What Goes Around Comes Around: Here We Go ‘Round the Song Cycle

Song cycle: a group of songs designed to be performed in a sequence as a single entity. As a rule, all of the songs are by the same composer and often use words from the same poet or lyricist.

The song cycle is one of my favorite mediums for witnessing a collection of musical work. A set of story songs is as satisfying as a tapas dinner. You get a taste of everything, you leave feeling like you learned something new. Without a libretto, the song cycle depends on the music to tie the show into a cohesive evening. This unity is often underlined by musical themes that weave their way back into the work.

But perhaps what’s most impressive is how lyrics are now thrust into the spotlight to stand on their own. There is no longer a text surrounding the work, or breaks between songs to help move one from the beginning of a story to its end. Lyrics must carry new weight.

Songs For A New World: abstract musical/theatrical song cycle with the central theme: “the moment of decision.”

Taste of what’s inside:

“God knows it’s easy to hide,
Easy to hide from the things that you feel 
And harder to blindly trust 
What you can’t understand 

God knows it’s easy to run,
Easy to run from the people you love 
And harder to stand and fight 
For the things you believe”
– I’d Give it All For You

Closer Than Ever:  A meditation on urban life through the lens of real individuals’ experiences with security, aging, mid-life crisis, second marriages, working couples, and unrequited love.

Taste of what’s inside:

“If I sing you are the music.
If I love you taught me how.
Every day your heart is beating
in the man that I am now.

If my ears are tuned to wander.
If when I reach the chords are there.
When there is joy in making music,
it’s a joy that we both share.”
– If I Sing

Myths and Hymns: Song cycle by Adam Guettel, based on Greek myth and lyrics found in an antique hymnal. It concerns the relationship of humans to gods, past and present.

Taste of what’s inside:

“I don’t know what I hunger for,
I don’t know why I feel the hunger more
And more with every passing day.
I don’t know from where the hunger springs,
But that it’s there and that it sings of someplace far away.”
– Saturn Returns

Even in these moments, do you notice the repetition? The words ground themselves: “God knows…”, “If…”, “I don’t know…”. These simple phrases reinforce the idea that a song does not need to be verbose to hit home. These song cycles are memorable because they feature honest human stories told simply, an utterly effective means of storytelling.

What’s your favorite way to hear a story?

Image Sources: 1, 2, 3

World’s A Stage: Spotlight on Sri Lanka

The theatre scene in Sri Lanka has been long in the making. As a country with roots in Theravada Buddhism, many believed that it was vital to tend toward solitary contemplation versus congregational practices or participation in community life. Thus, theatre arts were hard to come by until the 1950s when a serious scene began to develop. Local theatre has since become a melange of early folk ritual, dance drama, and Western theatre, creating a medium unlike any other.

The most recent hit out of the country is a new musical by Jehan Aloysius entitled ‘Rag’ which grapples with the divisive practice of ragging – a ritual seen by some as an equalizing activity, and by others as worse than bullying and hazing. Ragging is typically enforced by senior students on younger ones and includes forced consumption of alcohol, insects, and/or chemicals, physical exertion to the point of organ failure, and an assortment of humiliating activities meant to break the newcomers upon their arrival.

The show’s creator, director, composer and lead actor, Aloysius, has been developing the show for more than ten years, sparked by his own experiences with ragging at university. When Aloysius first received his university acceptance letter he was filled with dread and hid it from his mother. Four months later she found it, and off to school he went.

During his eventual ragging, he was spared some of the worst practices but he says that his classmates underwent processes worse than what he could have imagined. Some of these events have made their way into the show. While the show circles instances of rape, discrimination, shame and suicide, the writer’s efforts to reveal the darker side of university life ultimately provide for a cathartic experience.

Aloysius sought out a cast who had experienced ragging first-hand and after auditioning 250 people, he assembled his lead cast of 12. The story follows the creator’s character, Joseph, who starts a non-violent anti-ragging movement which runs into opposing forces who say it must be violently resisted. The result is an empowering musical that’s breaking boundaries abroad.

The show’s standing ovations and rapturous praise stand testament to the idea that creative expression continues to be one of the best mediums for processing struggle.
If something goes wrong, make art.

World’s A Stage: Spotlight on France

When thinking of Mozart, the notion of early rock-star may not come to mind. A child prodigy, yes. A whiz on the ivories, no doubt. But emo-rock sex symbol? The creative team behind Mozart l’Opera Rock certainly thought so; they re-envisioned his life for the stage and took France by storm.

The musical, a mashup of new pop-rock and traditional Mozart compositions, premiered in late 2009. Though not as critically well-received as some other tuners out of France in the recent years(including Notre Dame de Paris, Le Petit Prince, and Le Roi Soleil) the show’s glittering reimagining of the 18th century composer’s life devloped a large fan following and went on to tour through Europe and the rest of France.  

Take a glance at this cheeky single that became one of the show’s most popular anthems. The song follows Wolfgang as he attempts to distribute his music and find a job in Paris. The lyrics dabble with sexual wordplay (somewhat evident, though undoubtedly less subtle, in the English subtitles available on this version). Enjoy this stroll down anachronism lane with Mr. Mozart himself.

 

A Poster’s Worth a Thousand Words

Teaser posters for Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson!
Thrilled that we’re just a few short weeks away.

Awards They Should Have Given to the Tony Awards

An awesome evening punctuated by clever original songs sung by Neil Patrick Harris, mostly solid live performances from the shows, and some surprising wins for the young actors that usually have to defer to their more experienced (read: older) counterparts. Personally, I was thrilled that Christian Borle, Steve Kazee, and James Corden received nods for their impeccable work this season.

After the ceremony though, I couldn’t help but to feel like some additional accolades were necessary to crown the most heartwarming, awkward, and ridiculous moments in the telecast. And the award goes to…

Speech most likely to make you cry:  Steve Kazee

Best reaction to not winning in his category: James Earl Jones

Watching James Earl Jones’ face slowly turn from a calm smile into the masterpiece above was definitely award-worthy. This face was the result of Mr. Jones realizing that the “James” named Best Leading Male in a Play was James Corden ( One Man, Two Guvnors), not him.

Best random cameo: Jesse Tyler Ferguson as Neil Patrick Harris’  understudy

The Tony Awards opening number was a tongue-and-cheek and star-packed tribute that pondered the question “what if life was more like theatre?” As soon as NPH sang a lyric about calling your understudy on those days you’re feeling under the weather, JTFerg joined him in a matching outfit ready to take over as Tony host. Perfect, hilarious casting.

The “Why, God, Why” Award: A cruiseship company’s 10 minute long endorsement of their new theatre-on-the-sea ships

Harvey Fierstein tried his hardest, but you could see in his eyes that this was a tough sell. This trainwreck of a moment brought the show to a standstill and featured a cruise ship theatre with a bevy of empty seats. Great example of captivating those seafaring audiences, guys.

Most surprisingly un-diva-esque behavior from a Broadway Diva: Patti LuPone

Never thought we’d see the day that Patti would be okay at laughing at herself a little and playing along with others. In addition to strutting around with a lawnmower in the opening number, she gracefully duetted with Mandy Patinkin (without orchestral accompaniment!), singing a few lines before announcing an award. Bravo Patti.

Image Sources: 1 & 2