Broadway showtunes, poetry, and how they function as a lifeline when you need one...

I seem to be picking up the serious, melancholy, and thought-provoking in everything lately. G and I went to see an amazing production of Putting It Together, which strings together Sondheim lyrics (no spoken dialogue the entire show), and traces the inner workings of two couples' relationships set in a somewhat fraught "party." The voices at Weathervane are amazing, and Sondheim's lyrics and the score are always a little tinged with danger, sadness, and what I'd rather call the sound of the human condition. That said, if you are local and without something to do right away, go see it. They are only doing four shows. 

What was particularly show-stopping, for me, was when Marisa Kirby (she's a powerhouse) nailed "Could I Leave You" from Follies. Breathtaking. And thought-provoking; relationships, especially long-standing ones, are never all hearts and flowers. There's a lot of incidental, accidental damage that happens, too. Where you go from those moments is what the show is all about. NO worries, it ends well. But wow.

I grew up listening to Broadway show tunes. Not all of them perky, happy things, either. In fact, one of the very first ones I listened to was the complete soundtrack to Follies. My parents, when I was quite small, went to NYC with friends to see it live, and of course bought the recording afterward. Not the usual fare for a child to listen to, and this was when I was really little-- maybe 7 or 8? But from there came my sense of what made really dramatic music, how a song tells a story. It's poetry, really. Another of my favorite songs from Follies is "Losing My Mind." For a while there, it was running through my head just a couple of years ago, though the situation in my own life was not the same as that of the character-- but the words worked their magic-- they helped me figure out each day. That's what good lyrics and poems do; they give you words when you don't have any, and when things go out of control in your life, they are a lifeline. 

Yes, I have talismanic poems and songs besides Broadway showtunes, but these run through my life and my brain frequently. I'm grateful; it's one of the true gifts my parents-- mostly my dad-- gave me. I was never comfortable on stage, but I truly appreciate the connections that the music has given me over a lifetime of ups and downs. 

I hope you have music in your life, too.

C

Bonus: From Into the Woods, "Children Will Listen" as sung by the incomparable Bernadette Peters. And blessed heavenly birthday, Dad. Thank you for all the musical gifts.