It's been an unusual week and a half, to say the least. Many parts of New York were devastated by Hurricane Sandy, and even areas that weren't hit very hard by the storm itself have still been at a standstill with power only coming to lower Manhattan over the weekend. There's still a lot to be done to get the city and its surrounding areas back to normal, but I feel like there's no better time to repost some videos from the recent concert Once Upon A Time In New York City, where up-and-coming composers shared original songs about this great city and the great people who make it what it is:
Gaby Alter singing his song "My First Year in New York":
Kate Rockwell singing Danny Abosch's "Real New Yorkers":
Katrina Rose Dideriksen, Molly Hager, Alyse Alan Louis and Lauren Marcus singing Michael R. Jackson's "New York Is the Worst":
Gaten Matarazzo and Grace Capeless singing Marcy Heisler and Zina Goldrich's "Why I Like New York":
Joe Iconis with Jason Williams, Eric William Morris and Molly Hager singing his song "52":
When I think of lullabies, I think of the tin song in a music box or the tune of a mobile, rotating in a crib. The kinds of bedtime songs I think of are nursery rhymes, kiddy songs to lull an infant into a state of submission. It would seem that as adults we have less of a need for lullabies-- but then I think to the fact that I still often need a song to carry me off to sleep, and I realize that they might be more relevant than I had originally thought.
To raise money for breast cancer research and support, Kate Dawson and Jodi Glucksman have co-produced the new album Over the Moon, a collection of 26 lullabies written by premiere theatre composers and recorded for the first time. Performed by Broadway stars, this collection boasts songs by the likes of Stephen Sondheim, Maury Yeston, Tom Kitt, Adam Gwon, Timothy Huang, and Marcy Heisler and Zina Goldrich. The amount of talent on this CD is unreal, and all the money goes to a good cause.
Last night was a concert celebrating the project and featuring 13 of the 26 songs sung live by some incredibly talented artists, including Marc Kudisch, Nikki M. James, and Marva Hicks. With every song performance was a projection of an illustration that can also be found in the picture and ebook versions of the album, which are all available for purchase from the project's website. For a sampling of some of the music performed last night, here are a couple of behind-the-scenes clips:
What I think I love most about this project in particular is how it brought the art of the lullaby back into the public consciousness. Thought they are deceptively simple, they serve a very important purpose-- what is it that we most want to hear before we go to sleep? What kind of comfort can we offer? Much like the mission of this project, lullabies seek to reassure us of the things we have and the life we've lived-- it's a reflection on love and time and a gentle wish into the future.
I'm currently in the process of moving, so in the midst of that inevitable chaos, I just wanted to check in with a few minor updates worth checking out.
First of all, this is kind of last minute news, but tonight (May 10th) is the York's NEO6 benefit, where many musical theatre stars will be performing the works of emerging musical theatre composers including Barry Wyner (writer of recent Calvin Berger), Kooman and Dimond, Alan Schmuckler, and many more. Tickets are a bit pricey, but if you have some money to burn, I'm sure it's going to be a fun event.
There seem to be a slew of benefits/galas tonight, but my evening will be spent at the Playscripts 10th Anniversary Gala, which is being put on with BC/EFA. I'm looking forward to a night of excerpts from a couple of Playscripts plays, along with some musical performances from Drama Desk nominee Michael Friedman (from his work with The Civilians), Mark Baron and Jeffrey Jackson's music from Off-Broadway Frankenstein, Tom Kitt and Amanda Green's music from High Fidelity, and Nick Blaemire's Glory Days.
Also, check out newmusicaltheatre.com, which has recently added Marcy Heisler and Zina Goldrich to their roster of amazing artists. Buy a copy of "Taylor the Latte Boy" or "Alto's Lament" -- if not for an audition or showcase, then just so you know the right lyrics and notes when you're singing in the shower.
If you have some time to read a fun blog post, I also highly recommend Ryan Scott Oliver's breakdown of performing the "kiss measures" in his song "Halfway." The highlight is definitely his second-by-second analysis of the tensions between Alex Brightman and Jay A. Armstrong at their Kennedy Center concert.
On that note, having just seen the deeply affecting, strangely uplifting film Short Bus, I figure I would leave you with a video of the incomparable John Cameron Mitchell singing "Origin of Love" from Hedwig and the Angry Inch:
With the first female composer mentioned yesterday, I figured I would bring a little more diversity to these composer profiles with the work of Marcy Heisler and Zina Goldrich. Almost all the composers/writing duos on the blog so far have been recently out of school contemporaries who excel in pop-infused or alternative scores. Marcy and Zina's work is a little more traditional, a loving send up to strong book musicals with humor and warmth to support a good story through song. They're perhaps best known for the song "Taylor the Latte Boy," which, if you type that title as a search on youtube, will come up with an endless treasure trove of performances and even some responses — though the most memorable interpretation comes from one of my favorite blondes of all time:
Their shows and music are mostly family-oriented with musicals under their belt like Junie B. Jones and Dear Edwina. But even in their kids musicals, the lyrics are smart, witty, and sophisticated, and their partnership exudes an easy sincerity and lightheartedness in the way they play off one another. This was great to see at SPF's Composer Exposure this past summer, and you can find a clip of their performance "Compromise" here (along with many other great audio clips of up-and-coming musical theatre artists). I've also been meaning to see their show, aptly titled, The Marcy and Zina Show, and have been obsessed with this song:
A main reason I mention Marcy Heisler and Zina Goldrich is because they recently won the 2009 Fred Ebb Award. I look forward to their up-and-coming projects, which apparently includes adaptations of Snow White and Rose Red, Cyrano, and Clinton Kelly's Freakin' Fabulous.
