Musical Friday - Remembering January's Fallen Broadway Shows

Broadway suffered very heavy losses this month. Twelve shows have closed since January 2 with at least two more scheduled by the end of the month. I can't remember the last time so many shows closed in a month, so we're going to honor a few.


First up, Promises, Promises





Promises, Promises is based on the film, The Apartment, and has music by Burt Bacharach, lyrics by Hal David, and book by Neil Simon. You might recognize a few of the songs, especially if you're a Gleek. And how could you not like a show starring Jack MacFarland, Carl Bruner (Ghost) or Tarzan, depending on age, and Glinda/April Rhodes? 


Next, West Side Story

Written by Arthur Laurents, music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim (his Broadway debut), West Side Story is loosely based on Romeo and Juliet. One of the most interesting aspects of this revival is not only did Arthur Laurents direct it, but to help make it more authentic, the production team wove Spanish into the book and lyrics.

And finally, my personal favorite, because I just can't let this show go... In the Heights

This is the first soundtrack I had that made me cry before I saw the show. I've gotten a little teary during shows but that's while watching them. What's unique about In the Heights is just how much emotion comes across, both on the stage and in the soundtrack. Part of the reason for that is, instead of sticking the performers in the booths while recording, they were all put together where the orchestra normally plays, so the cast could play off each other, as you can see in the above.


So let's bid a fond farewell to In the Heights, Little Night Music, La Bete, Free Man of Color, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, Fela, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, Brief Encounter, West Side, Elf: The Musical, Pee-Wee, and Promises Promises. Thank you to the casts and crews of the shows. You will be missed. Until we meet again...

Lego Musical Friday!!!!

Wysefyre here with this week's Musical Friday. Today, we're talking Legos. Most of us had them growing up (if you didn't, call your parents & yell at them for depriving you) and they provided us with hours of fun. We built villages, machinery and vehicles, and took the heads off of the little Lego people and played with them (or was the just me?)  Over the years, Legos have gotten more impressive and more themed. You can build the Star Wars and Harry Potter universes or more generic pirate ships and wild west towns. The possibilities are limitless (this is sounding too much like an ad so I'll move on). It was only a matter of time before people started getting really creative and making movies and video games with Legos. Here are some of the great videos floating around...


Pump It - The Black Eyed Peas




A jail break and a giant killing robot? How does it get any better? Parker W. Young does an amazing job with this.


Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen



This video has it all - Queen, Death, his personal assistant, Beelzebub, and salsa! Who can ask for anything more? Now we go from Queen to.... Broadway?


Blackout - In the Heights (Original Broadway Cast)




My current musical obsession is In the Heights. As you can hear, it's not your parents' Broadway show. It's something different and exciting. I saw this video and fell in love with it. It's a fairly accurate portrayal of the show's staging and they're so darn cute. $100 is the most money he's ever seen? Makes me smile every time. Now to finish up, what Lego post would be complete without..........


Star Wars Gangster Rap - Bentframe




You can learn more about Bentframe here. Be sure to check out their other songs. Hilarious! The video was created by Michael Inglis and it's such a perfect compliment to the rap. You know you love dancing Stormtroopers and a break dancing Yoda as much as I do.


There you have it, a small taste of the power of Lego. I hope you enjoyed it and maybe this will spark your imaginations and you'll want to go out, get some Legos and create amazing videos yourself. (If you do, send them our way so we can feature them.) Until next time....