I Get A Kick Out Of You

Here is a wonderful medley about Pregnancy performed by Susan Egan.  Susan made her Broadway debut as Belle in the original cast of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST.  She went on to many other productions and voiced "Meg" in the Disney animated film HERCULES.  

The Pregnancy Medley is from her 2008 double live album SUSAN EGAN - LIVE! with CHRISTOPHER McGOVERN.  This really really cute medley features the songs  I Get A Kick Out Of You/I've Got You Under My Skin/Together Wherever We Go/Losing My Mind/Dance 10, Looks 3/Steppin' Out With My Baby/You're Nothing Without Me.

Download the intro (at the end of a great song called LAST SONG) and the adorable medley!  Well worth $1.99 for the pair!!!

I'm sorry mama... I never meant to hurt you!

No this post isn't about EMINEM.  Although I'M SORRY MAMA would be an interesting song on a "MOTHER'S DAY MIX cd."

We're gonna talk about a troublemaker with a few less "F BOMBS"... 

Yesterday I did a post on Disney "Mother" songs.  Many recent Disney cartoons feature the single father... The Little Mermaid, Finding Nemo, and Beauty and the Beast. Aladdin actually had a mother.  As the storyline changed, she got the boot as did a beautiful tune. PROUD OF YOUR BOY (with wonderful lyrics by the late Howard Ashman) is touching song written for Aladdin to sing to his mother telling her he was going to make her proud today.  Here is the original demo version.

You can download that demo version sung by composer ALAN MENKEN, as well as studio versions by CLAY AIKEN and JOHN BARROWMAN (which is my favorite version.)

Perhaps someday we may see a I'M SORRY MAMA/PROUD OF YOUR BOY duet!!??  Any takers....  Mr. "Clay-Diddy" Aiken?   

Baby Love

Here are 2 wonderful Disney tunes about mothers...

The first is the very touching BABY MINE from Dumbo.  There are many covers of this tune.  I have 3 favorites.  The first one I heard was sung by BETTE MIDLER on the BEACHES soundtrack.  I also really love the versions by BONNIE RAITT (with a Doo Wop feel!) and ALISON KRAUSS.  Definitely download worthy!!  (Actually the Bonnie Raitt version is not on i-tunes, but can be found on the cd's MARY HAD A LITTLE AMP and STAY AWAKE.  

Have a listen.

OH, almost forgot!  KERRY BUTLER has a gorgeous version as well.  Guess I have 4 favorite versions!!!  (All you mothers with 4 children out there... I've got you covered!!!)

While looking for videos of these versions I stumbled upon this really nice rendition by a young a cappella group from New Zealand called THE WILLOW SINGERS.  There are some really nice harmonies in this.  Here are 3 of the 4 members.

The second Disney song doesn't get as much exposure as Baby Mine, but it is equally as touching.... YOUR MOTHER AND MINE from Peter Pan.   Here is the original version.

*** O.k. just had to post one more song by THE WILLOW SINGERS.  The other soprano is in this video.... beautiful beautiful harmonies...

Back to Back ZAC ATTACK? You can BET ON IT!

Two posts in a row of Zac Efron may be a bit much...

...but I couldn't resist this post.

First of all... I must admit that I am actually a big fan of Disney's "High School Musical" series.   Call it a guilty pleasure if you must, but I rather enjoy the "drama" of Ryan and Sharpay (the brother and sister theater divas brilliantly played by Lucas Grabeel and Ashley Tisdale.)  How could you not love this??

On a campy level, I find these movies to be a lot of fun.  However, even I will admit that this dramatic scene from HSM2 was ridiculous.

... which is why this is BRILLIANT!  

Credit to Megan "RadicalCrazyness" on youtube for the wonderful editing.

This one by "omgbeartrap"  is pretty great as well.  (I would LOVE to know the story behind that username.  It sounds like it could be the name of a celebrity couple's child!)  

Whether you love or hate the HSM empire, we CAN still be friends.  Remember, "We're all in this together!"

 

* For HSM meets Star Wars meets Legos (I know you're a little bit curious!) ... click here and here. 

A bunch of NELLIES!

*This post is about another Nellie, but isn't this a GREAT picture!

I'm in a production of the Rodgers and Hammerstein review "A Grand Night for Singing" opening tomorrow night, so I've been listening to a lot of their music.

So for today's post, I would like to present bits from 4 of the actresses who have played "Nellie Forbush" in the Pulitzer Prize winning "SOUTH PACIFIC"

NELLIE #4 - First here is the wonderful Kellie O'Hara singing "Wonderful Guy" from the current revival.

 

Kelli released a great solo album last year called "Wonder In The World" featuring collaborations with Harry Connick Jr.  (who is a BIG fan after co-starring with her in the revival of "Pajama Game." 

Here's a great jazz cover of "There Once Was A Man" from "Pajama Game."  

This version was only available as a bonus track on the Barnes and Noble version of  the "Pajama Game" revival recording packaged as "Harry On Broadway."  It's not available but you should be able to find it at used shops or possibly on ebay.  Most stores carried "Harry On Broadway," but only B&N had this bonus track along with a cover of "Steam Heat." Let me know if you have trouble finding it.  (crooner4fr@gmail.com)

NELLIE #3- Country great Reba McEntire played "Nellie" in a concert version of "South Pacific" at Carnegie Hall.  Yes, that's Alec Baldwin as Billis!  This is available on DVD and CD.

NELLIE #2 - Mitzi Gaynor beat out Audrey Hepburn, Doris Day, Elizabeth Taylor and Susan Hayward to play Nellie in the movie version.  For Christmas I received a recent dvd documentary about her television specials in the 60's called "Mitzi Gaynor:  Razzle Dazzle!  The Special Years."  They are "Special" in every sense of the word.  Check out this promo.  Favorite part is at the 2:14 mark...  FAB-U-LOUS cover of "I Can Cook Too" from "ON THE TOWN."

Finally there is the original Nellie Forbush... 

NELLIE #1 - Broadway legend Mary Martin (mother of Larry Hagman who played JR Ewing on "DALLAS.") 

Here is a delightful album of her's with all Disney Covers.... really wonderful stuff.

Best downloads are Heigh-Ho and "Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo."

Heaven on Wheels

(HIGHWAY TO SWELL - Tony Edition part 2)

It's Tony Eve and I'm very excited for the awards tomorrow night.

One of the shows I'm rooting for is the underdog for Best New Musical.....  the musical masterpiece...  XANADU!

(seriously)

Adapted from one of the worst movies ever made, this wonderful piece of entertainment lovingly pokes fun at the movie and yet has a sweet heart of it's own.

"Xanadu" features the vibrant music of Electric Light Orchestra (some from the movie... others hits added) as well as the Olivia Newton John hit "Have You Ever Been Mellow?"  If that doesn't grab you, it also has a hilarious book, a plethora of disco balls, a knockout cast, and rollerskating!!  This show is 90 minutes of heaven on wheels.

The cast truly is perfect!  Kerry Butler (Batboy, Little Shop of Horrors, and the original Penny in Hairspray) absolutely shines as Kira.  With a nod to Olivia Newton John she gives a delightful starring turn.  Cheyenne Jackson (All Shook Up) as Sonny Malone is golden.   The two have wonderful chemistry, amazing voices, and light up the stage.

Mary Testa and Jackie Hoffman are brilliant as Kira's evil sisters and Tony Roberts and the Muses are wonderful as well.  Fabulous cast all around.

We had the pleasure of seeing the show this past spring and were grinning from ear to ear the entire time.

Here's the official commercial...

Here's a clip from The View last fall.

Leading up to the Tony's they have been campaigning via viral videos.  The videos contain "Cubby Bernstein" as their Tony Campaign manager and are hilarious.  Here is one of the more recent ones (minus Cubby) featuring Nathan Lane asking the question on everyone's mind. "Is Xanadu too gay for a Tony?" 

Check out the others as well.

www.cubbybernstein.com

-------

In Xanadu related news... (it's not everyday you get to say that!)...  the fabulous star Kerry Butler just released her first solo album entitled "Faith, Trust, and Pixie Dust."  

It is a charming collection of Disney classics and Disney-esque tunes.  She gives us wonderful new arrangements of beloved favorites.  Also there is a song written for an abandoned prequel to "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?",  "Call Me a Princess" cut early from Aladdin,  and the song "Disneyland" from the musical "Smile."

I have loved Ms. Butler since first hearing her on the recording of "Batboy."  This cd is a beautiful collection reminding us of "wonder of Disney."  She writes in her linear notes, "To believe in good, even when you see evil in the world, is something I struggle with.  That's what I love about... so much of the Disney catalog.   It recognizes that it's hard to have faith, it's hard sometimes to 'believe,' and all you can do is make a choice to try."

She gives a wonderful personal touch to all the songs including "It's a Small World" which was very special to her since she and her husband adopted their daughter "Segi" from Africa in 2006.

She writes "We had just returned from an amazing, emotional, wonderful, and exhausting trip to Africa, and my husband and I were listening to music and playing with our new baby...  When 'It's a Small World' started to play, she had an immediate and visceral reaction to it... something drew her in immediately.  I like to think it was because, even though she was an infant, she got the message of the song and realized after her long journey that it indeed was a small world after all."

Check out her cd and enjoy the Tony's.  I'm also loving "A Catered Affair" and the brilliant revival of "Sunday in the Park."  (more on them later)