Arachnophonia: In The Heights

Posted on March 28, 2022 by marmstr3

Editor’s note: Arachnophonia (“Arachno” = spider / “-phonia” = sound) is a regular feature on our blog where members of the UR community can share their thoughts about resources from the Parsons Music Library‘s collection.

All links included in these posts will take you to either the library catalog record(s) for the item(s) in question or to additional relevant information from around the web.

Today’s installment of Arachnophonia is by student manager Eliana (class of 2024) and features the musical In The Heights. Thanks, Eliana!

In The Heights

Before the critically acclaimed film of the same name, In the Heights had a 3-year run on Broadway. In that time, it was nominated for 13 Tony Awards and won 4.

The musical, written by and starring Lin-Manuel Miranda, centers on a group of Dominican American young adults living in Washington Heights, NYC.

The story centers around Usnavi, a young bodega owner with the dream of returning home to the Dominican Republic. It’s summertime, so his neighbor Nina comes back from Stanford University with the unsettling news that she’s feeling out of place and wants to drop out, in turn disappointing her family. To make things even worse, things aren’t going great with Vanessa, the object of Usnavi’s affection. When there’s a city-wide blackout, chaos ensues.

The score features upbeat, energetic songs like “96,000,” “Blackout,” and “In the Heights” and slower, emotional numbers like “Breathe” and “It Won’t Be Long Now,” providing a myriad of entertainment for all types of listeners.

You can check out both the score and original Broadway cast recording here at Parsons Music Library!

New CDs added: April 2021

Posted on May 3, 2021 by marmstr3

New CDs for April 2021

John Legend – Bigger Love
Dua Lipa – Future Nostalgia
Fito Paez – La Conquista del Espacio
Bobby Rush – Rawer Than Raw
Billy Strings – Home

The Strokes – The New Abnormal
James Taylor – American Standard
Thundercat – It Is What It Is
Toots and the Maytals – Got To Be Tough
Various Artists – Harmony In My Head: UK Power Pop & New Wave 1977-81

Opera, Opera Excerpts, Choral Music and Art Songs

Metropolitan Opera – The Gershwins’ Porgy And Bess

Gospel Music

P.J. Morton – Gospel According to PJ: From the Songbook of PJ Morton
Kanye West – Jesus Is King

Parsons Playlists: Heard It On Broadway

Posted on April 16, 2021 by marmstr3

Welcome back to Parsons Playlists! Today we’re featuring a collection of feel good indie/alternative music curated by Music Library student manager Abby (class of 2021).

So here are “some showtunes to belt in the shower, or to serenade your roommates with until they either join in or kick you out” per Abby:

“Wait For It” from Hamilton

“Impossible” from Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella

“You Can’t Stop The Beat” from Hairspray

“Proud of Your Boy” from Aladdin

“Defying Gravity” from Wicked

“La Vie Boheme” from Rent

“The Worst Pies In London” from Sweeney Todd

“I’ve Got Beginner’s Luck” from An American In Paris

“Giants in the Sky” from Into the Woods

“One Day More” from Les Misérables

“All I Ask of You” from The Phantom of the Opera

“My Favorite Things” from The Sound of Music

“Mi Siento Hermosa (I Feel Pretty)” from West Side Story

“Cell Block Tango” from Chicago

“Magic To Do” from Pippin

“Road To Hell” from Hadestown

“Forget About The Boy” from Thoroughly Modern Millie

“Omigod You Guys” from Legally Blonde: The Musical

“Waving Through A Window” from Dear Evan Hansen

“Say My Name” from Beetlejuice

“The World Will Know” from Newsies

“Hello!” from The Book of Mormon

“Sherry” from Jersey Boys

“Memory” from Cats

“Stick It To The Man” from School of Rock

“Rose’s Turn” from Gypsy

“I Wanna Be A Producer” from The Producers

“All For The Best” from Godspell

“Times Are Hard For Dreamers” from Amélie

“When He Sees Me” from Waitress

and here’s a link to a YouTube playlist of all the songs above.

Arachnophonia: A Chorus Line

Posted on October 30, 2019 by marmstr3

Editor’s note: Arachnophonia is a regular feature on our blog where members of the UR community can share their thoughts about resources from the Parsons Music Library‘s collection.

All links included in these posts will take you to either the library catalog record for the item in question or to additional relevant information from around the web.

Today’s installment of Arachnophonia is by student worker Jane (class of 2022) and features the classic Broadway cast recording of A Chorus Line. Thanks, Jane!

A Chorus Line

If you’re a fan of musical theatre, you probably know about A Chorus Line. It’s a classic musical from the 1970s that’s pretty much the mother of meta – the whole story is a dance-based musical about dancers trying to get cast in a musical. It couldn’t be more self-reflective. The music, composed by Marvin Hamlisch, is lively and bouncy and inspires people even as uncoordinated as I am to get up and dance. A lot of the singing is conversational, with the songs dominated by jazz piano and interesting syncopated drumbeats.

Listening to this musical will give you confidence about your biggest creative insecurities. “Nothing” is about a girl whose acting teacher hates her because she doesn’t understand the value of pretending to be a table or an ice cream cone during class. “Sing!” is sung by a girl who can’t carry a tune to save her life.

“At the Ballet” is my favorite musical theatre song of all time. Three women sing about their different experiences getting into ballet while simultaneously talking about their families’ issues. It’s powerful without being sentimental, and the dark lyrics are contrasted with such lively music which creates the same kind of contrast between love and longing that I’m sure existed in their lives.

Overall, A Chorus Line is already so famous but if you haven’t heard it and you’re in the mood for a raw, real musical about a musical, give the soundtrack a listen.

Arachnophonia: Dear Evan Hansen

Posted on April 3, 2019 by marmstr3

Editor’s note: Arachnophonia is a regular feature on our blog where members of the UR community can share their thoughts about resources from the Parsons Music Library‘s collection.

All links included in these posts will take you to either the library catalog record for the item in question or to additional relevant information from around the web.

Today’s installment of Arachnophonia is by student worker Susie (class of 2019) and features the Tony Award winning musical Dear Evan Hansen. Thanks, Susie!

Dear Evan Hansen

Dear Evan Hansen is certainly not your classic musical. For one thing, there are only 8 people in the entire cast, and there are certainly no big dance numbers. But there are many reasons why Dear Evan Hansen cleaned up at the 2017 Tony Awards including winning Best New Musical, and one of those reasons is the cast recording, which also won the Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album in 2017. The soundtrack captures the rawness of the story by having the “orchestra”, comprised of 5 instruments, on stage with the performers, and it utilizes electronic instrumentation to complement the importance of technology in the story line. And the soundtrack as a whole takes you on the journey of Evan Hansen, shy, bullied, friendless teenager who finds his place in the sun through a fabricated story just to have the truth come crashing in and destroy his new “perfect” life.

The soundtrack opens with “Anybody Have A Map?”, a song any mother wondering “does anybody happen to know how the hell to do this?” while raising teenagers can relate to. Then you hear the heartbreaking tune “Waving Through A Window” from Evan Hansen himself as he sings about always being on the outside and never being seen. Through the next 5 songs, you hear about Evan and his bully Connor, who is now dead, but due to a combination of coincidences, Evan is believed to have been Connor’s only friend. And as Evan leans into the lie, he helps Connor’s family, the school, and the world cope with loss due to teenage suicide through the song “You Will Be Found.” As Evan builds relationships and finds love in a father figure and a girlfriend that he never thought would be possible, everything begins to fall apart in a true Broadway fashion culminating with “Good For You” and “Words Fail.” But, of course, when the whole world seems to hate you, a child can always find support from his mother, and in “So Big/So Small”, Evan’s mother comforts him and the audience with lines like “your mom isn’t going anywhere … no matter what”. And from the rubble, Evan comes back and finds himself by “Stepping Into The Sun”. And in closing, Evan Hansen reminds us that even if you don’t have the life you have dreamed about, “today at least you’re you, and that’s enough”.

This soundtrack certainly isn’t a light and breezy listen, but if you enjoy emotional ballads and the beautiful vocals of Ben Platt, certainly give Dear Evan Hansen a listen.

Arachnophonia: The Color Purple

Posted on April 12, 2017 by marmstr3

Editor’s Note: Our music review column “Spider Sounds” has had a name change and will now be known as “Arachnophonia”. The name has changed, but the idea remains the same — members of the UR community can share their thoughts about items from the Parsons Music Library‘s collection. All links included in these posts will take you to either the library catalog record for the item in question or to additional relevant information from around the web.

Today’s installment of Arachnophonia comes courtesy of Music Library student worker Susie (class of 2019), and features the 2005 cast recording for the Tony award winning Broadway adaptation of The Color Purple. Thanks, Susie!

The Color Purple

This is one of the best cast recordings for a Broadway musical I have ever listened to. Often it can be difficult to understand the musical and truly appreciate it when you only listen to the soundtrack without ever seeing the show. The Color Purple is different, the plot, heartbreaks, triumphs, and best moments are all captured within the cast recording.

While listening to the “Opening/Mysterious Ways”, the listener can imagine being in this small town filled with gossip and hardships.
In the series of songs “Big Dog”, “Lily of the Field”, and “Dear God” the listener is experiencing horrific events with Celie and mourning with her. Even a person who does not have strong faith can feel the glory of God in the musical’s title song “The Color Purple”. And the strength Celie shows in her songs “Miss Celie’s Pants” and “I’m Here” can give any listener the strength to get through the toughest of times. This soundtrack gives listeners the incredible experience of listening to an amazing musical, but it also takes listeners on Celie’s journey to hell and back and her strength and wisdom can lift up anyone.

I recommend laying back, closing your eyes, and letting this cast recording take you on a journey that will surprise and uplift you.

Cover of the Playbill for the 2016 revival of the show — which won the Tony award for Best Revival of a Musical in 2017.

Spider Sounds: Wicked

Posted on March 2, 2016 by marmstr3

Editor’s Note: “Spider Sounds” invites members of the University of Richmond community to share their thoughts about CDs (or other items in the Parsons Music Library’s collection). The links included will take you to the library catalog record for the item in question, or to additional relevant information. Today’s post is by KyungSun, one of Parsons Music Library’s student workers and features the Broadway musical Wicked based on “The Wizard of Oz” and Gregory Maguire‘s literary reimagining of the story. The musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz premiered in 2003 and is still going strong on Broadway and on tour. Thanks, KyungSun!

Wicked

It’s one thing to see Broadway or even claim you love live musical theater. But we all know that as artists or avid fans, we LOVE to sing along (or at least try to).

Wicked is one of my favorite musicals. I saw it twice, and teared up both times. Why? If you haven’t seen it, it’s more than cheesy story about friendship. It’s also about the political manipulation, perception, and the power of language. Even more than that, Wicked has gotten me through some pretty tough times. If you haven’t heard of the song “The Wizard and I,” I highly recommend you listen or even better – sing it! – to find your inner confidence. The line, “My future is unlimited. And I’ve just had a vision almost like a prophecy. I know – it’s truly crazy. And true, the vision’s hazy. But I swear, someday there will be a celebration throughout Oz, that’s all to do with me.” This line reminds me to keep dreaming even when your own hometown is literally against you. If you’ve seen the beginning of The Wizard of Oz film, you’ll know why this particular lyric is important. Sure, other songs like “Popular” aren’t something we can (or should) sing as our life anthem, but it’s so much fun to try out…in your own room. Be sure to check out the Parsons Music Library‘s extensive collection of your favorite musicals if you’re ever in need of a sing your heart out moment!

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Tag Archives: original Broadway cast recording