Friday, May 20, 2011

The 30-Day Musical Theater Song Challenge, Part 1

I came across this challenge on Facebook and thought I'd give it a try. By now, it should be no secret that I'm an avid fan of musical theater, which is not the case for many people in this country (and it's easy to understand why). If you're a Broadway junkie like myself, then my 'repertoire' is yours to sample. Otherwise, you're in for some 'new' music to... add to your playlist, perhaps? 

Note: The instructions say to post this on your 'Wall', one song per day, but since we're in Blogger, I'm having it my way.

A song from you latest musical obsession.


"ANOTHER HUNDRED PEOPLE" from Company
a concert cover by Lea Salonga

Lately, I've been sort of obsessed with Stephen Sondheim, otherwise known as the American god of musical theater. In Company, we have the commitment-phobic bachelor Bobby celebrating his 35th birthday, and throughout the musical we are introduced to his girlfriends and married friends. Another Hundred People is sung by his latest flame Marta, a wild-spirited New Yorker, in a number that juxtaposes song with scenes of Bobby and his women. In the barest sense, its about the seemingly ephemeral lives that people run in the big city, about fleeting loves and one-night flings, about a city of strangers where people seem to just come and go, where you meet someone one second and say goodbye the next. The tempo illustrates just that - making the song a tongue-twister as well as a breathing-technique challenge for the singer.

In January 2008, Lea Salonga opened her Iloilo City concert debut with this song; I was still in 3rd year high school, ignorant of Sondheim but quite enthralled by the repetitive nature of the song, the mention of trains most especially.

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