Dutch Apple's Les Misérables is Sure to Impress

There were no empty chairs at empty tables in the Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre this past weekend, and there's a good reason for that. Dutch Apple's production of the classic musical Les Misérables opened over the weekend and proved to be a top notch show filled with a stellar cast that is sure to impress.

Based on the novel by Victor Hugo, Les Misérables follows prisoner 24601, a.k.a. Jean Valjean, as he is released from 19 years in prison. Upon his release, Valjean immediately gets caught stealing silver from the Bishop of Digne, but the Bishop's kindness encourages Valjean to seek a better life.

The show doesn't waste any time proving its talent. The opening "Prologue" features a strong ensemble of male voices, quickly followed by the impressive talent of Jacob Waid in the lead role of Jean Valjean. Waid's operatic voice is a perfect fit for this demanding role, and the audience is treated to an award-worthy performance from him. His vocals are impeccable, as demonstrated in songs like "Bring Him Home," and his acting talent is equally impressive. Also quick to impress with vocal talent is Amanda Kuchinski, who plays Fantine. She showcases her flawless voice in her beautiful performance of "I Dreamed a Dream." Her acting isn't quite on par with her singing, and if I'm being really critical I wasn't a fan of the wigs that she wore, but her voice is so good that it's easy to look past this.

In the role of Javert, Adam Clough provides a performance reminiscent of Russell Crowe in the 2012 movie version of Les Misérables, with the only major difference being that Clough is actually good. Other notable performances include John Anker Bow in the role of Thernardier and Maya Naff as Eponine. Both Bow and Naff have solid acting talent with the voices to match. Additionally, the ensemble as a whole is extremely talented, and the company numbers are a highlight of the show. Supporting cast members also provide quality performances that aren't quite as impressive as those of Waid, but nonetheless are good fits for the show.

While the talented cast of this production far outweighs the show's weaknesses, there are a few areas that don't quite live up to the high quality that the overall production provides. For starters, the set -- while visually appealing -- is extremely loud. Often during a quiet start of a solo or song, the set is loudly rolled on or off the stage, providing an unwelcome distraction. Another downfall to the show is the orchestra. With a small orchestra consisting only of trumpet, trombone, reeds, and percussion, the show features a mix of live and recorded music. The recorded music is often a welcome treat due to an unacceptable number of missed notes by the live musicians, most consistently the trumpet player. With a cast as talented as this one, it's unfortunate that the orchestra isn't of comparable quality. But in spite of its few weaknesses, the show comes through and ultimately treats the audience to a spectacular production.

At the end of the day, Dutch Apple's production of Les Misérables is a not-to-be missed performance full of talent. Les Miz veterans will be pleased with the quality of this show, while first-timers will be given a first-rate introduction to the renowned musical.  

Les Misérables plays at the Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre May 7 through June 13, 2015. Additional details and ticket information can be found at www.dutchapple.com.

2015 Tony Awards Nominee Predictions

The snow has all melted. The trees and flowers are starting to bloom. Robins are searching for the perfect nesting place. All this can only mean one thing... It's Tony Awards season!

At 8:30am tomorrow (April 28), Bruce Willis and Mary-Louise Parker will co-host this year's Tony nominations announcement in a live webcast. And before the nominees are revealed, I like to make my predictions of which productions I think will be up for nomination this year.

Starting with the category of Best Play, here are the shows I predict will hear their names called tomorrow morning:

• The Audience
• The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
• Disgraced
• Hand-to-God
• Wolf Hall Parts One & Two

Here are my picks in the category of Best Musical:

• Finding Neverland
• Fun Home
• It Shoulda Been You
• Something Rotten
• The Visit

In the category of Best Revival of a Play, my picks are:

• The Elephant Man
• It's Only a Play
• Love Letters
• This Is Our Youth

And finally, in the category of Best Revival of a Musical, I'm betting on:

• On the Town
• On the Twentieth Century
• Side Show

What are your thoughts? Have you seen any shows that you're sure will get nominated (or win!) this year?

For a complete list of eligible productions or information on tuning into the live announcement tomorrow morning, please visit the Tony Awards website.

REVIEW: Hairspray at Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre

Hairspray at Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre is a fun-filled performance complete with upbeat music, energetic dancing, vibrant sets, and top-notch talent that leaves you humming and singing the whole way home. This group of talented performers had audience members of all ages smiling and moving to the music from the first “Oh, oh, oh…” to the last “…beat.”

The cast of Hairspray had the whole audience moving to the music at Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre. (Photo courtesy of Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre)

Based on the 1988 movie by John Waters, Hairspray follows plump teenager Tracy Turnblad as she lands her dream role on the Corny Collins Show, a TV dance show based in her hometown of Baltimore. Through her journey on the dance show, Tracy connects with various characters, including teen heartthrob Link Larkin; lovable dancer Seaweed J. Stubbs and his soulful mother, Motormouth Maybelle, who is the host of Negro Day on the Corny Collins Show; and scheming, fame-obsessed mother/daughter team Amber and Velma Von Tussle. While Hairspray is a comedy, it also successfully manages to present the more serious issue of the Civil Rights Movement and racism in the 1960s.

Megan Power, who plays the lead role of Tracy Turnblad, was born to play this role. She had an impressive two callbacks after auditioning for the role on Broadway, and while she ultimately didn’t land the Broadway role, central PA is lucky to have this opportunity to see her perform, as she delivers a performance that's as close to Broadway as you can get without actually going to Broadway.

Megan Power was born to play the role of Tracy Turnblad. (Photo courtesy of Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre)

Chuck Caruso provides another memorable performance in the comic role of Edna Turnblad (Tracy’s mother). In this female role, which is always played by a male, Caruso delivers a top-notch performance that showcases his acting skills as well as his ability to perform in a nightgown, a dress, and rock a pair of red heels.

Adam Clough and Sheira Feuerstein give other noteworthy performances in the roles of TV host Corny Collins (Clough) and Tracy’s nerdy friend Penny (Feuerstein). Both actors showcase acting and vocal skills that perfectly fit their roles.

The remaining cast members and ensemble contribute their talent to deliver a solid, polished performance that includes great dancing, singing, humor, emotion, and yes, even hairspray.

Chuck Caruso perfects the role of Tracy's mother, Edna Turnblad - high heels and all! (Photo courtesy of Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre)

The sets and costumes provide plenty of color, which only enhances the energy of the performance. The orchestra doesn't disappoint either, filling the theatre with impressive, well-blended sound.

With a book by Mark O’Donnell and Thomas Meehan, Hairspray features a quality selection of musical numbers written by Marc Shaiman, including the catchy and popular songs “Good Morning, Baltimore” and “You Can’t Stop the Beat.”

When it comes to Dutch Apple's production of Hairspray, you really can't stop the beat. Overall I give this production 7 out of 10 standing ovations.

Hairspray is playing at Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre now through September 20. Visit the Dutch Apple website for more information and to buy tickets.

REVIEW: Aladdin (Broadway)

My husband and I recently took our two sons (ages 4 and 6) to see Aladdin on Broadway. While I could go on and on about the impressive sets, infectiously energetic and talented Genie, and truly magical carpet ride in the Broadway production of Disney's Aladdin, I thought I'd leave this review up to the real critic: my 4-year-old son, Chase!

Alec and Chase getting ready to experience "a whole new world" at Aladdin on Broadway

In his first (un)official review, here's what Chase had to say about Aladdin:

Me: What did you think of the show?
C: It was awesome!

Me: What was awesome about it?
C: That the genie was so funny. He was different than the one in the movie.

Me: What did he do that you thought was funny?
C: I liked when he was singing the no no no no no song.

Me: Who was your favorite person?
C: Aladdin! Was your favorite Aladdin too, Mommy?
(Me: I liked Aladdin and Genie the best).

Me: What was your favorite part?
C: I liked the part when the bad guy said "Prince A Boo Boo."

Me: What did you think of Jasmine?
C: I liked her because I wanted to play with her hair.
(Side-note since this response probably sounds pretty weird to most people: Chase loves to twirl my hair and suck his thumb when he gets sleepy. Pretty much any girl with long hair who is within a foot of Chase is at risk for having their hair twirled!)

Me: Was she pretty?
C: Yes. I even loved her!

Me: What did you think of the carpet ride?
C: I liked when they were singing "A Whole New World." And I liked when the carpet saved Aladdin when he was just about going to fall and Princess Jasmine said "How did you do that?".

Me: Was there anything that scared you?
C: No.

Since apparently nine questions is about the attention span of a 4-year-old, I'll fill in a few details with my own thoughts.

First, I'll share what I was impressed with:  

• I loved the carpet ride scene. Watching Aladdin and Jasmine float through the air right in front of our eyes was an amazing experience.

• The choreography, dancing and sets were all very impressive.

• The Genie definitely stole the show. While my heart sank when I saw that Tony-winner James Monroe Iglehart was not going to be the Genie at this performance, I was very pleasantly surprised and impressed with the equally talented stand-in Michael James Scott. He owned the stage and didn't miss a beat in this role. I still would have loved to have seen Iglehart in this role (and maybe even met him at the stage door); however, I have nothing but good things to say about Scott's performance.

• Speaking of the stage door, my boys and I loved meeting Adam Jacobs, who played Aladdin, after the show (ok, so I probably enjoyed this part more than they did, but it will be a good photo for them to look back on when they're older!). Jacobs did a great job in the show. He looked the part, and had the voice to match.

Aladdin (Adam Jacobs) was more than happy to pose for a photo after the show.

While I'd like to say that I found the whole show to be "awesome" like Chase did, I have to admit that there were a few aspects that I found to be a little less than awesome. For anyone expecting to see the movie version brought to life on stage, I'd recommend changing your expectations. I certainly didn't expect the stage version to be exactly like the movie; however, I think Disney missed the mark with this one. They really took a lot of the kid-friendly aspects out, which resulted in a performance that was not quite fun enough for kids but not quite impressive enough for adults.

At 4 and 6 years old, my kids did great during the show. But I've been taking my kids to the theatre since they were 2. If I'm being totally honest, for someone who's considering taking young children for their first Broadway experience, I wouldn't recommend Aladdin as their first show. It just didn't live up to the "magic" that Disney is known for.

Here are just a few examples of things that I feel would have made for a much better show.

• The animals: There were no animals in the show at all, and I think this was a huge mistake. The role of Aladdin's monkey, Abu, was instead turned into three sidekick friends of Aladdin. While they added some humor to the show, they just weren't the same as Abu. The same went for Jafar's parrot, Iago, who was turned into a parrot-like human sidekick. Jasmine's tiger, Raja, was completely omitted. And really Disney, couldn't you have at least borrowed the elephant from The Lion King for when Prince Ali makes his big appearance?

• The magic carpet: Yes, I did love the carpet scene. But I would have loved it even more if the carpet had been more of a character like in the movie. Again, I don't expect the stage version to be exactly the same as the movie, but I really think Disney messed up by leaving out the animals and the magic carpet as characters.

• The humor: There were definitely some funny parts to the show. Some were carried over from the movie while others were original to the stage. But most of the humor went right over my kids' heads. Sure my kids are only 4 and 6, but I think even older kids would have trouble following the humor in most of the show.

So while we all found the show to be entertaining (and even "awesome" according to Chase), I have to admit I was a bit disappointed in the overall production. The show definitely had some high points, but I also found it lacking in several areas. It felt like Disney was trying to please everyone, which we all know isn't possible. So instead of a fascinating and magical show for kids or a spectacular show for adults, the end result was a mediocre show for anyone.

Overall I give this production 4 out of 10 standing ovations.

REVIEW: Flashdance - The Musical (Tour)

Flashdance - The Musical is a show that bursts with energy the second it starts. It's a tactfully sexy production filled with fast-paced music and dancing that are sure not to bore the audience.

The story is set in Pittsburgh and follows Alex Owens, who works at Hurley's Steel Mill during the day and dances at a bar at night. She dreams of being a professional performer one day, and hopes to score an audition with the prestigious Shipley Dance Academy. Nick Hurley, her boss at the steel factory, has hopes of his own as he sets his sites on dating Alex.

I should admit here that I've never actually seen the movie (I know, I know...but I was only three when it came out!). But I like that I went in to the show without a predefined image of what the performance should be. Honestly, I didn't get much of an 80s feel from the show other than the few 80s songs (like "I Love Rock 'N' Roll") that were thrown in to the score of mostly original musical numbers. From research, I can say that there are some key differences between the movie and the stage version, so audience members should not expect to see the movie version of Flashdance hashed out word-for-word on stage. Don't fret though - the water scene is still included and successfully adds yet another sexy and unique element to the show.

Sydney Morton, who plays Alex Owens, gave a solid performance. She had everything needed to pull of this challenging role: a powerful voice that nailed every note with confidence; precise and energetic dancing; and stellar acting skills that made it seem she was born to play this role.

Corey Mach plays the role of Nick Hurley, and he scored a home run in this performance. In fact, he was the best male performer I've seen in a while, providing quality acting combined with a voice that I could have listened to all night.

While both Sydney and Corey have talented voices on their own, one of my favorite parts of the musical was listening to them sing together.

Most of the supporting cast also brings a good deal of talent to the production. Ginna Claire Mason (who plays Gloria) is a skilled actress with a voice to match. (I'd love to see her play the role of Glinda in Wicked some day - I think she'd be perfect for it!) Another talented addition to the cast is David R. Gordon, who plays the role of Jimmy. I was pleasantly surprised to hear yet another solid male vocal performance in his solo, "Where I Belong."

The impressive set (which takes seven trucks to transport!) seamlessly switches from a steel mill to a bar to a dance studio to a house. And the lighting effectively adds more energy to the already energetic show.

If you're looking for a deep, thought-provoking, emotional performance, this probably isn't what you're looking for. But if your goal is a fun night out at a show filled with high-energy music, dancing and talent, then you'll hit the jackpot with this production. Even with a running time of about two and a half hours (including a 20 minute intermission), I didn't want the show to end. I left at 10pm, ready to go out on the town instead of home to bed!

All-in-all this was another not-to-be missed tour, and I give it 9 out of 10 standing ovations!

Flashdance will be playing at The Hershey Theatre through Sunday, May 4. Tickets start at $28. Visit the Hershey Theatre website for more information.

If you're not in the Central PA area, make sure to check out the Flashdance - The Musical website to see where they're headed!

From Movie to Musical

Today, the Oscar-winning Best Picture Rocky opens as a musical on Broadway.

I have to be honest here and say that I've never seen the movie (gasp!). In fact, really my only involvement with Rocky at all was when my college marching band got to play on the "Rocky Steps" at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

The infamous "Rocky Steps" at the Philadelphia Museum of Art

The fact that I've never seen the movie won't keep me from seeing Rocky on Broadway... If you know me, you know that I'll see any musical at least once. But this got me thinking about movies that I have seen that I would love to see on stage. Here are two that I've thought for years would make great musicals:

Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean  

Sure I love the traditional Disney musicals like The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast. And I really can't wait to take my boys to see Aladdin in a few months. And I really really hope that Frozen does make its way to Broadway because I think it would be amazing. But I think Disney has a gem here that they haven't yet realized. I'll call it buried treasure. Can you just imagine the costumes and effects for this one? So Disney - can you get on this?

 

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation 

There have been plenty of holiday movies made into musicals, from A Christmas Story to Elf. But wouldn't it be epic to see the Griswold's holiday disasters unfold on stage? I'd sure pay to see that! I mean, can you just imagine watching the whole lights scene in person? I'm laughing just thinking about it!










Like I mentioned, I've thought for years that these two movies would make great musicals. I've even written to Disney to make the Pirates suggestion (though I'm sure my note never made it past the intern). In fact, if I had the money or the connections, I'd produce both of these shows myself! (Side note - if anyone reading this has any money or connections that they would like to share with me to make either of these shows happen, please let me know!) I don't mean to sound full of myself, but I think I have a pretty good sense of what would work on Broadway and what wouldn't. I can pretty much smell a Tony-winner before it even makes it to previews. But I've digressed; that's a post for another day...

So back to the topic at hand, what movies would you like to see made into musicals?

Who Is Adela Dazeem?

If you didn't see the Oscars last night, you probably don't have a clue who (or what) I'm talking about. Let me get you up to speed...

Have you ever heard of the movie Frozen? I thought so. How about the song "Let It Go" from Frozen? Thought so too. How about the name of the girl who sings the song "Let It Go" from Frozen (and I'm not talking about Demi Lovato)? Maybe. Well, if you don't know the name of the voice behind the song "Let It Go" from Frozen, I'll tell you. It's Idina Menzel.

So you might be wondering how this has anything to do with Adela Dazeem. Well, here is John Travolta to enlighten you:

Ummm...what?

That's right. Adela Dazeem is in fact the one and only Idina Menzel. At least according to good old John here.

So now that we have that straightened out, let me tell you a little bit more about Adela Dazeem (or should we just say Idina now?).

Yes, Idina Menzel is the incredible voice behind the now Oscar-winning song "Let It Go." Millions of families all over the world (especially those with young children) have been hearing Idina belt out this song for months now. Even weathermen are now resorting to doing parodies of this song in their weather reports...

But Idina is soooo much more than the voice behind Queen Elsa...

Have you ever heard of this little Broadway musical called Wicked? Guess who won a Tony Award for originating the role of Elphaba in Wicked? You guessed it...Idina.

Idina Menzel as Elphaba in Wicked (she looks a little, um, greener here)

And how about the Broadway hit Rent? Guess who starred as Maureen? You guessed right again... Idina.

Wicked and Rent are just two of many of her past successes before this whole Frozen/Let It Go Craze began.

And right now, she's working on a new musical called If/Then, which I have no doubt is going to be a huge success. I know it's at the top of my not-to-be-missed Broadway shows list. Here, take a quick listen for yourself:

You know, after John Travolta butchered her name last night, I think a lot of Idina fans were probably throwing some choice words at him. But I actually think he did her a favor. If just one more person has their eyes opened to musical theatre after his embarrassing mispronunciation, then it was worth it.

So I hope you now have a better idea of who Adela Dazeem is. And I hope that you also realize she's so much more than one song in one Disney movie.

REVIEW: Sister Act (Tour)

Ok, I'm going to go a little uncharicteristic here and single out one person right from the beginning. Ashley Moniz. Ashley played the role of Sister Mary Robert, the sweet, innocent little "goodie-two-shoes" nun. And she. Was. Awesome. I haven't heard a voice that good in a very very long time. And trust me, I've heard a lot of voices. Ashley had such a pleasantly crisp voice, and she hit every...single...note. Every one, right on. No sliding into a note. No using vibrato to cover up a missed note. No completely missing the note. Just pure, amazing pitch. And it wasn't just her pitch that was amazing. Everything about her voice was just spectacular. I'll say it again... She has the best voice I've heard in a long long time. This girl should never stop singing.

Normally I wouldn't open a review in this fashion, but I feel so strongly about Ashley's talent that I just had to put it first. I could go on and on (and on) about how great she was, but I think you get the idea. Plus, there's a whole lot more show to cover!

So the gist of the show is this: Diva sees boyfriend kill someone. Diva runs to police. Police officer is high school acquaintance who had crush on diva in high school. In order to keep diva safe, police officer decides to hide her where boyfriend would never think to look for her - in a convent. Diva is obviously is not used to convent life and causes some trouble. Diva ends up helping nun choir and turns them into a sensation, which brings in lots of money for the struggling church. Boyfriend finds out where diva is hiding and goes to find her. Police officer goes to try to save diva. If you haven't seen it yet, I'll let you guess which guy wins.

This was one of the better touring shows I've seen in a long time. Some of the tours I've seen in the past few years just seem to be lacking in overall quality and talent. But Sister Act had both.

What really impressed me was the talent of the entire cast, not just one or two leads. A lot of people needed to sing well in order for this show to work. And a lot of people did just that.

So here's something kind of amusing... At first, the nuns are supposed to be terrible singers. They're basically a bunch of nuns who couldn't carry a tune if their life depended on it. What I found amusing was this group of professional singers "trying" to sound bad. I'm guessing these "bad singing" scenes were some of the hardest scenes for them to perform. It goes against every grain in a performer's body to sing off key, and I could tell that these singers really had to work at this! But that just goes to show the quality of the vocals in this show.

Vocals aside, the acting was another strong point in the show. In many musicals I've seen recently, it seems like you either get good singing or good acting, but not both (and sometimes you don't even get one of them). Sister Act again had both. Each role was perfectly cast.

Ta'Rea Campbell, who played Deloris Van Cartier / Sister Mary Clarence, was another shining star in the show. (And she was literally shining in some of her outfits! I don't think I've ever seen a show with such a shiny and sparkly wardrobe. And I mean this in a good way... The costumes were simply dazzling.) I could tell right from the start that Ta'Rea was perfect for this role. Her acting was spot-on, as was her singing.

Chestor Gregory put on a great performance as (Sweaty) Eddie. When he started the song "I Could Be That Guy," I wasn't quite sure what to think. Was he being funny? Was he really not a good singer? To be honest, it was a little awkward. But as the song went on, I started to feel more comfortable with his performance. By the end of the song, when he was hitting those falsetto notes, I had completely forgotten about the awkwardness from the beginning of the song. The rest of his performance throughout the show proved to be more like the end of the song than the beginning.

Hollis Resnik, who played the role of Mother Superior, was a powerful actress and singer. She had a good voice, but her pitch was off more than once. Because her voice was so strong, and because she was on pitch most of the time, it was an unpleasant surprise when she slipped off pitch and was very noticeable. She also had a unique way of pronouncing some words, which was a bit distracting. Maybe she was just having an off night. I'm going to go with that because I think most people would describe her as extremely talented.

The rest of the cast, from Melvin Abston as Curtis (the boyfriend) to the rest of the nuns, and even TJ and Pablo (Curtis's comic sidekicks), did a great job pulling the show together for an amazing production.

Another aspect of the show that I enjoyed was the humor. While I expected the show to be amusing, I was pleasantly surprised with how often I found myself laughing. Hard. And out loud. And I'm not even Catholic. While the basic religion jokes were pretty funny, I could tell there were some Catholic jokes thrown in there that just went over my head. But judging by the laughter from the rest of the audience, those jokes were pretty funny as well.

Overall I give this show 9 out of 10 standing ovations! 

 (This review is based on the February 25, 2014 performance at Hershey Theatre.)

Which Broadway Musical Are You?

Have you noticed that the Internet is currently flooded with all sorts of online quizzes? Yeah, I've noticed that too.

Want to know which Disney princess you are? There's a quiz for that. Want to kmow what kind of drink you are? Yep, there's a quiz for that too. (In case you're wondering, I'm a fine glass of wine.) Want to know what city you should live in? Well, if for some reason you can't figure that out on your own, there's a quiz that will help you. And I'm guessing there's even a quiz to tell you which quizzes you should take.

So with all these quizzes floating around the Internet, I figure what's one more? That's right... In addition to blogging, playing the vibra-slap, and touching my nose with my tongue, I can now add "quiz making" to my résumé of incredibly useful skills that I'm sure will help me succeed in life.

Without further ado, I present to you the "Which Broadway Musical Are You?" quiz. Whether you've lost countless hours of precious sleep pondering this very question, or whether you're just trying to pass some time at work, this quiz will help you out. Happy quizzing!



Ok, admit it... you tried to touch your nose with your tongue. (And yes, I really can do it.)

These Are A Few Of MY Favorite Things

My sincerest apologies if I just got that song stuck in your head for the rest of the day. I promise to try to make up for it by the end of this post*...

Since we're still getting to know each other, I decided to sit down and think about, well, a few of my favorite things. At least a few of my favorite theatre things.

I'm not sure which was harder for me to pick, my favorite musicals or my favorite songs. They both took some serious considering, but ultimately I was able to pick a few of my favorites of each (with some honorable mentions that I just couldn't leave out).

My Favorite Musicals
I've seen tons of musicals, and I'd say that about 90% of the time when I come out of a theatre after seeing a show for the first time I say it's my new favorite show. Then I get home and a few days later remember all my other "new favorite shows." After taking into consideration lots of factors like music, story, etc., I've almost narrowed it down to my five all-time favorites:

1) Next to Normal
2) Aida
3) Les Misérables
4-6) I said I "almost" narrowed it down to five. I really couldn't choose between Once, Jesus Christ Superstar and The Book of Mormon for my last two picks. I love all three of them, though for very different reasons!

Honorable Mention goes to [title of show]. You've probably never heard of that one, right? It wasn't on Broadway for very long, and I still can't figure out why. It was awesome! I was lucky enough to see a local production of this show a few years ago, which included an incredibly talented cast. I would love to see it performed again sometime... even better if it went back to Broadway!  

My Favorite Show Tunes
Boy I sure had a fun time coming up with these. Why? Because I listened to about 20 of my "favorite" songs so that I could really pick my top five. Any time I'm listening to Broadway music, especially my favorite Broadway music, it's a fun time for me!

* If "My Favorite Things" is still stuck in your head, I've included a sample of each song below to help out with that!

1) "Another Day" (Rent) (The song starts at around 20 seconds, and I should also caution that this might contain some PG-13 material.)

2) "I Am The One" (Next to Normal) (As much as I enjoy the TV show "Graceland," I wish Aaron Tveit would go back to Broadway!)

3) "As Long As Your Mine" (Wicked)

4) "Gold" (Once) (This is their performance of this song at the Tony Awards. The song starts at around 40 seconds, but Josh Groban introduces it so I didn't mind watching those extra 40 seconds.)

5) "The Jellicle Ball" (Cats) (I surprised even myself when I picked a song that featured mostly instrumental music as opposed to singing!)

Honarable Mentions go to "Elaborate Lives" (Aida), "Lily's Eyes" (The Secret Garden), "Could We Start Again Please" (Jesus Christ Superstar) and "If I Can't Love Her" (Beauty and the Beast). I could name at least 10 others that I wanted to include on this list, but I think this is enough for now.

Oh, and while we're talking favorites, even though this is soooo 2013 I'd choose Hit List over Bombshell any day. :)

Now that I've shared some of my favorite things, what are some of your favorites?

These are a few of MY favorite things! What are some of yours?