Virtual Choir

Have you guys seen these? Pretty fantastic. It's the brain child of American composer/conductor Eric Whitacre and its a musical experiment where almost 200 different people, all around the world, each separately record themselves singing one part of a choir piece and then they combine them all together. The whole concept is, 'singing together, alone' and it turned out amazingly and sounds like they were all there together recording it. I love the idea that we can all be apart from each other and not even know each other but can play our individual role to unify and create something beautiful. Here is a little background.

'Love Never Dies' (But Should it Have?)

So even if you have never heard the music, seen the play or seen the movie of Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical, The Phantom of the Opera, you have to have at least heard of it. It first came out in London's West End in 1986, and has become a timeless classic. It is very sentimental for me as I grew up listening to the music and it is one of the first live productions I ever went to and the music is just so moving and incredible and the story so mysterious and bittersweet.

Exactly one year ago I was on a Delta flight reading their Spirit Magazine and read an article that Andrew Lloyd Webber had written a sequel to Phantom and it would be debuting in the next year. What?! First of all, creating a sequel to a stage musical has never been done before. There is talk of making a movie sequel to the movie Hairspray which was an adaptation of a stage musical, but that is different. Not only is it a gutsy move because it hasn't been done before, but its disturbing something iconic. One of the things that I adore about Phantom is that it ends somewhat ambiguously. It is so poignant and mystifying and it lingers with you. I liked musing about them and leaving it in that quiet place of wonder. (It's true that I just posted about the creativity of Stephen Sondheim in writing stories that look at what happens after happily-ever-after, but that isn't for all shows).

The Music: For those of you that don't know, Andrew Lloyd Webber only writes the score and not the lyrics for his music. The brilliant Charles Hart (and somewhat by Richard Stilgoe) wrote the lyrics to the songs for the original Phantom and they are so clever and romantic and poetic. The lyrics for Love Never Dies were written by Glenn Slater. It's not that they are bad lyrics, but they definitely lack the whimsy and the soulfulness of the original. And as we learned from the movie Music & Lyrics:

A melody is like seeing someone for the first time. The physical attraction. But then, as you get to know the person, that's the lyrics. Their story. Who they are underneath. It's the combination of the two that makes it magical.

Lyrics aside, I have to admit that some of the melodies are completely captivating and beautiful and definitely reminiscent of the soaring original score. The cast is fantastic and I definitely have some of the songs still ringing in my ears. As with any new musical the more time you give and familiarity you gain with the music, the more you can enjoy it, and this show is still new to me and I am working on forgiving it for daring to infringe on the original that I know and love so well.

The Story: The show is very much like Les Miserables in the sense that almost everything is in song and not much is regular talking, so you can piece together the entire plot by listening to the CD. I admit that when first started listening to it I was already feeling resentful that they had the effrontery to even attempt this, and I had myself braced to despise it. I won't give away any of the plot, but I will say that they were definitely creative in the storyline. At first I was a little irritated with some character personality changes and situations that I felt contradicted what we took from Phantom, but as I reflect they didn't actually do anything that changes what happened in the first, it just gives us a different perspective. Like Wicked with The Wizard of Oz. It doesn't change the story that we all know, it just provides a different point of view. There are some lovely role reversals that parallel the original and it retains the darkness and the bittersweet feeling that I love about Phantom. I even think that the ending was completely fitting. I'm just still not sure that we needed a new ending.

So all in all... I am torn. Part of me really appreciates the inventive plot and the beautiful music and the daring it took to even attempt a stage sequel, but part of me feels like its a betrayal and I just want to blast the Phantom CD and pretend this new one never happened. Maybe it will grow on me more, as music tends to do with time. I just feel like it kills some of the magic by even existing. If I wasn't so fiercely attached to the original that I have been listening to since I was four and know backwards and forwards, I think its possible that I would really like this new one, but I would never love it, either way. I'll let you judge for yourself. I would however, definitely suggest you avoid it if you haven't heard/seen the original. Phantom must come first.

An Ode to Stephen Sondheim

So Stephen Sondheim turned 80 this week. Who is Stephen Sondheim, you may ask? Only a lyrical genius. Even if you don't know the name, you are sure to have heard of at least one or two of the stage musicals he was either the mastermind behind or at least the lyricist for:

West Side Story

Gypsy

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum

Anyone Can Whistle

Company

Follies

A Little Night Music

Pacific Overtures

Sweeney Todd

Sunday in the Park with George

Into the Woods

Assassins

Now these aren't all of the shows he has been involved in, just the most well known. Now I love musicals of every shape and size, but the genius of Sondheim is the depth and the oddity and that he chooses themes that you wouldn't normally think of for a stage musical. He is the Tim Burton of the theatre world, in my opinion, which makes it all the more fitting that it was Burton himself who directed Sweeney Todd for the big screen. Not that all of his shows are as over the top as crazy as Burton movies can be, he is just so unique and he has a way of finding the good and bad in a situation and in an individual, showing that the world is not just black and white.

For instance:

Sweeney Todd- Sondheim wanted to see if it was possible to truly shock an audience with horror in a live production. The character of Todd is completely violent and insane, and though he has his reasons it is no excuse for the horrors he commits... and yet, you feel for him. Later there were other plays of murder and mayhem, (Phantom of the Opera, Little Shop of Horrors...) but Todd was the first.

Into the Woods- the first half of the show combines well known fairy tales, with the endings we know (Jack & the Beanstalk, Rapunzel, Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood...) Then in the second half it shows what happens after happily-ever-after and its not all a 'fairy tale.' Many tales, particularly stage musicals, end with the into-the-sunset moment but Sondheim wanted to explore what happens beyond that. Not in a, theres-no-such-thing-as-happily-ever-after kind of way, just in a 'happily ever after' might not be what you expect. Life isn't all a dream and people make mistakes but you do your best to find a way to be happy even when things don't go as planned.

Assassins- This is a show that is literally about assassins. More specifically, about the people who either attempted or were successful in assassinating presidents of the United States over the years. Now who would sit down and think that this would make a good idea for a stage musical? Only Sondheim. It is told by a narrator who moves us across the different stories. The most beautiful song in the show is a duet called 'Unworthy of Your Love' sung by two characters, not to each other, but for their respective love interests. One is John Hinckley who was obsessed with the actress Jodie Foster and attempted to kill Ronald Reagan to gain her attention, and in his twisted mind, her affection. The second is Lynette 'Squeaky' Fromme who was one of Charles Mason's women and attempted to kill Gerald Ford. They are completely off their rockers, yet Sondheim finds a way to show that, at least from their perspective, their actions were for love.

Okay, so I just described the darkest of the Sondheim shows to show his bravery and creativity, but not all of the shows are so elaborate or so morbid, though even the ones that are slightly more traditional romantic musical stories (Anyone Can Whistle, A Little Night Music...) have a certain bittersweet quality to them. Also, many of his shows are very funny. For all of the broken fairy tale stories of Into the Woods, there is just as much humor. Just listen to the duet of the two Prince Charming's called 'Agony.' Sondheim just has a way of breaking through the sentimental fluff that the musical can often fall victim too, and explores the deeper layers of the human soul. It's amazing what he has been able to portray from the confines of a stage. He leaves you not only humming the tunes, but also contemplating humanity.

If they ever made a musical of LOST, Sondheim would be the man for the job ;)

So here's to you on your 80th year, Mr. Sondheim. What a life. What a melody.

GLEE! I Have NOT Stopped Believin'

Sigh. Well, the first 13 episodes of Glee ended this week, with a masterful Fall Finale to bring us full circle to the unforgettable series premiere. I just love this flippin' show, and it won't be back until April!! Luckily, to help hold me over, a DVD of the episodes so far is being released on December 29th. This isn't a typical move for a show, having a mid-season DVD, but here's the scoop (from EW.com):

The Gleek frenzy has spurred Fox to plan a mid-season DVD release for Glee, Variety reports. 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment will release Glee Season One: Road to Sectionals on Dec. 29, including the show’s first 13 episodes. The full first-season DVD set with all the first season episodes will follow in mid-2010. Fans won’t be penalized for buying early — the Sectionals set will include a voucher toward the purchase of the full-season DVD release. The first release will also include a director’s cut of the pilot episode, behind-the-scenes features, cast audition videos and the show’s music performances.

Yeah, pretty much I don't think that I could NOT buy it, and yeah, I pre-ordered mine the day I read this article, which was, oh, like 6 weeks ago. The other thing that will be holding me over is, of course, the music. Here are a few of my favorite songs so far this year (okay, they are all good, but this is just 20 of the 49 songs that have been released during these first 13 episodes) These aren't in order of favorite, they are in chronological order of their appearance on the show:

Don't Stop Believin'- Ensemble Feat. Lea Michele & Cory Monteith

(Journey Cover)


Say a Little Prayer- Dianna Agron

(Dionne Warwick Cover)


Maybe This Time- Kristin Chenoweth & Lea Michele

(From Cabaret)


Alone- Kristin Chenoweth & Matthew Morrison

(Heart Cover)


Somebody to Love- Ensemble

(Queen Cover)


It's My Life/Confessions- The Guys Feat. Cory Monteith

(Bon Jovi/Usher Cover)


Halo/Walking on Sunshine- The Girls Feat. Lea Michele

(Beyonce/Katrina and the Waves Cover)


Sweet Caroline- Mark Salling

(Neil Diaond Cover)


Dancing With Myself- Kevin McHale

(Billy Idol Cover)


Defying Gravity- Lea Michele & Chris Colfer

(From Wicked)


Proud Mary- Ensemble Feat. Kevin McHale & Amber Riley

(Creedence Clearwater Revival Cover)


Endless Love- Lea Michele & Matthew Morrison

(Diana Ross & Lionel Richie Cover)


Don't Stand So Close to Me/Young Girl- Matthew Morrison

(The Police/Gary Puckett & The Union Gap Cover)


Lean on Me- Ensemble Feat. Kevin McHale & Amber Riley

(Bill Withers Cover)


Papa Don't Preach- Dianna Agron

(Madonna Cover)


Imagine- Ensemble

(John Lennon Cover)


Jump- Ensemble Feat. Lea Michele & Cory Monteith

(Van Halen cover)


Smile- Ensemble

(Written by Charlie Chaplin)


Don't Rain On My Parade- Lea Michele

(From Funny Girl)


You Can't Always Get What You Want- Ensemble Feat. Lea Michele & Cory Monteith

(Rolling Stones Cover)


Here's a funny thing I found. Say a Little Prayer was the character Quinn's (Dianna Agron) tryout song to join Glee, and she used her two fellow cheerleaders for some cute and simple choreography in that scene. You can see a clip of the original here, but what is funny is a ton of people have recreated it and put their own versions on iTunes. The following video is for sure my favorite version. Ha! -


Here are some of the best of the villianous Sue Sylvester quotes so far:

I'm going to ask you to smell your armpits. That's the smell of failure, and it's stinking up my office.

That was the most offensive thing I've seen in 20 years of teaching — and that includes an elementary school production of Hair.

Sue: Iron tablet? It keeps your strength up when you menstruate.
Will: I don't menstruate.
Sue: Neither do I.

I'm about to projectile express myself all over your Hush Puppies.

You think this was hard? Try auditioning for Baywatch and being told they're going in another direction. That was hard.

I'm all about empowerment. I empower my Cheerios to live in a state of constant fear by creating an environment of irrational, random terror.

You're dealing with children. They need to be terrified. It's like mother's milk to them.

Will: I will destroy you
Sue: I am about to vomit down your back. — Sue and Will, whispering into each other's ear, while forced to hug by Principal Figgins

I always thought the desire to procreate showed deep personal weakness.

I don't trust a man with curly hair. I can't help picturing small birds laying sulfurous eggs in there, and I find it disgusting.

I can't stand the sight of kids getting emotional, unless it's from physical exhaustion.

I am going to create an environment so toxic no one will want to be part of that club. Like the time I sold my house to a nice young couple and salted the earth in the backyard so that nothing could grow there for 100 years. Know why I did that? Because they tried to get me to pay their closing costs.

I like minorities so much, I'm thinking of moving to California to become one.

Look at me. Even in the heat of battle, I'm so elegant, regal. I am Ajax, mighty Greek warrior.

...I will go to the animal shelter and get you a kitty cat. I will let you fall in love with that kitty cat. And then on some dark, cold night, I will steal away into your house...and punch you in the face.

Me, I never wanted kids — don't have the time, don't have the uterus.

[Wheelchair ramps] are what I call lazy-makers. They discourage able-bodied students from getting proper exercise by using the stairs.

If I have a pregnant girl doing a handspring into a double layout, the judges aren't going to be admiring her impeccable form, they're going to be wondering if the centrifugal force is going to make the baby's head start crowning.

Ha! I mean, great music and loveable characters and the show is dang funny to boot. Sigh. I miss it already. Also, as if I needed one more thing to love about it, I just read this.

Musical Artists I Love - Ella Fitzgerald

I am mad about Jazz music. Possibly because I grew up watching old movies with my Mom and the musical style of the time was Jazz, maybe because I was in Jazz choir all throughout High School (it’s the cool thing to do in the Northwest, you know), perhaps because Jazz is automatically familiar and sentimental because most of the Christmas standards we grew up with are in that style, but most definitely because its just so classy and inventive and cool. There are a lot of great old Jazz singers- Frank Sinatra, Billie Holiday, Bobby Darin, Sarah Vaughan… and even some contemporary Jazz singers who can hold their own- Diana Krall, Michael Buble', Jane Monheit, Jamie Cullum… If someone had never heard any Jazz though and wanted to know the best, then for me it will always be Ella Fitzgerald. Hands down. I know, I know, old Blue Eyes is the one that probably springs first to mind as 'classic jazz' for most people, and there is no question that he has one of the most iconic voices that ever was. Jazz isn't just about the voice, though, its the style. Not only does Ella have a beautiful, clear quality to her voice that is lovely for ballads, but she is a master at scatting and improvisation. Seriously, the things that woman could do with her voice. She really just becomes one of the instruments in the band. She'll even mess up or forget the words here and there and she just makes them up and keeps going without skipping a beat.

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

I'm Beginning to See the Light

How High the Moon

What I love the best about Ella though is that she just sounds like she is having so much fun. Even when she is singing a heartbreaking ballad it sounds like there is this bubble of joyfulness waiting to burst out. If I could pick one musician/group that I could go back in time and see perform it would be Ella Fitzgerald. Sure it would be thrilling to go back and get caught up in the excitement and energy and fanaticism of an Elvis or Beatles concert, but for the pure experience of watching a musical genius ... I would rather sit in a smokey old club with Ella.

Ella and Louis Armstrong often colaborated. One of my very favorite CDs is Ella and Louis duets. They even singone of my theme songs:

I Won't Dance

Oh and also, she has a killer Louis Armstrong impression:

I Can't Give You Anything But Love


Mack the Knife

I ♥ her.

Show Tunes: The Duets

Well I leave for New York a week from tomorrow, so here is the final edition of Show Tunes! Okay, so, Broadway shows are full of big show-stopper numbers, but they are usually solos or ensemble pieces. Every once in a while though, as if a Broadway ballad wasn't already powerful enough with just one clear incredible voice, the story calls for the harmony of a duet. When I started compiling a list of these I had like forty on it and, sigh, with much difficulty, I cut it back to my Top 15. These aren't all classic romantic duets, and all of them aren't necessarily the most well-known Broadway duets of all time, but for various reasons they are my personal favorites. It's a countdown, though only roughly in order of my least to most favorite, because that would be impossible to decide as it changes frequently ;)

15- Aaah, classic. The smitten and confused young man and the older woman with the hindsight to explain it to him:

You're Just in Love (Call Me Madam- Donald O'Connor & Ethel Merman)


14- If I didn't know the context of this story and the song placement in the show I might find some of these lyrics childish, but as a fanciful farewell to a dying sister, its touching and wonderful:

Some Things Are Meant To Be (Little Women- Sutton Foster & Meg McGinnis)


13- I grew up watching a lot of old movies but I distinctly remember watching this one more than others (though always fast forwarding through the long dream sequence scene- nice on stage, boring on screen) This is fun and flirtatious and the lyrics and the scene are light and charming:

People Will Say We're In Love (Oklahoma- Gordon MacRae & Shirly Jones)


12- I don't think an explanation is necessary. I can't imagine a childhood without running around singing this song running across benches:

Sixteen Going on Seventeen (The Sound of Music- Charmian Carr & Daniel Truhitte)


11- I'm a woman. Of course I enjoy a man singing about his passionate love. This one is two men singing about their passion for the same woman. Also, said woman has passed away so the song is even more infused with frustrated regret and the elevated ardor of haunting memories, all inspired by something as simple as seeing a pair of eyes like hers. 'Nuff said:

Lily's Eyes (The Secret Garden- Mandy Patinkin & Robert Westenberg)


10- This is the lesser-known musical version of the story of the Phantom of the Opera. This one came out around the same time as the Andrew Lloyd Webber version but was sort of ignored I guess because Webber was so huge at the time, coming off of Cats and Evita and such. If I absolutely had to pick a favorite it would be Webber's- I grew up with it and it has such a bittersweet mysteriousness about it, but this Maury Yeston version has some fabulous songs. Like this one:

Home (Phantom- Robert Cuccioli & Laura Benanti)


9- This song is two men inspiring and comforting a woman that it will be alright as they plan to assist her to flee the kingdom- in a TV version they did a few years ago they turned this into a love duet (which you can watch in my Zooey D. post) which I actually prefer since its such a pretty song, but I couldn't track down a recording of that version. I think I like this song so much because I love to travel and I love the dream of adventure and escape and that is what 'Normandy' represents in this song:

Normandy (Once Upon a Mattress- Harry Snow & Matt Maddox)


8- Such a great contemporary show. I love the originality of the bilingual lyrics and the sweetness of the characters dialogue:

Sunrise (In the Heights- Christopher Jackson & Mandy Gonzalez)


7- Anything with these two singing together would be on my list by default, but even without them this is such a hopeful and inspiring tune:

The Wheels of a Dream (Ragtime- Brian Stokes Mitchell & Audra McDonald)


6- This isn't the only musical duet between two women about the same man (I Still Believe from Miss Saigon, In His Eyes from Jekyll & Hyde...) but what I like about this one is that it isn't, 'I'm nothing without you,' or, 'choose me not her.' It's simply reflective that things didn't go perfectly but not necessarily in a regretful way, just in a retrospective way:

I Know Him So Well (Chess- Idina Menzel & Kerry Ellis)


5- Jennifer is awesome- she replaced Kristin Chenoweth as Glinda in Wicked so she is who I saw with Idina Menzel. More trivia- Hunter is brother to Sutton Foster. If you aren't aware of the synopsis of this show, well, it's kind of a dark satire. This song is a fabulous combination of goofy and tender:

Follow Your Heart (Urinetown- Hunter Foster & Jennifer Laura Thompson)


4- This show jumps around to different emotional moments in a five year relationship. I love the sincere, conversational tone of this song, set in the joy of the beginnings of love:

The Next Ten Minutes (The Last Five Years- Leo Norbert Butz & Sherie Rene Scott)


3- This is a twisted love song that start out very humble and ardent and then the lyrics get quite dramatic. This whole play is from the point of view of people who have attempted (and sometimes succeeded) to assassinate US Presidents throughout history. In this songs case, these two were both obsessively 'in love' with someone leading them to their drastic deed. Leave it to Stephen Sondheim to make sinister passion into something beautiful. (Sweeney Todd anyone?):

Unworthy of Your Love (Assassins- Alexander Gemignani & Mary Catherine Garrison)


2- If you haven't seen it, this show really is as great as everyone says. The enigmatic 'everyone' has it right. Also, with the many themes that this story includes- love, confidence, faith, independence, peer pressure, prejudice... when you break it down it is really a story about friendship, and this song wraps it up perfectly:

For Good (Wicked- Idina Menzel & Kristin Chenoweth)


1- This will forever be, to me, the most sweepingly romantic song ever written:

All I Ask of You (The Phantom of the Opera- Steve Barton & Sarah Brightman)

Show Tunes: The Divas

I just went to a production of A Chorus Line last night, so I am pumped up for my second Show Tunes segment! the show is full of wannabe divas, so that is a perfect segue. Now what, may I ask, would a Broadway show be without a diva? (Or, in Glee terms, a "stunning young ingenue everyone roots for"). Not much, that's what. Here are some of my favorite standouts, from old-school Broadway stars down to the more recent up-and-comers:

Ethel Merman- The original Mama Rose in the frequently-revived Gypsy. The Merm could belt. The Merm didn't need a mic. The Merm is classic:

Everything's Coming Up Roses (Gypsy)


Mary Martin- When I think of MM I think wholesome. I think J. M. Barrie and I think Rodgers & Hammerstein:

Cockeyed Optimist (South Pacific)


Julie Andrews - Though possibly most well-known as Maria in film version of The Sound of Music (played by Mary Martin on Broadway) she was the original Eliza Doolittle on Broadway. Audrey Hepburn is one of my all-time favorite people (of all time ;), but she didn't do her own singing in the film version of My Fair Lady. Julie was upset by not being cast in the film after being with Rex Harrison in the Broadway cast, but that same year another little film called Mary Poppins was also released for which Julie won an Oscar. Now that's what I call Karma people:

I Could Have Danced All Night (My Fair Lady)


Patti LuPone- The epitome of diva, right here. Never was there more perfect casting than Miss LuPone as Eva Perone in Evita. What could be more fitting than a diva playing a diva? She was also the original Fantine and a year ago won a Tony for the the most recent revival of Gypsy as a Mama Rose to rival The Merman. (check out this video of her Gypsy acceptance speech. Oh. My. Diva):

I Dreamed a Dream (Les Miserables)


Bernadette Peters- She is phenomenal and I swear the woman doesn't age. I got to see her in a revival of Annie Get Your Gun and also as Mama Rose in Gypsy, and she just has so much humor and charisma (not to mention incredible hair):

Happiness (Sunday in the Park with George)


Elaine Paige- How could we leave out the woman who originated the role with the most overplayed song in Broadway history (Well, this is actually the Original London cast version which I grew up with- on Broadway it was Betty Buckley in the role). She's done plenty of other things too, but she will always be Grizabella to me:

Memory (Cats)


Audra McDonald- Love her. So beautiful and soooo talented. She won three Tony awards by the time she was 28! I would have killed to see her in Ragtime with Brian Stokes Mitchell who is maybe one of the only leading men who can match her musically:

Simple Little Things (110 in the Shade)

Lea Salonga- Ahh, our resident Disney princess. To be honest, I grew up listening to the Original London Cast recording of Les Miserables and I think that Lea's voice (from the Broadway Cast version) is too... pretty, I guess, for Eponine. I prefer the grittier Frances Ruffelle version from the London Cast. Gotta love Lea though, since she is the singing voice of both Jasmine and Mulan and was the heartbreaking Kim in Miss Saigon:

I Would Give My Life For You (Miss Saigon)


Sherie Rene Scott- Such a unique voice and some extremely varied roles:

Here I Am (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels)


Sutton Foster- Saw her in Thoroughly Modern Millie and again in Little Women. She is so high energy and physical comedy and entertainment. Plus, extra points for her guest spot in Season One of Flight of the Conchords as Bret's girlfriend Coco:

Gimmee Gimmee (Thoroughly Modern Millie)


Kristin Chenoweth- She is so fantastic. How in the world does that huge voice and all of that bubbly energy come out of that tiny little body? Though I loved all of the characters, she was possibly my very favorite, or at least the funniest, part of Pushing Daisies:

Goodnight, My Someone (The Music Man)


Idina Menzel- Saw her in Wicked. Twice. Amazing. I think a lot of her appeal is that her voice is so edgy and not a traditional Broadway sound. Girl can go all over the place with her vocals. I have seen Wicked a couple of other times with other leads whose voices were just as good, but seeing her live, it was obviously not just her voice but her personality that won her the role. She has amazing comic timing and this loveable-ness and you really feel like she is the character (Plus, way to bag hottie Taye Diggs (costars in the original cast of Rent) as your husband in real life):

The Life of the Party (The Wild Party)

Kelli O'Hara- I got to see her in The Light in the Piazza and she was incredible. All of the people that I have gotten to see live were of course incredible, that's why they get picked for leading roles in eight times a week live performances, but with Kelli, after her solo numbers, there was literally a ripple throughout the audience of everyone releasing the breath that they had been holding in a unanimous sigh of 'wow.' I would have loved to have seen her in the recent revival of South Pacific. I've no doubt we'll be seeing more of her:

The Light in the Piazza (The Light in the Piazza)


Laura Benanti- Also won a Tony for the recent revival of Gypsy with Patti LuPone. I adore her voice and her character range- she can go from 80s valley girl to opera star:

Unusual Way (Nine)


Karen Olivo- I got to see her as Vanessa in In the Heights a year ago, and this past summer she won a Tony for playing Anita in the revival of West Side Story. I hope she will be in more shows. Great voice, great attitude. We need a Latina Disney princess so that she can play her:

It Won't Be Long Now (In the Heights)


Honorary Mentions:

Barbara Streisand- as Fanny Brice in Funny Girl on Broadway, preceding the movie version:

Don't Rain On My Parade (Funny Girl)

Sara Brightman - though she may not have quite as impressive of a resume as the others as far as Broadway shows go, I could hardly leave out the original Christine Daae. (Plus, she was the muse for the composer, Andrew Lloyd Webber, who became her husband. Er, for a while):

Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again (The Phantom of the Opera)

Linda Eder- though she has done recordings for multiple Broadway shows/songs, she has only starred in one. It's one to remember though (She was also the influence for the composer, Frank Wildhorn who also became her husband. Ummm, but also not anymore):

Someone Like You (Jekyll & Hyde)


There are several others who I considered as well: Liza Minnelli, Angela Lansbury, Marin Mazzie, Stephanie J. Block, Lea Michele ... but these are my standouts. I hope I didn't leave anyone crucial out- other theatre dorks (I know who you are) please correct me if I overlooked someone!