Day Twenty-Three: Legally Blonde

I hope everyone had a great Christmas morning! With the 25th anniversary DVD of Phantom of the Opera (which I will dedicate all of tomorrow to watching), I will be! Anyway, today's post is a musical that everyone should see live, and that show, for me, is Legally Blonde: The Musical.

I really don't feel like describing the show because it's the same synopsis as the movie version, starring Reese Witherspoon.

I think people should see Legally Blonde because it's so funny and very fast-paced. It also holds Elle's innocence and "blondeness" (not to insult any blondes whatsoever).

So, here's one of the songs, "Gay or European," sung with some of my favorites, Laura Bell Bundy as Elle and Christian Borle as Emmett! (This takes place during the trial, where it's discovered the guy is both gay and European!)

Day Twenty-Two: The Music Man

Happy holiday season everyone! Today's post is a musical I wish was (never) made into a movie, and I chose the negative aspect to the question and answered: The Music Man.

I actually don't like today's topic, but I need an excuse to bash on The Music Man. I hate it. I find the show annoying and the plot line stupid (I mean, the show advertises a librarian falling in love with a con man? Boring and stupid.)

I'll give a quick synopsis! It starts with con man "Professor" Harold Hill having his name known due to his recent scam: he convinces parents he can teach their children, whether musically talented or not, to play musical instruments. On the idea that he will create a band, Hill collects orders for uniforms and instruments from the parents, but skips town as soon as the instruments arrive. After overhearing some salesmen talk about him on a train ride, Hill gets off at River City, Iowa.

The town is very stubborn and isn't used to having new guests; only his old colleague Marcus Washburn, who was once a con man but has turned "clean." Hill starts his scheme by informing the River City parents the "trouble" that will occur from the town's new pool table. Hill follows Marian Paroo, a librarian who gives piano lessons and is the only trained musician in town, home and attempts to flirt with her: she ignores him.

At home, Marian is teaching a little girl piano lessons while arguing with her widowed mother about her not finding a husband yet. Marian's teenage lisping brother, Winthrop (whom Amaryllis has a big crush on) comes home. Amaryllis asks Marian who she says 'good night' to because she has no sweetheart. Marian tells her to say 'good night' to her 'someone.'

The next day, Independence Day, the town is having a meeting and one of the boys, Tommy, lights a firecracker. Hill takes the stage and proposes the idea that by getting rid of the town's "sin and corruption" and the town's pool table, he will create a boys' band. The mayor asks the bickering members of the school board to get Hill's credentials, but Hill teaches them how to sing a Barbershop Quartet instead and slips away. Hill sets up the mayor's eldest daughter with Tommy, while pledging to Marcus that Marian is the girl for him (after she turned him down again).

The townwomen, excited for the ladies' dance committee that Hill promises to form, lie to him about Marian and her inappropriate relationship with deceased old miser Madison, who gave the town the library, but gave her all of the books. They also warn him that she gives out "dirty books." The school board finds Hill to get the credentials, but Hill makes them sing as he slips away again.

The next day, Hill declares his love to Marian while she's working in the library and gets the teenagers to help him. They dance and he kisses her. Marian tries to slap Hill, but slaps Tommy instead. Hill signs all of the boys up for the band, including Winthrop. Marian's mother likes Hill and asks Marian why she doesn't. Later, Marian discovers a page from the Indiana State Educational Journal that could catch Hill as a con man, but the instruments arrive and Winthrop feels so confident playing his new cornet. Marian sees Hill in a new light and rips the page out before showing the mayor.

As Harold "teaches" the band how to play, the school board is cracking down on obtaining Hill's school credentials. Meanwhile, a traveling salesman, who has come by town, has evidence that Hill isn't who he says he is and wants to inform the mayor of River City. Marian distracts the salesman so he doesn't have time to tell the mayor and has to catch the next train out of town. Hill realizes that he's in love with Marian and she grows feelings for him as well.

The salesman ended up missing the train and heads to the ice cream social, where he calls Hill a fraud. The town angrily searches for Hill. He ends up being arrested and is taken away. Marian goes to Hill's defense; at that point, the boys march into the gym where Hill was held and the parents of the children were so moved by seeing them play instruments, Hill was released into Marian's arms.

I would do the song "Seventy-Six Trombones," but it's been so overdone. Plus, I just plain hate that song. So, I will play the next-to-most-annoying song, "Marian The Librarian" (this is when Hill proclaims his love to Marian in the library, and yes: Hill is played by Matthew Broderick and Marian is played by Kristin Chenoweth!)

Day Twenty-One: West Side Story

Today's musical is one that inspires me, which is West Side Story. I've just always liked this musical, it just makes me feel happy! (Or maybe because I'm a big fan of Shakespeare- he was quite the pick-up artist!)

So, there are two 'gangs' in the city; the Jets (the 'White' group) and the Sharks (the 'Puerto Rican' group) and both struggle for control of the neighborhood. The police warn both groups to stop fighting among each other. The Jets- Riff (the leader), Diesel, Action, A-Rab, Baby John, Snowboy, Joyboy, Big Deal, Tiger, Mouthpiece, Gee-Tar- decide they want to plan a rumble against the Sharks- Bernardo, Chino, Pepe, Indio, Loco, Juano, Luiz, Rocco, Toro, Del Campo, Chile. Riff finds his old friend and former group leader, Tony, and asks him to meet the Jets at the dance. Tony does, but he wants no further part with the gang.

Maria works in a bridal shop with Anita, her brother Bernardo's girlfriend. Maria had just arrived from Puerto Rico and her family picked Chino to be her future husband. Anita and Maria talk about going to the dance. At the dance, the teenagers begin to dance. Not long after, there's a dance battle, and Tony and Maria spot each other from across the room. Unaware of the tension in the room, the two dance and are about to kiss when Bernardo takes Maria away and sends her home.

Riff and Bernardo agree for a War Council at Doc's, the drug store Tony works at and is declared neutral grounds. An infatuated and happy Tony finds Maria's building and serenades her outside her bedroom. He climbs onto her fire escape and the two proclaim their love for one another. Meanwhile, Anita and the other Shark girls talk about the differences between Puerto Rico and the U.S.

Inside Doc's, the Jets wait for the Sharks. The two groups meet and discuss using weapons at the rumble. Tony suggests a "fair fight" (fists only) and the leaders agree to that idea. Bernardo wanted to fight Tony, but has to fight Diesel instead. The police (particularly Lt. Schrank) is trying to find the location of the rumble. Tony tells Doc, the owner of the drug store, about Maria. Doc is worried for the two, but Tony isn't; he's in love.

Maria has been in a very happy mood and cannot wait to see Tony again. Tony meets Maria at the bridal shop and dream about their wedding. She asks Tony to stop the fight, which he agrees to do. Tony, Maria, Anita, Bernardo and Riff anticipate the events to come that night. The gangs meet under the highway, and Bernardo and Diesel are about to fight. Tony tries to make peace and to stop the fight. Bernardo is provoking Tony, but Tony refuses to fight, resulting in Riff punching Bernardo in Tony's defense.

Riff and Bernardo draw out switchblades and get into a knife fight. Riff is stabbed by Bernardo and Tony, in a fit of rage, grabs Riff's blade and kills Bernardo. The two gangs get into a free-for-all. They hear the sound of sirens and everyone leaves, except for Tony, who has just realized what he has done and leaves at the last moment.

Unknowing of what Tony had done, Maria daydreams about seeing Tony with her friends. Chino brings the news that Tony killed Bernardo. Maria flees to her room, hoping that Chino is mistaken. Tony arrives to see Maria, who is originally mad with Tony. The two talk of running away together and imagine it. One of the police officers pursues the Jets, which causes a fight and the officer leaves. Anybodys, a tomboy wanting to join the Jets, overhears Chino wanting to kill Tony with a gun. She also begins a relationship with Action when she relays the news.

Anita arrives at Maria's apartment and overhears Tony telling Maria to meet him at Doc's so they can run to the country together. Anita becomes furious discovering this and belittles him. Maria responds by telling Anita how powerful love is. Anita realizes Maria loves Tony just as much as Anita herself loved Bernardo. She admits Chino has a gun and is searching for Tony.

Maria tells Anita to tell Tony, who is waiting for Maria at Doc's, to wait as Lt. Schrank arrives to question Maria about her brother's death. When Anita arrives at Doc's, the Jets were there are were throwing racial slurs at Anita and physically attack her. Doc comes and breaks up the fight. Anita spitefully tell the Jets, and Doc- who happens to overhear- that Chino shot Maria dead.

Doc relays the news to Tony, who has been dreaming of traveling to the countryside and have children with Maria. Tony, who is now feeling suicidal, leaves to find Chino so he can kill Tony. Just as Tony sees Maria, who is still alive and has never been killed, Chino shoots Tony. Both gangs flock around the lovers. Maria holds Tony in his arms and sings to him as he dies.

The Jets, furious another friend of theirs is killed, is about to attack the Sharks when Maria grabs Chino's gun and tells both groups that they all killed Tony, Riff and Bernardo, and that she can now kill, because she hates too. However, she's unable to shoot the gun and drops it to the ground, and begins sobbing. All members of both gangs crowd around Tony's body, signifying that the feud is over, and carries Tony's body off in a procession, with Maria walking behind them.

This is one of my personal favorites, the 'Tonight Quintet' (It's based off the 1961 movie version: This is before the rumble that Riff and Bernardo die at, when everyone is talking about what will happen that night.)

Day Twenty: Godspell

My, we're at Day 20 already! Well, today's post is a 'guilty pleasure' musical I have, and that would be, for me, Godspell.

I probably shouldn't like this musical as much as I do because my friends are all sick of it (sick of the junior version, that is.) The junior version been done three times in the past four years, and the original has been done once (as far as I know.) According to some of my friends, it'll become as bad as Annie (I'm so not letting that happen!)

The show starts with God's voice saying: "My name is known: God and King. I am most in majesty, in whom no beginning can be and no end." The company members (which is very small, I think it's around eight people) pretend to be different philosophers (Socrates, Thomas Aquinas, da Vinci, etc.) sing about each of their philosophies, which are focused around God.

John the Baptist (whom is played by the same person playing Judas) calls the community to order and tells everyone the Lord is coming. He begins to baptize the company when Jesus comes, asking to be baptized as well. John instead tells Jesus that he isn't worthy to baptize such a holy person, and that Jesus should baptize John. Jesus states that his purpose is to come "save the people."

The company enacts various parables while Jesus teaches them the meanings behind them. Some include the widow & the Judge, the Pharisses & the tax collector, the Servant & Master, the Good Samaritan, Lazarus, No Man Can Serve Two Masters, the Beatitudes, the Sower of the Seeds, and the Prodigal Son.

For act two, Judas betrays Jesus as the rest of the company begins to cling to him even more. As they assemble for the Last Supper, Jesus reveals that one of them (hinting at Judas) will betray him. After going to the Garden of Gethsemane to think, he finds his followers all asleep.

Jesus finds Judas and tells him to crucify him. The company begins to attack Judas, but Jesus tells them ,"He who lives by the sword, dies by the sword" and that it must be done. After Jesus dies on the cross, the company take him down and bring his "corpse" either offstage or through the aisles as they are praising him and "hinting" he will resurrect. The End.

I like this show. It's catchy and I think that in order to be classified as a 'theatre person,' you must have been involved in the junior versions of either Godspell or Seussical (which is coming up on a later post.)

My favorite song from the show, "By My Side," makes me cry! (but not this recording, it isn't the greatest version, but it's recent!) (Just to warn you, the guy speaking in this is Judas narrating how he betrays Jesus; the girl speaking is the singer of the song.)

Day Nineteen: Once On This Island

Today's post is a musical that disappointed me, which I thought was Once On This Island.

I saw it over the summer (the junior version) and I thought it was just terribly put together (especially the girl who played Andrea; god it was awful!)

So, there's a raging storm and a little girl in this little pack cries out, so the other members of the clan tell the girl the story of Ti Moune (pronouced "tea moon"), a peasant girl who falls in love with a Grand Homme, Daniel Beauxhomme. (I'll explain that in a second.)

Here, the four gods of the island, called the Jewel of the Antilles (which is Haiti in real life) are introduced; Asaka, mother of the Earth; Agwe, god of water; Erzulie, goddess of love; and Papa Ge; demon of death. The peasants (classified as "black as night") live on one side of the island, and the Grand Hommes ("lighter-skinned descendants" of the original French planters of the island (aka white people)) with their slaves live on the other side.

One day, Agwe unleashes a terrible storm on the island, resulting in a horrible flood that wipes out the majority of the villages. However, the gods save little Ti Moune's life by placing her on a tree, high from the storm's waves. She's later adopted by Mama Euralie and Tonton Julian. Years later, Ti Moune, all grown up, pray to the gods to find her "purpose" and to let her be like the Grand Hommes. Hearing this, the gods laugh her. However, Erzulie suggests giving her love, because it's stronger than any of the other elements. Papa Ge now begins to argue the question on which is stronger: love or death. Agwe arranges a storm to make Daniel crash his car, so that Daniel and Ti Moune can meet.

Despite opposition from the other village members, including her own parents, Ti Moune cares and tries to heal Daniel. Ti Moune falls in love with the unconscious boy and imagines he loves her too. Papa Ge comes to claim Daniel's life, but Ti Moune sacrifices her life for his so that Daniel won't die. Papa Ge is angry, but later hints that he will return.

Tonton travels to the other side of the island to locate the Beauxhomme hotel. When he comes back, he brings some of Daniel's people with him to bring Daniel back. Tonton tells Ti Moune of the story of Daniel's people. Ti Moune becomes extremely upset and tells her parents she will go after Daniel and marry him. Her parents reluctantly let her go. On the way there, Ti Moune meets Asaka, who assures her that the Earth will provide anything for Ti Moune on her long journey to find Daniel. She arrives at the hotel gates and finds Daniel's room.

Daniel, still weak and not feeling well, doesn't remember but believes her after she describes a scar on his chest. They stay together while Erzulie gives them the gift of love. Daniel ignores the townspeople gossiping about her relationship with Ti Moune. Daniel appreciates that Ti Moune isn't like the rich girls he's come to know in his village.

At a ball held at the hotel, Andrea Deveraux, a daughter of Daniel's family friends, asks Ti Moune to dance for them; her plan was to make Ti Moune look bad in front of the other Grand Hommes. However, she gains admiration instead. Ti Moune finds out Daniel is engaged to Andrea, and Daniel, forced to follow his responsibilities, must go through the marriage, but insists they can be lovers forever. Ti Moune leaves the ball, feeling crushed. Later, Papa Ge comes back, reminding her that she sacrificed her life to save Daniel's- but she can cancel it if she kills Daniel.

Ti Moune enters Daniel's room with a knife, but finds herself unable to do it, proving Erzulie right, that love is  stronger than death. Daniel begins to wake up and finds her in his room with the knife. His family throws her out of the hotel after discovering the appalling attempted murder. She waits for days for Daniel at the gates.
Daniel and Andrea marry, and they perform a tradition where they throw coins to the peasants outside of the hotel gates. Ti Moune calls to Daniel, who places a silver coin in her hand and leaves.

The storytellers now say that Erzulie took Ti Moune by the hand and brought her to the ocean, where Agwe allowed her to drown peacefully. Papa Ge received her and brought her back to shore, and Asaka turned her into a tree. It's now become a celebration of life and cracks open the hotel gates, allowing people of all social classes to come together as one. Her legacy brings together another peasant girl and a new young Grand Homme, Daniel and Andrea's son, as they play in her branches.

The storytellers explain how one peasant girl could bring the people of the island together using the power of love. "It helps us to remember, to forgive- and out of what we live and believe, our lives become the stories we weave." The little girl, whom the storytellers were speaking to, now begins to recite the story herself.

(In the junior version, Ti Moune just sits in front of the gates and Asaka turns her into a tree, right then and there.)

It really disappointed me. The show reminds me of Twilight, when Edward left Bella. Instead of Bella being strong, she almost kills herself. Same with Ti Moune! She devoted her life to Daniel and he didn't marry her, so she had nothing else to live for.  These girls made it obvious that guys are everything to them, and that if he's not with you, then no one will have you. That just sends a bad message.

Plus, Daniel didn't like the girl he was engaged to. So why the hell did he have a kid with her? That just enrages me.

So, I guess I'll post "Forever Yours" (this is when Ti Mohne sacrifices her life to save Daniel's from Papa Ge).

Day Eighteen: Rent

Today's post, as foretold in the last, is the musical with the best lyrics. And I think it's Rent.

Yes I know it's basically Aids: The Musical, but I really enjoying the lyrics, they're so moving to me! "There's only us, there's only this. Forget regret, or life is yours to miss!"

So I'll give a recap of the show. It takes place in Alphabet City in NYC in the late '80s/early '90s, and the entire first act takes place on Christmas Eve. There's these two guys; Mark, an aspiring filmmaker, and Roger, a musician who wants to have one great hit and has been dealing through withdrawl (from drugs, obviously). Their power gets cut off by their landlord and ex-friend, Benny, who is married to the daughter of the Grey corporation that is taking over the city.

Meanwhile, Roger and Mark's good friend, Collins, gets jumped while heading to the guys' apartment and is left on the streets for dead. But then Angel, a guy on the streets playing the bongos, finds Collins and brings him back to his place to care for him. Collins and Angel (who is later revealed to be a drag queen) are instantly attracted to each other. Roger is trying to write his song, but is interrupted by Mimi, who uses her blown-out candle as an excuse to flirt with Roger. Collins finally arrives at the apartment and introduces the two guys to Angel. 

Benny drops by the apartment, hassling the guys about paying the rent for the apartment. But he offers a deal; if the guys can get Maureen to cancel her protest, he'll let them live in this new studio project, rent-free. The two reject his offer and Benny leaves. Angel and Collins invite Roger and Mark to come to an HIV support group meeting.

Mark's ex-girlfriend, Maureen, who also turned lesbian and dumped Mark to date a lawyer named Johanne, is running a protest that would take place that night at midnight at this lot that was being closed down. Johanne is her stage manager and is working the technology aspect for the protest. Maureen called Mark to go help Johanne, despite Johanne demanding that Maureen doesn't call him for help. 

While fixing the sound equipment, Johanne and Mark lament about Maureen and how her sultry ways drove Mark nuts and drives Johanne crazy now. Mark warns Johanne that Maureen will get worse, to which is proven true later in the scene. Mark leaves and hurries to the support group meeting.

Mimi comes back to the apartment and attempts to seduce Roger. In response, Roger kicks her out and pushes her away. He then confesses aloud to an empty apartment about his fear of dying of AIDS. (He got it from his previous girlfriend, who committed suicide after discovering they both were positive.)

Collins talks about his dream to leave New York City to go open up a restaurant in Santa Fe. Soon after, Collins and Angel confess their love to each other and commit into a relationship. Johanne is still nervous as she finishes preparing for Maureen's show. Roger finds Mimi and apologizes for his behavior. He tries to make it up to her by inviting her to the protest and to have dinner at the Life Cafe afterwards with the gang, to which she agrees. The people on the streets are protesting.

Maureen arrives and gives her performance. At the cafe after the show, Benny makes rude comments about the performance and the group's Bohemian lifestyle. Mark and everyone else in the cafe rejoice to them living in the Bohemian lifestyle. Meanwhile, Mimi confronts Roger for ignoring her during dinner. The two talk and discover the other is HIV-positive, which brings them closer. Johanne returns, explaining that Mark and Roger's building has been padlocked. A riot breaks out on the streets as Mimi and Roger share their first kiss.

Act two takes place over the course of one year. Long story short (I don't feel like recapping the rest of the show) all the couples go through a point where they don't speak to each other, except for Angel and Collins. Angel dies from AIDS. And while Roger and Mimi broke up, Mimi was dating Benny (even though Benny's married.)

After Angel's funeral, Roger leaves for Santa Fe, and Mark works at this new reporting company called Buzzline. Roger comes back and Mark realizes that this isn't what he wanted at all. Mimi disappeared but was found in the park, shivering and dying after being kicked out of her apartment when Benny's wife found out he cheated. Mimi dies, but Roger's song (which he finally wrote!) brings her back to him, and the entire gang celebrate.

My favorite song out of the show (it really moves me, especially the ending of it) is "Goodbye Love," which is showing the group falling apart as Roger leaves for Santa Fe. (The actual song doesn't start until a little after 1 minute.)

Day Seventeen: Phantom Of The Opera

Today's post is a musical with the best music, which I think is Phantom of the Opera. (This post is strictly for the score; the post with the best lyrics will be for the next post.)

So I will give the basics. It takes place to 1899 (modern day), then transports back in time a good 50 years or so in Paris. There's this creepy guy who has only half a mask (the Phantom) and he's lived in some secret part of the opera house and always prefers to have Box #5 empty ("Box" is a small section of seats that weren't up on the balcony but aren't as low to the floor level.)

Meanwhile, there's this girl in the Ensemble, Christine Daae, who has been taught how to sing by the "Angel of Music" (who was really the Phantom through the ducts in the opera house). The Phantom has been demanding that the house will be run his way or things go bad, which have. Some acts include Carlotta being given this elixir that causes her to not sing well, the chandelier falls onto the stage, one of the stagehands is murdered, etc.

Christine and her old childhood friend, Raoul, have been sprouting up this romance, to which the Phantom becomes extremely jealous of. The Phantom tries to claim Christine as his "girlfriend," and she does so, in fear he will cause more damage to the opera house. The owners of the house reluctantly agree to perform a show that the Phantom wrote, called Don Juan Triumphant, with Christine as the female lead. They agree under Raoul's idea that they will capture the Phantom on opening night.

Problem is, the Phantom ends up onstage with Christine and Raoul can't just stop the show and take him offstage, especially because he had Christine hostage. He kidnaps her (yet again) and brings her to his lair, where she would stay. Raoul goes after her, while following the advice of Madame Giry, the ballet instructor,  to "keep [his] hand at the level of [his] eyes." (This is because the Phantom is an expert in killing people with the Punjab lasso, and the only way to stop it is to keep an arm there when it's tightened.)

Raoul finds the lair and falls into the Phantom's trap and is held captive. Christine begs Phantom to let him go and says she'll stay with the Phantom if Raoul is to be let free. The Phantom is so moved by this, he lets both Christine and Raoul go. Meanwhile, an angry mob has been finding their way to Phantom's lair, and when they get there, he's no where to be found.

At the end of the show, Christine is dead and every year there is a black rose on her grave (the Phantom's calling card to Christine was a black rose.) The End.

(Yes I know there are a LOT more characters, but this show is so well known, either people know it or they will look it up on WikiPedia.)

My personal favorite song of the show is "Phantom of the Opera," I think it's just very powerful and intense, you can't help but like it! (Plus, I think it really highlights just how good Christine is supposed to be, because of the Phantom.)  I absolutely love listening to Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman!

(Fun fact: For anyone that has seen Wall-E, during the movie there's an old musical video that Wall-E plays a lot (the show is Hello Dolly!) and in the duet part that is shown, the guy singing is Michael Crawford!)