This sentiment has to be pretty widespread right about now, no?
"We Need a Little Christmas" by Jerry Herman, sung by LeAnn Rimes
Video from leannrimesofficial
I have to say that while I never thought of this song as "country"--it is, after all, from the Broadway musical Mame
(No, it is not from "Glee." "Glee" did a very partial cover of it, but it was nonetheless written for and performed in Mame)
--it does seem to fit the genre quite well. Still, no one sings it quite like the original Mame! Here's Angela Lansbury, in the original cast album:
Video courtesy of CBEntr
and Angela a *ahem* few years later:
Video courtesy of James Christian Jr.
Every note, every pause, is considered and shaded for maximum effect. It's a masterclass in how to put across a song every time, isn't it? No wonder Jerry Herman famously coached her (secretly, of course, since that sort of thing is Not Done) before her audition, and then snuck into the pit during the audition and accompanied her.
(And isn't that line, "But, Auntie Mame, it's one week past Thanksgiving Day now!" quaint? No surprise that more recent productions change that line to "But, Auntie Mame, it's one week from Thanksgiving Day now"--which is now outdated as well.)
***
Jerry Herman, who wrote the music and lyrics for Mame, is, of course, Jewish. His parents both worked the Catskill hotel circuit in their younger days; after marrying, they eventually ran a Jewish summer camp. That's where Jerry got his first taste of theater, directing the camp shows. He moved from camp shows to college shows, from college shows to Off-Broadway revues, and so on to Broadway.
In addition to Mame, his best known shows are Hello, Dolly! and La Cage aux Folles, and along the way he picked up a plethora of awards, including two Grammys (out of two nominations), two Tonys (out of five nominations), a Special Tony for Lifetime Achievement, and the 2010 Kennedy Center Honors Award.
These Jewish summer camps...
***
Oh, what the heck. Have another song from Mame, just because it makes me smile, and we could use a smile or two quite as much as a little Christmas--"Bosom Buddies," by Jerry Herman, sung by Angela Lansbury and Bea Arthur:
Video from BroadwayJLM
Take notes, people, that's the way to do it!
I have to say that while I never thought of this song as "country"--it is, after all, from the Broadway musical Mame
(No, it is not from "Glee." "Glee" did a very partial cover of it, but it was nonetheless written for and performed in Mame)
--it does seem to fit the genre quite well. Still, no one sings it quite like the original Mame! Here's Angela Lansbury, in the original cast album:
and Angela a *ahem* few years later:
Every note, every pause, is considered and shaded for maximum effect. It's a masterclass in how to put across a song every time, isn't it? No wonder Jerry Herman famously coached her (secretly, of course, since that sort of thing is Not Done) before her audition, and then snuck into the pit during the audition and accompanied her.
(And isn't that line, "But, Auntie Mame, it's one week past Thanksgiving Day now!" quaint? No surprise that more recent productions change that line to "But, Auntie Mame, it's one week from Thanksgiving Day now"--which is now outdated as well.)
Jerry Herman, who wrote the music and lyrics for Mame, is, of course, Jewish. His parents both worked the Catskill hotel circuit in their younger days; after marrying, they eventually ran a Jewish summer camp. That's where Jerry got his first taste of theater, directing the camp shows. He moved from camp shows to college shows, from college shows to Off-Broadway revues, and so on to Broadway.
In addition to Mame, his best known shows are Hello, Dolly! and La Cage aux Folles, and along the way he picked up a plethora of awards, including two Grammys (out of two nominations), two Tonys (out of five nominations), a Special Tony for Lifetime Achievement, and the 2010 Kennedy Center Honors Award.
These Jewish summer camps...
Oh, what the heck. Have another song from Mame, just because it makes me smile, and we could use a smile or two quite as much as a little Christmas--"Bosom Buddies," by Jerry Herman, sung by Angela Lansbury and Bea Arthur:
Take notes, people, that's the way to do it!
Boy, with all that is happening in the world right now we certainly need a little “time out” now.
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