Ahhhh, I'm missing my Broadway....
I'm a huge fan of musical theater...
From Fame and Tommy, to Guys and Dolls, Annie, Hello Dolly, Man of LaMancha, Ragtime, Miss Saigon, Chicago, and Mamma Mia,... to Rent, the incomparable Phantom and my most favorite, the amazing Les Miz....perhaps the best Broadway play ever.
Many of these hold special memories for me....I guess they all do...
My daughther acted in several of these in high school, Fame, Tommy, Guys and Dolls (she won the lead)
My sister and I took my mom to see Hello Dolly with Carole Channing starring for her 60th birthday.
I went to see Mamma Mia with my mother and my daughters for Mother's Day one year, and yes, there was dancing in the aisles...it is ABBA music after all. :)
I saw Annie, my very first on stage professional performance, in London, 27+ years ago.
Watched Rent long after memorizing the score and long after meeting the likes of Mimi, Angel, and Roger live and in person in a real life AIDS clinic. (La Vie Boheme ain't all its cracked up to be, people)
Saw Les Miserables and Phantom in NY on Broadway...incredible!....
Les Miz had such an effect that I have repeated the experience and even co-written a short play based on Les Miz, songs and all. What an experience that was!
I love them all...each for different reasons, some for the high energy and dancing...some for the shear power of the music or the harmony, some for the depth of the words...some for the incredible moving story line, or the heartwrending message....some for the pure joy of life. Nothing quite enwraps you in the story and makes you a living part of it for 2 hours like musical theater. Its miraculous really. Movies cannot compare.
The ones I really love are the ones that speak to me of something deeper. Today I dug out my Man of LaMancha CD...and drove to work singing at the top of my lungs....I like remembering that calling things that are not as though they were is something God encourages me to do just as Don Quixote called Aldonza, the scullery tramp, his Dulcinea, his dream.... impossible dreams are worth dreaming and stars are within our reach...
"Man of La Mancha is the story of one man's hope for a life of love, valor and compassion. It is at a time when we desperately need mad men like Don Miguel Cervantes' sixteenth century nobleman to keep us believing that there's sanity in dreaming impossible dreams and reaching for unreachable stars. "
"to dream the impossible dream. . .to reach the unreachable stars. . .to fight for what's right without question or pause. That is my quest" ---from the show's anthem song.
15 comments:
If I ever get to New York City...I would love to see a Broadway play...Kats or the production of Lion King...just the costumes that I've seen on the Today Show enthrall me...I know the performance would be awesome!
Thanks for giving me an idea in my Life to-do list!
:-D
I currently feel like I'm living "The Impossible Dream" with the homebuilding front :) What started a year ago September is about to get underway (slowly ... but surely I hope). Sanity ... If one stops too long to ponder sanity you go insane :) (some days I'm JPN (just plain nuts!)
I'm with you on this one, I LOVE to go to the theatre. Unfortunately I don't get to go that often. I've seen Joseph and his Amazing Technicolor Dream coat in Toronto and a few others. My fave is Fiddler on the Roof, I just love the story line. There is no talent like live - on stage performers. You're making me want to go soon!
I just went by our neighborhood theater and saw them advertising "Old Wine in New Bottle"...not sure what it is all about...but you have sparked an interest....it has been decades since I have seen a live performance of any kind...except the Elementary school productions :)
This is my quest to follow that star
No matter how hopeless
No matter how far
To be willing to fight
Without question or pause
To be willing to march into hell for a heavenly cause
And I know
If I'll only be true to this glorious quest
That my heart. . .
And the world will be better for this
That one man,
Scorned and covered with scars,
Still strove with his last ounce of courage
To dream the imposssible dream.
Okay, I don't remember ALL of the words,but I love that song!!!!!
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Since I live so far away from any kind of theatrical experience, it's tough, but hubby took me about 10 years ago to see Phantom...got us front row balcony seats, limo, fancy dinner...the works...wasn't sure I was going to like it, but I LOVED it! It was an incredible experience...I agree film doesn't quite compare to theatre.
awesome post. You have inspired me. I haven't seen a broadway play, but now I want to, I have seen a few christian plays that are forever burned into my memory. There is definately something about them that tops a movie anytime.
Ohhhh ... you make me want to schedule a trip to NY with you!!!!!
Girls, I say we get up a trip to NYC...we'd all have so much fun together! :)
Seriously, I would encourage everyone to experience at least one professional live stage musical performance...they are incredible!
Hattigrace...you're as bad as me...I learn all the words and you've got almost all of that one memorized...and what a song it it is! What a message!
We love theater too...in fact our church is putting on a production this fall - we usually enjoy being a part of it - but this time around we will have to be audience members - as our time is stretched as far it as it will go enjoying our kids and their activities :)
Hope you get to visit Broadway again real soon :)
Blessings.
Me too, me too, me too!!!! When I was flying, I took my mother to New York and we saw My Fair Lady and Sound Of Music. There was a big snow storm and we had trouble getting a cab. My dear mother loved it all and talked about it for years afterwards. Personally, I liked Showboat, Les Mis, Phantom, and Singing in the Rain! Oh, and Oklahoma etc. etc. I was there for the Les Mis production you were part of. It was wonderful!!!!
I've only been to a coule of them, but they were fun!
hey girl! thanks for you comments and awesome wisdom. and yea you're so right about strength.
never seen a broadway show. but sounds interesting!
Never been to Broadway, but love Les Miserables! Saw the movie right after my father died, and imagine seeing it on Broadway would have even more impact.
Wow, you've been to some very good musicals!
I finally did it! I started my own. You can keep up with me now ;) You know, I watched the whole 2-hour thing on PBS the other night. They re-aired the special you saw. It made me look into the Lion King. I think I will give you the most run for your money with shows ;) I guess I get it from you!
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