His name was Dick
April 8, 2014 10:05 PM   Subscribe

Sooner Or Later is a torch song written by Broadway idol Stephen Sondheim for the 1990 film Dick Tracey, Here's it performed by Bernadette Peters for the RuPaul show in 1997. Oscar performance by Madonna. Album version. Film version .
posted by The Whelk (11 comments total) 12 users marked this as a favorite
 
I don't think I've ever seen Bernadette Peters do straight-up sexpot before -- she's usually more of the coy, clever seductress. (And are pillows standard piano-top fare? I assumed torch singers had to squirm around up there without padding.)
posted by jaguar at 11:19 PM on April 8, 2014


When I saw Bernadette Peters in concert last week, she had pillows and velvety blankets on the piano. She did Fever. It was pretty hot.
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 11:39 PM on April 8, 2014 [2 favorites]


I want to be Bernadette Peters when I grow up. Seriously.
posted by dotgirl at 11:42 PM on April 8, 2014 [1 favorite]


Madonna's sort of jockish, isn't she? Never really clicked until now. But it feels like she brings the wrong energy to the song --- sleek, yes, but too powerful, almost athletic, in a way that makes it not sexy.
posted by Diablevert at 3:10 AM on April 9, 2014 [1 favorite]


i felt the exact opposite, i mean it has this raw power, a kind of mae west, edge of camp, seduction as tactical excercise, no negotion kind of thing. i loved it.
posted by PinkMoose at 4:29 AM on April 9, 2014 [3 favorites]


"Though we both have religious names."

Every time I have heard Bernadette sing this song she opens with that joke. And every time I find it absolutely delightful.

Also, loved RuPaul saying "no you stay up there", she Ms.Ru is six foot a hundred and Bernadette is an elfin five foot. What a consummate host.
posted by munchingzombie at 8:34 AM on April 9, 2014 [1 favorite]


This is one of my favourite Sondheim songs ever.

I only wish Madge had sung it after the vocal training she received for Evita.

But Bernadette! Singing this! I may die and it's all your fault Whelk.
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 9:09 AM on April 9, 2014


Also tweet this please because I'm lazy and just want to hit retweet
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 9:11 AM on April 9, 2014


:) I love how she agrees with Ru that Sondheim is hard, you really do have to study it, but this one . . . is a *little* easier.
posted by crush-onastick at 1:01 PM on April 9, 2014


This post gave me a Sondheim jones. I have returned from my bender to say the the best version of this is actually Ruthie Henshall singing to Jack Barrowman.
posted by Diablevert at 6:33 PM on May 2, 2014 [1 favorite]


Diablevert, I love that! I think it's a great mixture of the sexual aggressiveness that Madonna does so well and the coy flirtation that Peters does so well.
posted by jaguar at 6:39 PM on May 2, 2014


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