Musicals Monday

Years ago, when I was attending BYU-Idaho (Ricks College), my roommate and I were in love with the Beatles movie Help!  At the time the movie was released, the group didn't like the movie at all.  They've since commented that they were stoned out of their minds through most of the production....which is one of the reasons it is SO FUNNY.  It is goofy, and full of music.

Here's a brief summary of the movie:

An Eastern cult discovers that the sacrificial ring is missing. Ringo, drummer of The Beatles band has it; sent by the girl (who's to be sacrificed) as a gift. Clang, Ahme, Bhuta and several cult members leave for London to retrieve the ring. After several failed attempts to steal the ring, they confront him in an Indian restaurant. Ringo learns that if he does not return the ring soon, he will become the next sacrifice. Ringo then discovers that the ring is stuck on his finger. Its a race against time; John, Paul, and George try to protect their friend while they're all being chased not only by Clang and his minions, but also by two mad scientists and the chief inspector of Scotland yard. Will Ringo be saved, or will he be sacrificed?

The following clip shows five failed attempts to steal the ring.  Number four is by far the best, followed by the fifth attempt that shows the song, You're Gonna Loose That Girl. 

For Musicals Monday, the Beatles Help!

Musicals Monday

Brandon was reading the story Dumbo out of a Disney book the other night, and I was reminded of one of the greatest, sweetest, sadest songs in Disney history.

Mrs. Jumbo (Dumbo's mother) has been labelled a "mad elephant" because she attacked people at the circus who were being cruel to Dumbo.  Separated from her mom, Timothy the Mouse takes Dumbo to see her.

For your Musicals Monday, Baby Mine.  I DARE you not to cry, or get even a little verklempt (as Linda Richman aka Mike Myers would say on Coffee Talk!) 



Musicals Monday

Let's face it:  this is becoming a difficult page for me to keep up with!  I love musicals, but I can only write about so many of them before it starts getting simply....well, repetitive and old.

So I've decided to add another element to my Musicals Monday page.  If it has to do with music, it now counts!  Music videos, music I like, anything.

Rascal Flatts is my favorite group.  I love that they are three clean, family men who sing clean, fantastic music.  I was introduced to them years ago while I was attending BYU-Idaho, but really got back into them about a year ago.  If I'm in the car, I'm listening to Rascal Flatts.  If I'm at home doing housework, Rascal Flatts can be heard in the background.  They are so awesome that even Brandon now loves them.  He knows the words to all the songs I listen to, and proudly sings them with me!

One of my favorite songs by Rascal Flatts is their newest single from their album Nothing Like This.  The song is titled Easy, and is a duet with Natasha Bedingfield.  I love this song; the music, the lyrics, everything!  And when Brandon and I sing it, he insists that he sing the "guy" part, and I sing the "girl" part....too cute!  

I also really enjoy the video to this song.  The ending is especially sweet, but I'm all for a good romance.

For your Musicals Monday:

Musicals Monday

Inspector Gadget isn't a musical, it's actually a REALLY CORNY cartoon that was popular in the 1980s.  He was a bumbling inspector who was always unknowingly saved by his niece, Penny, and dog, Brain from the danger he often found himself in.

This morning I watched Brandon as he sang along to the theme song.  I couldn't help but laugh as the "whoo hoo", and "Go Gadget Go" parts came and he sang it perfectly.  And when he started dancing, that was it for me:  I could hardly stop laughing.

For your Musicals Monday, an unconventional direction.  Brandon singing, and dancing to the Inspector Gadget theme.

Musicals Monday

Phineas and Ferb is the funniest cartoon on television.  The series follow Phineas Flynn and his English stepbrother Ferb Fletcher on summer vacation.  Every day the boys embark on some grand new project, which annoys their controlling sister, Candace, who tries to bust them.  Every episode almost always features Perry the Platypus (Agent P), acting as a secret agent to fight an evil scientist named Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz.  The two plots intersect at the end to erase all traces of the boys' project just before Candace can show it to their mother.  This usually leaves Candace very frustrated.  The series is also known for its musical numbers, which have appeared in almost every episode since the first-season.

The music is the reason Phineas and Ferb is appearing today.  The writers took the first episode of the show, tweeked it,  and turned it into a musical.  The following is a clip from that episode where Phineas and Ferb parody well-known musicals, including:

Cats
The Phantom Of The Opera
Oklahoma!
Singin' In The Rain
Fiddler on The Roof
West Side Story
The Music Man
Les Miserables
The King and I
Chicago
Cabaret

For your Musicals Monday, Phineas Flynn singing, Hey Ferb

Musicals Monday

Sticking with the Disney theme from last Monday, today features another fabulous clip from when Disney did their movies the right way.  The movie today, Aladdin.

This movie was a success for many reasons, but the main reason was the casting of Robin Williams as the Genie. 

The greatest song from the movie, Friend Like Me.  Who wouldn't want a genie for a friend? 

Musicals Monday

One of the last great Disney movies (in my opinion), was The Lion King.  I don't remember the last time I genuinely cried while watching an animated movie, but I balled my eyes out when I first saw this movie.  Oh, let's face it, I still cry!

Beautiful music, a wonderful story, this movie has it all.

For Musicals Monday, the scene that made people want to jump into the theatre screens and kill Scar...after they finished crying, that is!  Mufasa's death.

Musicals Monday

Last week Blogger decided it was no long going to let me upload videos onto my blog that I had already downloaded onto my computer.  (get it?!)  So I tried another way.  I went onto YouTube and began learning about embedding videos.  There was one video that I really wanted to show you, but as luck would have it, the video had no embedding code, which meant there was no way to put it on my blog to show you.

Out of frustration, I tried the button again today, AND IT WORKED!  I can now begin uploading onto my blog all the videos I've downloaded onto my computer.  Have I confused you yet?  The best part is it means I can share with you the video I really wanted you to see!

I know I've done The Sound of Music before, but I came across this video after that first post.  I completely LOVE this video, and wanted to share it with you today.

The song fits the video perfectly.  At 0:28, Georg's smile to Maria melts my heart every time.  And as they dance together, the music continues to move perfectly with the video, it's wonderful to watch.

For your Musicals Monday, The Sound of Music.  Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Musicals Monday

Marry Poppins is one of my favorite Disney musicals.  Growing up I thought she was the coolest nanny on the planet, and now as an adult, I wish I could make my house clean itself up by simply snapping my fingers!

For Musicals Monday, Spoonful of Sugar, from Mary Poppins.

Musicals Monday

Fantasia is one of Disney's greatest movies.  Using famous composers such as Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Dukas, Bach, and Gershwin, along with their most famous musical compositions, Disney created a masterpiece of fun, using Mickey Mouse and animals.  And with only one brief exception, no words were ever spoken.

-Toccata and Fugue in D Minor by Johann Sebastian Bach
-The Nutcracker Suite by Piotr Ilich Tchaikovsky
-The Sorcerer's Apprentice by Paul Dukas
-The Rite of Spring by Igor Stravinsky
-The Pastoral Symphony by Ludwig van Beethoven
-Dance of the Hours by Amilcare Ponchielli
-Night on Bald Mountain by Modeste Moussorgsky
-Ave Maria by Franz Shubert

For your Musicals Monday, The Sorcerer's Apprentice from Fantasia.

Musicals Monday

I have a confession to make:  I've never actually seen the musical I'm talking about today in its entirety.  There is one scene, however, that I think most of the world is familiar with, and that's what I'm focusing on today.

The King and I is another famous Rodgers and Hammerstein musical.  One thing I do know about this musical is that there are some amazing dresses worn in it.  (Told you, my knowledge of this movie is very limited!!)  The song today will feature one of the those amazing dresses, and of course a wonderful song and dance.

For your Musicals Monday, "Shall We Dance?" from The King and I.

Musicals Monday

Oklahoma! by Rodgers and Hammerstein is another musical from my childhood.  This was another play done by the local drama company where my mom played the piano and I turned the pages for her. 

Curly and Laurey play a cat and mouse game of loving and then hating each other.  It's so fun to watch because you know that they are meant to be together, that they love each other, and if the movie doesn't end with them having declared their love for one another, you'll be upset!

For your Musicals Monday, People Will Say We're In Love, from Oklahoma!

Musicals Monday

The Sound of Music is another wonderful musical.  I was first introduced to it when I was in 8th grade.  Our junior high was doing a production of The Sound of Music, and I was lucky enough to be cast as Maria.

The chemistry between Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer is one of the main reasons this is such a wonderful musical.  Watching them look at each other while they dance, the way Georg looks at Maria while he sings Edelwiss, and the entire scene where they admit they love each other, you forget you're watching a movie and find yourself swept up into the blooming romance!  I get goosebumps every time.

Looking on YouTube, I was hoping to find the scene where they finally admit their true feelings for each other.  I found the song Something Good, which is the song they sing to each other, but I couldn't find the actual movie scene, which bummed me out.

The video I have for you today is about the love story of Maria and Georg.  I just love how he looks at her, it is simply the sweetest thing!

Musicals Monday

Adam, the eldest of seven brothers, goes to town to get a wife. He convinces Milly to marry him that same day. They return to his backwoods home. Only then does she discover he has six brothers - all living in his cabin. Milly sets out to reform the uncouth siblings, who are anxious to get wives of their own. Then, after reading about the Roman capture of the Sabine women, Adam develops an inspired solution to his brothers' loneliness.--Movie recap written by someone else :) 

I love this movie.  The dancing is phenomenal, the music is fun, and it's simply a great story!  One of the most amazing scene's from this movie is during the barn dance.  Milly has "trained" the brothers the best she can and they are making their debut as "civilized" men, hoping to find brides.

For your Musicals Monday enjoyment, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. 

Musicals Monday

Rent is a musical that I'm not very familiar with.  It's a rock opera tha tells the story of a group of impoverished young artists and musicians struggling to survive and create in New York's lower east side under the shadow of HIV/AIDS.

On Broadway, Rent gained critical acclaim and won a Tony Award for Best Musical.  The Broadway production closed on September 7, 2008, after a 12 year rn and 5, 124 performances, making it the 9th longest running Broadway show at the time, 10 years behind The Phantom of the Opera.

The first time I became familiar with this muscial was when I heard the song "Seasons of Love".  Oddly enough, the version I first heard wasn't the one the cast sang, but from Donny Osmond!

This is a wonderful song, helping us to remember to love, not hate.

Musicals Monday

Another popular musical from my youth is Grease, starring John Travola and Olivia Newton-John.  I knew the words to every song, and loved watching all the dancing.

What I didn't realize until I was much older, was how dirty the movie actually is!!  There are sexually innuendo's throughout, and to this day I catch a new one every time I see it.

A perfect example of this is in the song, Summer Nights.  Sandy is sweet and innocent, talking about how wonderful a guy Danny is, and how sweet he is, while all his friends want to know was how far he got with her!! 

Dirty or not, it's a great song!

Musicals Monday

Dirty Dancing is one of the movies I grew up with.  We all wanted to be Baby, she was a modern day princess.  Every girl wanted the dress Baby wears in the final number, and every woman, no matter what age, wanted Patrick Swayze as their dance partner!! 

I don't know if Dirty Dancing actually qualifies as a musical, since no one is ever singing, however, there is A LOT of music throughout the movie, and people are dancing all the time.  Since this is my blog, I'm calling it a musical!

Today for your Musicals Monday, enjoy the final musical number from Dirty Dancing, "I've Had the Time of My Life".

Musicals Monday

Annie (the original) is the musical of my childhood.  I can remember watching this movie and just singing and dancing to every song.  I knew the dance moves, the words, you name it.  Every girl wanted to be Annie, which was funny since she had such a rough life before Daddy Warbucks came along!  I remember wanting all of the dresses and shoes she had, especially the red dress from the last song.

As an adult, one of my favorite parts of this movie is the incredible performance given by Carol Burnett as Miss Hannigan.  She truly is an amazing actress, and is a joy to watch.

Today for Musicals Monday, Little Girls, by Carol Burnett.

Musicals Monday

Evita is a musical with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice.  It concentrates on the life of Argentine political leader Eva Peron, the wife of Argentinian president Juan Peron.  The story follows Evita's early life, rise to power, charity work, and eventual death.

Evita began as a rock opera concept album released in 1976.  Its success led to production in London's West End in 1978, and on Broadway a year later, both of which enjoyed considerable success.  A major film was made of the musical in 1996, starring Madonna and Antonio Banderas.

I like to root for the underdog.  I cheer for the team who isn't the favorite to win the World Series, the student in class who isn't likely to get a great score on a test...but just might; yep, I'm full of betting against the odds!!

I was unfamiliar with Evita until I heard about the movie.  Always being weary of actors who claim they can sing, (except for Madonna who's more like the singer who thinks she can act!) I didn't know if I was going to like Antonio Banderas.  I enjoy him as an actor, but could he help carry a movie that is pretty much one song after another with hardly any plain "acting" lines?  I found myself rooting for this to work.  That, and the fact that I read that Madonna REALLY wanted this part, and had for years...I thought it was cool.

Anyway, Antonio didn't disappoint!  This man can sing very well.  It's almost more fun to just listen to the soundtrack than watch the movie, but then you wouldn't get to see his handsome face!

For your Musicals Monday:  "Oh, What a Circus", from Evita

Musicals Monday

I love Julie Andrews.  Maria Von Trapp, Mary Poppins, some of my favorite songs and movies are by her.  Victor/Victoria was a very different musical for Julie Andrews.  Definitely not your grandmother's Julie Andrews, but one that I love.

In 1934 Paris, soprano Victoria Grant (Julie Andrews), can't get a job as a singer and is having trouble making ends meet.  Gay cabaret singer Carole 'Toddy' Todd (Robert Preston) may befall the same fate as Victoria as he was just fired from his singing gig at a second rate club.  To solve both their problems, Toddy comes up with what he considers an inspired idea: with Toddy as her manager, Victoria, pretending to be a man, gets a job singing as a female impersonator. If they pull this scheme off, Toddy vows Victoria, as her male alter ego, will be the toast of Paris and as such be extremely wealthy. That alter ego they decide is Polish Count Victor Grazinski.  The Count auditions for the city's leading agent, Andre Cassell, who, impressed, gets him a gig performing in the city's best nightclub.

In the audience on the successful opening night is Chicago nightclub owner and "businessman" King Marchand (James Garner), a stereotypical macho male who falls in the love with the woman he sees on stage.  King is shocked to learn that that woman is a man named Count Grazinski. While King tries to reconcile his romantic feelings for "Victoria" (in truth, King doesn't truly believe the Count is a man), his business associates won't tolerate his change in sexual orientation. Victoria, as herself, in turn falls in love with King. To pursue something with him as a woman would mean giving up this lucrative career. But the career may also come to an end in a jail term if the authorities find out that Victoria and Toddy have committed fraud in this impersonation. Written by Huggo

For your Musical Monday, I've decided to show the best song of this movie, The Shady Dame From Seville, sung by two different people.  First you will see the Julie Andrews version, and then the version by Robert Preston.

The authorities are about to discover that Victoria and Toddy have committed fraud.  As a "swan song" to their act, Toddy (Robert Preston) dons Victoria's clothing and performs the song as the finale of the movie.  I apologize that the few talking parts are in Spanish.  I couldn't find a decent English version!  The singing is all in English though, and it's worth every minute!