Song of the day: "The Right Regrets" by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman

This is another song from the NBC TV show Smash. In general, I haven't really liked the songs in Season 2, but this is a great one. Debra Messing and Christian Borle did a great job acting this song, too. I like the theme about writing, which is unusual.

A writer has the empty page where he can set the scene
He puts the actors on the stage or on the movie screen
The characters all say the words the writer wants to hear
And then my friend; a happy end

But when the writer steps outside that room where he is king
He can't control when lives collide or what the lovers sing
And so he hides behind his words the one place he belongs
And in black and white he can rewrite the wrongs

Where he can find the strength to say what those he loves should hear
And just erase mistakes she's made then make them disappear
Where he can change the plot so he's a hero not a louse
And when the curtain falls there's not a dry eye in the house

A writer hopes to leave behind a work no one forgets
And when he writes the end to find he has the right regrets
A writer has the empty page where he can use his pen
To mend his heart and try to start again

Song of the day: "Rubber Duckie" from Sesame Street

I never thought one could perform "Rubber Duckie" but Jane Krakowski, Tony Award winner and pro singer, did it in her cabaret concert.

I thought it was hilarious. Maybe one of these days, I'll perform it as a joke.

Rubber Duckie,
You're the one,
You make bath time,
Lots of fun!
Rubber Duckie,
I'm awfully fond of you!
(bo-bo-bo-do)

Rubber Duckie,
Joy of joy,
When I squeeze you, you make noise,
Rubber Duckie,
You're my very best friend, it's true
(ohhh)

Every day,
When I
Make my way to the tubby,
I find a
Little fella who's
Cute and yella,
And chubby!
(rub-a-dub-a-dubby)

Rubber duckie,
You're so fine.
And I'm lucky that you're mine.

Rubber duckie,
I'm awfully fond of ...
Rubber duckie,
I'd love a whole pond of...
Rubber duckie,
I'm awfully fond of you.

Song of the day: "Is That All There Is?" by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller

I came across this somewhat disturbing existential song, at a performance of "Sleep No More." It was famously performed by Peggy Lee. The lyrics listed here are based off her performance.

(spoken)
I remember when I was a very little girl, our house caught on fire.
I'll never forget the look on my father's face as he gathered me up in his arms
And raced through the burning building out to the pavement.
I stood there shivering in my pajamas and watched the whole world go up in flames.
And when it was all over I said to myself,
"Is that all there is to a fire?"

(sung)
Is that all there is?
Is that all there is?
If that's all there is, my friends,
Then let's keep dancing.
Let's break out the booze
And have a ball
If that's all there is.

(spoken)
And when I was 12 years old, my daddy took me to the circus, the greatest show on earth.
There were clowns and elephants and dancing bears and a beautiful lady in pink tights flew high above our heads.
And as I sat there watching, I had the feeling that something was missing.
I don't know what, but when it was over I said to myself,
"Is that all there is to a circus?"
"Is that all there is?"

(sung)
Is that all there is?
If that's all there is, my friends,
Then let's keep dancing.
Let's break out the booze
And have a ball
If that's all there is.

(spoken)
And then I fell in love with the most wonderful boy in the world.
We'd take long walks down by the river or just sit for hours gazing into each other's eyes.
We were so very much in love. And then one day, he went away.
And I thought I'd die, but I didn't.
And when I didn't, I said to myself,
"Is that all there is to love?"

(sung)
Is that all there is?
Is that all there is?
If that's all there is, my friends,
Then let's keep ...

(spoken)
I know what you must be saying to yourselves.
"If that's the way she feels about it, why doesn't she just end it all?"
Oh, no. Not me. I'm not ready for that final disappointment.
'Cause I know just as well as I'm standing here talking to you,
When that final moment comes when I'm breathing my last breath,
I'll be saying to myself...

(sung)
Is that all there is?
Is that all there is?
If that's all there is, my friends,
Then let's keep dancing.
Let's break out the booze
And have a ball
If that's all there is.

Song of the day: "Beautiful City" by Stephen Schwartz

The revival of Godspell is playing on Broadway right now. I happened upon a video of Hunter Parrish singing "Beautiful City" and really enjoyed it. Very touching, with a gorgeous melody. I'll put this one on my list of songs to learn.

These are the revised lyrics for the revival.

Out of the ruins and rubble
Out of the smoke
Out of our night of struggle
Can we see a ray of hope?
One pale thin ray reaching for the day

We can build a beautiful city
Yes, we can; Yes, we can
We can build a beautiful city
Not a city of angels
But we can build a city of man

We may not reach the ending
But we can start
Slowly but truly mending
Brick by brick, heart by heart
Now, maybe now
We start learning how

We can build a beautiful city
Yes, we can; Yes, we can
We can build a beautiful city
Not a city of angels
But we can build a city of man

When your trust is all but shattered
When your faith is all but killed
You can give up, bitter and battered
Or you can slowly start to build

A beautiful city
Yes, we can; Yes, we can
We can build a beautiful city
Not a city of angels
But finally a city of man.

A city of man.

Song of the day: "Beauty and the Beast" by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman

Menken and Ashman did great work together and their most famous song is probably "Beauty and the Beast." The lyrics are so poignant and poetic. My favorite line is "Finding you can change/Learning you were wrong." The song takes on even more meaning when you consider that Ashman passed away before the Beauty and the Beast film was released. He knew he was dying the whole time he was working on the film. Alan Menken says that of all the songs in the film, this one was the hardest to write.

Apparently, Ashman was quite the driving leader and creative genius. He had a vision that animation and musicals would be a great marriage. And he sold the Disney corporation on it! He gathered a bunch of Disney people in a room and did a presentation where he discussed the history of the animation and the history of musicals separately and then showed how they were similar. (I don't have any further details on what the presentation was about.) I found a video where he coaches Jodi Benson, who sings Ariel in A Little Mermaid. He tell her to think about singing in a small enclosed space and makes an interesting remark about singing with "intensity" as opposed to with more "voice." I think what he meant is that you can convey emotion with the color in your voice instead of just using volume or belting.

There's also a nice video in which Alan Menken and collaborators reminisce about making Beauty and the Beast. I found out some interesting things. Ashman didn't tell anyone that he was sick, for a long time. But he would act out, doing things like smashing $500 Sony Walkmans. Ashman was also a guy who knew his theater really well. In the "Mob Song" from Beauty and the Beast, there are a couple obscure references. "Screw your courage to the sticking place" is a direct quote from Macbeth and "fifty Frenchmen can't be wrong" is a reference to Cole Porter.

Tale as old as time
True as it can be
Barely even friends
Then somebody bends
Unexpectedly
Just a little change
Small to say the least
Both a little scared
Neither one prepared
Beauty and the Beast

Ever just the same
Ever a surprise
Ever as before
Ever just as sure
As the sun will rise

Tale as old as time
Tune as old as song
Bittersweet and strange
Finding you can change
Learning you were wrong
Certain as the sun
Rising in the east
Tale as old as time
Song as old as rhyme
Beauty and the Beast

Tale as old as time
Song as old as rhyme
Beauty and the Beast

Song of the day: "Suddenly, Seymour" by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman

A charming, sweet song from the musical Little Shop of Horrors. Howard Ashman was a gifted lyricist. I really like the line "He don't give me orders/He don't condescend." Unfortunately, Ashman passed away at age 40. Imagine how many Disney musicals would be better with his lyrics.

SEYMOUR:
Lift up your head
Wash off your mascara
Here, take my Kleenex
Wipe that lipstick away
Show me your face, clean as the mornin'
I know things were bad, but now they're okay

Suddenly, Seymour is standin' beside you
You don't need no makeup, don't have to pretend
Suddenly, Seymour is here to provide you
Sweet understanding
Seymour's your friend

AUDREY:
Nobody ever treated me kindly
Daddy left early
Mama was poor
I'd meet a man and I'd follow him blindly
He'd snap his fingers
Me, I'd say "sure."

Suddenly, Seymour is standin' beside me
He don't give me orders
He don't condescend
Suddenly Seymour is here to provide me
Sweet understanding
Seymour's my friend

SEYMOUR:
Tell me this feelin'll last till forever
Tell me the bad times are clean washed away

AUDREY:
Please understand that it's still strange and fright'nin'
For losers like I've been it's so hard to say

AUDREY, SEYMOUR, TRIO:
Suddenly, Seymour,
He purified me.
Suddenly, Seymour,
He showed me I can
Learn how to be more
The girl that's inside me
With sweet understanding,
With sweet understanding,
With sweet understanding,
Seymour's my/your man!

Song of the day: "I'm Alive" by Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey

This is Gabe's big solo in the musical next to normal. Finally, a rock song that fits my voice! Technically, it's a rock-influenced musical theatre song, which I'm told is not authentic rock. (I'm no expert on rock music.) But hey it's fun, big, brash, and bright. Someone noted that it's also a great stalker song.

This is the solo version of the song. The stage version is interspersed with dialogue.

I am what you want me to be
And I'm your worst fear-- you'll find it in me.
Come closer...
Come closer...

I am more than memory--
I am what might be, I am mystery.
You know me--
So show me.

When I appear it's
Not so clear if
I'm a simple spirit or I'm flesh and blood...

But I'm alive
I'm alive
I am so alive,
And I feed on the fear that's behind your eyes.

And I need you
To need me
It's no surprise--
I'm alive...
So alive...
I'm alive.

I am flame and I am fire,
I am destruction, decay, and desire--
I'll hurt you...
I'll heal you...

I'm your wish, your dream come true,
And I am your darkest nightmare, too--
I've shown you...

I own you.

And though you made me,
You can't change me--
I'm the perfect stranger who knows you too well.

And I'm alive
I'm alive
I am so alive
And I'll tell you the truth if you let me try.

You're alive
I'm alive
And I'll show you why
I'm alive...
So alive...

I'm alive-- I'm right behind you.
You say forget, but I remind you.
You can try to hide, but you know that I will find you.
'Cause if you won't grieve me
You won't leave me behind...

Oh, oh, wah
Whoa
Whoa

No, no, no--
I'm alive
I'm alive
I am so alive,
If you climb on my back, then we both can fly

If you try
To deny me
I'll never die.
I'm alive...
So alive...
I'm alive...
Yeah, yeah...
I'm alive...
I'm alive...
I'm alive...
I'm alive!

Song of the day: "A Light in the Dark" by Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey

A sweet, moving ballad in the musical next to normal. I love Dan's ballads. In this song, Dan tries to convince Diana to side with him on a difficult decision.

DAN:
One light shines in the drive --
One single sign that our house is alive.
Our house, our own --
So why do I live there alone.

Tell me why I wait through the night,
And why do I leave on the light?
You know. I know.
Our house was a home long ago.

Take this chance,
'Cause it may be our last
To be free,
To let go of the past
And to try,
To be husband and wife
To let love never die --
Or to just live our life.
Take my hand,
And let me take your heart,
Keep it far
From what keeps us apart --
Let us start
With a light in the dark.

Night falls I stare at the walls.

(overlapping)

DIANA:
I stare at these walls...

DAN:
I wake and wander the halls.

DIANA:
I get lost in these halls...

DAN:
And I ache to the bone...

DIANA:
It's like nothing I've known<...br/>
BOTH:
I can't get through this alone.

DAN:
Take this chance
And we'll make a new start
Somewhere far
From what keeps us apart,
And I swear that somewhere in the night
There's a light...
A light in the dark.

Song of the day: "I've Been" by Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey

A haunting song from the musical next to normal. Dan expresses his frustration, despair, and loneliness in the midst of his wife's crisis.

DAN:
Standing in this room,
Well I wonder what comes now.
I know I have to help her --
But hell if I know how.

And all the times that I've been told
The way her illness goes --
The truth of it is no one really knows.

And every day this act we act gets more and more absurd...
And all my fears just sit inside me, screaming to be heard...
I know they won't, though-- not a single word.

I was here,
At her side,
When she called,
When she cried...
How could she leave me on my own?

Will it work?
This cure?
There's no way
To be sure...
But I'm weary to the bone.
And whenever she goes flying
I keep my feet right on the ground --
Oh, now I need a lift and there's no one around.

Hey

GABE:
Hey

DAN AND GABE:
Ohhh

(Together)
DAN:
Ahhh oooh
No

GABE:
Ahh oooh
No

DAN:
And I've never had to face the world without her at my side...
Now I'm strolling right beside her as the black hole opens wide...
Mine is just a slower suicide.

I've been here
For the show,
Every high,
Every low...
But it's the worst we've ever known.

She's been hurt,
And how,
But I can't
Give up now.
'Cause I've never been alone...
I could never be alone.

Song of the day: "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman

A charming, old-fashioned song performed by Will Chase and Megan Hilty in the TV series Smash.

MARILYN:
Call the justice of the peace,
But don't tell him our names.
Don't put out a press release,
Or mention baseball games.

DIMAGGIO:
Book the nearest bridal suite,
One room will suit us fine.
For the desk clerk that we meet,
The only autograph we'll sign is...

BOTH:
Mr. and Mrs. Smith,
Simply the folks next door.

DIMAGGIO:
People without a single clue what
An agent or grip is for.

MARILYN:
Yes

BOTH:
Nothing can beat the view,
When as far as the eye can see,
There's...

DIMAGGIO:
No one but Mrs. ...

MARILYN:
No one but Mr. ...

BOTH:
Smith and me.

DIMAGGIO:
For a home the man provides,
That cottage built for two.
We'll check the small town classifieds,
Variety won't do.

MARILYN:
Then we'll move to Main Street, U.S.A.,
And sign the deed of trust.
The mailbox at our hideaway,
Will tell the whole wide world that we're just

BOTH:
Mr. and Mrs. Smith,
Merely the folks next door.

DIMAGGIO:
People who use their kitchen each night

MARILYN:
Who've never been in Toots Shor

BOTH:
Nothing can beat the view,
For as far as the eye can see,
There's ....

DIMAGGIO:
No one but Mrs. ...

MARILYN:
No one but Mr. ...

BOTH:
Smith and me

BOTH:
No early calls,
No big premieres,
No lush romantic theme.
We'll spend the nights,
Making our own
Little League baseball team.

(brief interlude)

BOTH:
We're no one you've ever seen

MARILYN:
Movie stars don't live anywhere here,
Except on the local drive-in screen.

BOTH:
Yes, I'd gladly disappear,
If it might guarantee a view of

DIMAGGIO:
No one but Mr. ...

MARILYN:
No one but Mrs. ...

BOTH:
Smith and you.

Song of the day: "Brotherhood of Man" by Frank Loesser

I was introduced to this song by the recent NBC Super Bowl commercial. It's super-charming, fun, and smart, plus it stars the actors and cast of many NBC shows, including 30 Rock, The Office, Parks and Recreation, Community, Smash, Up All Night, Saturday Night Live, and others. Nice choreography for people who are not dancers. The commercial is almost four minutes long!

The song is "Brotherhood of Man" from the musical How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, which coincidentally starred Daniel Radcliffe and is playing on Broadway right now. Below are the lyrics from the original show (not the altered lyrics in the NBC ad):

FINCH:
Now you may joint the Oak's, my friend,
And may joint the Shriner's.
And other men may carry cards,
As members of the Diner's.

Still others wear a Golden Key,
Or small Greek letter pin.
But I have learn that's one great club,
That all of us are in.

There is a brotherhood of man,
A benevolent brotherhood of man,
A noble tie that binds
All human hearts and minds
Into one brotherhood of man.

Your life long membership is free,
Keep a-giving each brother all you can.
Oh, aren't you proud to be in that fraternity,
The great big brotherhood of man?

So, Wally, before consider firing everybody, remember this:

One man may seem incompetent.
Another not make sense.
Well, others look like quite waste
Of company expense.
They need a brother's leadership.
So, please, don't do them in
Remember mediocrity
Is not a murder sin.

FINCH:
There

MALE ENSEMBLE:
Where?

FINCH:
In

MALE ENSEMBLE:
In

FINCH:
the

MALE ENSEMBLE:
the

COMPANY:
Brotherhood of man.
Dedicated to giving all we can

FINCH:
Oh, aren't you proud to be
In that fraternity.

COMPANY:
The great big brotherhood of man.

WOMPER:
No kidding!
Is there really a brotherhood

MALE ENSEMBLE:
Yes, you're a brother.

WOMPER:
of man.

MALE ENSEMBLE:
You are a brother.

WOMPER:
On the level of brotherhood of man.

MALE ENSEMBLE:
Oh, yes! Oh, yes!
A noble tie that binds
All human hearts and minds

WOMPER:
Into one brotherhood of man.

COMPANY:
Oh, yes! Your life long membership is free,
Keep a-giving each brother all you can.

MALE ENSEMBLE:
Oh, aren't you proud to be,
In that fraternity,
The great big brotherhood
Of man?

MISS JONES:
You, you got me
Me, I got Yooooooooo - yooou

MISS JONES:
Oh, that noble feeling
Feels like bells are pealing
Dong with double jingling
Oh, brother!
You, you got me
Me, I got Yooooooooo - yooou

COMPANY:
Oh, that noble feeling
Feels like bells are pealing
Dong with double jingling
Oh, brother!
You, you got me
Me, I got Yoooooou

MALE ENSEMBLE:
Oh, that noble feeling
Feels like bells are pealing
Dong with double jingling
Oh, brother!

MISS JONES:
Oooooooooooooooooo
Oooooooooooooooooo

COMPANY:
You, you got me
Me, I got Yoooooou

Your life long membership is free,
Keep a-giving each brother all you can.
Oh, aren't you proud to be in that fraternity,
The great big brotherhood of man?

Song of the day: "You don't know/I am the one" by Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey

I recently saw the Tony Award performance (2009) from next to normal. Wow! That's probably the best Tony performance I've seen, aside from Patti LuPone's bring-down-the-house rendition of "Everything's coming up roses" from Gypsy. I'm not sure what I was doing in 2009, but I did go see West Side Story. As far as I remember, it was a slow year for musicals. I vaguely heard about next to normal, but at the time, I wasn't interested in seeing a musical about mental illness.

next to normal isn't so much about mental illness, but about a dysfunctional family whose primary dysfunction happens to be the mother, Diana, who has bipolar disorder with delusions (though you find out that the father, Dan, has his own, more subtle problems). I'm not a huge fan of rock music, but I think it works pretty well in the big number "You don't know/I am the one" that the cast performed during the Tony Awards. The number isn't a typical beautiful ballad, splashy song, or Sondheimesque cabaret piece. It's really a huge fight between a husband and wife, but set to music. The rock music highlights the extreme emotions bouncing around during the scene.

All the actors are amazing. Diana (played by Alice Ripley) alternates between aggressively fighting off the "cage" erected by her illness and her husband, and looking scared to death and out of her mind. I sympathized with her frustration with well-meaning caretakers and her desire to lash out (most graphically depicted by her violently throwing cutlery). I found it riveting the way Ripley wears emotions on her face. She's menacing while waving knives at her husband, then seems afraid of him when he fights back (her body keeps shaking). She takes a step towards her husband and then bends backwards when he comes at her again. The way she looks terrified and about to crack when she has both her husband and her son singing to her in her ear, competing for her attention.

Dan (played by J. Robert Spencer) seems like the well-meaning, but exasperated and domineering caretaker. When he sings "I am the one who knows you/I am the one who cares/I am the one who's always been there," I couldn't help imagining the emotional blackmail that Diana and Dan are capable of inflicting on each other. I really liked how Spencer moved in time to the music. All the actors do this to some degree (almost like choreography), but Spencer does it really well when he walks behind his wife's back, after singing "And if you think that I just don't give a damn/ Then you just don't know who I am."

I enjoyed the so-called psycho-sexual tension going on between Diana and her son Gabe (played by Aaron Tviet). Actually, it looks like sexual tension, but (SPOILER) it's not because Gabe died when he was 18 months old. So he's really a metaphor for Diana's inner mind. I interpret the tension as Diana wanting to give in to her illness and stop all medical treatment (which she finds stifling and numbing). I think when you are struggling with a mental illness for so long (16 years in Diana's case), at some point you want to give up and embrace the illness. The illness becomes what's "normal" to you. It makes sense to me that the idea of embracing the illness is a kind of seduction. Society looks down on the notion of "giving up" on fighting illness (particularly mental illness, which some think of as a character flaw), so I find the metaphor of a forbidden, incestuous relationship rather apt.

I haven't seen the musical on stage, but I get the feeling that it's a serious, intense, intimate, and contemporary play that happens to be set to music. This makes next to normal novel and ground-breaking, which is probably why it won the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. There aren't many original musicals written in contemporary music that tackle hard issues like how mental illness damages a family. I'm extremely impressed with this work.

DIANA (spoken)
You know. Really? What, exactly, do you know?

DAN (spoken)
I know you're hurting. I am, too.

DIANA
Do you wake up in the morning
And need help to lift your head?
Do you read obituaries
And feel jealous of the dead?
It's like living on a cliffside
Not knowing when you'll dive...
Do you know
Do you know, what it's like to die alive?

When the world that once had color fades to white and gray and black...
When tomorrow terrifies you, but you'll die if you look back.

You don't know.
I know you don't know.
You say that you're hurting--
It sure doesn't show.
You don't know...
It lays me so low
When you say let go,
And I say
You don't know.

The sensation that you're screaming,
But you never make a sound.
Or the feeling that you're falling,
But you never hit the ground--
It just keeps on rushing at you
Day by day by day by day...
You don't know
You don't know what it's like to live that way.
Like a refugee, a fugitive, forever on the run...
If it gets me, it will kill me-- but I don't know what I've done.

DAN
Can you tell me
What it is you're afraid of?
And can you tell me why I'm afraid it's me?
Can I touch you?
We've been fine for so long now,
How could something go wrong that I can't see?
'Cause I'm holding on,
And I won't let go
I just thought you should know...

I am the one who knows you,
I am the one who cares,
I am the one who's always been there.
I am the one who's helped you
And if you think that I just don't give a damn,
Then you just don't know who I am.

Could you leave me

GABE
Hey, Dad, it's me.

DAN
Could you let me go under?

GABE
Why can't you see?

DAN
Will you watch as I drown
And wonder why

GABE
I wonder why.

DAN
Are you bleeding?

GABE
Are you waiting, are you wishing,
Are you wanting all that she can't give?

DAN
Are you bruised, are you broken?

GABE
Are you hurting, are you healing,
Are you hoping for a life to live?

DAN
Does it help you to know
That so am I

GABE
Well, so am I.

DAN
Tell me what to do

GABE
Look at me.

DAN
Tell me who to be

GABE
Look at me.

DAN
So I can see what you see.

GABE
And you'll see...

DAN
I am the one who'll hold you

GABE
I am...

DAN
I am the one who'll stay

GABE
I am...

DAN
I am the one who won't walk away.

GABE
I won't walk away.

DAN
Yeah, yeah, yeah
I am the one who'll hear you

GABE
I am...

DAN
And now you tell me that I won't give a damn

GABE
You don't give a damn.

DAN
But I know you know who I am.

GABE
Who I am

DAN
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

GABE
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

DAN
That's who I am

GABE
I am

DAN
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

GABE
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

DAN
That's who I am

GABE
Who I am

DAN
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

GABE
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

DAN
That's who I am.
'Cause I'm holding on...

DIANA
You say you hurt like me...

GABE
And I won't let go...

DIANA
You say that you know...

DAN and GABE
Yeah, I thought you should know.
Oh...

DIANA
Oh...
You don't know.

DAN and GABE
I am the one who knows you,

DIANA
I know you don't know.

DAN and GABE
I am the one who cares,

DIANA
You say that you're hurting,
I know it ain't so.

DAN and GABE
I am the one who's always been there.

DIANA
You don't know...

DAN and GABE
Yeah, yeah, yeah
I am the one who needs you

DIANA
Why don't you just go?

DAN and GABE
And if you think that I just
Don't give a damn

DIANA
'Cause it lays me low
When I say,

DAN
Then you just don't know who I am

DIANA
You don't know...

DAN
Who I am

DIANA
You don't know...

DAN
Who I am

GABE
You just don't know who I am.

Song of the day: "The National Pastime" by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman

I just watched the pilot episode of NBC's new TV show Smash. My favorite song is "The National Pastime", which alludes to the Marilyn-Joe DiMaggio relationship. It's a sly, double-entendre, throwback number -- which I love. You should watch it live with the beautiful choreography. It reminds me -- where have you gone Broadway dance? The last great dance routines I saw were on a revival of West Side Story.

MARILYN: (spoken) Fellas!
CHORUS: (spoken) Yeah?
MARILYN: (spoken) Fellas!
CHORUS: (spoken) Is it?
MARILYN: (spoken) Hey, team!
CHORUS: (spoken) Off the benches, it's Marilyn!

MARILYN:
I just got a date
CHORUS:
She's just got a date
MARILYN:
With baseball's Joltin' Joe
CHORUS:
That lucky so-and-so
MARILYN:
So run me 'round the bases,
Put me through my paces,
And teach me all the things a slugger's lover
Should know!

MARILYN:
What's that there?
CHORUS:
That's the pitcher's mound
MARILYN:
Have you ever seen a shape
That is so perfectly round
CHORUS:
Batter up
MARILYN:
Play ball
CHORUS:
You better give it your all
'Cause all men like to play at
MARILYN:
The national pastime.

MARILYN:
Who's that man?
CHORUS:
That's the first base coach
MARILYN:
Have you noticed that he signals
Every time I approach?
CHORUS:
Kill the ump
MARILYN:
Throw him out
CHORUS:
Because there isn't a doubt
That all men like to play at
MARILYN:
The national pastime.

MARILYN:
When I was just a little girl
I liked being dainty and purty
But now that I'm giving sports a whirl
I feel I kinda like to get dirty
CHORUS:
Yeah!

CHORUS:
Baby, what's that there?
MARILYN:
That's the team's bullpen
And I like the odds I'm seeing
No girls, all men
CHORUS:
Hit the deck, look alive,
Beware the lady's line drive
MARILYN:
Yes, my skill and my passion'll
Elevate the national --

(interlude)

MARILYN:
Peanuts!
Hot dogs!
Cracker jack!
I don't care, I don't care,
If I ever get back!

(interlude)

CHORUS:
When the season's over
The play won't end
MARILYN:
'Cause a baseball diamond is a girl's best friend...
CHORUS:
Yes, her style and her fashion'll
Elevate the national pastime!

Song of the day: "Til There Was You" by Meredith Willson

A beautiful romantic ballad that is one of Barbara Cook's signature songs. Kristin Chenoweth also sings this one a lot.

From the musical The Music Man

There were bells on the hill
But I never heard them ringing,
No, I never heard them at all
Till there was you.

There were birds in the sky
But I never saw them winging
No, I never saw them at all
Till there was you.

And there was music,
And there were wonderful roses,
They tell me,
In sweet fragrant meadows of dawn, and dew.

There was love all around
But I never heard it singing
No, I never heard it at all
Till there was you!

Song of the day: "I'm Still Here" by Stephen Sondheim

This is a show-stopping, tour-de-force of a song about strength and survival.

From the musical Follies

Good times and bum times,
I've seen them all and, my dear,
I'm still here.
Plush velvet sometimes,
Sometimes just pretzels and beer,
But I'm here.

I've stuffed the dailies
In my shoes.
Strummed ukuleles,
Sung the blues,
Seen all my dreams disappear,
But I'm here.

I've slept in shanties,
Guest of the W.P.A.,
But I'm here.
Danced in my scanties,
Three bucks a night was the pay,
But I'm here.
I've stood on bread lines
With the best,
Watched while the headlines
Did the rest.
In the Depression was I depressed?
Nowhere near.
I met a big financier
And I'm here.

I've been through Gandhi,
Windsor and Wally's affair,
And I'm here.
Amos 'n' Andy,
Mahjongg and platinum hair,
And I'm here.

I got through Abie's
Irish Rose,
Five Dionne babies,
Major Bowes,
Had heebie-jeebies
For Beebe's
Bathysphere.
I lived through Brenda Frazier
And I'm here.

I've gotten through Herbert and J. Edgar Hoover,
Gee, that was fun and a half.
When you've been through Herbert and J. Edgar Hoover,
Anything else is a laugh.

I've been through Reno.
I've been through Beverly Hills,
And I'm here.
Reefers and vino,
Rest cures, religion and pills,
And I'm here

Been called a pinko
Commie tool,
Got through it stinko
By my pool.
I should have gone to an acting school.
That seems clear.
Still, someone said, "She's sincere,"
So I'm here.

Black sable one day.
Next day it goes into hock,
But I'm here.
Top billing Monday,
Tuesday you're touring in stock,
But I'm here.

First you're another
Sloe-eyed vamp,
Then someone's mother,
Then you're camp.
Then you career from career
To career.
I'm almost through my memoirs.
And I'm here.

I've gotten through "Hey, lady, aren't you whoozis?
Wow! What a looker you were."
Or, better yet, "Sorry, I thought you were whoozis --
Whatever happened to her?"

Good times and bum times,
I've seen them all and, my dear,
I'm still here.
Plush velvet sometimes,
Sometimes just pretzels and beer,
But I'm here.
I've run the gamut,
A to Z.
Three cheers and dammit,
C'est la vie.
I got through all of last year,
And I'm here.
Lord knows, at least I've been there,
And I'm here!
Look who's here!
I'm still here!

Song of the day: "In Buddy's Eyes" by Stephen Sondheim

This is a sweet and beautiful song from the Broadway musical Follies. But if you actually see the show, you realize the song is a poor attempt at a self-convincing lie. The character's marriage to Buddy is a shambles.

Life is slow, but it seems exciting
'Cause Buddy's there.
Gourmet cooking and letter writing,
And knowing Buddy's there.

Every morning -- don't faint --
I tend the flowers.
Can you believe it?
Every weekend, I paint.
For umpteen hours.

And, yes, I miss a lot
Living like a shut-in.
No, I haven't got
Cooks and cars and diamonds.
Yes, my clothes are not
Paris fashions, but in
Buddy's eyes
I'm young, I'm beautiful.
In Buddy's eyes
I don't get older.

So life is ducky
And time goes flying
And I'm so lucky
I feel like crying,
And...

In Buddy's eyes,
I'm young, I'm beautiful.
In Buddy's eyes,
I can't get older.
I'm still the princess,
Still the prize.

In Buddy's eyes
I'm young, I'm beautiful.
In Buddy's arms,
On Buddy's shoulder
I won't get older,
Nothing dies.

And all I ever dreamed I'd be,
The best I ever thought of me,
Is every minute there to see
In Buddy's eyes.

Song of the day: "Have A Little Faith In Me" by John Hiatt

I heard this song a long time ago when it was covered in the movie Phenomenon. When I was watching the TV show Alias, I was pleasantly surprised to hear a nice, instrumentally simple cover of the song in baritone (rare for pop music!). The song is sung by a minor character in a night club and then the show segues into an emotional montage for Sydney.

I have an inherent bias against pop music, but when done well, this song is decent.

When the road gets dark
And you can no longer see
Let my love throw a spark
Have a little faith in me
When the tears you cry
Are all you can believe
Just give these loving arms a try
Have a little faith in me

Have a little faith in me
Have a little faith in me
Have a little faith in me
Have a little faith in me

When your secret heart
Cannot speak so easily
Come here darling, from a whisper start
Have a little faith in me
And when your back’s against the wall
Just turn around and you, you will see
I will catch you, I will catch your fall
Just have a little faith in me

Have a little faith in me
Have a little faith in me
Have a little faith in me
Have a little faith in me

‘Cause I’ve been loving you, for such a long, long time
Expecting nothing in return
Just for you to have a little faith in me
You see time, time is our friend
‘Cause for us, there is no end
And all you gotta do, is have a little faith in me
I will hold you up, I will hold you up
And your love, gives me strength enough to
Have a little faith in me
Hey hey
All you gotta do for me girl
Is have a little faith in me

Song of the day: "Since I Fell For You" by Buddy Johnson

I learned of this song from the episode "Rendezvous" in the TV show Alias. A beautiful, slow jazzy tune.

When you just give love
And never get love
You'd better let love depart
I know it's so, and yet I know
I can't get you out of my heart

You made me leave my happy home
You took my love and now you're gone
Since I fell for you

Love brings such misery and pain
I guess I'll never be the same
Since I fell for you

Well, it's too bad
And it's too sad
But I'm in love with you
You love me, then you snub me
But what can I do?
I'm so in love with you

I guess I'll never see the light
I get the blues most every night
Since I fell for you
Since I fell for you...

Song of the day: "Stars and the moon" by Jason Robert Brown

This is a charming song, though a bit sentimental. I really enjoyed Audra McDonald's performance of it.

The song was composed by Jason Robert Brown, who is among the generation of young composer-lyricists, leading the avant-garde musical theater scene after Sondheim.

From the musical Songs For A New World

I met a man without a dollar to his name
Who had no traits of any value but his smile
I met a man who had no yearn or claim to fame
Who was content to let life pass him for a while
And I was sure that all I ever wanted
Was a life like the movie stars led
And he kissed me right here
And said:

"I'll give you stars and the moon and a soul to guide you
And a promise I'll never go
I'll give you hope to bring out all the life inside you
And the strength that will help you grow.
I'll give you truth and a future that's twenty times better
Than any Hollywood plot."
And I thought, "You know,
I'd rather have a yacht."

I met a man who lived his life out on the road
Who left a wife and kids in Portland on a whim
I met a man whose fire and passion always showed
Who asked if I could spare a week to ride with him
But I was sure that all I ever wanted
Was a life that was scripted and planned
And he said,
"But you don't understand -

"I'll give you stars and the moon and the open highway
And a river beneath your feet
I'll give you days full of dreams if you travel my way
And a summer you can't repeat.
I'll give you nights full of passion and days of adventure,
No strings, just warm summer rain."
And I thought, "You know,
I'd rather have champagne."

I met a man who had a fortune in the bank
Who had retired at age thirty, set for life.
I met a man and didn't know which stars to thank,
And then he asked one day if I would be his wife.
And I looked up, and all that I could think of
Was the life I had dreamt I would live
And I said to him:
"What will you give?"

"I'll give you cars and a townhouse in Turtle Bay
And a fur and a diamond ring
And we'll get married in Spain on my yacht today
And we'll honeymoon in Beijing.
And you'll meet stars at the parties I throw at my villas
In Nice and Paris in June."

And I thought, "Okay."
And I took a breath
And I got my yacht
And the years went by
And it never changed
And it never grew
And I never dreamed
And I woke one day
And I looked around
And I thought, "My God...
I'll never have the moon."

Song of the day: "Too Many Mornings" by Stephen Sondheim

This is a bittersweet duet between a couple. The man realizes that he's been fantasizing about a girl that's a figment of his imagination instead of living life with the girl that's right in front of him.

A beautiful duet that is well-suited for operatic singing.

From the musical Follies

BEN:
Too many mornings
Waking and pretending I reach for you,
Thousands of mornings
Dreaming of my girl.
All that time wasted,
Merely passing through,
Time I could have spent
So content
Wasting time with you.

Too many mornings
Wishing that the room might be filled with you.
Morning to morning,
Turning into days.

All the days that I thought would never end,
All the nights with another day to spend.
All those times I'd look up to see
Sally standing at the door
Sally moving to the bed,
Sally resting in my arms
With her head against my head.

SALLY:
[spoken] If you don't kiss me, Ben, I think I'm going to die.

How I planned:
What I'd wear tonight and
When should I get here,
How should I find you,
Where I'd stand,
What I'd say in case you didn't remember.
How I'd remind you--
You remembered.
And my fears were wrong!
Was it ever real?
Did I ever love you this much?
Did we ever feel
So happy then?

OVERLAPPING:

BEN:
It was always real...
SALLY:
I should have worn green...
BEN:
And I've always loved you this much...
SALLY:
I wore green the last time...
BEN:
We can always feel this happy...
SALLY:
The time I was happy...

BOTH:
Too many mornings
Wasted in pretending I reach for you.
How many mornings
Are there still to come?

How much time can we hope that there will be?
Not much time, but it's time enough for me.
If there's time to look up and see
Sally standing at the door,
Sally moving to the bed,
Sally resting in my (your) arms,
With your (my) head against my (your) head.