Seventeen -Heathers the Musical

Here's a rather new one I hope at least some people know or join! Thanks to my Broadway radio station I have become rather well acquainted with Heathers the Musical, which is the musical adaptation of the 1988 high-school cult classic movie Heathers. Essentially, Heathers was the original Mean Girls...but with a much darker plot. I fully invite you all to check out the movie if you've never seen it (available on Netflix Instant or you know, somewhere on the internet) as it's pretty great. The musical is actually not half bad either, which given my general distrust of movie-to-musical adaptations is saying quite a bit. In this number Veronica (or main hero) desperately wants the life of a normal seventeen year old with her (sociopath) boyfriend, JD, given all the drama and tragedy they have experienced (no spoilers, I promise!). It's a love power ballad if I ever heard one, and I'm looking for a JD to sing with me...gentlemen? or awesome gender-bending ladies? 
Here are the lyrics:

VERONICA: 

Fine, we’re damaged
Really damaged
But that does not make us wise
We’re not special, we’re not different
We don’t choose who lives or dies
Let’s be normal, see bad movies
Sneak a beer and watch tv
We’ll bake brownies or go bowling
Don’t you want a life with me?

Can we be seventeen?

That’s all I want to do
If you could let me in
I could be good with you

VERONICA: People hurt us

JD: Or they vanish

VERONINCA: And you’re right that really blows
But we let go, 

JD: take a deep breath

VERONICA: Then go buy some summer clothes
We’ll go camping 

JD: play some poker

VERONICA: And we’ll eat some chili fries
Maybe prom night

JD: Maybe dancing

BOTH

Don't stop looking my eyes (Your eyes)

Can we be seventeen
Is that so hard to do?
If you could let me in
I could be good with you

Let us be seventeen
If we still got the right
So what’s it gonna be
I wanna be with you (Wanna be with you)
I wanna be with you tonight

VERONICA:

Yeah we’re damaged,
JD: Badly damaged

BOTH: But your love’s too good to lose

VERONICA: Hold me tighter

JD: Even closer

VERONICA: I’ll stay if I’m what you choose

JD: Can we be seventeen?

VERONICA: Cause I am what you choose

JD: If we still got the right

VERONICA: Cause you’re the one I choose

JD: You’re the one I choose

BOTH: You’re the one I choose.

Here's that scene from the show, starring Barrett Wilbert Weed (whose voice is to die for!) and Dan Domenech. The song starts at about 2:40:

And here's a video with the lyrics:

Happy Working Song -Enchanted

Now this here song is from a movie that I completely adore and is probably way too underrated. I am referring to Disney's 2007 movie Enchanted starring Amy Adams. For those unfamiliar with the movie, in a nutshell it's about a young woman, Giselle who gets sent from her magical cartoon forest into modern day Manhattan in our world. The movie pays tribute to all the great Disney movies, as you will see in this scene (see video below) where Giselle cleans up the Manhattan apartment she is staying at (in a manner similar to Snow White cleaning the dwarves' cabin). She does so of course with help from her animal friends, which in this case are rats, roaches and pigeons. I hope you sing along! 
Here are the lyrics:

All right everyone, time to tidy things up

Come my little friends
As we all sing a happy little working song
Merry little voices clear and strong
Come and roll your sleeves up
So to speak, and pitch in
Cleaning crud up in the kitchen
As we sing along

And you’ll trill a cheery tune in the tub
As we scrub a stubborn mildew stain
Lug a hairball from the shower drain
To the gay refrain
Of a happy working song

We’ll keep singing without fail
Otherwise we’d spoil it
Hosing down the garbage pail
And scrubbing up the toilet
Ooh!

How we all enjoy letting loose with a little
La-da-da-dum-dum
While we’re emptying the vacu-um
It’s such fun to hum
A happy working song
Oo-ooh
A happy working song

Oh, how strange a place to be
Till Edward comes for me
My heart is sighing
Still, as long as I am here
I guess a new experience
Could be worth trying
Hey! Keep drying!

You can do a lot when you've got
Such a happy working tune to hum
While you’re sponging up the soapy scum
We adore each filthy chore
That we determine
So friends even though you're vermin,
We're a happy working throng

Singing as we fetch the detergent box
Or the smelly shirts and the stinky socks
Sing along
If you cannot sing then hum along
As we’re finishing our happy working song!

Ah...wasn’t this fun?

Here's that scene! (I want that poofy dress so badly!)

Go the Distance -Hercules

This one goes out to all of those finishing up midterm exams and papers! I used it as a kind of anthem to get through my semester and I hope it motivates you too. This song is of course from Disney's 1997 movie Hercules, featuring music by the great Alan Menken. In this song the young god Hercules sings about how he must prove himself and "go the distance" if he is to earn entry back into Mount Olympus. The voice of Hercules is sung by Broadway veteran Roger Bart (whom I adore). I hope you sing along, I know you can go the distance! 

Here are the lyrics:

I have often dreamed
Of a far-off place
Where a great warm welcome
Will be waiting for me
Where the crowds will cheer
When they see my face
And a voice keeps saying
This is where I'm meant to be

I will find my way
I can go the distance
I'll be there someday
If I can be strong
I know ev'ry mile
Will be worth my while
I would go most anywhere
to feel like I belong

I am on my way
I can go the distance
I don't care how far
Somehow I'll be strong
I know ev'ry mile
Will be worth my while
I will go most anywhere
to find where I belong

(Reprise)

I will beat the odds
I can go the distance
I will face the world
Fearless, proud and strong
I will please the gods
I can go the distance
Till I find my hero's welcome
Right! where! I belong!

Here's that scene from the movie!

Morning Person -Shrek the Musical

Here's a fun one for you Sutton Foster fans. This one's from Shrek the Musical which I must admit was a show I was initially skeptical about (as I am with most any musical adaptation of a movie, Disney movie or jukebox musical). However, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. For those of you who have Netflix, you can actually watch a recorded performance of this show which is pretty excellent. In this number Princess Fiona sings about how optimistic she is, now having been saved from the fire-breathing dragon, as she is about to meet her husband-to-be. Needless to say, Sutton plays it brilliantly, with the perfect blend of physical comedy, kickass tap-dancing, and vocal chops to bring any house down. So please sing as Fiona! I sang the roles of the little birds and there is some dialogue in there with the Pied Piper. Have fun!
Here are the lyrics:

Good morning, birds, good morning, trees
Oh, what a lovely day?
The sun's so big, it hurts my eyes
But really that's okay

A brand new day with things to do
So many plans to make
I've had six cups of coffee
So I'm really wide awake!

I've always been a morning person
A morning girl, hurray

LITTLE BIRD: Cheep, cheep, cheep, cheep
Cheep, cheep, cheep, cheep
FIONA: hurray
LITTLE BIRD: Cheep, cheep, cheep, cheep
Cheep, cheep, cheep, cheep 
FIONA: hurray
LITTLE BIRD: Cheep, cheep, cheep, cheep
Cheep, cheep, cheep, cheep!
FIONA: hurraaayyy!!!

[BIRD EXPLODES!]

FIONA: Good morning, deer
Say, have you heard today's my wedding day?
I haven't met my husband yet
But I'm hopeful anyway

I'll wear a gown, we'll have a ball
And dance for ever more
He'll take me in his massive arms
And spin me around the floor

I've always been a morning person
A morning girl, hurray!

[DIALOGUE]
FIONA: Why good morning, Pied Piper!

PIPER: Bah! What's so good about it? I can't get these 
rats to follow me

FIONA: Well, I think you may need to change your tune, mister

PIPER: Hey! give me my flute back! Hey!

[DANCE BREAK]

[SINGING]
FIONA:
A brand new start, a pallet cleanse
As fresh as lime sorbet
Last night I was a monster but this morning, this morning
This morning I'm okay, this morning I'm okay!!!

Here's Sutton in this number as Fiona. I'm so jealous of her skills:

(Sorry for the quality, but for a better video, check out Shrek the Musical on Netflix)

Surabaya Santa -Songs For a New World

I was fearing that it was starting to look like I has forgotten my Broadway roots since I've been posting so much Christmas and Disney stuff lately, so I thought I'd post this holiday-themed Broadway belt-fest from Jason Robert Brown's Songs for a New World. In this number, you get to act out/sing an angry Mrs. Clause, who is totally fed up with her husband's continuous abandonment of her for the holidays. It's great fun to sing and act out and it's got some good belting in there for good measure! Check out the original below!
Here are the lyrics:

I was just seventeen
When you rode into town
Just a girl full of fantasies and longing
I saw you
I knew I had to be with you

Then you looked in my eyes
And you asked me my name
And I trembled before you like a baby
Then gently I kissed you
Who could resist you?
You took my heart and soul

And before I had a chance to take control
We retired to your palace on the Pole
Where we only had ourselves
And the reindeer and the elves
And a lot of things we never said
About the life I could have led
If I had had the sense to stay away

But here we are Nick
And so Nick
I know it's time for you to go Nick
I know by now I'll never claim you for my own
I've been resigned to spend my Christmases alone
And so au revoir Nick
It's grand Nick
I don't pretend to understand Nick
I saw you look at Blitzen long and lovingly
The way you used to look at me

I have sat twenty years
In this drafty retreat
As the latest in the line of Mrs. Clauses
I've sat here
And wondered what you want from me
But you sit by yourself
On the couch in the den
And you watch "Miracle on 34th Street"
You get sad and dreamy
Can't even see me
Won't even say, "Hello!"

Now you tell me that it's time for you to go
Ha!
Sling your sack upon your back and "Ho, ho, ho!"
Ha!
And what matters most of all
Is to sit inside some mall
And you never think of me
While I am pining by the tree
But never mind
I will survive
While you are gone

I set you free, Nick
Goodbye, Nick
Go ride your reindeer through the sky, Nick
I don't suppose you'll ever want me by your side
I know you now
You want a plaything, not a bride
So on your way, Nick
Shalom, Nick
Don't feel the need to hurry home, Nick
Should I want comfort in the cold and bitter storm
I've got the elves to keep me warm

Oh, oh, Nick, I didn't mean it. I'm just going crazy all cooped up in here! Oh, Nick, I mean, come on, I'm not even German.
Please take me with you. Please! I'm your wife damn it. Isn't there one once of human decency buried beneath all those layers
of fat? You disgust me! Oh yes, It's so easy to judge, isn't it? Deciding who's naughty and who's nice? Well, who died and
left you God, Mr. Claus? Hmph!

But never mind, Nick
Okay, Nick
I hate to keep you from your sleigh, Nick
When you return I will be many miles away
I'll have my lawyer call your lawyer
New Years Day!

That's all from me, Nick
Gain way, Nick
I'll miss you less than I can say, Nick
Have fun with all the little boys along the route
I'll get the mansion and the factory to boot
I will not wait until the snow beneath me thaws
I will escape
Your Santa claws!!

Here's the original, sung by Jessica Molaskey

As Long As There's Christmas -Reprise

I have been working on posting this one for some time now so I hope the track sounds ok! This is a gorgeous duet/reprise between Angelique the Christmas angel and Belle from my favorite straight-to-VHS Disney sequel, Beauty & the Beast Enchanted Christmas. Belle is reprised by Paige O'Hara and Angelique is none other than the FABULOUS Bernadette Peters (see the video below!) I hope you join me in this one, it's got some pretty harmonies that aren't too hard to pick out. I have posted two versions, one as Belle and the other as Angelique.
Here are the lyrics:

Angelique:
When I felt lost and lonely
Not a dream in my head
Your words lifted my spirits high
Remember what you said
As long as there's Christmas
I truly believe

Angelique/Belle:
That hope is the greatest of the gifts we'll receive
As long as our guiding star shines above

Angelique:
There'll always be Christmas

Belle:
So there always will be a time
When the world is filled with peace and love.

Here's that scene:

The Schmuel Song -The Last Five Years

Inspired by the recent The Last Five Years trailer that came out today (see below!) I thought I'd post some "Schmuel." Now, I had to cut this gorgeous 7 minute song short (Smule hates Schmuel) but it's a pretty great track I hope you'll sing to. In this number in the show Jamie is telling his disappointed actress wife, Kathy a Christmas story (very appropriate) about a tailor who learned a lesson about taking his time. It's a fantastic song and I hope Jeremy Jordan does it justice in the movie.
Here are the lyrics: (Don't worry, I'll mark where the start/cutoff is!)

[Spoken] First, a story. A little Christmas Story.
I call it "The Story of Schmuel, Tailor of Klimovich"

------START HERE!-----
Schmuel would work till half-past ten at his tailor shop in Klimovich
Get up at dawn and start again with the hems and pins and twist
Forty-one years had come and gone at his tailor shop in Klimovich
Watching the winters soldier on, there was one thing Schmuel missed

"If I only had time," old Schmuel said
"I would build the dress that's in my head
A dress to fire
The mad desire
Of girls from here to Minsk
But I have no more hours left to sew"
Then the clock upon the wall began to glow...

And the clock said:
"Na na na na, na na na
Oh Schmuel, you'll get to be happy!
Na na na na, na na na
I give you unlimited time!
Na na na na, na na na
So Schmuel, go sew and be happy!"
But Schmuel said
"No, no, it's not my lot
I've gotta make do witht he time I've got"

Schmuel was done at half-past ten and he said "Good night, old Klimovich"
Put on his coat to go, but then the clock cried, "Wait! Not yet!
Even though you're not wise or rich
You're the finest man in Klimovich
Listen up, Schmuel
Make one stitch and you'll see what can you get"

But Schmuel said
"Clock, it's much too late
I'm at peace with life
I accept my fate..."
But the clock said
"Schmuel! One stitch and you will
Unlock the dreams you've lost!"
So Schmuel, with reluctance, took his thread
He pulled a bolt of velvet and said
"I should take out my teeth and go to bed
I'm sitting her with talking clocks instead!"

And the clock said:
"Na na na na, na na na
Oh Schmuel, you'll get to be happy!
Na na na na, na na na,
I give you unlimited time
Na na na na, na na na
Just do it and you can be happy!"

So Schmuel put the thread through the needle's eye
And the moon stared down from a starless sky
And he pushed the thread through the velvet black
And he looked, and the clock was turning...back

So he grabbed his shears and he cut some lace
As the hands moved left on the old clock's face
And his fingers flew and the fabric swirled
It was nine-fifteen all around the world

Every cut and stitch was a perfect fit
As if God Himself were controlling it!
And Schmuel cried through a rush of tears
"Take me back! Take me back all forty-one years!"

And on it went down that silent street
Till Schmuel's dress was at last complete
And he stretched his arms
And he closed his eyes
And the morning sun finally started to rise

And the dress he made on that endless night
Was a dress that would make any soul take flight
Not a swatch, not a skein had gone to waste
Every ribbon and button ideally placed
And sewn into the seams were forty-one seasons of dreams
Dreams that you could feel
Coming real

------STOP HERE!--------

And that very dress, so the papers swore
Was the dress a girl in Odessa wore
On the day she promised forevermore
To love a young man named Schmuel
Who only one day before
Had knocked at her kitchen door

Plenty have hoped and dreamed and prayed
But they can't get out of Klimovich
If Schmuel had been a cute goyishe maid
He'd've looked a lot like you
Maybe it's just that you're afraid to go out on to a limb-ovich
Maybe your heart's completely swayed
But your head can't follow through

But shouldn't I want the world to see
The brilliant girl who inspires me?
Don't you think that now's a good time to be
The ambitious freak you are?
Say goodbye to wiping ashtrays at the bar
Say hello to Cathy Hiatt, big-time star!
'Cause I say:
Na na na na na na na na
Cathy, you get to be happy!
Na na na na na na na
I give you unlimited time!
Na na na na na na na
Stop temping and go and be happy!

Here's a headshot guy and a new BackStage
Where you're right for something on every page
Take a breath
Take a step
Take a chance

Take your time
Have I mentioned today
How lucky I am
To be in love with you?!

Here's Norbert:

And here's the movie trailer:

Stories -Beauty & the Beast Enchanted Christmas

I was going through some of what I consider to be holiday classics, and I thought I'd post this one. As a child of the 90s, this straight-to-VHS Disney sequel was rather a favorite of mine, and I figured it would be appropriate, given the upcoming weeks. The movie is basically about the Christmas we didn't see during that year Belle spent in the Beast's castle. It has Paige O'Hara reprising her role as Belle, along with a few other noteworthy celeb voices like Tim Curry and Bernadette Peters. There is in fact a really beautiful duet with Belle and Bernadette Peters' character, Angelique (which I am working on posting soon for duets!). In this number though, Belle sings about how she will give the Beast stories as a Christmas gift and what follows is one of my favorite animated sequences ever. (Very "Reading Rainbow" for those who know what I'm talking about). Check out the clip below and sing along!
Here are the lyrics:

When I get to know him 
We'll find more things to say 
One day I will reach him 
There has to be a way

Everyone needs someone 
He must need someone, too 
When I get to know him better 
Here's what I will do

I'll read him stories 
From picture books all 
Filled with wonder 
Magic worlds where 
The impossible 
Becomes the everyday

We'll find a mountaintop 
And some moonbeams 
To sit under 
I'll lead because I know the way

So much to discover 
I do it all the time 
I could live inside bright pages 
Where the words all rhyme

We will slay the dragons 
That still follow him around 
And he'll smile, yes he'll smile 
As his dreams leave the ground

Stories and stories 
'Bout mermaids, kings 
And sunken treasure 
Magic worlds where the impossible 
Becomes the everyday

I know a tiny place 
Just a dot, too small to measure 
I'll take him there 
I know the way

Stories 'bout heroes 
Who overcame their deepest sorrow 
They'll put hope into his heart again 
He'll cherish every day

He'll find a better world 
And the strength to face tomorrow 
I'm sure that when he knows the way 
He'll want to stay

Here's that scene in the movie!

When She Loved Me -Toy Story 2

Here's another sad song I love I think enough people will know. This is Sarah McLaughlin who took some time off singing in sad puppy commercials to sing a song about sad toys. It's still a beautiful song though! I hope ya'll join!

Here are the lyrics:

When somebody loved me
Everything was beautiful
Every hour we spent together
Lives within my heart

And when she was sad
I was there to dry her tears
And when she was happy, so was I
When she loved me

Through the summer and the fall
We had each other, that was all
Just she and I together
Like it was meant to be

And when she was lonely
I was there to comfort her
And I knew that she loved me

So the years went by
I stayed the same
But she began to drift away
I was left alone

Still, I waited for the day
When she'd say
"I will always love you"

Lonely and forgotten
Never thought she'd look my way
And she smiled at me and held me
Just like she used to do
Like she loved me
When she loved me

When somebody loved me
Everything was beautiful
Every hour, we spent together
Lives within my heart
When she loved me

Here's that scene from the movie. You might need a tissue.

When Love Is Gone -Muppet Christmas Carol

And today I begin the holiday-themed projects! I have a lot of fun things in store for the upcoming weeks, so I thought I would kick it off by posting a lovely song from my favorite holiday musical of all time, hands down. It's a little movie called "The Muppets Christmas Carol." I've said it before, but I'll say it again, this is the best interpretation of Dickens' Christmas Carol. Ever. In this song, Scrooge revisits his Christmas past, where in this version the love of his life, Belle, dumps him for being a cheap jerk unwilling to commit. It's a sad breakup song, and I love it. I hope some of you know it and will sing! (Sorry in advance for the track, as it's not the greatest quality).
Here are the lyrics:

There was a time when I was sure
That you and I were truly one
That our future was forever
And would never come undone
And we came so close to being close
And though you cared for me
There's distance in your eyes tonight
So we're not meant to be

The love is gone
The love is gone
The sweetest dream
That you have ever known
The love is gone
The love is gone
I wish you well
But I must leave you now alone

There comes a moment in your life
Like a window and you see
Your future there before you
And how perfect life can be
But adventure calls with unknown voices
Pulling you away
Be careful or you may regret
The choice you make someday

The love is gone
The love is gone
The sweetest dream
That you have ever known
The love is gone
The love is gone
I wish you well
But I must leave you now alone

It was almost love
It was almost always
It was like a fairytale we'd live out
You and I
And yes some dream come true
And yes some dreams fall through
And yes the time has come for us to say goodbye
Yes some dreams come true
Yes some dreams fall through
And yes the time has come for us to say goodbye

Here's that scene from the movie! (Now available on Netflix, for those who have)

Oh yeah, that's Michael Caine. He's amazing.

The Parting Glass -Ed Sheeran

I've had this song stuck in my head for a few days so I figured I'd post it, having found a decent enough track. Many people will know Ed Sheeran's version. I am partial to The Wailin' Jennys (see videos below). In truth, I think the reason this classic Scottish & Irish folk song is in my head in the first place is because I am a great follower of the TV series The Walking Dead. (I promise, NO SPOILERS). Simply stated, a character on the show sings this song, and I loved her rendition of it. With that, I invite you to bid goodbye to your comrades and sing this gorgeous song!
Here are the Lyrics:

Of all the money, e'er I had,
I spent it in good company,
And all the harm I have ever done,
'Alas it was to none but me.

And all I've done for want of wit,
To memory now I can't recall,
So fill to me the parting glass,
Goodnight and joy be to you all.

Of all the comrades that e'er I had,
They're sorry for my going away,
And all the sweethearts that e'er I had,
They'd wish me one more day to stay.

But since it fell into my lot,
That I should rise and you should not,
I'll gently rise and softly call,
Goodnight and joy be to you all.

A man may drink but not be drunk

A man may fight and not be slain

A man may court a pretty girl

And perhaps be welcomed back again,

But since it has so ought to be,
By a time to rise and a time to fall,

Come fill me to the parting glass,
Goodnight and joy be to you all.

Goodnight and joy be to you all.

Here's Ed Sheeran's version:

And the Wailin' Jennys':

And The Walking Dead version, by Emily Kinney (aka, Beth) and Lauren Cohan (Maggie):

I Think It's Going to Rain Today

Here's a really gorgeous song I've been wanting to post for some time now. I hope some people actually know it. It was written by Randy Newman and is perhaps most known by Bette Midler's rendition of it from the tear-jerker movie, Beaches, but has been in fact been covered by many artists. Norah Jones and Audra McDonald have particularly lovely versions of it. 
Here are the lyrics: 

Broken windows and empty hallways
A pale dead moon in a sky streaked with grey
Human kindness is overflowing
And I think it's gonna rain today

Scarecrows dressed in the latest styles
The frozen smiles to chase love away
Human kindness is overflowing
And I think it's gonna rain today

Lonely, lonely
Tin can at my feet
I think I'll kick it down the street
That's the way to treat a friend

Bright before me the signs implore me
Help the needy and show them the way
Human kindness is overflowing

And I think it's gonna rain today

Lonely, lonely
Tin can at my feet
I think I'll kick it down the street
That's the way to treat a friend

Bright before me the signs implore me
Help the needy and show them the way
Human kindness is overflowing
And I think it's gonna rain today

Here's Bette Midler's version in it's entirety, which is the one I have posted

Almost There -The Princess & the Frog

Is it bad to keep luring people in with Disney songs? Oh well, I gotta figure if I love them, there must be a reason so many others do. Here's one from the rather underrated Princess and the Frog where Tiana, voiced by Anika Noni Rose (a Broadway veteran, in fact) sings about how all her hard work is about to pay off. As final exams are nearing I can't help but view it as a sort of anthem about how I'm "almost there" and the holidays are just around the corner!
Here are the lyrics:

Mama, I don't have time for dancing
That's just gonna have to wait a while
Ain't got time for messing around
And it's not my style

This whole town can slow you down
People taking the easy way
But I know exactly where I'm going
And getting closer, closer, everyday

And I'm almost there, I'm almost there
People down here think I'm crazy but I don't care
Trials and tribulations have had my share
There ain't nothing gonna stop me now 'cause I'm almost there

I remember Daddy told me, fairy tales can come true
You gotta make 'em happen, it all depends on you
So I work real hard each and everyday
Now things for sure are going my way
Just doing what I do
Look out boys I'm coming through !

And I'm almost there, I'm almost there
People gonna come here from everywhere
And I'm almost there, I'm almost there

There's been trials and tribulations
You know I've had my share
But I've climbed the mountain, I've crossed the river
And I'm almost there,
I'm almost there,
I'm a-almost there!

Here's that adorably animated scene from the movie: