While there were no projections of multiplying Beyonces or major reunions of Destiny's Child members, there were much more intimate fireworks over at Joe's Pub in the second installment of Once Upon a Time in NYC, an evening of brand new songs from musical theatre composers about New York City. The timing of this show uncannily comes around my fifth anniversary since moving to this city, and it was wonderful to get a musical perspective of New York from such a wide range of New Yorkers, whether they have since moved, have lived here their whole lives, or are just starting their journeys. Organized by Jennifer Ashley Tepper and Caleb Hoyer, this concert was clearly a labor of love, and it was such a lovely opportunity for writers to be able to celebrate and eulogize their experiences in song. We should all be so lucky to be able to distill something so special in such a perfect, compact way.
Below are some highlights, though all the songs are well worth a listen to and can be found here.
George Salazar with Michael Gioia, Will Roland, Yaniv Zarif singing Sam Salmond's "Walk Wrong":
Krysta Rodriguez singing Amanda Green's "A New York City Prayer":
Benjamin Howes singing Joseph Church's "Walking Shoes":
Jessica Phillips singing Amanda Yesnowitz and Doug Katsaros' "The Thing About Dylan":
Elanna White singing David Are's "All Over 28th Street":
And perhaps my favorite of the night (thought it's hard to choose): Jeff Blumenkrantz singing his own "Aunt Betty":
With the launch concert quickly approaching, I am thrilled with the slew of new artists whose work is sold and featured on newmusicaltheatre.com. New members since the original six are: Jeff Blumenkrantz, Paul Gordon, Salzman and Cunningham, Jonathan Reid Gealt, Gaby Alter, Michael Friedman, Kooman and Dimond, Jeremy Schonfeld, and Georgia Stitt. All of these new composers are incredibly talented and are offering a rather exciting variety of works. It's really wonderful for such a large group of amazing creative people to come together on one site. If you have money to burn, go spend it on some sheet music!
The other update I have for you is about New Musical Theatre artist Ryan Scott Oliver, who recently started a blog. With rantings and insights about writing and art and everything in between. Despite the fact that his tirade on the existence of the word "alright" sparked the nerdiest debate during lunch at my office, there's a lot of really interesting musings in here-- if anything, giving a glimpse into the mind of a music genius.
There are so many other composers that I'm dying to profile, but in the meantime, I keep discovering some really amazing videos of works by people I've already mentioned here. One of the most haunting things I've found recently is "My Heart Was Set On You," from Jeff Blumenkrantz and Billie Wildrick who performs this with heartfelt precision. Hard not to relate with lyrics as solid as this.
I first heard Jeff Blumenkrantz's music when I stumbled across this entrancing video, courtsey of UMich's benefit, "The Girly Show." With a brightly charming, totally relatable performance by Susanne Layton, "Toll" tells the story of unrequited love in the fast lane (of sorts):
Jeff's music has always held a soft spot in my heart, and I've always enjoyed seeing him pop up here and there, whether on the pilot episode of The Megan Mullally Show or on The Martha Stewart Show (to see one of his latest, non-musical ventures, check out his cooking-related blog here). But regardless of the various projects he always seems to have in the works, his music always speaks for itself. There's a craft to his storytelling that seems inherently Romantic, mortally optimistic in a way that strives for art and understanding in even the littlest of moments. Case and point, Jeff singing "Hold My Hand":
Perhaps some of the stark beauty of his music comes from inspiration like his love of poet Edna St. Vincent Millay, a personal detail that I've always found deeply affecting in a strange and small way. To get even more perspective, I highly recommend listening to some of his podcasts available through his website, which feature the likes of Rebecca Luker, Sutton Foster, and Marin Mazzie. One of my favorites includes an interview and performance by Julia Murney with an easy, hilarious back and forth that provided for good entertainment. Download them all, sit back, and get swept away in some quality songwriting.
