I shamelessly love show tunes. In fact, I think I've spent most of my music listening time in the past few months listening to far more show tunes than not (especially since the "Hamilton" Cast Recording was released.) If you're feeling the hankering for some Broadway/Broadway adaptation tunes I've got you covered, monsieur (see! "Phantom of the Opera!")
1. "Masquerade" from Phantom of the Opera
"Masquerade! / Paper faces on parade / Masquerade! / Hide your face so the world will never find you / Masquerade! / Every face a different shade / Masquerade! / Look around, there's another mask behind you!"
Yes, this is from the movie but the choreography, the music, and the costuming are too beautiful to ignore.
2. "The Schuyler Sisters" from Hamilton
"You want a revolution? I want a revelation. / So listen to my declaration: / "We hold these truths to be self evident / That all men are created equal" / And when I meet Thomas Jefferson / I'm 'a compel him to include women in the sequel!" / Work!"
There's no official video or movie of "Hamilton," but you can watch a clip of "The Schuyler Sisters" here.
The Schuyler sisters are amazing both on Broadway and in history and this song makes it clear that they are not women to be trifled with (so back off, Aaron Burr.)
3. "God, I Hate Shakespeare" from Something Rotten
"Once they start their gushing / There’s just no stopping them and / Then its blah blahblah blahblah blah Shakespeare / When he walks in it’s dumdadumdadum Shakespeare. / He’s holding court and they say, / "Will, you’re such a genius and your writing is divine." / "A rose by any other name’ is such a clever line."
A good song for anyone who has ever felt this way about the bard.
4. "I Dreamed A Dream" from Les Misérables
"I had a dream my life would be / So different from this hell I'm living / So different now from what it seemed / Now life has killed the dream / I dreamed."
If you don't cry during this song you should probably start looking for your missing heart.
and last but not least
5. "For Good" from Wicked
"Who can say if I've been / Changed for the better? / I do believe I have been changed for the better / And because I knew you... / Because I knew you... / Because I knew you... / I have been changed for good"
Another song that is painfully tear-inducing but in the best possible way.
I hope that one day I'll have the time and the money to actually see these shows on stage but, until then, I'm content with my Spotify listening sessions and clips of cast performances.
