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sinkwriterBecause I was feeling whimsical last week, I agreed to take part in the "Top Five" meme (as mentioned in this LJ entry).
I'm still working on one person's lengthy list o' questions *cough*![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
readthesubtext*cough* but I'll be posting the three others' requests in subsequent posts tonight (or tomorrow morning, because it's getting verrrrry late). This is the first of those three.
There were some tough choices to make, and I'm certain I forgot some things that would have made for even better answers. I'll probably think of those possibilities months from now and Gibbs-slap myself.
(By the way, that's an NCIS reference, for those who may not know. Agent Gibbs often slaps his subordinates on the backs of their heads when they're being obnoxious or overly stupid. He once even slapped himself, when he really messed up. Heh.)
Okay, on to the Top 5!
This post is for the lovelycallieach.
Top Five Ensemble Showtunes
This was tough, Callie. There are some songs I really, really love, but I ultimately excluded them because they're more kick-ass solos backed up by ensembles, like "Defying Gravity" from Wicked or "Mein Herr" from Cabaret, which are both really amazing production numbers to see and hear, but more soloist showstoppers then ensemble showtunes. Ah, well. :)
In no particular order, because it's impossible:
* "One Day More" from Les Misérables. Probably one of my very first "Oh, wow!" favorites, as well as one of the very first musicals I've ever seen performed on stage. I love the overlapping melody lines for each character. Everyone gets to play their part. It's so stirring.
* "Seasons of Love" from Rent. Thought-provoking and memorable lyrics, pretty melody line, and I love how simple the performance of it is... they just stand there, all in a row, and sing their hearts out. I'm getting chills just thinking about it. By the way, even more than "Seasons of Love," I adore the reprise to "I'll Cover You," when Collins sings for Angel, but it's more solo than group, so I couldn't name it as one of my top choices. But it's worth mentioning just for how amazing that song is, how heart-breaking. Ohhh, so good.
* "Find Your Grail" from Spamalot. Okay, it's a huge showstopper for Sara Ramirez above all others, but it's too good to exclude. I could listen to it (and sing along with it) over and over again; it never gets old to me. She's amazing!
* "Coffee Break" and "Brotherhood of Man" from How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying. Okay, I know I'm cheating by naming two songs, but I couldn't eliminate either of them! What's funny is, this isn't even close to being a favorite overall musical on my list, but on their own these songs are the stuff of awesome. "Coffee Break" makes me laugh every time I listen to it. It's even funnier to see it performed on stage. SO zany. (And if you've ever worked in an office setting and/or needed a morning pick-me-up of caffeine, I think you'll find the desperate nature of it hilarious.) "Brotherhood of Man" ... wow. When I saw the cast perform this, I was on my feet by the end of it, applauding and hooting and hollering. It's a bizarre song (and parts of the lyrics are kind of sexist), but the one woman who gets to solo near the end KICKS ASS with the most amazing scatting. It elevates the song to a whole new and much better level. Love it.
* "Masquerade" from Phantom of the Opera. I don't often listen to this show, because 1) I only have it on audio tape (hahaha) and 2) I have to be in the mood for operatic stylings. However, this song invades my memory of seeing this show. It was so huge, with the giant chorus harmonies, the masquerade costumes so colorful, and the scene so vibrant. I like all the songs the Phantom sings, but if you were to ask me what I like best from this show, I will probably always and immediately say this song because it's such a gigantic, colorful ensemble number that stands out so vividly to me.
P.S. Nice mention of "Oklahoma!" I haven't listened to that show in years, but it's definitely my favorite from the show. Terrific ensemble number. "Okla-homa, Okla-homa..." How it keeps elevating... good stuff.
Side note: You may notice that I don't have many current musicals listed. That's because there are so many that I have not had the pleasure of hearing or seeing. For example, I was really impressed with the cast of Normal on the Tonys this year; the song they performed was incredibly powerful. I wish I could see them all! I have too many to get to know. I'm totally open for recommendations, if you've got them. *GRIN*
And I know you didn't ask me this, but I'm going to throw it on here anyway, because I am a big fat cheater when it comes to answering your question, and because as I jotted down my answers, I found a pattern: I had at least five stage musical ensemble numbers that I loved, but I also found that I have at least five ensemble numbers that I love that come from the movie versions of the musicals (and one TV show). So I hope you don't mind if I add this, for fun. ;)
(Again, in no particular order.)
Top Five Ensemble Showtunes from Movie or TV show musicals
* "Belle" from Disney's Beauty and the Beast. I mean, come on! The heroine is a brainy girl who loves to read and despises shallow, arrogant fools. That is so awesome! I love the melody of this song, I love how funny it is, and it immediately makes me fall in love with Belle as a character. She's "strange yet special." They don't understand this bookish gal who likes to run in fields and sing like she should be in the animated version of The Sound of Music, but I do. I totally get this girl. I think she's fantastic. And they all sing about her in a stirring chorus. Aw, man. So cool.
* "Summer Nights" from Grease. Because John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John were awesome. Because who doesn't want to sing the words "Shooda-bop-bop"? (Heee.) Because everyone gets to sing along and it's just so catchy and fun. And because I always wanted to be Rizzo, lounging across the bench, saying with attitude, "’Cause he sounds like a drag." *BIG GRIN*
* "Quintet" from West Side Story. Because I love melodies and vocal parts that overlap each other in cool ways yet blend perfectly in harmony to a stirring finish. And because I was in that show during my junior year of high school, I have enormously fond memories of performing in it, and I really, really wanted to be the sassy Anita, who has a great part in this song. *wicked wink*
* "Cell Block Tango" from Chicago. Because it's awesome, and who wouldn't want to perform one of the parts from this song? *throaty voice* "Cicero..." Enough said. :D
* "Walk Through The Fire" from Buffy the Vampire Slayer's musical episode. Another one of those ultra-cool songs with overlapping melodies and great parts. I love Tara's lines, especially. Such a great song. (And as a bonus, I love, love, love to hear the final chord sung by everyone in "Coda" at the end of the musical, as Buffy and Spike finally kiss -- that kicks ass. I always stop to listen to it and have such a desire to shout, "Rock on, Tony Head!"
Top Five Celebrities You'd Like To Meet
These are so tough, Callie! Sheesh. *GRIN*
* The cast of The West Wing. (Is that cheating? By naming a whole cast as one unit?) Because they are so talented and wonderful, every single one of them, and I think they'd all have fascinating stories to tell and tons to teach me.
* The cast of Firefly. See above with a gigantic ditto. Plus, you've got Nathan Fillion and Alan Tudyk. Come ON. ♥
* Sting. Because I love his music so very, very much, and I think he and his wife would make delightful conversationalists, not just about music but about life, love, religion, culture, books, so many topics.
* David Duchovny. Because he's fascinating and smart and so dryly funny, I think he'd be a good person with whom to have a deliciously long conversation.
* TJ Thyne. Because he seems like such a remarkable man, so nice, so engaging. Plus, he inspires me with his talent, with the way he looks at things and with the way he seems to devour life. I admire that very much.
If I had a runner-up choice, it would be to meet with some of my favorite writers, to learn from them, because I like the ways in which they write, because I especially like their attitudes about writing and about creativity, and because they just seem so damn cool. That'd be Joss Whedon and Stephen King.
And finally...
Top Five Ways You Like To Wear Your Hair
*snort*
There are the ways I wear my hair, and then there are the ways I wish I could wear my hair. LOL. I wish I had more patience, time and skill for styling my hair in all sorts of cool ways, but most times? I can't be bothered. I'm just not good at it, and I'd rather be doing other things than standing in front of a mirror with a curling iron or some other torturous tool.
But to answer your question, the ways I most often wear my hair and like it?
* Braided ponytail. I'll fasten my hair into a high ponytail (while it's still wet from the shower), then braid the ponytail all the way down to the end and fasten it with an elastic band there, too. I feel cute that way. Others may not think so, I don't know, but I don't care. ;D
* Twist it up and shove it into a claw-like hair clip. Fast, easy and nice when I want my hair off my neck and out of my way.
* Wear it long, but pull back the sides into a barrette (fastened at the back of my head).
Those are my three main staples. *GRIN*
After that...
* Braided pigtails. I don't often wear it this way, but when I do, I feel girlish. Besides, Abby from NCIS makes it cool.
and
* Insane design that I do once or twice a year, for kicks. I'll part my hair into many sections, and braid each one. Then I leave it like that overnight. First thing in the morning, I take out all the braids and wear my hair down and wild, all crazy waves created from the braids. That takes a long time to do, though, and sometimes it doesn't work out how I want it to. But it feels a bit kinky (in style, heh) and wicked.
I wish I were cooler and more inventive when it comes to styling my hair, but I'm truly not.
I used to wear it cut short when I was a kid -- I think my mom thought it was cute that way -- and at one time (I think I was maybe 8 or 10 years old?) I even had an orphan Annie perm. But these days I prefer my hair longer. Rebellion from all those years with short hair, I suppose. *GRIN*
And that's it for part 1! Hope you liked my answers. Thanks for playing along, Callie! :)
I'm still working on one person's lengthy list o' questions *cough*
readthesubtext*cough* but I'll be posting the three others' requests in subsequent posts tonight (or tomorrow morning, because it's getting verrrrry late). This is the first of those three.There were some tough choices to make, and I'm certain I forgot some things that would have made for even better answers. I'll probably think of those possibilities months from now and Gibbs-slap myself.
(By the way, that's an NCIS reference, for those who may not know. Agent Gibbs often slaps his subordinates on the backs of their heads when they're being obnoxious or overly stupid. He once even slapped himself, when he really messed up. Heh.)
Okay, on to the Top 5!
This post is for the lovely
callieach.Top Five Ensemble Showtunes
This was tough, Callie. There are some songs I really, really love, but I ultimately excluded them because they're more kick-ass solos backed up by ensembles, like "Defying Gravity" from Wicked or "Mein Herr" from Cabaret, which are both really amazing production numbers to see and hear, but more soloist showstoppers then ensemble showtunes. Ah, well. :)
In no particular order, because it's impossible:
* "One Day More" from Les Misérables. Probably one of my very first "Oh, wow!" favorites, as well as one of the very first musicals I've ever seen performed on stage. I love the overlapping melody lines for each character. Everyone gets to play their part. It's so stirring.
* "Seasons of Love" from Rent. Thought-provoking and memorable lyrics, pretty melody line, and I love how simple the performance of it is... they just stand there, all in a row, and sing their hearts out. I'm getting chills just thinking about it. By the way, even more than "Seasons of Love," I adore the reprise to "I'll Cover You," when Collins sings for Angel, but it's more solo than group, so I couldn't name it as one of my top choices. But it's worth mentioning just for how amazing that song is, how heart-breaking. Ohhh, so good.
* "Find Your Grail" from Spamalot. Okay, it's a huge showstopper for Sara Ramirez above all others, but it's too good to exclude. I could listen to it (and sing along with it) over and over again; it never gets old to me. She's amazing!
* "Coffee Break" and "Brotherhood of Man" from How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying. Okay, I know I'm cheating by naming two songs, but I couldn't eliminate either of them! What's funny is, this isn't even close to being a favorite overall musical on my list, but on their own these songs are the stuff of awesome. "Coffee Break" makes me laugh every time I listen to it. It's even funnier to see it performed on stage. SO zany. (And if you've ever worked in an office setting and/or needed a morning pick-me-up of caffeine, I think you'll find the desperate nature of it hilarious.) "Brotherhood of Man" ... wow. When I saw the cast perform this, I was on my feet by the end of it, applauding and hooting and hollering. It's a bizarre song (and parts of the lyrics are kind of sexist), but the one woman who gets to solo near the end KICKS ASS with the most amazing scatting. It elevates the song to a whole new and much better level. Love it.
* "Masquerade" from Phantom of the Opera. I don't often listen to this show, because 1) I only have it on audio tape (hahaha) and 2) I have to be in the mood for operatic stylings. However, this song invades my memory of seeing this show. It was so huge, with the giant chorus harmonies, the masquerade costumes so colorful, and the scene so vibrant. I like all the songs the Phantom sings, but if you were to ask me what I like best from this show, I will probably always and immediately say this song because it's such a gigantic, colorful ensemble number that stands out so vividly to me.
P.S. Nice mention of "Oklahoma!" I haven't listened to that show in years, but it's definitely my favorite from the show. Terrific ensemble number. "Okla-homa, Okla-homa..." How it keeps elevating... good stuff.
Side note: You may notice that I don't have many current musicals listed. That's because there are so many that I have not had the pleasure of hearing or seeing. For example, I was really impressed with the cast of Normal on the Tonys this year; the song they performed was incredibly powerful. I wish I could see them all! I have too many to get to know. I'm totally open for recommendations, if you've got them. *GRIN*
And I know you didn't ask me this, but I'm going to throw it on here anyway, because I am a big fat cheater when it comes to answering your question, and because as I jotted down my answers, I found a pattern: I had at least five stage musical ensemble numbers that I loved, but I also found that I have at least five ensemble numbers that I love that come from the movie versions of the musicals (and one TV show). So I hope you don't mind if I add this, for fun. ;)
(Again, in no particular order.)
Top Five Ensemble Showtunes from Movie or TV show musicals
* "Belle" from Disney's Beauty and the Beast. I mean, come on! The heroine is a brainy girl who loves to read and despises shallow, arrogant fools. That is so awesome! I love the melody of this song, I love how funny it is, and it immediately makes me fall in love with Belle as a character. She's "strange yet special." They don't understand this bookish gal who likes to run in fields and sing like she should be in the animated version of The Sound of Music, but I do. I totally get this girl. I think she's fantastic. And they all sing about her in a stirring chorus. Aw, man. So cool.
* "Summer Nights" from Grease. Because John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John were awesome. Because who doesn't want to sing the words "Shooda-bop-bop"? (Heee.) Because everyone gets to sing along and it's just so catchy and fun. And because I always wanted to be Rizzo, lounging across the bench, saying with attitude, "’Cause he sounds like a drag." *BIG GRIN*
* "Quintet" from West Side Story. Because I love melodies and vocal parts that overlap each other in cool ways yet blend perfectly in harmony to a stirring finish. And because I was in that show during my junior year of high school, I have enormously fond memories of performing in it, and I really, really wanted to be the sassy Anita, who has a great part in this song. *wicked wink*
* "Cell Block Tango" from Chicago. Because it's awesome, and who wouldn't want to perform one of the parts from this song? *throaty voice* "Cicero..." Enough said. :D
* "Walk Through The Fire" from Buffy the Vampire Slayer's musical episode. Another one of those ultra-cool songs with overlapping melodies and great parts. I love Tara's lines, especially. Such a great song. (And as a bonus, I love, love, love to hear the final chord sung by everyone in "Coda" at the end of the musical, as Buffy and Spike finally kiss -- that kicks ass. I always stop to listen to it and have such a desire to shout, "Rock on, Tony Head!"
Top Five Celebrities You'd Like To Meet
These are so tough, Callie! Sheesh. *GRIN*
* The cast of The West Wing. (Is that cheating? By naming a whole cast as one unit?) Because they are so talented and wonderful, every single one of them, and I think they'd all have fascinating stories to tell and tons to teach me.
* The cast of Firefly. See above with a gigantic ditto. Plus, you've got Nathan Fillion and Alan Tudyk. Come ON. ♥
* Sting. Because I love his music so very, very much, and I think he and his wife would make delightful conversationalists, not just about music but about life, love, religion, culture, books, so many topics.
* David Duchovny. Because he's fascinating and smart and so dryly funny, I think he'd be a good person with whom to have a deliciously long conversation.
* TJ Thyne. Because he seems like such a remarkable man, so nice, so engaging. Plus, he inspires me with his talent, with the way he looks at things and with the way he seems to devour life. I admire that very much.
If I had a runner-up choice, it would be to meet with some of my favorite writers, to learn from them, because I like the ways in which they write, because I especially like their attitudes about writing and about creativity, and because they just seem so damn cool. That'd be Joss Whedon and Stephen King.
And finally...
Top Five Ways You Like To Wear Your Hair
*snort*
There are the ways I wear my hair, and then there are the ways I wish I could wear my hair. LOL. I wish I had more patience, time and skill for styling my hair in all sorts of cool ways, but most times? I can't be bothered. I'm just not good at it, and I'd rather be doing other things than standing in front of a mirror with a curling iron or some other torturous tool.
But to answer your question, the ways I most often wear my hair and like it?
* Braided ponytail. I'll fasten my hair into a high ponytail (while it's still wet from the shower), then braid the ponytail all the way down to the end and fasten it with an elastic band there, too. I feel cute that way. Others may not think so, I don't know, but I don't care. ;D
* Twist it up and shove it into a claw-like hair clip. Fast, easy and nice when I want my hair off my neck and out of my way.
* Wear it long, but pull back the sides into a barrette (fastened at the back of my head).
Those are my three main staples. *GRIN*
After that...
* Braided pigtails. I don't often wear it this way, but when I do, I feel girlish. Besides, Abby from NCIS makes it cool.
and
* Insane design that I do once or twice a year, for kicks. I'll part my hair into many sections, and braid each one. Then I leave it like that overnight. First thing in the morning, I take out all the braids and wear my hair down and wild, all crazy waves created from the braids. That takes a long time to do, though, and sometimes it doesn't work out how I want it to. But it feels a bit kinky (in style, heh) and wicked.
I wish I were cooler and more inventive when it comes to styling my hair, but I'm truly not.
I used to wear it cut short when I was a kid -- I think my mom thought it was cute that way -- and at one time (I think I was maybe 8 or 10 years old?) I even had an orphan Annie perm. But these days I prefer my hair longer. Rebellion from all those years with short hair, I suppose. *GRIN*
And that's it for part 1! Hope you liked my answers. Thanks for playing along, Callie! :)
