normal” life. I’d prefer not to say much about the plot, because there are twists everywhere, and I found that I enjoyed the show a lot more having not heard any spoilers beforehand.

I will say a few things about this production though: first, the music is brilliant. It’s a raw rock sound with just enough showtune mixed in, and it fits the raw emotion of the show. Secondly, the cast that is performing here is just wonderful. Some of the actors are very young (there are a few teenage characters), and all of them do great justice to this very heavy material. Besides that, traveling on the tour with this cast is the show’s original star (she won a Tony, among other awards, for her portrayal of Diana Goodman), the immensely talented Alice Ripley. Since buying the soundtrack, I have become a big fan of Alice Ripley’s voice, which is intense and rough and dark in a way that works great with this character. However, when I saw Next to Normal on its first weekend in Seattle, she was ill — singing under-key, and almost impossible to understand. Having not gone back yet, I can’t say whether she’s any better now, but would issue a warning that if you go for the sole purpose of seeing Alice Ripley (who is a Broadway star of this generation), you might be disappointed.

Next to Normal will be running at the 5th Avenue Theatre through March 13th. Tickets are available at the box office downtown or online here . The 5th Avenue has a special ticket policy for patrons under 25 — present photo ID with your birth date at the box office on the day of the show, and you can get a $20 ticket. Enjoy, Novite theater-goers! Also currently running in collaboration with the 5th (being presented at the ACT Theatre) is the brand new musical Vanities. Get more info on that here.

Disclaimer: the person who wrote this article only has so much knowledge and is rather opinionated. You may disregard anything she says that you disagree with. Or just, you know, type something in the comments section.

1. “You’ve Got to Be Carefully Taught” from South Pacific (1949) – okay, this song is heavy material. Honestly, I felt bad about making it the first song on the list, because I didn’t want to start the list off with such a depressing tone, but I couldn’t think of a better way to organize the list than chronologically. I suppose I could have included a song from an even older show to put at the beginning, if I was really dedicated to the idea (Cole Porter, anyone?), but I didn’t. Anyway…back to South Pacific. I adore and applaud Rodgers and Hammerstein for all of the issues they covered in this show, set during and written only shortly after World War II. The show, and this song in particular, breach on the very delicate issue of racism. The main character, a sweet Arkansas girl named Nellie, falls in love with a man she meets while serving as a nurse at the military base on this island — but she has a lot of trouble dealing with the fact that he has two biracial children from a previous relationship, finding it to be in conflict with the way she was raised. In this song, the charming and very wise lieutenant talks about how it is that a child can have prejudice instilled in them at an early age. And he’s absolutely right — once again, I praise Oscar Hammerstein II for the beautiful work he did with the lyrics in this song. Listen to Matthew Morrison’s sweet voice on the revival cast recording below.

Clip: You’ve Got to Be Carefully Taught – Matthew Morrison

2. “America” from West Side Story (1957) – this song is ridiculously catchy — probably more so than the other anthems of West Side Story. “America” is, in its own way, a tribute to the country, as it sung by a group of girls who were moved from Puerto Rico to New York as children. As one of them starts thinking about how much she loved her homeland of San Juan, the other girls (who are all quite content) begin teasing her, and saying how grateful they are to be here. The character Rosalia remains adamant, as she would much rather be on the tropical island of Puerto Rico than the urban one of Manhattan. Personally, I like the song because it’s catchy and cute, the girls poking fun at each other. When Rosalia expresses how much she wishes she could go home, her friend Anita says sarcastically, “I know a boat you can get on.” As you listen to the clip below (it’s from the newer Broadway soundtrack, from the currently running revival), I suppose it would insightful and deep of you to think about how lucky those of us who were born into the privilege of the United States are. I can’t vouch for that definitively, though; I’m not really an expert on what would be insightful or deep. (I mean, really — I spend my time making witty comments about showtunes.)

Clip: America – New Broadway Cast

3. “No Way to Stop It” from The Sound of Music (1959) – so, in all honesty, I wrote up this song description last. I kept putting it off because I couldn’t think of what to write. “No Way to Stop It” is one of the lesser-recognized numbers from The Sound of Music, because it was cut from the film version of the musical. That said, I only listen to it on the original Broadway soundtrack, and it’s been so many years since I saw Sound of Music onstage that I can’t quite remember what this thing is about. I just like it because, hey, it’s catchy. (That’s the reason for quite a few of the songs on this list, actually….) Here’s what I seem to remember: Captain Von Trapp is an incredibly stubborn man. In this song, his fiance, Baronness Elsa Schräder is using an extended metaphor to tell him that he really needs to relax and go with the flow. The metaphor is comparing the inevitable orbit of Earth to the unfortunately also inevitable annexation of their country, Austria, to Nazi Germany. Brilliant idea for a comparison, if you ask me. Have I mentioned yet that Oscar Hammerstein II is my lyrical hero? I did? Well, good. I included a clip from the original cast recording that I love so much, so take a listen below.

Clip: No Way to Stop It – Marion Marlowe

4. “Matchmaker” from Fiddler on the Roof (1964) – funny thing, when I was little, this song used to always remind me of the scene in the Disney movie Mulan, where Mulan has to meet up with the village matchmaker and pretend to care about being placed in an arranged marriage. I have no idea why this is, because Mulan is nothing but ambivalent, and the song “Matchmaker” starts off with two young girls who are very excited at the prospect that the local matchmaker could bring them anything — they’re hoping for the perfect match. However, on the other hand, their oldest sister Tzeitel is far more pessimistic about the idea of arranged marriages, especially those arranged for a young woman from a poor family with no assets, such as theirs. While the younger girls are daydreaming about what Yenta will bring them, Tzeital jumps in and ruins the fantasy with a dose of harsh reality. She amusingly imitates Yenta the matchmaker, presenting matches to her sisters that are more in keeping with what they’ll really get. By the end of the song, all three girls have decided that maybe they’re not ready to be married quite yet.

Clip: Matchmaker, Matchmaker – Original Broadway Cast

5. “One” from A Chorus Line (1975) – I defy anyone to say that when you think Broadway musical, you do not think of A Chorus Line. This musical goes beyond iconic, and it is an amazing work, that blends character storytelling, ensemble work, precise choreography, and wonderful compositions. I can almost promise that if you pay attention to pop culture, you’ve heard this song, or at least something based on at, at some point in your life. Therefore, I see no need to explain my reasons for including it on my list, although some background exposition may be in order. The song is actually a creative team for a show, singing about a particular auditioner that they feel has everything they need and is, in fact, one singular sensation. One smile and suddenly nobody else will do…doo doo doo doo doo. Okay, I’m dancing now. This is an awesome showtune. End of story. There’s a clip of the version of the song that is the finale, from the original cast recording below.

Clip: One (Reprise) – Original Broadway Cast

6. “Class” from Chicago (1975) – when I first read the Wikipedia description of this song, I laughed like a maniac, because it is incredibly accurate. As accessed on November 16, 2010, it reads, “a satirical number about the downfall of society, ironically sung by two questionable characters and full of swearing.” That pretty much hits it right on the money. It’s incredibly funny, for obvious reasons: two women (who don’t really uphold a great moral code themselves) are singing about how downhill everything has gone, while ironically using phrases such as “pain in the ass” and “pigs and whores” to describe where society has ended up. Perhaps the best is Velma Kelly, admitted murderer, expressing how appalling current rates of rape and theft are. Double standard, much? Also, note that these women are singing about their current society — in the 1920s, making it even more funny. According to lore, the original version of the song was actually much more risque, but Bob Fosse, who was staging the show, objected and asked composers Kander and Ebb to censor their original version. (And for those of you don’t know anything about big names on the creative side of musical theater, let me tell you — when Bob Fosse asks you to do something, you do it.) The clip below is the version of the song that made it into the Broadway revival of the show, featuring Bebe Neuwirth and Marcia Lewis.

Clip: Class – Bebe Neuwirth and Marcia Lewis

7. “We’d Like to Thank You, Herbert Hoover” from Annie (1977) – one of the best things in a period musical is a song that establishes the setting of the show. Despite its being a favorite among little girls and often trivialized as a work of art, Annie is actually a very good musical, and the full stage version (as opposed to the movies) goes rather deeply into the issues surrounding the time period (early 1930s, Depression era). “We’d Like to Thank You, Herbert Hoover” is the sarcastic message to the president of the United States, from a group of formerly well-off men and women who were made homeless and destitute by the stock market crash. It’s a highly political song, and personally, I feel that composer Charles Strouse does not get recognition for his masterful works often enough. (Really, just because “Tomorrow” is an over-used mainstream song at this point does not mean it’s not a great composition.) Now, If you read any of my articles on NovaKnows, you know that I am a big fan of sarcasm, so it should come as no surprise that I suggest you take a listen to this song.

Clip: We’d Like to Thank You, Herbert Hoover – Original Broadway Cast

8. “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” from Dreamgirls (1981) – this is the legendary number from Dreamgirls. Similar to my selection from In the Heights later in the list, I lamely chose to use the song from Dreamgirls that is a standard showtune-style thing, rather than one of the edgier, cool Motown numbers that are unique to this show. But I am just a sucker for belting numbers, as is easily discerned from one look at my iPod’s most played. For those not familiar with the story of Dreamgirls, the whole story is about a trio of singers, their rise to fame, and all the crappy things that happen to them in show business. It’s based loosely on the story of Diana Ross and The Supremes (Google that for more info). Effie White, the ridiculously talented but heavyset lead singer, is asked to step aside and let one of the other girls (a girl who has more marketable looks but no comparison when it comes to voice) take the lead position in the trio. Effie is, naturally, upset, and when this turns her into an impossible-to-work-with diva, she is asked by the manager (also her lover) to leave the band, and his life. To which she responds, “And I am telling you, I’m not going. And you, you’re gonna love me.” The clip is of the sensational Lillias White performing this song in concert.

Clip: And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going – Lillias White

9. “Agony” from Into the Woods (1987) – I included a song from Into the Woods on my last list, but I really didn’t delve into what the actual show is about. Into the Woods is an incredibly clever and complex look at the human psyche, and a lot of other…really big, important-sounding stuff. Book-writer James Lapine, in conjunction with Stephen Sondheim, used this musical as a way to dissect human behavior, with commonly-known fairytale characters as a way to subtly cover and to give the show a story. Each song is a different take on philosophy or psychology, and I couldn’t put in one sentence examples of all the things that get taken on in the course of this nearly three-hour show. But this particular song, “Agony,” is two princes lamenting about the maidens each is pining after. (The two princes are portrayed as brothers, and one is chasing after the fleeing Cinderella, and the other is wanting to rescue Rapunzel from her tower.) The irony, of course, is that two men who were born with everything, are spending their time agonizing over what they don’t have. The message would seem to be that people always want what they don’t have — or perhaps, that love is more important than anything else these royal men already have? Listen below and decide for yourself.

Clip: Agony – Original Broadway Cast

10. “Light My Candle” from Rent (1996) – this song is awesome because it is that rarest of breeds: the song scene. Even in musicals where there is little to no dialogue, it’s very rare for a simple conversation, with no narrative and very little staging, to be put into song. “Light My Candle” is loosely based on the song “Sì, Mi Chiamano Mimì” from La Boheme, and it is the scene where two characters who end up dating meet. It is simple, and that is the beauty of it. The entire song is a sung dialogue between Roger and Mimi, as they subtly (and not-so-subtly) flirt, and introduce themselves. The dialogue is filled with subtle references to the original opera, as well as wonderful character introductions. I’d love to play Mimi someday just to be able to perform this song, with the intense onstage chemistry, and awesome one-liner lyrics. The clip (which doesn’t do it full justice) is of Adam Pascal and Rosario Dawson as Roger and Mimi, from the movie soundtrack of Rent.

Clip: Light My Candle – Adam Pascal and Rosario Dawson

11. “The Morning Report” from The Lion King (1997) – I included two Disney songs in my last list, and couldn’t resist putting this number from The Lion King in this sequel list. This was one of my favorite songs when I first saw the musical a few years ago, and it was recently cut from the Broadway production when Disney cut several minutes of scenes from the show for unstated reasons. How lame is that? “The Morning Report” is apparently the equivalent of the morning news in the African Sahara. Zazu (you know him from the movie — that cranky bird that serves as right-hand man to King Mufasa) gives a speedy and playful rundown of today’s events in sing-song rhyme. This song is cute and witty, with wonderful lyrics by Tim Rice. Farewell, “Morning Report,” you will be missed, and forever memorialized on the original cast recording.

Clip: The Morning Report – Original Broadway Cast

12. “My New Philosophy” from You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown (1999) – it should be noted that there are two versions of the show You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown. One version hit off-Broadway in 1967, written by Clark Gesner and John Gordon. This version was, to be blunt, a critical flop. If you were living in Manhattan at the time, you might have actually heard the splat when it hit the ground. In 1999, Andrew Lippa (somewhat of a composing genius, if you ask me) adapted several of the songs for a revival, which did slightly better than the original version. It garnered a few Tony Awards, but closed just a week after the award show broadcast. “My New Philosophy” was the only original song added to the show for the revival, for the new character of Sally. Charlie Brown’s little sister certainly would lend herself well to the name “Sally Sass-a-lot.” She’s a spunky, bright, incredibly stubborn little girl, who uses this song to state her new philosophy of life. She’s rather indecisive, though, and changes her mind about her “new philosophy” four times throughout the song. Kristin Chenoweth as Sally, in the recording below, can really only be described as “adorable.”

Clip: My New Philosophy – Kristin Chenoweth

13. “Keep It Gay” from The Producers (2001) – now, the funny thing is, this song (and the entire show, at that) is actually a commentary on Broadway trends, and an accurate one at that. But in the standard Mel Brooks fashion, it has to be stated in a snide way, or it just wouldn’t fit in with the rest of the show. The stunning thing about The Producer’s original success (a six-year run!) was that it marked the return of a genre that had really been absent since the 1930s or so: the musical comedy, a style that is now more popular than ever. The early 2000s brought forth a new slew of musical comedies, pop musicals, jukeboxes, and other light-hearted humor in shows, as opposed to the dark, and more operatic, musicals of the 1980s and 90s. The Producers is about a team of producers attempting to create and get a team for — for their own supposedly clever reasons — the worst musical in history. Unfortunately, when they approach a director to take on the project, he asserts that is far too depressing, downbeat, and just not, well, gay enough. (While taking this criticism, it is probably important to remember who the primary audience for most new Broadway musicals is.)

Clip: Keep It Gay – Original Broadway Cast

14. “You Can’t Stop the Beat” from Hairspray (2002) – first off, I have to say, do not listen to this song if having catchy, annoying songs stuck in your head irritates you. I don’t even like the damn song, and I put it on my opinionated suggested playlist. Thus is the power of ridiculously infectious showtunes. “You Can’t Stop the Beat” is on the list not because it is a great showtune, or a brilliant musical composition. It is here because when you hear this song once, it will stay in your head forever and ever, plaguing you until you die. And no, I am not being hyperbolic. I can’t fall asleep at night when my brain won’t stop playing this on a loop. This song, the finale from the incredibly outlandish, cartoon-ish musical Hairspray, is preppy, poppy, and obnoxious, to be frank. But the purpose of this song is to make you want to dance, and it certainly achieves that. It makes you want to listen to it and dance like nobody’s watching, because you can’t stop the beat. Just don’t listen to the song more than once in a short period of time, or it may cause your brain to ache.

Clip: You Can’t Stop the Beat – Original Broadway Cast

15. “I Can Do Better than That” from The Last Five Years (2002) – next to The Fantasticks, The Last Five Years is possibly the most popular off-Broadway musical of all time. It ran for a mere eight weeks and never made it past the Minetta Lane Theater off-Broadway, but it is arguably composer Jason Robert Brown’s biggest success, having been performed in dozens of countries worldwide, including Greece, Argentina, and the Philippines. The Last Five Years is an amazing one-act musical, featuring only two cast members who, incredibly, only interact in one scene. I would call it an operetta, because it’s just first-person telling of a story through song. It’s like a series of musical monologues. The story follows the course of a five-year relationship between the two characters, Jamie and Cathy, and each gets to tell the story in their own way. In this song, Cathy goes through a quick history of her life and her relationships, and practically begs for Jamie’s companionship, because she knows she can do better than she has in the past. The clip from the off-Broadway soundtrack is of Sherie Rene Scott as Cathy.

Clip: I Can Do Better Than That – Sherie Rene Scott

16. “It Sucks to Be Me” from Avenue Q (2003) – you have to love the pure guts of a show that has an opening number called “It Sucks to Be Me.” They even sell a t-shirt with the delightful tagline at the Avenue Q website. (I won’t link to their merch store because I’m honestly not trying to plug anything.) Avenue Q is about young adults stuck in the phase of their life between college and actual success. Each of them has their own various problems (unemployment, annoying roommates, etc.), and in this opening number, they become engaged in an argument about whose life sucks the worst. The winner? Gary Coleman, block superintendent. (But that’s a whole other plotline.) The characters have a very valid point about personal outlook when they ask, “Is there anybody here it doesn’t suck to be?”

Clip: It Sucks to Be Me – Original Broadway Cast

17. “Popular” from Wicked (2003) – I am a bad, bad girl. My last list included three songs from Wicked (my favorite musical, if you can’t tell), which was really pushing it. And now, here I am, trying to squeeze a fourth into this one. I tried to resist, but when it comes to Wicked, my will is particularly weak. “Popular” is actually a very famous showtune, even though it’s utterly ridiculous and fluffy. This is the song that little girls sing in the car and like to play dress-up to. Galinda, self-professed makeover expert and fashion stylist, attempts to make over her slightly unwilling, outcast friend. I think the song appeals to people because most of us know a Galinda — the pretty popular girl who thinks she knows what’s best for everybody. And as snooty as the idea of the song may sound, it’s also incredibly sweet, because misled as they may be, Galinda’s attempts to make over her friend are out of love, and wanting to share the popularity that she has. She just can’t really help sounding like a smug know-it-all (and a ditz) when she sings about it. I did debate a bit over which clip to use for this, but for simplicity, I went with the original soundtrack clip of Kristin Chenoweth.

Clip: Popular – Kristin Chenoweth

18. “He Is Not Dead Yet” from Monty Python’s Spamalot (2005) – praise Monty Python, for they put into song things that no one else would think to, such as the ever popular sentence, “I’m not dead yet!” This is a joke from the movie the musical was based on, Monty Python and the Holy Grail. As the monks are going around collecting the town’s recently dead for burial, they try to haul off a very ill man who is still alive. In the movie, it’s a fairly simple gag: “I’m not dead yet!” “Well, he’s dying.” In the musical, however, he feels the need to start dancing and singing to prove how completely alive he is. “There is no need to call a doctor, ‘cause I’m not yet dead!” Until, of course, Sir Lancelot knocks him over the head, effectively killing him. Well, now he’s dead! (Note: clip contains off humor and jokes about mortality.)

Clip: He Is Not Dead Yet – Original Broadway Cast

19. “I Know It’s Today” from Shrek the Musical (2008) – Shrek the Musical is a surprisingly good musical. I know, it sounds atrocious, and it’s honestly a ridiculous concept. (Am I the only one who thinks DreamWorks has pretty much milked the success of the original Shrek dry?) But the musical was well-produced, and they picked the right composers and performers to make it an entertaining show. The composer, Jeanine Tesori, was nominated for Tony awards for her scores for Thoroughly Modern Millie and Caroline or Change, and was very well-suited to the job of making ridiculous, funny songs for a ridiculous, funny musical. In this amazing character song, you watch Fiona grow up in the span of about five minutes. As I’m sure you know, Fiona is the beautiful princess growing up trapped in a tower, waiting for her prince. As she grows up in the song (three different actresses are used for this – a young girl, a teenager, and an adult), you see her marking down the number of days she’s been in her tower, and reading fairy-tales that she is confident will be similar to how her own rescue plays out. As she gets older, Fiona becomes progressively more frustrated and impatient, but she never gives up on the optimism that her prince is coming. Every day she marks down another tally mark on the wall of her tower, and says, “I know it’s today.” I can’t emphasize the brilliance of the three different actresses in this song. It’s a great performance piece, and the little girls are cute to boot. The clip below is of Marissa O’Donnell as the teenage Fiona.

Clip: I Know It’s Today – Marissa O’Donnell

20. “Breathe” from In the Heights (2008) – I have to say that I found it incredibly difficult to pick a song from In the Heights. It seemed lame to choose “Breathe,” because it is very showtune-like, and doesn’t emphasize the way music styles in In the Heights vary from traditional musical theater. But In the end, it won out, because it gave me chills and made me want to cry when I first saw it in the theater. (Actually, it made me want to cry all three times I saw it in the theater.) Nina, one of the main characters of In the Heights, is a confused young adult, who feels she is letting down everyone she knows by not being the one to make it out of the barrio. Nina is young, beautiful, and incredibly intelligent — smarter than everyone else in her neighborhood. So when she goes off to college and decides she’s not cut out for success after all, the guilt she wracks herself with is just heartbreaking. “Breathe” is mostly a solo, belting number, but also includes the other members of Nina’s community talking to her, repeating the praises she has always been showered with. The recording below is of Mandy Gonzales with the original Broadway company.

Clip: Breathe – Mandy Gonzales

21. “Steal Your Rock ‘N Roll” from Memphis (2009) – okay, this one is pure city pride. If any of you missed the news, Memphis, the new musical straight from Seattle’s own 5th Avenue Theater, is the Best Musical of 2010. At least according to the Tony voters. I haven’t even seen Memphis yet, and have been kicking myself for missing the pre-Broadway tryouts for months. Memphis is about a disc jockey who makes huge changes in the music culture in Memphis during the 1950s. The cast performance of the show’s finale number, “Steal Your Rock ‘N Roll,” at this year’s Tony Awards blew me away and made me feel all funny inside. It’s a mixture of showtune and old-school rock ‘n roll, upbeat and soulful. I definitely recommend looking up the Tony Award performance on YouTube and watching the brilliant dance and acrobatics happening in this number. If you, like me, are too lazy to do that, you can be satisfied with the original cast clip below.

Clip: Steal Your Rock ‘N Roll – Original Broadway Cast

There aren’t even words to describe what In the Heights looks, sounds, or feels like in a theater. The show is a refreshing blend of musical styles: rap, Latin, jazz, and Broadway. It was the 2008 winner of the Best Musical Tony, as well as several other awards. I would not hesitate to call Lin-Manuel Miranda, composer, lyricist, and original star of In the Heights, a genius. What he did with the art in creating In the Heights was absolutely brilliant.

In the Heights has been called “the Latino version of Rent” or “a modern West Side Story” by many critics and reviewers. Both of these are great oversimplifications, and inaccurate, in my opinion. The root of these comments is that In the Heights, like both Rent and West Side Story, is a musical about youth living in the “bad end” of New York City. However, the musical and dance styles are drastically different, and In the Heights, unlike the two other shows mentioned, has what would generally be considered a happy ending. The show is about the struggle of youth, and the struggle of the “ghetto” of Washington Heights, NY, but not necessarily tragedy. Most of the struggles shown are resolved by the end of the show, leading to a rosy memory of the general plot.

As I mentioned before, the creative blend of music styles is very distinct. I could almost certainly listen to a clip of any showtune and be able to identify it if it came from this show or not, just by its sound. I had to admit I was surprised to like the music so much, because I’m not a fan of Latin or rap in general, but all theater music carries a certain air about it–because the music is about telling a story, or explaining a character, and no matter what the style, that’s something that I love. If you are a theater fan, do not hesitate to see In the Heights. It is an interesting thing to look at in terms of the musical, because its style is so different and new. I don’t believe there is truly any other musical like it, and it is fantastically well-executed.

There are five performances of In the Heights left in its two-week Seattle run. If you’ve already seen it, props to you, and I hope you loved it as much as I did! (My second time seeing the show, I ran into multiple Nova students, which was fun.) Currently available tickets range from $33.00 to $108.00, and can be purchased through the 5th Avenue Theater’s online box office here, or at the box office downtown (address and location here). The 5th Avenue also offers student rush tickets, or what they call “under 25 tickets.” Any person under 25 years of age can buy a day-of-the-show ticket at the box office outside the theater for $20, with presentation of an ID that validates your age. For $20 you are given the best seat still available in the theater on the day of the show, so it’s a great deal if you’re free to drop everything and go see a show. Also, if you already seen In the Heights during its run here, you can present your ticket stub in exchange for a $20 ticket to see the show a second time. Additional information on rush and return attendance policies can be found here at the 5th Avenue Theater’s website.