Musical Lyrical Lingo
We're Musical Lyrical Lingo!
Join Tim and Lj who delve deep into the wonderful world of musical theatre and more importantly the lessons they have learned from different musicals.
Join them as they explore some of the greatest musicals ever created, from the classics to the new and exciting shows that continue to teach us something new.
So whether you're a seasoned fan of the stage or a newcomer, this podcast is for you.
So sit back, relax and get ready to immerse yourself in the world of musical theatre.
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Musical Lyrical Lingo
Romantic Tunes and Theatrical Tales
What truly makes a love song unforgettable? Find out as we share our humorous and heartfelt exploration into the world of musical theatre love songs in this Valentine's special. We begin with a light-hearted critique of Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Love Changes Everything" and then provide thrilling updates from the theatre world, like Boy George's Broadway comeback in Moulin Rouge and the upcoming English-language Titanic production in Paris. As we celebrate Elaine Page's monumental 60-year career, we highlight the artistry of character development and storytelling that makes these love songs resonate so deeply.
Join us as we journey through our top musical theatre love songs, where unexpected gems and iconic classics alike are celebrated. Lj and Tim humorously debate their picks, from the poignant "You Matter to Me" from Waitress to the underrated "Unexpected Song" from Song and Dance. Their conversation sheds light on the emotional depth, relatable imagery, and poetic language that continue to captivate audiences. They explore the magic behind musical theatre's ability to convey profound emotions and inspire listeners through narratives that beautifully capture the essence of love.
As they reflect on timeless classics from Rodgers and Hammerstein, including highlights from The King and I and Carousel, they appreciate their enduring impact and lyrical mastery. They acknowledge how the evolution of musical theatre has influenced contemporary love songs, all while celebrating personal favorites like "I'll Cover You" from Rent and "Heart Full of Love" from Les Misérables. Together, and revel in the emotional complexities these pieces bring to life, underscoring the power of musical theatre to create lasting impressions and evoke the beauty of love in all its forms.
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Hello and welcome to Musical Lyrical Lingo. We're your hosts, tim.
Speaker 2:LJ. Today and every week we will be discussing musicals, but specifically what they taught us.
Speaker 1:Love is in the air. Oh no, that's not the song I wanted to sing. It was love. Love changes everything. Don't know. The next lyrics hands and faces, earth and sky, earth and sky. Nothing in the world will ever be the same.
Speaker 2:Quite possibly the worst love song yes, oh gosh, it's terrible like a lot, but I remember it being shoved in our faces a lot whenever we were younger. Yeah, that it was like a big that number?
Speaker 1:Yeah, that number? Yeah, not necessarily the show Aspects of Love, andrew Lloyd Webber's, and actually the music in Aspects of Love is beautiful, but that song's just. I think it's a victim of being overplayed, isn't it? Yeah, why are we talking about love, lauren?
Speaker 2:Because we're doing a special episode Valentine, because we're doing a special episode Valentine's special.
Speaker 1:We're all loved up in the studio. Not too loved up, because that would be inappropriate for Best Buds, but yes. Yeah, I know, we thought we would, you know so many episodes in spice it up Spicy, just in time for Valentine's Day. I love doing a little love song, a love song concoction, just so that you and your loved ones can sit on Valentine's night and listen to us. Isn't that right, lauren?
Speaker 2:we'll make a little playlist and on our socials.
Speaker 1:Please send us your wee loved up pictures of you and your lovely romantic male candlelight dinner for two with musical lyrical lingo on in the background. We would really appreciate receiving them from our fans. Okay, I would love that. You know it's nice to be included in such occasions.
Speaker 1:Can you imagine a wee dinner for two and just our wee faces popping up and going hello, how's your starter? Is it good? Hello, are you enjoying yourself? So there we go. Yes, that's our Valentine's special. Yeah, some loved up Valentine's news, I suppose. What is the better news? So Moulin Rouge, I wonder. Do you have any Moulin Rouge numbers today? I don't, nor do I, but Moulin Rouge, I wonder. Do you have any Moulin Rouge numbers today? I don't, nor do I, but Moulin Rouge is kind of a wee lovey-dovey musical, isn't it? It is, yeah, and UK pop star Boy George will be returning to Broadway's production of Moulin Rouge, that is so surprising.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I know Well, he's already played Harold Ziedler last year, but he's returning on the 18th of March to have another go. Okay, I mean reviews were okay. Yeah, well, I know that's it Like. It's not as if he was like a surrounding success. That's the wrong word, Not surrounding Resounding success the first time round. But listen, hey Ho, it's a name, isn't it? Sell a few more tickets and I think, probably a favourite of ours this season, Titanic.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:Which is currently in London like going down an absolute storm. Well, it is obviously the musical which involves Celine Dion and her songs and the Titanic story it is actually going to sail into. Is it? Lido 2 in Paris in April in an English language production. So it is going to the city of love. Oh la la Mon chéri.
Speaker 2:Yeah, Titanic is getting some amazing reviews with the lovely Lauren Drew.
Speaker 1:Indeed, yeah. So I thought that was quite exciting news as well for Titanic and Celine Dion and just love in general. I thought that was quite exciting news as well for Titanic and Celine Dion, and just love in general General loving, Okay.
Speaker 2:And then we all do love BBC Two musical theatre legend Elaine Page, don't we? And we all?
Speaker 1:do love BBC Two, particularly on a Sunday. Let's plug our friend EP Elaine Page not Aaron, our executive producer, who is in my good books because he told me I had a warm voice, warm tones before we started recording. Yeah, warm tones. I said that's every day, aaron, every day, that's just my natural speaking tone, anyway, no. So Elaine Page, 60 years in the biz, oh I know, isn't that incredible? Yeah, well, they're going to celebrate that career with a gala concert on the 25th of April in the London Palladium, which will then be broadcast on the 4th of May.
Speaker 2:Amazing.
Speaker 1:Amazing. So there we go, all lovey-dovey'd up, that's some lovely news so today, in celebration of Valentine's Day, we are going to share some of our favourite love songs from the world of musical theatre. Yeah, now Lauren, what? What makes, in your opinion, a good musical theatre love song?
Speaker 2:I was really thinking about that as I was doing a bit of research and for me it's um what the character development happens through that song. Yeah, that I think is one of the reasons why my number one is my number one.
Speaker 1:Oh interesting, that's exciting.
Speaker 2:So I think a love song is more than I love you, you love me and we're so amazing and seen. You know, I think that actually it, you know, either develops a character more or moves the story forward. I just like a little bit of meat on that love song, because some love songs are a little bit watery yeah so that, what do you think?
Speaker 1:I think you're spot on there. The rule book would say that a good musical theatre love song lyric combines a balance of emotional depth, right, relatable imagery, and I think that's important in a love story or a love song Like, yeah, it has to be relatable to the listener or the audience member, doesn't it? You know, you have to kind of see yourself in their situation or you know their predicament. Poetic language and a clear connection to the character's story, often expressing complex feelings of love while remaining accessible to the audience Perfect, isn't that a good, good wording? So you were. Your opinion is pretty close to what they say in the rule book.
Speaker 2:To be quite honest, Well, that's why I host a musical theatre podcast.
Speaker 1:Yeah. So here's the thing, listeners, we talked about this and we went right, okay, so let's do our top. You know top musical theatre, love songs. Yeah, let's just do our top five because you know we'll run out of time. I walk in today and Lauren's going yes, so I've got my top ten and I'm like top ten, we agreed on five.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but I did a message and say I found it too hard to do five, so I got a top 10 list, and then I'm just going to talk about my top five. That's okay. I did tell you that.
Speaker 1:You did and, to be fair, I've got my top five and some highly recommended just in case you nick some of mine.
Speaker 2:Yeah Well, and I also should say there's one song that I don't have in my top 10 because I knew it was going to be in your top 10. Oh, really so I kind of don't have it.
Speaker 1:Will you not be gobsmacked?
Speaker 2:if it's not, I will eat my hat if it is not in your top five, but where is that In my top five? Yeah, so I do have 10, but we'll talk about five.
Speaker 1:You are hilarious. So Lauren, who never follows the rules, but I love her, so it's fine. Shall we go with number five then, ladies first, then Go with my number five. What is your number?
Speaker 2:five my number five is I don't know if you would expect this this is unexpected, song from song and dance unexpected song.
Speaker 1:Okay, interesting choice sorry, like that denise van outen's. Um, yeah, did that once upon a time, didn't she?
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Marty Webb did she do as well.
Speaker 2:Did she?
Speaker 1:Marty. No, but there's a Marty. There's a musical theatre, Marty, which isn't. Oh, marty Webb. Yeah, sorry, I was thinking of Marty Webb. Yeah, marty Webb, yeah, I was right. Talk to me about it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so Unexpected Song by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Dawn Black from the little not and Dawn Black from the little. Not many people know of it. Song and Dance, and what I mean is not many people know of it unless you're really in the musical theatre world. So it is a 1985 musical which was actually nominated for 10 Tonys, okay, which I didn't know, yeah, especially when it's like not the conventional musical.
Speaker 2:No, so it's called Song and Dance. So the first act is done in song and the second act is done in dance, but it follows the main character, emma, and she at this time when she sings Unexpected Love because I'm not going to go into the full musical in case.
Speaker 1:No, we might do it eventually. Yeah, no, that's fair, bernadette.
Speaker 2:Peters made it famous as well. So.
Speaker 1:Unexpected song.
Speaker 2:Anyway, that's my Bernie. But at this point she hasn't really found love.
Speaker 1:It's not who she thinks he is, it's not who she thinks he is it's always the way, isn't it Then?
Speaker 2:she delivers this song by the end of the musical they do embrace, and that is at the end of the show. This Spoiler. Yeah, but I love this song as a love song because I do think we get a bit of an insight into Emma. She obviously is somebody who really wants to be loved and wants to find love, and I feel like sometimes love does come out of nowhere and that's what she's able to communicate through this. So, yeah, unexpected song.
Speaker 1:Very good, and the first for Andrew Lloyd Webber. Could he be one of the world's lovey-dovey composers? We'll see how many Andrew Lloyd Webber's songs we have. So I like. I agree that's a good one for number five Out of the box. It's not quite the one I would have thought you'd have gone in for. My number five is you Matter to Me from Waitress by Sara Bareilles, so the musical adaptation of the film Waitress. At this point Jenna finds solace from an abusive marriage with love interest, dr Pomatter, her doctor, with tender lyrics. In you Matter to Me, the two affirm their love for each other and relish in finding a partner to requite their feelings.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and it does also make me feel a bit funny, though, as well.
Speaker 1:It's her doctor. Yeah, it's her doctor. I knew you were going to say that. It's a beautiful moment, lauren, of vulnerability, yeah, and calm amongst I think the issue with this song, and why it gets me every time, is Jenna's going through so much crap.
Speaker 1:Do you know what I mean? It's a tumultuous journey she's going through. Her husband is abusive and absolutely horrible. She's fallen pregnant with his baby. She doesn't want that extra. You know commitment to him. You know she has decided she's going to enter a pie making competition. I can say all this because we've done Waitress Just so that she can make enough money to basically leave him. And then, through this whole awful journey of hers, she meets Dr Pomatter, who actually is the opposite of her abusive husband, and they just kind of fall head over heels in love. Yeah, because you matter to me. Simple and plain and not much to ask of somebody. You matter to me, I promise you do you matter to me, I promise you do you. You matter to me. Part of the song's beauty is Dr Pometer is already happy with what Jenna offers him. You know he's not looking for anything. He's like you simply are enough.
Speaker 2:Which she hasn't felt in such a long time. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:So it's a really really nice, cutesy one. I should probably have said right from the word go I'm not a lovey dovey. Either of us really are. I find love a bit ugh, but we're going to underplay that for the sake of our Valentine's special, because, you imagine, during the romantic dinner, come dessert, they get to this bit in the podcast. They've had it fast actually, and they go oh gosh, it's suddenly turned into a bit of a downer Down with love. No, it's lovely when you experience it, yeah, but I don't sit at home all day, every day, listening to love songs.
Speaker 2:I would find that very depressing, yeah, absolutely. Yeah, okay, number four listening to love songs.
Speaker 1:And yeah, yeah, absolutely yeah, okay, number four my number four is oh, I think I've read it the wrong way around. Um, I can hear the bells. Good start. So are you saying I can hear the bells was your number five?
Speaker 2:no, um, I can hear the bells from Hairspray by Mark Sheeman and Scott McElwain. Why have I only done that? I don't know what you're talking.
Speaker 1:None of the listeners know what you're talking about. You need to explain yourself better.
Speaker 2:I haven't. I can't write or even read my own notes. Anyway, number four is I can hear the bells.
Speaker 1:Have. Number four is I Can Hear the Bells, have you got your numbers wrong? Yeah, I've just got my numbers wrong. Okay, can I just say you've obviously spoken about. You think you know what one of my five are and you'll be amazed if it's not there. I knew I Can Hear the Bells was going to be in your top five.
Speaker 2:I know, I just adore that song. You do and I know some people are like it's not even a great song, but for me I think I just love the passion of Tracy in that and maybe I remember feeling like, you know, a teenage girl, feeling like I was in love with somebody that I wasn't in love with. But then I was quite young whenever I met Aaron.
Speaker 1:Oh, but Lauren, you were always in flipping love in school Like. You were always in love.
Speaker 2:No' love in school Like you were always in love, no, I wasn't you were.
Speaker 1:I was like oh, it's love, we'll see. And I was always the bad boys you fell in love with.
Speaker 2:Well, yeah, but they didn't fall in love with me no, correct, Exactly because they're bad boys. I just had an obsession with people that didn't like me anyway. Um, yeah, so I just I love it. I think it's the book and, um, you know, through she's kind of imagining everything and she's just like I can hear the bells and she doesn't figure out, she doesn't care what else is going on around her. She's just in this little bubble and she's just dreaming of Link and I just love it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I just think it's a great song.
Speaker 1:I just love that you can reenact it in your living room. All characters, tracy, link and the background, the backing vocals.
Speaker 2:Yeah, Ding, ding, ding. I just think I just love the song. Can I test you?
Speaker 1:really quickly.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I do love it. I just think. I just love the song.
Speaker 1:Can I test you really quickly? Yeah, go for it Round one?
Speaker 2:He'll ask me on a date.
Speaker 1:And then Round two He'll sks something and won't be late. Yeah, round three. When we kiss inside his car, we'll go all the way. We'll go all the his car. We'll go all the way. We won't go all the way, but we'll go pretty far. Very good, okay, lovely.
Speaker 2:I do love that wee song. So there, that's my number four.
Speaker 1:Hairspray as a musical is full of love, isn't it? Oh yeah, Like it's just a lovely love. Yeah, yeah, Like it's just a lovey-dove yeah.
Speaker 2:But and I probably it's funny that I have it as number four in a top five, but if we were doing a top ten it might have been maybe like eight or something, but I did want to talk about it.
Speaker 1:You just wanted it in there somewhere, didn't you? Yeah, well, my number four is Some Enchanted Evening from South Pacific. Oh yeah, some enchanted evening. You may fight see a stranger. Yeah, I, yeah, I went old school more than I ever thought I would. Yeah, it was quite telling this for me. I first of all found it really difficult to do a top five, and I think you were the same, weren't you? Hence, you've got your turn. Yeah, so this Rodgers and Hammerstein classic embodies the essence of love at first sight.
Speaker 2:Yeah, oh, south Pacific is one that we really have to do soon, yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 1:Its lush melody and romantic lyrics perfectly capture the magic of falling in love. And then add on to that a really, really good male singer with that big, deep baritone, bassy voice, it's like unbelievable and.
Speaker 2:I think that does everything, that what we spoke about before we launched into them is like it moves the story forward and you can see the development of the characters from this song. So, yeah, that's an excellent choice.
Speaker 1:And I think the lyrics are absolutely brilliant. Like the wonder of love in the lyrics is amazing. So, like some enchanted evening, someone may be laughing and that idea of how, like for me, laughter is really important in a relationship, you know someone may be laughing. You may hear them laughing across the crowded floor and night after night, as strange as it seems, the sound of her laughter will sing in your dreams Like it's so beautiful. Some enchanted evening when you find your true love, when you hear her call you across a crowded room, then fly to your side and make her your own. Or all through your life you will live. All through what is it? All through your life you may dream, all alone.
Speaker 2:Aww.
Speaker 1:Once you have found her, never let her go. That's what they sing, and who can explain it? Who can tell you why I love this line? I think it's my favourite Fools give you reasons. Wise men, never try. Aww that's cute. I know it is. Maybe I am a wee romantic at heart. Who would have thought Hard old Tim. He's melting under the glow of Valentine's lighting.
Speaker 2:That was lovely.
Speaker 1:Thank you Aw good choice.
Speaker 2:Thank you, oh, good choice.
Speaker 1:Thank you.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 1:Number three, Lauren.
Speaker 2:Number three is Sarah Browneyes from Ragtime.
Speaker 1:Oh, this is why I love you. This is why you're one of my best mates.
Speaker 2:So by Lynn Adrens did I say that right? And Stephen Charles Flattery. So it is from Ragtime Again. I'm not going to go into it.
Speaker 1:No, we have to do that musical.
Speaker 2:But this is the meeting of two of the characters, Sarah and Cole House, and again it all comes down to a really great singer for Cole House and a really amazing singer for Sarah, but it has to be that husky, masculine but saying these words of like devotion, yeah, and it's a bit like love at first sight and it's pure devotion between the two of them.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and it's almost like that rough and smooth that's what I get, you know or like a really rich, bitter dark chocolate. Yeah, you know something which you're like, oh, that just feels so good. Yeah, and I it just it's all heartbreaking, it's all beautiful, and yeah, I don't want to say too much no about it. I don't even like want to go into lyrics or anything, um, because we will. We will do ragtime, but I just love that song yeah, I saw that in new york broadway.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and we didn't know what we were going to see. And that love song made me cry. I actually the tear came dripping down my cheek because it was just so beautiful. Great choice, oh, that gives you. That makes your bones like rabble, that song.
Speaker 2:It is. Oh, it's just stunning. Just stunning. But yeah, I think the connection, that's it, between the two of them from what he is saying.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:It's just alluded, is that right?
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:Through the song and the performance.
Speaker 1:And that relationship was a struggle even to get to this stage of having a relationship which makes it even more powerful and, you know, makes it connect even more with the audiences. Oh, lovely choice. Now I've kind of cheated for number three, in that I've kind of put two songs, but here's my defence. Did for number three, in that I've kind of put two songs, but here's my defense, here's my defense. Right, they're both love songs and they're both sung by the same characters. Okay, so the musical is the King and I, which was my mummy's favourite.
Speaker 1:I went through a whole episode of that and the two songs are. I have dreamed that your eyes are lovely and we kissed in the shadows. Oh, it's so beautiful. It's so beautiful.
Speaker 1:right Bye, Shock that just hurts my heart too, because it is your favourite and I just love it Like they are beautiful, beautiful love song, and actually the more I was listening to because it actually went oh, I'm going to go and listen to that musical again and I haven't listened to it in years, like I mean years. And as I listened to it I was like this is a musical full of love songs. Full of love songs and surprisingly, my number three is written by Rodgers and Hammerstein, so my number four and my number three have been by the same musical composers. Yeah, Also.
Speaker 2:That's really funny as well, because South Pacific and King and I, whenever we had it, it was on a VHS back in the day. It was on the same VHS.
Speaker 1:Oh, wow. Oh see, the links are insane. Oh see, the links are insane. So, anyone who doesn't know, the King and I first debuted in Broadway back in 1951 and has been adapted for film. So there's a big, quite, you know, famous popular film and stage revivals a number of times in the decades that have passed. My mummy's favourite, as I've said, and probably one of the most romantic musicals, and I think that's why she liked it. She liked a bit of romance. One of the most romantic songs is I have Dreamed where young lovers Top Tim and Loonthai I think I'm not great with Loonthai yeah, express their love and intentions to run away together. Express their love and intentions to run away together, and I think that's what makes their partnership and these songs even more like powerful. Because it's forbidden love, they're not allowed to be in love. Yeah, he sings in these dreams I've loved you, so that by now I think I know what it's like to be loved by you. I will love being loved by you. I will love being loved by you.
Speaker 2:I will love being loved by you.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:That is so beautiful Right.
Speaker 1:I know. And then, all in our secret, together, we sigh for one smiling day to be free because they can't be with each other. To kiss Love this line my favourite lyric. To kiss in love this line, my favourite lyric. To kiss in the sunlight and say to the sky behold and believe what you see, behold how my lover loves me, oh, Beautiful, isn't it? Yeah.
Speaker 2:Adorable.
Speaker 1:I'm really proud of my choices.
Speaker 1:to be fair, You're very good and I love that you have the lyrics and all too yeah but for me, I think, more than a melody or anything, I mean, it's, it's our podcast, isn't it? But particularly for love songs, the lyrics, I think, outweigh a beautiful, fancy, gorgeous melody. Yeah, in a love song, do you know? Yeah, true, the lyrics have to be right, because you can have a beautiful melody and a really cheesy lyric. Do you know what I mean? And it doesn't hit the same, it doesn't have the same impact. All right, we're getting close now, okay, close.
Speaker 2:My number two is. If I Loved you from Carousel.
Speaker 1:If I Loved you, uh-huh.
Speaker 2:A Rodgers and Hammerstein musical.
Speaker 1:It is.
Speaker 1:So I think we know which composers have come out on top I think so, well, this is the thing, this is what I kind of thought. Oh, I can't wait because, as we've said before to our listeners, we don't like, we don't plan or talk about anything that we're going to do in the pod. We arrive and we've done our own, like research and our own work behind it, and then it's a surprise to us as much as it is to your listeners. So we haven't, we haven't told each other what our top five were, and I was what I was thinking when I saw in my research oh, rogers and hammerstein again yeah it'll be interesting to see if there are any composers that come out yeah, in your list.
Speaker 1:Do you know what I mean? More than once or twice, but it's interesting you've got a Roger, I mean. Some say they were the best. Yeah, or one of certainly.
Speaker 2:Where you're saying you know, south Pacific and King and I are all about love. I think Carousel, yes, love, it's just love, from start to finish.
Speaker 1:Thousand percent.
Speaker 2:And I know some people do not like Carousel Musco, but I love Carousel, again, not going to go into it because we'll be talking about it, but this is the meeting of Julie and Billy and kind of two characters who shouldn't be together. Yeah, then find that there's a little spark there, um, and it's just.
Speaker 2:But if I loved you, you know time and again, I would try to serve yeah it's, it's lovely and maybe because it's old school and maybe something um that would have been on in the background or you know, it's got a real nostalgic feel for me, but I just think it has a really top tier love song and then that musical is just great. But yeah, we're not going to go into it.
Speaker 1:Well, can I give you full disclosure? Yeah, my number two was If I Love you from Carousel, yep, oh, yep.
Speaker 2:Oh, my goodness.
Speaker 1:And I think we have now established that Rodgers and Hammerstein are the masters of the conventional love song or the conditional love song, and Carousel's If I Love you is a gold standard, isn't it really?
Speaker 2:And probably their best I love you love song really yeah, and actually I feel that you could choose any of the songs in Carousel and claim they are a love song. Just not a man woman song so, yeah, I'm actually really excited to do that episode as well. But, yeah, what beautiful. But maybe it's because they knew each other so well Rodgers and Hammerstein, yeah, maybe, like there are three very different musical South Pacific, king and Lime.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:You know Carousel. Obviously you know the Terrible Love Song and the Terrible.
Speaker 1:Oklahoma, don't you dare. But listen. Ok, I'm going to fall on my sword here a wee bit. Right, when it comes to love songs, like the love songs that we've spoken about from Rodgers and Hammerstein, the love songs in Oklahoma, don't challenge them. Do you know what I mean? Like, if you're going to Oklahoma for the love songs, they're much better, yes, they're much better Rodgers and Hammerstein love songs out there. Do you know what I mean? So there you go, aren't you? Are you proud of me? I actually said something that was mildly offensive towards my beloved Oklahoma.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I think that's what I was trying to say. I'm just not the best at articulating myself.
Speaker 1:As in. What I'm saying is no, you just wanted to be a coy about Oklahoma again.
Speaker 2:What I was going to say is these guys are amazing at these love songs that we've just pointed out, but yeah, in Oklahoma there isn't that amazing love song. No, I feel. In my opinion, so it wasn't that they couldn't write them.
Speaker 1:They're just that musical. They couldn't write one, but maybe that musical was more than just a love story. Interestingly, also, whilst we're on on the the topic of them and their loves, love songs, although popular in the golden age, musical like you don't have those straightforward, conditional love songs in. You know musicals today, you just don't find them. It's like the genre of musical theatre has moved on so much. You know, if I love you is a musical conversation um a massive revelation in a musical comedy at the time, yeah, that carousel premiered. Do you know what I mean? Stephen Sondheim has actually referred to that scene and song as probably the singularly most important moment of the evolution of contemporary musicals.
Speaker 2:Because I was going to say, maybe because they certainly say they don't make musicals how they used to. No, they don't.
Speaker 1:And they don't write love songs where they used to.
Speaker 2:But then you know they were writing very specifically for, like a type of character and a type of relationship as well.
Speaker 1:So now, as the world has evolved, yeah they don't, they don't fit and they would stick out like a sore thumb because you do you feel there aren't the conventional characters in modern musicals today than there were back in the day.
Speaker 2:I think that's it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's an interesting point.
Speaker 2:I actually love that.
Speaker 1:we've done four each now and that's the first one, yeah yeah, and interesting, the year Carousel premiered there were four different recordings of I Love you and they all clanged to, you know, popularity in the music charts. So Perry Como came in at number three in the March, frank Sinatra and his version came in at number seven in the July, and then Bing Crosby and Harry James came in at number eight in the August.
Speaker 2:Oh, okay.
Speaker 1:I mean they flooded the airwaves with If I Loved you.
Speaker 2:But I think also what carries that song in particular is the melody. Yeah, so I know you've spoken about the lyrics, but if you just think of If I Loved you and the way that that kind of goes, it's almost like a journey that it's taking you on. So, yeah, the music is quite impactful.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yes, yeah, absolutely, because there's very few lyrics. Yeah, do you know what I mean? Actually, they kind of repeat the same lyrics a lot.
Speaker 2:It's funny, isn't it? Yeah? We're contradicting ourselves on what we're saying from previous. I know, yeah, but I know, yeah, but this works, and I suppose that's what's really nice about looking at. You know, whenever we do episodes like this and we get to pull songs out, yeah from the musical and look at them separately. Yeah, quite fun.
Speaker 1:So okay, it was brilliant. So here we go, lauren. Oh yes, yes, back to me. Yeah, because that was my number two. What was your number one love song? Musical theatre love song.
Speaker 2:As Long as You're Mine, as long as you're mine, wicked, yeah.
Speaker 1:Stephen Schwartz.
Speaker 2:And it's going to come back full circle to the very beginning, because Elphaba and Fiyero are declaring their love in this song. It starts with the first note of no One Mourns the Wicked. Elphaba and Fiyero are declaring their love in this song. It is. It starts with the first note of no One Mourns the Wicked and at the very end of the song she says it's the first time I feel, and then she says the title Wicked, and it's the development of the character for that song. So there's the love, but also she is wicked, you know, and I'm putting wicked and you know inverted, um, but I mean, I just, I just think there's so much um passion in it. There's a massive character development. You kind of have always been able to tell there's something between these two characters and this is the first moment that they, I feel, are living their authentic, true selves with each other and I think it is a real passion. I love some.
Speaker 1:It's beautiful.
Speaker 2:Did you know, though, the basic tune was originally composed by Schwartz in the 1970s?
Speaker 1:Oh.
Speaker 2:And originally used it as the opening song in Wicked.
Speaker 1:Interesting.
Speaker 2:And then it became a late Act 2 number.
Speaker 1:Okay, and are you excited this year to see what Cynthia Erivo and Jonathan Bailey bring to it? A?
Speaker 2:hundred and twenty-five minutes yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 1:Because I think it's one of those songs in the musical that can open itself up to a bit of interpretation.
Speaker 2:And also it's really funny. This is going to be very bizarre. You knew Torvald and Dean.
Speaker 1:Okay, I cannot wait to hear where this is going.
Speaker 2:Yes, bolero, bolero and Bolero starts on the ground and then on their knees. Well, isn't that major imagery for as Long as You're Mine.
Speaker 1:Well, they're like sort of Do you think they're going to do like an ice skating routine to Bolero?
Speaker 2:But for me, as Long as You're, mine is. The staging of it is as iconic as Bolero is yeah people, so I'm intrigued and listen by the movie yeah, and listen.
Speaker 1:People are listening to our podcasts across the world. So if there's any artistic ice, you know figure skaters out there looking for a new routine to do as their duet, you know to get them into the next winter olympics. Like there is a routine and a song that should be done and I also could you imagine, if someone does that, like lauren, you'll be like going.
Speaker 2:That was me, it was me, my idea, I told them what I also love about as long as you're mine is I feel like um, you know, because love is really passionate and I think sometimes you know you, you can get those moments with, like your partner, your loved ones, where you actually just can't get enough of them, and that's why I almost feel fiero. And alphabet r is almost like a bit like last night of the world in um miss saigon, where it's like we need to just be one yeah, to just be this one identity or unit and because we don't know what's going to happen.
Speaker 2:Um, and we just love each other so much, yeah, so much passion on it, so yeah, funny, you mentioned last night of the world.
Speaker 1:That was one of the musicals that I toyed with loads, because when you think of love, there's quite a lot of love songs in there, like different types of love as well. Um, yeah, it's interesting. Yeah, so Miss Saigon didn't appear in my top five, but it was. It was close, like I toyed with a couple of numbers from it. Now shall we see if Lauren was right. You 100% do know what it is. You 100% do yeah.
Speaker 2:I'll cover you.
Speaker 1:My number one was I'll Cover you from Rent Jonathan Larson musical that we have done on the pod. Go back and listen to our episode on it. We waxed lyrical. It was one of those musicals we really did wax lyrical about. Yeah, yeah, I just love it.
Speaker 2:I know, and I don't even have it in my top ten.
Speaker 1:You just knew.
Speaker 2:Because I felt like you were going to talk about it, so I didn't want to just have it there, but it definitely would be in my top ten if I was having to make a real list.
Speaker 1:Well, that's it. Jonathan Larson's Rent became a sensation upon hitting Broadway and got even more fans once the 2005 movie adaptation hit the theatres. The show follows three couples, including fan favourites Angel and Collins, and their love song I'll Cover you features sweet lyrics as each of them vow to be the other's home, and I think that that idea of home is really strong. You know like it's more than just love, it's like safety and security, and you know building something together. Do you know what I mean? The lyrics are, in my opinion, sensational. They sing live in my house. I'll be your shelter, just pay me back One thousand kisses. Be my lover and I'll cover you. Now, some might say really flippin' cheesy, but you gotta hear it and you gotta see it in context, and I I challenge you not to have a wee weep.
Speaker 2:Yeah, especially.
Speaker 1:They sing. I've longed and I feel this quite a lot. I've longed to discover something as true as this is, with a thousand sweet kisses if you're cold and you're lonely, I'll cover you.
Speaker 2:It's that longing for something as well and accepting yeah like you can long for something and then not open yourself up to it. Yes, but do.
Speaker 1:I didn't for a long time.
Speaker 2:Whenever you then allow yourself to go. I deserve this.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I'm okay to celebrate this yeah.
Speaker 2:And then just enjoy. It.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I think what's and I think it is the reason why it's my number one. I think if it was just I'll Cover you from Rent, it maybe wouldn't have made it to the top of my list. But there is a reprise in the show, so there's a I'll Cover you reprise which is probably more famous than the original or the first. You know the first time you hear the song in the show. You know, the first time you hear the song in the show and the original comes as Angel and Collins confess their love, having met each other for the first time.
Speaker 1:It's sweet, uptempo in nature. However, that, almost the way the first version of it is so sweet and uptempo and happy and delightful, that makes the reprise even more heart-wrenching. Because the next time you hear I'll cover you reprise is when angel has sadly passed away and collins is singing it at his funeral. And that has me hyperventilating like I can. Well, I can listen to it now, I think, but it's taken many years, but I can't watch it, yeah, without properly having a good old, like weep. It's just so beautiful.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I think as well. Whenever he is singing it, it shows that the first time he was saying it he meant every single word. Yeah, Because he's standing now saying it still saying it even after she's gone.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's possibly one of the best known queer love songs out there. I'll cover you. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, oh, my goodness. And the harmonies as well are fantastic, great song, great.
Speaker 2:I'll tell you my top ten list then.
Speaker 1:Well, you can give me the highly recommended that didn't make your list.
Speaker 2:Sorry. Number ten is and I was toying with whether or not I was allowed this technically Come what May from Moulin Rouge.
Speaker 1:Really.
Speaker 2:Yeah, because I do really like that and only because. I feel that there is a bit of a passion in that song. But anyway, that's number 10. Fair, 10 Minutes Ago from Cinderella's. I had that on my highly recommended list.
Speaker 1:Another Rodgers and Hammerstein. 10 Minutes minutes ago I met you. That's not the words, but sure it's lovely.
Speaker 2:I make them up and then I have Helpless from Hamilton.
Speaker 1:Okay, yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, wee bit more upbeat.
Speaker 1:Sure.
Speaker 2:Heartful of Love. Actually I have from Les Mis. So do I okay yeah, so even like I like.
Speaker 1:Plum and Shell Schomburg and Alan Alan Bublu but I, that was great.
Speaker 2:But I and I sometimes and I struggle with Les Mis. I think it's one of those ones I have to like, put it to bed and then review it after a while. Put it to bed, you know, like, I don't think it's a like, it's a bit like website it's not something that can be played all the time, but Heartful of Love whenever we're talking about love songs is a really good love song.
Speaker 1:And obviously I'm working on Alaymez at the moment and going into it. Like Heartful of Love is one of those songs you kind of go when you're listening to it in the soundtrack, but when you see it in context and when you, in my opinion, when you see it, it's being done properly, it it is beautiful. And what makes it worse then is when you've obviously got Marius and Cosette that are so much in love but then you throw Eponine into the mix and she's got those lovely lines that she's singing how he will never be mine and it's like you, how he will never be mine, and it's like you see that you know the love. But then you also see the heartbreak of that not requited, unrequited love. It is beautiful and I have turned like proper 360 on that song since I started working on the musical. Yeah, because I would have got Snoresfest skip. Yeah, but I don't skip it anymore because I appreciate. I think there's an appreciation there, maybe, that there wasn't before.
Speaker 2:Well, there it made the top ten. Suddenly Seymour.
Speaker 1:Suddenly Seymour. I think we should record that sometime. Yeah, we so should we, so should I don't need to go to singing lessons for about three years. Don't be ridiculous.
Speaker 2:And, but yeah.
Speaker 1:It's Audrey. Audrey doesn't have to sing sing.
Speaker 2:Audrey doesn't have to be a good singer.
Speaker 1:I didn't say that. If you're complaining about your voice, I didn't complain about your voice. You complained about your own voice. You were like I'll have to go to singing lessons.
Speaker 2:Yeah, suddenly see more, because I do think that they're just so in love.
Speaker 1:Adorable.
Speaker 2:Then Falling Slowly from Once I have that one too.
Speaker 1:No, you don't.
Speaker 2:Yes, I do Do you know what I think we should do? A musical theatre podcast. We're so insane. Oh, and be best friends for over 30 years.
Speaker 1:We prove it time and time again, really don't we, Without having to try?
Speaker 2:Yeah, and they're mine then, obviously.
Speaker 1:Yeah, well, of the ones you nicked off my list, I did have Sun and Moon from Miss Saigon that we've talked about. You are sunlight and I'm moon, and also their wedding bit is so cute in that musical. We haven't done a Miss Saigon yet have we?
Speaker 2:Yes, we have. Oh, we have Way back in the season.
Speaker 1:Way, way back many centuries ago. I also have. You're going to laugh at this one, but I love it. There were bells on the hill but you never heard them ringing. No, you never heard them at all Till there was you from the music man.
Speaker 1:I do love it, you know, and you know that it's widely considered one of the best love songs in musical theatre yeah, I read that actually yeah, and I didn't know anything about music, man, until I choreographed it, one like a very random choice for like a youth production, but it was absolutely bright. I loved it and that song was beautiful, yeah. And then the last one was and we've had it right right up to date at the I think we did this music at the end of last season from Parade All the Wasted Time. Yeah, I love that line. I'll never understand what I did to deserve you. Of last season from Parade All the Wasted Time, oh yeah, yeah, I love that line. I'll never understand what I did to deserve you. Do you feel loved up? I?
Speaker 2:actually do.
Speaker 1:Are you going to go upstairs and make Aaron a lovely Valentine's meal? No, no, three course meal.
Speaker 2:Yes, I'll do that, Like I do every night. I thought you were going to go, like I do every Valentine's Day.
Speaker 1:I do every night. I thought you were going to go like I do every Valentine's Day. No, every night. Isn't he a lucky man? Very, that was really fun. I thoroughly enjoyed that. I'm feeling for a not so lovey kind of person. I'm feeling very loved up.
Speaker 2:We did well.
Speaker 1:All you have to do is listen to a couple of musical theatre love songs to lighten the mood. True, it was great, it was fun, it was fun. How do you think Patti LuPone feels about love?
Speaker 2:Ooh.
Speaker 1:She's done a few love musicals over time, hasn't she? She has Her Sunset Boulevard. Obviously she's like Norma Desmond is completely delusional with regards to her love.
Speaker 2:I think, paddy, if you're loved by Paddy, you're truly loved. That's the impression I get.
Speaker 1:I mean oh yes, Paddy's not going to give her love willy nilly is she, If you love musical.
Speaker 2:that's how she plays it she plays it. That's, it's all.
Speaker 1:It's all okay do you know that patty lapome is set to join the third series of? And just like that, you know the hbo sex in the city spin-off? Yeah, she's joining the next series love it did you see her in that? Because obviously patty's not doing musicals anymore, not doing the theatre Musicals, I'm just Just the plays and the TV darling.
Speaker 2:Great Look forward to it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'll be watching Paddy. Well, let's finish today off, then, with our what Would Paddy Do? What would Paddy do? Is that the jingle, yeah, lovely, okay, interesting. So here's your options. Okay, I've gone for the romantic feel. So what would Paddy do? Perform the romantic duet from the Phantom of the Opera, or sing the unrequited love, or sing of unrequited love in On my Own from Les Miserables. No.
Speaker 2:Phantom of the Opera. Really, he hates Phantom of the Opera.
Speaker 1:Paddy yeah.
Speaker 2:I feel like Phantom of the Opera is the more dramatic one okay, the more dramatic, the better for our Lauren, right yeah, absolutely very good well from us to you.
Speaker 1:I hope you have a lovely, romantic Valentine's Day. Indeed, why not go and listen to some of those fabulous musical theatre love songs we've told you about?
Speaker 2:Yeah, and show us you watching us listening to the songs and eating your three-course dinner, lauren.
Speaker 1:Nobody's going to do that, and if they do, there's something wrong with them.
Speaker 2:Wow.
Speaker 1:Until next week.
Speaker 2:Bye, bye.
