December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)

For my graduation present, my parents took me to see the Broadway show, Jersey Boys.  It was incredible!!

The whole story was amazing.  There were so many things I never knew about the quartet that were revealed in the show.  The cast was amazing, too.  Frankie Valli, who's normally played by Joseph Leo Bwarie, was played today (Wednesday and Saturday matinees) by Nick Cosgrove, who was fantastic.

It's hard to find someone who has a voice like Frankie.

I've always liked Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons, but I really developed an interest in seeing the musical when the four actors performed at the New York Rangers (Let's Go Rangers!!!) vs. New Jersey Devils Stadium Series game.  I thought the four of them really sounded like the real group and have ever since wanted to see the show.

My favorite songs are "December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)" and "Let's Hang On."  But I can't stop singing "Sherry."

Well, I can't stop singing the bit where he goes, "Sherrrrrrry bay-ay-by."  You know what part I'm talking about.

My favorite part of the show was when their backs faced the audience, but against the back of the stage there were a bunch of lights, like you were watching them perform a concert... the below picture.

[Source:  Google]

I got a lot of goosebumps during that part.

But besides all of that, the show was very funny.  Tommy DeVito and Bob Gaudio were hysterical characters.

Joe Pesci (not the REAL Joe Pesci, but a person PLAYING Joe Pesci because Joe Pesci played a part in the making of the Four Seasons) even made a few appearances and never failed to get a laugh out of the audience.

But I really don't want to give too much away because I want you to go see the show, especially if you love music!

Simplicity

Some new albums this week in stores and online:

• Lazaretto by Jack White (pop/rock)
• Stockholm by Chrissie Hynde (pop/rock)
• Simplicity by Tesla (hard rock & metal)
• Whispers by Passenger (pop/rock)
• Bullets Over Broadway (Original Broadway Cast Recording) by Zach Braff, Vincent Pastore, Nick Cordero, Marin Mazzie and Karen Ziemba (musicals)
• XSCAPE (Vinyl) by Michael Jackson 

The Wizard and I

I love the whole soundtrack for Wicked.  My favorite songs were always "Defying Gravity" and "I'm Not That Girl," but those two songs have been replaced on my list by "The Wizard and I."  Phenomenal.  That's all I can say.

Idina Menzel has such an incredible voice.  My favorite line of hers in this song is "He'll say to me 'I see who you truly are.'"  The way her voice sounds gives me chills.

[Source:  YouTube]

My cousin told me that Idina got a standing ovation after performing this song when she saw the show on Broadway years ago.  I understand why.

I really wish I could sing like Idina Menzel.

A Little Fall of Rain

For some odd reason I was thinking the other day about Nick Jonas singing "A Little Fall of Rain" with Samantha Barks for the 25th Anniversary of Les Misérables.  I used to love the Jonas Brothers (bet you're so surprised by that), but Nick's voice sounds completely different when he sings pop than when he sings Broadway.

[Source:  YouTube]

Once you have listened to "Burnin' Up," listen to "A Little Fall of Rain."

Both videos obtained from YouTube

Nick got his start on Broadway at the age of seven in A Christmas Carol, Annie Get Your Gun, Beauty and the Beast, Les Misérables, and would return in 2010 for the 25th Anniversary of Les Misérables concert in London at the O2 Arena.  In 2012, Nick would once again impress with his role as J. Pierrepont Finch in the Broadway musical, How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.  

Arabian Nights

Due to some medical problems, attending my Senior prom would've been a little difficult, so instead of going to prom, I went into New York City with my cousins and we saw Aladdin on Broadway.

It was SPECTACULAR.  The music, the acting, the choreography, everything!  Adam Jacobs, the man who is usually Aladdin, was not in attendance on Friday, so Aladdin was played by Joshua Dela Cruz, a friend of my cousin's from college!  We were waiting on line to get in when she saw on the board it said "The Role Of Aladdin Will Be Played By:  Joshua Dela Cruz" and she freaked out.  He was incredible!

Courtney Reed (Jasmine) was amazing as well.  Her voice was flawless and she fit the role perfectly.  Jonathan Freeman played Jafar, just like he did in the movie!  I liked seeing the real "voice" playing the same character on the stage.  I think him playing Jafar really helped make the play so great.

And my favorite character was the Genie, played by James Monroe Iglehart.  My favorite song of the whole show was "Friend Like Me" which was performed by the Genie, Aladdin, and the ensemble.  The performance was so incredible, there was a two minute standing ovation by the audience.  My cousin said the only time she has ever seen a standing ovation after a song was when Idina Menzel performed "The Wizard and I" in Wicked.

Another great performance was "Arabian Nights," which opened the musical.  Here's a video of that performance on Good Morning America.

[Source:  YouTube]

Proud of Your Boy

Just when I think I have learned so much about music I learn something completely new.

I was looking through a list of songs on the website CollegeCandy and saw the song "21 and Invincible" by the band Something Corporate.  I was intrigued by the sound of the tune and just had to Google the group.  Apparently, Lauren Conrad's fiancé William Tell was a former member of this band!

You learn something new every day.

I also learned from BuzzFeed that "Part of Your World" was almost cut from The Little Mermaid.  How could they have even considered cutting that song from that movie?!

I swear my mind just keeps getting blown.

And I also learned, from that same article, that "Can You Feel the Love Tonight?" was cut from The Lion King and Elton John told producers to put the song back in the film when he watched it with the piece removed.

I'm sorry the Disney facts are going to continue due to the BuzzFeed article.

John Lennon denied Disney's requests for The Beatles to provide the vultures' voices in The Jungle Book.  That would've been cool to hear their voices in that film!

A song called "Proud of Your Boy" was cut from the movie Aladdin but is in the Broadway musical.

Christina Aguilera's debut single was "Reflection" from Mulan.

Let It Go

To me, Idina Menzel has one of the best singing voices ever.  Not only does her voice just sound incredible, but her vocal range can't compare to the majority of singers around today.

The first time I heard her sing was when I heard "Defying Gravity" from the Broadway production of Wicked.  The last two minutes of the song brings goosebumps to my arms every single time I hear it.  She hits the notes and holds them for an impressive amount of time.

But most recently I was incredibly impressed with her performances in Disney's Frozen as Elsa.  I particularly love the song "Let It Go."  Menzel sounds completely flawless (as usual) and the song is very good as well.  Written by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, the lyrics fit her voice perfectly.

[Source:  YouTube]

Beyond My Wildest Dreams

I saw The Little Mermaid on Broadway two times.  I saw in in January 2008 and again on Easter the same year.  It was one of the greatest shows I had ever seen.  The cast was amazing, the set and costumes were phenomenal, and the songs were exceptional as always with Alan Menken, Glenn Slater, and Howard Ashman.

Sierra Boggess was a beautiful Princess Ariel and was a perfect match for the part and sat very well with the critics.  Her voice was incredible, just like Jodi Benson.  Sherie Rene Scott played the notorious sea witch Ursula and did fantastic as well.  The whole entire cast sounded flawless on the whole soundtrack, but those two stars are the ones who stood out the most to me.

My favorite song in the musical is "Beyond My Wildest Dreams" which Ariel sings in her mind due to her stolen voice.

[Source:  YouTube]