Broadwayworld Jukebox: 30 Songs for Your 2020/21 Tony Party

 I may have missed the Tony Awards but I sure am enjoying the Broadway World playlist. 

"Fun Home", "Here Lies Love", and "The Bridges of Madison County" Top Playbill's Best Tunes of 2014

I know...while my own Playlist is badly in need of review and update, why do I have time to check out Playbill's Ben Rimalower's playlist of Best Showtunes from Cast Albums of 2014. Looking through the list, I realize there wasn't much original music on Broadway last year and interestingly, If/Then is not on his playlist...

Hmmmm....on to the list...

10. "I've Decided to Marry You" - A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder

9. "Betsy's Getting Married" - Honeymoon in Vegas

8. "Four Friends" - Ghost Quartet

7. "Dead Girl Walking" - Heathers

6. "Almost Real" - The Bridges of Madison County

5. "Changing My Major" - Fun Home

4. "God Draws Straight" - Here Lies Love 

3. One Second and a Million Miles - The Bridges of Madison County

2. "Ring of Keys" - Fun Home 

1. "Here Lies Love" - Here Lies Love

Related Posts 
Condola Rashad's Juliet Playlist
Playbill's Top Summer Showtunes 

My Newfound Obsession with Stephen Sondheim’s "Losing My Mind"

Meet Sally and Phyllis. They are roommates and Follies showgirls. Now meet best friends Buddy and Ben. Sally is in love with Ben but he snubs her and marries Phyllis. Sally settles for Buddy. Fast forward some 30 years at the reunion at the soon to be torn down Weismann Theater. Sally, Phyllis, Buddy and Ben are miserable in their marriages. Not surprising, Sally is still in love Ben. Ben and Sally have a tender moment and she is so ready to leave Buddy and run off with Ben. They are then transported to Loveland – some sort of souped up Follies dream show where Sally, Phyllis, Buddy and Ben all perform wonderful Stephen Sondheim songs. However, the one song that I cannot get out of my head these days is Losing My Mind where Sally sings of her obsession with Ben morning, afternoon and through sleepless nights. 

She sings:  

You said you loved me
Or were you just being kind
Or am I losing my mind

Most recently I saw Losing My Mind performed on the New York City stage by Barbara Cook in Sondheim on Sondheim, Bernadette Peters in FOLLIES (currently in revival on Broadway) and Karen Akers in her Live, Laugh Love – Akers Sings Sondheim currently at the Oak Room at the Algonquin Hotel. If you youtube the song, you will find many many many performances of the torch tune. However, while I had issues with FOLLIES (check out my thoughts here), Bernadette Peters' rendition of Losing My Mind now resonates most with me. Why? Hadley Freeman sums it up best in her review  in The Guardian. 

When she sings Losing My Mind, she sings with biting anger, as opposed to the usual blind adoration. She is furious – maybe at Ben, maybe at herself – that she has wasted the past 30 years obsessed with a man who has never loved her and never will.

The new Broadway cast FOLLIES CD comes out in late November. When it does, Ms. Peters' rendition will most definitely be added to My Broadway Playlist.

Playlist Addition: Music from "The Book of Mormon"

So, I have been rocking my special 1.99 album download of The Book of Mormon. While I love the whole album, I find myself playing the following tracks over and over. Therefore, I am adding them to my Broadway Playlist.

1) Turn It Off 

This song is a good example of using humor to bring up a sad matter. Just repress your feelings and do not deal with issues. Simply "turn it off like a light switch." Sad!

2) I Believe

Well, I blogged about God changing his mind about about black people after the Tony telecast. Now let's see, 

"Ancient Jews built boats and sailed to America" 

Kolob

Garden of Eden is in Mississippi

Did I miss any? 

3) Joseph Smith American Moses

I love this song because it wraps up the show. This tune is not much better than Hasa Diga Eebowai but it is hilarious as hell - just as it was to watch. A culmination of the book according to Arnold. Funny, funny, funny!!!

I have to give a special mention to Man Up - which is what I feel like telling the House as they work through the debt ceiling. Also, I was reminded of Two by Two when I spotted two pairs of Mormons in Wildwood NJ on my way back to the city from my Cape May Rachel Crothers getaway. Finally, I just couldn't add Hasa Diga Eebowai to the list; if I can't play it in front of my mother, it doesn't go on the list. E9GHGRQXKJR3