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| Musical Love Songs | |
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Scaramouche 02:52 pm UTC 02/14/09 |
| Broadway World have posted a long list of 'theatre people' choosing their favourite musical love songs (see link). They've listed Jim's choice (Epiphany from Sweeney Todd), which I think was posted last year: 'For me, the most romantic song EVER WRITTEN for the theatre is DEFINITELY "Epiphany" from SWEENEY TODD. Not an obvious choice, but consider: an overwhelmingly powerful outpouring of dark, obsessive, romantic yearning, loss, and emotional waves and torrents. It is powerfully romantic in the sections,set to the "JOHANNA" motif, expressing the love of the lost: Johanna, then Lucy, and finally the crushing embrace of Vengeance and Salvation, the love of what can finally triumphantly be ATTAINED. "Theres a hole in the world/Like a great black pit/And it's filled with people/Who are filled with shit/And the vermin of the world inhabit it--BUT NOT FOR LONG!" Dark exultation that is almost ecstatic. "We all deserve to die!/ And I'll never see Johanna, No, I'll never hug my girl to me" A lament so charged that it is heightened and achingly sensuous. "And my Lucy lies in ashes/And I'll never see my girl again/But the work waits/I'm alive at last/And I'm full of joy!" This is truly erotic, musically and lyrically. This is the ONLY song from theatre that I've mesmerized known rock n'rollers with! It is that febrile, feverish, and heartshattering. A romance for LOVE LOST but VISION CREATED! Thank you, Mr, Sondheim. With transcendence and tumescence. All the other"romantic songs" sound like a little music box next to this mighty church organ. Of course, I confess to having written "Once upon a time there was light in my life/Now there's only love in the dark/Nothing I can do/A total eclipse of the heart." I love what Jim sees in the song and if you reeeeally listen you know his vision is perfect. On the subject of love songs, I love how Jim uses 'Heaven Can Wait' within Neverland, especially injecting the Hot Summer Night 'vows' which is fucking funny, clever & perverted, all at that same time - LOL! However I KNOW that if/when 'For Crying Out Loud' is used in the Bat musical, it will be THE greatest love song for a stage show. The opening line 'I was lost till you were found...' says it all, but the coda takes it to a magical, glorious height, that very few writers can attain. | |
| URL: | http://www.broadwayworld.com/vday09/ |
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