I wanna put on my my my my my boogie shoes...

DISCO night on Idol...  overall really good performances (with the exception of Lil')

Loved Adam, Kris, and really enjoyed Allison too.

Here they are if you missed them...

I've actually been working on a wonderful DISCO show for Busch Gardens Tampa called DANCE TO THE MUSIC.  The show opens next Wednesday!!!  I helped create it (which has been awesome!!!) and am doing vocal direction for it!!  I'll talk more about this next week.  Needless to say, there's been a LOT of disco music in my life lately.  I feel I could "boogie oogie oogie til you just can't boogie no more!"

So in honor of that new show and Idol Disco night, here are 3 really cool covers of Gloria Gaynor's hit I WILL SURVIVE.

The first is a very popular one by the group CAKE.

Check it out on itunes here.

The second is by cabaret artist Colleen McHugh.  

Very funny interpretation.  Check out I WILL SURVIVE from her live album SONGS OF SELF-DELUSION on itunes.

Finally, here are the wonderful PUPPINI SISTERS with a lovely version.  (The youtube clip cuts out halfway through the number)



Download their cover here. Also, check out my past post on these fabulous ladies.

Cry Me A River...

Love love love this cover of the Justin Timberlake hit CRY ME A RIVER.  It is done by Canadian rock band THE CLIKS.  The band members are all out members of the LGBT community.  The wonderful lead singer Lucas Silveira is actually a transgender man (born female but identifies as male.)  Love his voice.  He and the band bring such a freshness to this tune!

Here is a live acoustic version.

This version is from a concert and is more like the rendition on the album.

You can find CRY ME A RIVER on their album SNAKEHOUSE.

*the picture at the top is from a cute website where a classroom illustrates famous word idioms.  

www.idiomsbykids.com

"KELLY CLARKSON!!!!"

Check out this great video to Kelly Carkson's new single... I DO NOT HOOK UP!

Hello Kitty

This video cracks me up...

Here's TOM JONES in a classic ode to those of the feline persuasion.

Speaking of Pussycats, here are the Pussycat Dolls covering the latin standard SWAY.  You can find this as an itunes single and on the soundtrack to SHALL WE DANCE (the American remake.)  BTW- the original Japanese version of SHALL WE DANCE is SO much better....

The Phantom Menace II Society

Love the album ARE A DRAG from punk band ME FIRST AND THE GIMME GIMMES.  It is an entire album of show tune covers.... done punk style.

Here is a fan video of PHANTOM OF THE OPERA using footage from the movie.

I also really love their version of  SCIENCE FICTION DOUBLE FEATURE from THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW.  The whole album is pretty darn great.  Check it out!!

Also, last year American Idol winner DAVID COOK performed a wonderful version of MUSIC OF THE NIGHT on the show.  

Taylor, the Latte Boy

HEAR MUSIC, the Starbucks Record Label, has made quite a name for itself in the music world.  Starting out by having Starbucks store exclusive cds, by 2007 they became a full record label distributing to all retail stores and itunes.  Artists such as Paul McCartney, Joni Mitchell, and James Taylor are now HEAR MUSIC exclusive artists.

...and last year James Taylor released a covers album called.... (drumroll please).... COVERS!  

It definitely has a "coffeehouse" feel to it.  I really dig his cover of the Dixie Chicks' tune SOMEDAYS YOU GOTTA DANCE and HOUND DOG.

Last week he released a follow up (songs that didn't make the first cut.)  It's called... (bigger drumroll please).... OTHER COVERS!! 

On this release, I love the groove of GET A JOB, and also like his take on the showtune OH WHAT A BEAUTIFUL MORNING.

...speaking of Taylor, here's yesterday's blog subject KRISTIN CHENOWETH singing an an ode to finding love at Starbucks called TAYLOR THE LATTE BOY.  This adorable tune was written by Marcy Heisler and Zina Goldrich who are currently working on the music to a Broadway adaptation of the Drew Barrymore movie EVER AFTER.

Cute cute song.  You can also find an unofficial response from "Taylor's point of view" called TAYLOR'S RESPONSE.  There are versions all over youtube.  It's funny, but takes away the charm of the original a little bit.

By the way, I'm halfway through her new book and am LOVING IT!

Start up the CHENO-rator!

I'm a big fan of Kristin Chenoweth.  Like many others, I really fell in love with her during the Tony's when I saw her sing MY NEW PHILOSOPHY from the revival of YOU'RE A GOOD MAN CHARLIE BROWN.

This month she released an autobiography (actually more of a collection of anecdotes from her life) called A LITTLE BIT WICKED - LIFE, LOVE, AND FAITH IN STAGES.  

I just started reading it and am loving it.  The style of writing is a little frantic and jumps around a lot, but this totally fits Ms. Chenoweth's personality.

She has some wonderful things to say about life and I find her outlook very inspiring.  I love that she speaks openly about her faith AND her love for her gay fans and friends.

Check out the book... or wait for the audio version (read by Kristin) due out April 28.... or get both!

Here is a great clip where she is performing ETERNAL FLAME from a staged reading of  EARTH GIRLS ARE EASY.  This is from a planned musical that never made it to Broadway that was based on the Jim Carrey movie.