"I've been called over the top," Steinman says. "How silly. If you don't go over the top, you can't see what's on the other side."
James Richard Steinman is best known for
his collaborations with artists such as Meatloaf (
Paradise by the Dashboard Light,) and Bonnie Tyler
Total Eclipse of the Heart. His songs have been covered by artists such as
Barbara Streisand(
Left in the Dark - here's Steinman's original.)
Barry Manilow (
Read 'Em and Weep, here performed by Meatloaf)
Air Supply (
Demo with Rory Dodd on vocals) And of course, many of us have seen the “literal versions of his videos for
Making Love out of Nothing At All, I Would Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That) Total Eclipse of the Heart, inspired by his flamboyant, theatrical style,
which does lend itself to parody.
But of course, there is much, much more.
[more inside]
posted by louche mustachio
on Oct 14, 2011 -
90 comments
As he sings, the walls of the apartment begin to move off, and
the city walls surrounding them begin to close in on them. Then
the apartment it self goes, and the two lovers begin to run,
battering against the walls of the city, beginning to break
through as chaotic figures of the gangs, of violence, fail around
them. But they do break through, and suddenly-they are in a world
of space and air and sun. They stop, looking at it, pleased,
startled, as boys and girls both sides come on. And they, too,
stop and stare, happy, pleased. Their clothes are soft and pastel
versions of what they have worn before. They begin to dance, to
play: no sides, no hostility now; join, making a world that Tony
and Maria want to be in, belong to, share their love with. As
they go into the steps of a gentle love dance, a voice is heard
singing. [more inside]
posted by silby
on Oct 9, 2011 -
11 comments
Nants ingonyama bagithi baba! It's been nearly two decades since that glorious savanna sunrise, and once again
The Lion King is
at the top of the box office. It's a good chance to revisit what made the original the capstone of the
Disney Renaissance, starting with the music. Not the gaudy show tunes or the Elton John ballads, but the soaring, elegiac score by Hans Zimmer which, despite winning an Oscar, never saw a full release outside of
an unofficial bootleg.
Luckily, it's unabridged and high-quality, allowing one to lay Zimmer's
haunting,
pulse-pounding,
joyful tracks
alongside the original video (
part 2,
3,
4), revealing the subtle leitmotifs and careful matching of music and action.
In addition, South African collaborator
Lebo M wove traditional Zulu chorals into the score, providing
veiled commentary on
scenes like this; his work was later
expanded into
a full album,
the Broadway stage show, and
projects closer to his heart. Speaking of expanded works, there were inevitable sequels -- all of which you can experience with
The Lion King: Full Circle (
download guide), a fan-made, three-hour supercut of the original film and its two follow-ups.
Want more? Look...
harder... [more inside]
posted by Rhaomi
on Oct 1, 2011 -
22 comments
Produced by
a pair of Vaudeville comedians just as the Vaudville era was era was coming to a close, the musical revue
Hellzapoppin' became a runaway smash hit, and for a time, was the longest running show on Broadway.
It was a crazy quilt of frequently updated comedy and musical bits stitched together, featuring risque humor, fourth-wall breaking audience participation, skits abandoned halfway through, dwarfs, pigeons, clowns and Adolph Hitler with a Yiddish accent.
[more inside]
posted by empath
on May 15, 2011 -
20 comments
From Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the creators of
South Park, and Robert Lopez, of
Avenue Q, comes the new Broadway show
"The Book of Mormon." The
show "tells the story of two young Mormon missionaries sent off to spread the word in a dangerous part of Uganda" while gently (and no so gently) lampooning organized religion and traditional musical theatre.
The entire show is now streaming on NPR. Songs are extremely Not Safe For Work.
posted by ColdChef
on May 9, 2011 -
84 comments
On March 14th,
the 26th Annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will add 5 new performers to the growing list of well-known musicians. As
previously discussed, the 2011 inductees are Alice Cooper, Neil Diamond, Dr. John, Tom Waits and
Darlene Love. Though the last name may not be as famous as the four fellows, the chances are you know her voice, from
Monster Mash,
Rockin' Robbin, or
Da Doo Ron Ron. Except
her name wasn't credited first on any of those recordings, if it was mentioned at all.
[more inside]
posted by filthy light thief
on Feb 18, 2011 -
23 comments
This week, the world will finally get its first look at Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark
. But the most expensive musical in Broadway history has already had an epic run—battling bankruptcy, broken wrists, unruly technology, and one comic villain disguised as a Post columnist. And at the center of it all, perched over her “God mike,” is the relentless and inventive Julie Taymor. (previously)
posted by Joe Beese
on Nov 23, 2010 -
49 comments
Defamation by Twitter Broadway actor Marty Thomas has filed papers in court asking that the identify of the "bwayanonymous" Twitter account (
cache) be revealed, after the account made a post alleging Thomas has crabs.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero
on Oct 14, 2010 -
37 comments
Dude. Articles on the failed musical
Dude by
Hair cocreator
Gerome Ragni. Where to start? Well, there is
this summary of the disaster by the New York Times, which is just mind-boggling: "He also made demands, phoning Adela Holzer at 2 A.M. to say he wanted a hundred butterflies let loose into the audience before each performance. No? Well then what about having a couple of oinking pigs and chickens run down the aisle at intermission?"
[more inside]
posted by Astro Zombie
on Jun 20, 2010 -
27 comments
Actor, Playwright, Artist, Comedian, Magician, "Man of A Thousand Voices" (including Mighty Mouse,) "Beloved Herring Maven"
Mr. Ira Stadlen (Stage name: "
Captain" Allen Swift) has
passed away at the age of 87. Throughout his career, Mr. Stadler voiced characters in more than 30,000 television and radio commercials, as well as cartoons such as
Underdog,
Tom and Jerry and
Diver Dan, but some might remember him most as the man who saved
Howdy Doody. His nephew
has posted a remembrance on his blog, which includes a link to a "novelty 45" mp3 recording of Swift's
"Are You Lonesome Tonight."
[more inside]
posted by zarq
on Apr 28, 2010 -
13 comments
Broadway, block by block, 1899. (SLNYPL) "A 19th century version of Google's Street View, allowing us to flip through the images block by block, passing parks, churches, novelty stores, furriers, glaziers, and other businesses of the city's past."
posted by GrammarMoses
on Feb 15, 2010 -
19 comments
Only 325 days until Broadway's Hilton Theater hosts the first preview of
Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, a $40 million musical directed by Juliet Taymor with music and lyrics by Bono and The Edge of U2. Investors hope it will fare better than
another big-budget pulp adaptation.
posted by Joe Beese
on Feb 25, 2009 -
35 comments
Broadway's original
Effie White, Jennifer Holliday, has been very open about how
haunted and
snubbed she felt during the production of the Dreamgirls movie. In particular she was hurt when, without permission, her own singing voice was used in a theatrical trailer to promote the production that had completely shut her out. Yesterday at the BET Awards she was finally given some overdue recognition and invited to join Jennifer Hudson onstage for a duet of
the song she made famous. You may have heard the song a hundred times, but try to make it 101. 'Cuz seriously, the girls can sing.
Previously.
posted by miss lynnster
on Jun 27, 2007 -
46 comments
"Someone in a Tree" -- an incedibly rare video from the original, 1976 production of "Pacific Overtures." I grew up listening to an L.P. of these same people perform this same song, but I've never before seen them perform it. I grew up in Southern Indiana, so actually seeing a Broadway show was out of the question. But I loved this song, and -- years later -- I read that it was Stephen Sondheim's favorite of all the songs he ever wrote. Today, I found this video on YouTube and it was like finally seeing someone after being blind for years. I still have chills running up and down my spine. Also: Sondheim
forum, online
journal, and various gems (and bombs) on
youtube -- including
the man himself teaching a master class and
this 12-year-old's spirited performance!
posted by grumblebee
on Apr 28, 2007 -
14 comments
"Spotlight Live ... puts guests in the limelight in a way that will surpass their wildest dreams. Guests can walk in the door for dinner and walk out the door a star"
In the age of American Idol, why go to see a show on Broadway, when it's your birthright to be a show on Broadway, complete with your own
professional back-up singers and dancers?
posted by stagewhisper
on Mar 17, 2007 -
9 comments
You can keep your Simon, Randy and Paula, I'll take Barbara Cook any day.
Here is the Broadway legend's two hour master class (it's a REALTIME video from
The New York Public Library) and it'll teach you more about singing, phrasing and music than every moment of American Idol combined. At least watch the first 20 minutes, you'll be amazed.
posted by adrober
on Apr 10, 2006 -
7 comments
Dancer Sues Movin' Out for breach of contract and sexual harassment she claims to have suffered during her run in the National Touring company of the Broadway hit. In an interesting move, the dancer,
Alice Alyse, has created a
lawsuit website to explain her side of the story. Perhaps she'll win, but will she ever work again?
posted by ThePinkSuperhero
on Mar 23, 2006 -
29 comments
"When stewardesses were sexy and the world was sexist" is the tagline of this years-in-making musical by Suzy Conn, who also runs the
blogway baby musicals log (which talks about this musical quite a bit). It's meant to be based around the early 1960's, when airlines were truly a luxury, not unlike a sea cruise or a first-class train ride pre-Amtrak. (The website spends some time going on about
Braniff International, and it's worth it to check out the history of that airline. This is also laid out on top of the era of
Women's Liberation, although it does so using the aesthetic of 1960's music and phraseology, which was, basically, designed by male-dominated hollywood.
For everyone who sits in the cheap seats, if you let the flash animation at the beginning of the site load, it plays the entire opening title song for you. Hey, free show!
posted by jscott
on Apr 12, 2005 -
27 comments
We're Knights of the Round Table
We dance whene'er we're able.
We do routines and
chorus scenes
With footwork impeccable.
We dine well here in Camelot.
We eat ham and jam and
Spam a lot.
We're Knights of the Round Table.
Our shows are formidable,
But many times we're given rhymes
That are quite unsingable.
We're
opera mad in Camelot.
We sing from the diaphragm a lot.
In war we're tough and able,
Quite indefatigable.
Between our quests we sequin vests and impersonate Clark Gable.
It's a busy life in Camelot.
posted by terrapin
on Mar 11, 2005 -
43 comments
The Brill Building , located at 1619 Broadway in the heart of New York's music district, is a name synonymous with an approach to songwriting that changed the course of music. Housing legendary songwriters like Carole King, Jerry Leiber, Neil Sedaka, and Burt Bacharach, the Brill Building created some of the
greatest hits of the
rock'n'roll era. [more inside]
posted by rocket88
on Dec 29, 2004 -
11 comments
No longer happy and peppy. But still bursting with love, maybe. Broadway will honor the late Tony Randall tonight by
dimming its lights at 8PM EDT. For those of us who can't stand pits, pits, pits in our juice, juice, juice, always remember:
The world is a circus if you look at it the right way.
Every time you pick up a handful of dust, and see not the dust but mystery, a marvel, there in your hand.
Every time you stop and think, "I'm alive. And being alive is fantastic."
Every time such a thing happens, you are part of the circus of Dr. Lao.
posted by Oriole Adams
on May 18, 2004 -
11 comments
