Tag Archives: Barbra Streisand

WEEK 47 / 15 – 21 MAY 2015

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323 FRIDAY 15 MAY 2015

NYC – Alicia Morton, Audra McDonald, Victor Garber, Andrea McArdle

Annie (Original Soundtrack)

You would think this is a song I would have placed on the list sooner. The thing is that I have five or six versions of this song in my iTunes Library. I’ve settled for this one from the 1999 TV movie because it features Victor Garber, an actor who is so easy to watch, and Audra McDonald – I haven’t included enough of her on the list.

In an earlier entry, I wrote about how despite Annie being a very popular show since the 1970s, it was only in 2011 that I discovered the musical. I always thought it was a kid’s show, but I was surprised to find out how smart it was.

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WEEK 45 / 1 – 7 MAY 2015

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309 FRIDAY 1 MAY 2015

Hello, Hello – Liza Minnelli

Liza's At the Palace - Act II

God bless Liza! The woman has had her ups and downs for most of her career. The press well documented her struggles with drug addiction and alcohol dependency. However, no doubt La Minnelli got her mother’s performing genes. Just like Judy Garland did in her day, Liza has always managed to leave her demons behind every now and then just to give her audience some amazing live performances. Case in point, “Liza’s At the Palace”.

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WEEK 44 / 24 – 30 APRIL 2015

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302 FRIDAY 24 APRIL 2015

The Dance Sequence (It’s De-Lovely/Anything Goes/There’s Nothing Like Swimming/I’ve Got You Under My Skin/Get Out of Town/I’ve Got My Eyes on You/You’re the Top) – Orchestra  

057 Evil Under the Sun (Music from the Original Soundtrack)

This isn’t the first time I have included a cut from this gorgeous soundtrack. Mostly like with “The Grotto” (See Week 09 – 57. Friday 22 August 2014), The Dance Sequence is a medley of Cole Porter’s songs used in the 1982 film “Evil Under the Sun.” The Agatha Christie mystery featured many stars, including Peter Ustinov, Maggie Smith, Roddy McDowell and Diana Rigg. The fabulous piece is used to show a montage of the whereabouts of all the characters when a glamorous star is murdered on the beach. A particular Porter song is used throughout the film as a character’s theme. At this moment, all the tunes come together to frame the movie sequence. The superb arrangement comes courtesy of John Lanchberry, the only arranger I’ve given credit on this list.

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WEEK 38 / 13 MARCH – 19 MARCH 2015

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260 FRIDAY 13 MARCH 2015

Hello, Dolly – Barbra Streisand

Hello Dolly

I have always loved this song. As with any Jerry Herman song, there’s enough material to write a short story. It is one of Herman’s most famous songs. I’d be willing to bet that, even if you’re not into musicals, you’ve hummed the first bars of this ditty at some point in your life.

Based on Thornton Wilder’s “The Matchmaker”, “Hello, Dolly” tells the story of Dolly Levi, a widow whose favourite pastime is to meddle in people’s lives. One day she decides to stop mourning her late husband and return to the cheerful life she once had.

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WEEK 14 – 26 SEPTEMBER TO 2 OCTOBER 2014

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92 FRIDAY 26 SEPTEMBER 2014

Miss Marmelstein – Barbra Streisand

092 Just For The Record . . . (Disc 1)

In January 1992, I got my first job in the United States. I was in the last semester of my master’s program, and during the previous three months, I had been an intern at the Pan American Health Organization in Washington, DC.

After I had come back from my Christmas break, Guillermo, my supervisor at PAHO recommended me for a job at the Inter-American Development Bank, where they were looking for a photographer. I thanked him but reminded him I was not a photographer. He didn’t listen; he just rolled his eyes, gave me the key to his house and told me to go there. In a bookcase in the living room, there was a box with pictures, he told me to pick a few to pass as mine during the job interview.

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WEEK 13 – 19 SEPTEMBER TO 25 SEPTEMBER 2014

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85 FRIDAY 19 SEPTEMBER 2014

No One Is Alone – Kim Crosby, Danielle Ferland, Ben Wright, Chip Zien

085 Into the Woods (Musical Cast Recording)

Even when we are on our own, we’re not totally alone. We all live in a community and have an impact each other’s lives. From the person who holds the lift’s door when you’re carrying bags. Or the person who chases you down the street to hand you the umbrella you’ve dropped one block away. Even the person who is rude to you on the bus for no apparent reason; we all feed on the community we live in. It doesn’t matter how much we want to protect ourselves, others will always have an influence on us, and there’s basically nothing we can do about it. The person who holds the lift’s door will help you arrive faster to your destination. The one who hands you the umbrella will help you stay dry when the rain comes. The one who’s been rude may wreck your day for a bit, but another person will brighten it. In a matter of minutes, everything can change. You’ll be the one holding the lift’s door, handing the umbrella, and being rude to someone on the bus.

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WEEK 10 – 29 AUGUST TO 4 SEPTEMBER 2014

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64 FRIDAY 29 AUGUST 2014

I’m The Greatest Star – Barbra Streisand – Top Ten Contender

064 Funny Girl-The Original Soundtrack Recording

“Funny Girl” is the first movie I ever remember watching.

I didn’t become familiar with its soundtrack until many years later when Fernando, a friend back home, introduced me to it. Most of the songs on this show have been favourites of mine for years, and I’m sure, a few will sneak onto this list.

Although this version of I’m The Greatest Star comes from the film’s soundtrack, I’d like to tell you a little story regarding the Broadway Original Cast recording.

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WEEK 08 – 15 AUGUST TO 21 AUGUST 2014

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50 FRIDAY 15 AUGUST 2014

I’m Putting All My Eggs In One Basket – Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald

050 Ella & Louis

Back in 1991, while attending American University, I had to do a project for our video production class. I can’t remember the specifics of the project, but my teammates and I decided to use I’m Putting All My Eggs In One Basket as the theme of our production. If I recall correctly, a girl invites a guy over for dinner at her place, probably their second or third date. We can hear her thoughts as she prepares the meal. (“Will he like this meal? Do I look okay?”) We can also hear the guy’s thoughts as he’s about to knock at the door (“I look so good. I’m sure I’ll score tonight”). It’s all coming back now. That was one of the tasks; we had to use voice over as part of our narrative. We thought it was tacky, but did it anyway.

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WEEK 04 – 18 JULY to 24 JULY 2014

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22 FRIDAY 18 JULY 2014

Act II: The Game – Richard Kind, Howard McGillin, Michele Pawk, Herndon Lackey

022 Bounce

First Sondheim appearance on the list and you may wonder why I’ve chosen a song from this 2003 unsuccessful musical. Let me remind you that I’ve arranged the records by alphabetical order, so that was the first Sondheim record in my iTunes Library. But rest assure there’ll be many Sondheim songs on the list.

Originally titled “Wise Men,” the musical tells the story of Addison and Wilson Mizner, a couple of brothers whose accomplishments include the urban development of Boca Raton in Florida. It was eventually revised and retitled Road Show, but more on that when we get to the letter “R.”

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