Channel Surfing

I'm pretty sure that if I went to every new musical theatre show/concert coming up in the next couple of months, I would not only be exhausted but incredibly poor. Not that it wouldn't be worth it -- because there are a ton of great shows coming up (like this one and this one... also, this one... and this one). But while I've been seeing a lot of live theater lately, I also thought it would make for good conversation to point out some other sources for experiencing some new music, whether or not you're in the city.

Many writers have their own Youtube channel, and it's one of the best ways to keep up on their latest works and hear new songs. But there are also a lot of other Youtube channels out there that feature new musical theatre songs sung by incredibly talented people with new interpretations. I thought for this post, I would just share a few of my favorites:

Contemporary Classics is a theatre company that develops and produces contemporary musical theatre. They also post videos on their Youtube channel from their New Voices concerts, which are full of fantastic performers going to town on songs from a slew of new writers. I've posted a few videos on here before, but here are some other great performances:

Keely Avery singing Jonathan Reid Gealt's "No Reason At All":


Christian Duhamel & Jenny Shotwell singing Michael Mahler's "Couldn't You Stay":



Aside from Contemporary Classics, I easily lose all track of time watching videos from New York Theatre Barn, whose videos are the hugest treat if you're looking for fresh new songs. Their Youtube channel is regularly updated with their monthly shows from their D-Lounge. A few worth checking out (though if you want to get sucked in, check out their channel and watch them all):

Alex Brightman singing Kirsten Guenther and Gaby Alter's "Hit Song":


Amy Linden singing Eric March's "Weekend Away":



I've also been a longtime fan of the Urintown Youtube channel, which features performances from UMich's Musical Theatre program. While now there's a lot of varying content on the channel from Andrew Keenan Bolger's blog to episodes of The Battery's Down (which are also worth taking a look at), there are still some great gems from many benefits/concerts, especially The Girly Shows. Oldies but goodies:

Ricki Foss singing Marc Smollin and Kelly Dupuis' "Eduardo":


Cortney Wolfson singing Miller & Tysen's "I Could Go Back":



My last Youtube channel to check out is a recent discovery, but one that's been putting a smile on my face for the past couple of weeks. Alex Newkirk lends his effortless voice to showtune staples, as well as a bunch of newer composers on his Youtube channel.

Here's Alex singing Michael Arden's "Not Afraid":


And here is him singing Sean Grennan and Leah Okimoto's "The Lucky One":



There are, of course, tons of other resources out there. I'll continue to try to blog about them and post them here, but always feel free to share your sources for new music! It's always great to see new talent tackling new material!

Gifts that Keep on Giving

So while the holidays are rapidly approaching, I still thought I would do a quick post with some gift suggestions for a musical theatre enthusiast, whether they are a composer, writer, or just fan of the genre.

The most talked about theater gift this season is undoubtedly Stephen Sondheim's masterpiece, Finishing the Hat, which I am currently in the process of reading. Anyone interested in the theater will enjoy the anecdotes, and any writer will absolutely see the value in the beautifully laid out lyrics and Sondheim's comments on them. It's a really gorgeous book, and both its content and respectful packaging really make this perfect for any book collection.

As mentioned in past posts, Sh-K-Boom has come out with some really amazing albums this past year from many of the composers mentioned in this blog. New releases include Joe Iconis' Things to Ruin and cast recordings for Adam Gwon's Ordinary Days and Michael Friedman's Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson. New releases on the way include CDs of work by composers Will Van Dyke, Jonathan Reid Gealt, and Scott Burkell and Paul Loesel -- so you can pre-order any of those as well. Also, remember the code EMERGING10 will still get you 10% off your order on the website at checkout until 12/31!

If you have an actor/singer to shop for, get them some sheet music through NewMusicalTheatre.com. Also soon to be available is the first book of Ryan Scott Oliver's music, which is now available for pre-order here. Or go the extra mile and get tickets to the RSO launch party at Joe's Pub on February 7 for a special someone, and every ticket will get you a free copy of the book.

Another nice gift can come in the form of an experience. I love to buy my friends tickets to shows, and what better to get you in the holiday spirit than getting seats for Joe Iconis' Christmas Spectacular next weekend? Also coming up? A Will Van Dyke concert at (Le) Poisson Rouge on January 17. Quality time and a show? Everyone wins!

New Musical Theatre update

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.

What's the Perfect Balance Between Yelling Too Much and Not Yelling Enough

I first heard Jonathan Reid Gealt perform not his own work, but the work of one of my personal favorite composers, Jason Robert Brown, at one of JRB’s concerts at the Birdland. Jonathan had won a JRB Karaoke contest, and he immediately got my attention with a rousing, matter-of-fact version of “Old Red Hills of Home.” Here is a clip apparently from a sound check before that concert:



Needless to say, I found his voice and performance to be absolutely stunning. The understated power he had brought out a side of JRB’s music that I have rarely, but always appreciatively seen in performance. The tables were then turned later, at Jim Caruso’s After Party (an open mic night regularly held at the Birdland) when Jonathan took the stage with fellow JRB Karaoke contest winner Natalie Weiss, and she performed this song from Jonathan’s show-in-progress, Forward.



The clarity of Natalie’s voice mixed with the organic progression of this song has a way of pinning you down and making you really listen. Just the combination of notes alone speaks for itself, creating voice and character without saying anything at all. And, with a title like “Quiet,” it’s hard not to see how important that concept is.

Jonathan’s music has something in common with JRB’s in its ability to take on different personalities with everyone who performs it, to bring out the best of them by infusing individual personalities and styles with a very clear message that the character needs to communicate. A wonderful example is this other version of “Quiet” done at another concert with Alysha Umphress:



Another favorite song/performance is the aforementioned “No Reason At All,” linked earlier with a stellar performance by Katie Thompson. Both of these songs come from Forward, which I am excited to see as it develops. Jonathan is also having an all star concert at The Canal Room in New York tomorrow (1/11), which looks like it will be phenomenal (not to mention that Katie Thompson and Natalie Weiss are performing). Tickets are still available here, and I highly suggest that anyone who can should go.

Also, I just realized that all the videos I’ve linked today came from Urintown’s youtube channel. For those of you who aren’t familiar, this is kind of the UMich musical theatre youtube channel that contains an incredible library of performances, from readings around the city, to episodes of the hilarious Andrew’s Blog video blogs, to UMich concerts, to episodes of The Battery’s Down. I definitely recommend checking it out.