Top 10 of 2018: Part 5 - Asian Aaron Burr, Sir

Hamilton starts suddenly, without warning. The lights dim, there is an announcement over the speakers in the character of King George to silence cell phones and the opening chords of the first song, “Alexander Hamilton” starts. There’s no overture, no time to really ease into the show, instead you are immediately placed into the room where it happens. As the opening chords sounds as knocking on a door, the sound of strings like a creaky door lead into the first opening questions, and in that moment the exhilarating ride that is Hamilton begins.

My mom and I had gotten to the theater with some time to spare. This was to my fourth time seeing the show and the first time for my mother. We had some issues with dinner beforehand.  The service was slow, which was annoying because, well, we had Hamilton tickets. It was left unsaid to us, but I could see in my mother reactions that we were both wondering if our service had anything to do with the fact that we were the only two people of color in the restaurant. If you think we were being paranoid or unreasonably thinking about our race in this situation, you will not by the end of this post.

I knew that the show was going to start like a roller coaster. I was prepared for it, but I wasn’t prepared for the first thing that happened on stage: Asian Aaron Burr. I didn’t really think about the cast. I assumed there might be some changes since the last time I had seen the show, but I didn’t bother looking up if there was going to be any changes. I was sure it was going to be great regardless.
Then walking onto stage left with a swagger and a twinkle in his eye was Jin Ha.  His performance of the first the questions “How does a bastard, orphan, son of…” literally left my jaw hanging open in shock and awe. I have seen so many amazing things on stage, in music, and on screen that have surprised me, left me speechless, and given me an emotional feeling that makes life worth living.

Jin Ha, Asian Aaron Burr, was one  of the greatest artistic moments I have ever experienced in my entire life.

The other times when I had seen the show, I felt tears well up in my eyes when the entire cast during the song “Alexander Hamilton,” stand in a company front and all of the wonderful diversity is presented on stage with one powerful chord on the word “time.” This time, I felt tears from the moment Jin Ha walked on to stage. He was everything. His voice was powerful and beautiful, his form and stance were strong and inspiring, and his appearance was attractive, masculine, and beautiful.

Jin Ha on stage was everything I always wanted to see in an Asian-American on stage, and everything I wanted to see in myself when I looked in the mirror.

Sitting next to my mom, I could feel her excitement match mine. It meant so much that we were sharing this moment.  This talented, wonderful Asian-American actor was validating her belief in me and filling me with hope for what could be for my children.

I understood why it was meaningful on an intellectual level to have people of color play all of these roles of people who were Caucasian historically. This was an audacious, through-provoking and controversial choice the creative team behind Hamilton made  The success of this casting philosophy demolished any arguments against inclusive casting decisions. However, I didn’t get it emotionally until I saw one of my own, a true mirror on stage doing something that was once unthinkable, impossible, and incomprehensible in my mind: an Asian-American playing a part that first belonged to an African-American/Black actor playing a character that was based on a historical white person.

This casting was about race but it was also about the hard work, and talent which Ha proved throughout the musical owning the part of Aaron Burr.  He played it with virtuosity, incredible singing technique and depth of character that was nothing short of remarkable. This all meant so much, and so much more because of all of the horrible things the 45th and his administration continued to say about fundamental parts of my American experience.

All of the horrible things that the 45th has said can be put into two categories: things that I find appalling because of what they mean to other people, and things that I find un-American and offensive because of what they reflect about myself. My heart aches every time he says something about a group of people that I am not a part of, but my soul hurts when he says something about me and my family.

This “guy” has questioned the value of my parents as immigrants, portrayed Asians with offensive mocking accents and stereotypical characterizations, provided no public support for AAPI federal initiatives, attempted to position us against other people of color in perceptions of college admissions policies, and even questions my place as an American citizen by questioning the value of birthright citizenship. He did all of these things callously, often with misinformation, and never followed by apologies. His racism against Asian-Americans is as clear as his racism against Mexicans, and his sexism against women.

Worse than all of these things is that his evil efforts to harness the worst fears and scapegoat immigrants have led to the deaths of innocent children and the unnecessary suffering of thousands of people. He has kidnapped children from their parents, ripped babies away from mothers, and he is ultimately responsible for the deaths of at least two children, likely more, all in the guise of a made-up non-existent crisis.

With all of this floating around in my mind, in the zeitgeist of our society, I have thought more about my identity as an Asian-American and an immigrant son than any other year of my life. Unfortunately, these thoughts have more often happened in times of hurt, and painful disbelief.  In this world we live in, the strength of one man who proves every single stereotype and misinformation wrong is an inspiring, superhuman act of heroism. This is what Jin Ha did that night on that stage. His contribution to that show, was proof that Asian-Americans are beyond stereotypes, are an essential part of American society, and through their immigration make America great.

Year 3: Week 33 – One Day More

One of the signs of a healthy school is that once in a while the teachers and administrators get together to have some fun and show the student body that while they take their jobs seriously, they don’t take themselves too seriously.

At my school there’s the annual M&D show. It’s a combination of mash-ups, sketches and music videos. Two years ago, I was in a music video, last year I helped arrange a rap song on elementary school music instruments and this year I taught a group of seniors, juniors, administrators, teachers and staff members a parody of “One Day More” from Les Miserables.

 

“One Day More” is the “everyone sing about the conflicts they are currently dealing with at the same time”-song which echoes back to Bernstein’s “Tonight,” from West Side Story.

This was literally the last idea I came up with for the finale of this show. When the people organizing the show asked for some ideas I came up with about twenty and on a whim, I threw in “On Day More.” And of course it ended up being the one they wanted to do.

So we met a couple times and re-wrote the lyrics. The seniors were going to sing about leaving the school and the juniors were going to sing about becoming seniors. The administration and staff sang about the fact that they have to work over the summer when the teachers and students are away and the teachers sang about finishing their grade reports. (I walk on from the left side of the screen at 1:50, in a dark blue vest and red tie).


Teaching juniors and seniors was kind of refreshing, even though we met an hour before school started. I taught high school for two years at my first teaching job and I was pleasantly surprised at their attention and the how quickly they learned the music.

The administration, staff members and teachers were a different story. It wasn’t that they didn’t learn the music well. It was just tricky to teach them. I couldn’t really “teacher" them, because I wasn’t acting so much as a teacher but something completely different.

We wanted to have the adults sound good on stage but the rehearsals needed to be fun. We met multiple times early before school and it was important that this time was productive but also fun. This was our time to bond, to catch up and to really enjoy being together as a community by doing something kind of absurd.

Instead of waiting for everyone to be quiet before starting as I would with kids, I just barreled through conversations. Between repetitions, I let the group chat and I didn’t try to quell laughter when someone would made a joke. With some sarcastic yelling coming from me, weird analogies and over the top conducting we got it done and put on a good performance.

While it was a challenge to teach the group this song, it was a lot of fun. It’s a weird feeling to teach teachers, but it’s also really rewarding because they get what you are trying to do. Putting this together took a lot of time and some people may think that we are crazy for spending so much time on something like this.  They're wrong, because it's doing things like this that makes a school a community and brings meaning to what we teach.  

On My Own by Samantha Barks (from Les Misérables)

“I’m on TEAM EPONINE!”

Like the Edward, Jacob and Bella debate, the Internet erupted in a similar Eponine, Cosette and Marius discussion with the release of the film version of Les Misérables (which I discussed in this earlier post).

Okay, actually there really wasn’t really much of that but I wish there was.

The story of Cosette, Eponine and Marius could be made into a musical or film by itself. Cosette was raised by Eponine’s corrupt parents. As children, Eponine was treated well as Cosette was basically treated like a slave. Cosette sing the heartbreaking “Castle On The Cloud,” song as she dreams of a better life.


Then things flip around dramatically. Cosette gets taken away by Jean Valjean and is raised in luxury while Eponine stays with her parents and is raised on the streets. While Cosette lives in wealth and comfort, Eponine is subject to helping her parents in a life of crime.

Eponine pines after her friend Marius, who then falls in love with Cosette and the once fascinating character becomes an infatuated lover without any true depth (and no interesting songs in the second half).  Eponine's story comes forth as one of the most powerful and tragic parts of the musical.

This turn occurs with the song “On My Own.”



So much talk around Les Misérables is focused on Anne Hathaways’s portrayal of Fatine and her performance of “I Dreamed A Dream,” and its well deserved, however Samantha Bark’s Eponine and virtuosic “On My Own,” is just as amazing and deserves as much fanfare.

Samantha Bark’s was discovered on the BBC talent show, I’d Do Anything in 2008. She went on to play Eponine in the London production of Les Misérables and played this part in the 2010, 25th Anniversary Concert of Les Misérables.



She did this part on Broadway and did the jump to the film which is a challenging thing to do as the different mediums require very different skills.

She’s the real deal.

“On My Own,” is a self-reflective and conflicted song full of hope and the harsh realities of life. The song opens with Eponine fantasizing about being with Marius. The world seems beautiful and magical as she lives in this fantasy and Bark’s eye light up as she sings the words, “on my own,” as only her solitude can bring her the joy of this fantasy.

She almost giggles with the lyrics “he has found me.” There’s a teenage-like glee in her voice, but also a dark maturity. In many ways she has been forced to grow up but there is still this girl inside of her.

Then reality sets in. In the middle of the songs, Eponine shakes off the fantasy and she tells herself the truth about Marius and her own life. She hold sback tears as she angrily beats herself down as she sings “talking to my self. . . ” but somehow she feels that there is still hope.

She is renewed with the words, “I love him,” but that is quickly dashed away.  The world that once seemed magical, is nothing special, “the river is just a river.” The song climaxes, not with hope, but with sadness of a spirit unfulfilled. By the end of the song the words “on my own,” are no longer a place to find happiness, but a curse, because only on her own can love Marius.

Barks does a remarkable job of hitting the variety of emotions in this song and taking the audience on a journey. We get a sense that her love for Marius is not some teenage infatuation but the representation of something more. Marius is Eponine's hope for a better life, a way out of her misery and for Cosette is something very different.

What Eponine ends up doing for Marius is heart-breaking. Barks’ portrays her Eponine's final moments in the film beautifully creating the most powerful death scene in the film (spoiler: everyone in Les Misérables dies).

Reconsider Samantha Barks.  She's a young, talented singer and actress who has an incredible potential.

Maybe it's not so much that I'm on TEAM EPONINE, but rather TEAM SAMANTHA!

Les Misérables As The Great Film Musical

One of the most important things that makes a performance by children enjoyable and engaging is their energy. You can forgive a bunch of third graders if they mess up a line here or there during a school play, but if they have good energy, the play can still work.

It is the same energy, that translates into the commitment and the dramatic determination that makes Les Misérables one the best film musicals of all time. There is much to criticize about this film. Broadway purist are frustrated that Hollywood starts took over the lead parts. The plot is sometimes confusing (and humorously implausible) for people coming to this film without knowing the original stage musical or the book. And while there are some incredible dramatic moments there are some singing performances that seem stiff (i.e. Russel Crowe and well. . . Russel Crowe).

Many of these criticism can be applied to some of the greatest film musicals of all time like West Side Story, The Sound of Music and My Fair Lady (at least Les Misérables didn't pull the "have an actor lip sing someone else's voice"). I'm not making these comparisons because I think musicals need to be given a pass or criticized on an easier scales than other films. I'm bringing up these older musicals to help reflect on the fact that the film version of a Broadway musical is a very different kind of film.

All of the great film musicals brought parts of the Broadway show to the screen that work on the silver screen and the parts that do not. The filmmakers attempt to balance the needs of the commercial audience with a desire to maintain musical integrity in a type of drama that has a very different grammar than film.

Les Misérables does a remarkable job of balancing all of these factors while doing things on screen that bring layers to the story that can't be done on the Broadway stage. There's the incredible sets that help tell the story, the innkeepers pick pocketing and the intimacy of the performances like Anne Hathaway's unforgettable performance of "I Dreamed A Dream."

No other medium but film could capture this performance in this way. Performing "I Dreamed A Dream" on stage is beautiful and powerful but there s a distance we have from the performer.



Lea Salonga is amazing, but try to imagine her performance this with an intense close-up on a large movie screen.  That's a very different artistic feat than what Hathaway attempts.  Throughout Hathaway's song, the camera frames her face reminiscent of Sinead O'Conner's video for "Nothing Compares 2 U." The previous scenes, the sets, the wardrobe and the make-up create the desperate plight and context for this song perfectly. Even before she starts "I Dreamed A Dream," we feel that we understand the tragedy but then the performance revels more emotional depth.

Everything you've heard about Hathaway's performance is true. It's raw, uncomfortably intimate and one of the greatest performances captured on film. Does the rest of the film hold up against it? No, there isn't another scene which is as powerful (except maybe for Samantha Bark's "On My Own") and many other scene get close. 



On future viewing of the Les Misérables, I will cringe as Hugh Jackman barely hits the notes for "Bring Him Home," and giggle as Javert once again does not realizes that he is meeting Jean Valjean.  Many great film have these kind of moments and almost all great film musicals do.  Those thing don't ruin this film because Les Misérable is a film that embraces what it is: a film version of Broadway show.

Many of the critics who have been criticizing this film seem to miss that point.  Instead of trying to be something that it's not, Les Misérables leans into the melodrama and embraces the spirit and grandeur that makes a film musical great. 

Tha Mo Ghaol Air Aird A' Chuain (Song From Brave Trailer) by Julie Fowlis

I loved her beautiful wild red hair. The sublime nature scenes of rolling Irish hills were breathtaking. Everything about the Brave trailer felt excitingly different but comfortable. Then Julie Fowlis gentle voice began singing “Tha Mo Ghaol Air Aird A' Chuain” As her voice calmed the action and the strong words of our heroine asked a powerful question, I was memorized.



Every once in a while a movie trailer becomes an emotional and meaningful experience completely separate from the film itself. Almost all of the time when this happens, the trailers feature incredible music. Like the use of Arcade Fire’s “Wake Up” in the Where The Wild Things Are trailer:



And REMs tribute to Andy Kaufman that inspired the title of Man On The Moon.



After hearing this song, I spent the next week trying to figure out how to get a recording of this song. I initially thought it was part of the soundtrack to Brave.  I wasn't able to find any samples songs from that album, so I resigned myself to wait for the soundtrack to come out. A couple days later I decided to look around some more through a random message board I found this:



Julie Fowlis is an Scottish artist who sings primarily is Scottish Gaelic. Her gentle and expressive soprano voice perfectly fits the style of folk music that she sings. “Tha Mo Ghaol Air Aird A' Chuain” is a track from her debut album in 2005 titled Mar A Tha Mo Chridhe. The lyrics to “Tha Mo Ghaol Air Aird A' Chuain” tell the story of a man finding a girl who is singing about her love who is at sea. The song has a twist in the last verse when it is revealed that the man who is so struck by the girl's singing is the love the girl has been singing about who has finally come home.

What strikes me about the lyrics is that most of the lines describe the beauty of nature during the twilight hours. These moments are painted using different senses and almost fantastical imagery juxtaposing the peace and calm of nature with the pain and heartache in the girl's hearts. On one level this doesn't seem to have anything to do its Brave, but maybe the yearning for something more, something different set against a magical setting really is what both this song and Brave is all about.

“Tha Mo Ghaol Air Aird A' Chuain" is one of the be most beautiful songs that I've ever heard. The combination or the music, the words and the performance create a feeling that only music can capture.  This is a song that you've never heard before but seems to have always been in your heart. It’s a story you've never read but somehow feels like something that you've written.  It's a place you've never been that feels like a home.

Take Me Or Leave Me (from Rent)

To have a character in a popular film who is a homosexual or transgender is no longer shocking. But once upon a time it was. In 1993, when Rent made it’s premiere off-Broadway, this show about young adults struggling to survive in the Manhattan’s Lower East Side brought important issues out into open.

Like the Jonathan Demme’s film Philadelphia that came out the same year, Rent has characters that are challenged the ideas of the America’s traditional views of sexuality and face head-on the effect of AIDs.

Both Rent and Philadelphia were monumentally important for portraying these characters not as stereotypes but giving these people souls that challenge people’s idea of what it meant to be a homosexual and how serious and devastating AIDs was to all of us.

What is left though when you take away what made Rent “important”? Watching Rent at Northwestern University I wasn’t shocked by the main character Roger dealing with the fact that his ex was now a lesbian. The prevalence of AIDs in the characters honestly made me think:



If you pull away the social issues what you are left with is a musical that is very much like the characters in the film who are full of energy, passion, immaturity, and focus more on the moment than the bigger picture. There are too many songs, many of which are too long, and too many plot threads, but there are also moments of musical and dramatic brilliance that leave you breathless.

For me the most polished and memorable song is “Take Me Or Leave Me.”



This song works far beyond the shock it once had of “Oh My God, it’s two Lesbians singing!!” It’s a great relationship exchange. There’s plenty examples in broadway of this kind of duet but most of the time it’s one sided like “Sue Me” from Guys and Dolls.”



This song is fun and quirky.  The characterizations come clear through the song and while the song is fight at its heart, there's a joy and pride in these characters who embracing there flaws with pride.  That is exactly what has made Rent one of the most popular musicals of all time.  If all this show was about was AIDs, it's influence would be limited.  What this show really is about is people embracing who they are and who they want to be.  There's a brilliant innocence in this show in the face of life's most serious trials and it's in this we find not only the dreams of these characters but our own.

When Will My Life Begin (from Tangled)

E-mail from one of my 8th grade students:

Hi Mr. Tang,
Here is your daily and friendly reminder to stop reading this email and go watch Tangled.It will be a great family activity for you, your wife, and buffy! So put down the camera (filming buffy again?) and GO WATCH TANGLED!or else Megan and I will sing more princess songs on wednesday.
Look forward to tomorrows email!!!  

~Kate (and Megan in spirit)

I was totally skeptical and regretting telling my students that I would watch this film, but Mandy Moore lends her voice to one of the most endearing Disney' Princesses.  I love how right after she gets out of the tower she is "at war with herself."



Ah, SO cute, but what I really have to highlight is the opening song.



I love how optimistic music is tied with the monotony of her life.

If you have ever liked Disney animated films in the past, this is a great and beautiful film to experience.

Somewhere Out There (from An American Tail)

Towards the beginning of my freshmen year of college I told my mom that I had a cold. She then proceeded to call me every day, multiple times a day checking up on me. I remember getting really annoyed at my mom and slightly frustrated. I felt like I was an adult and that she didn’t need to worry about me.

Then one time she called worrying about something that I felt was irrational and I got frustrated with her and told her that I didn’t need her to worry about me and she responded “Of course I worry about you, it’s my job.”

Your mom worrying about you is one of the greatest blessing you will ever have your life. Whether you realize it or not, the knowledge that she is out there thinking about you and loving you is what gives connects you to your mom and the world knowing that you are never alone.

“Somewhere Out There” from the 1986, Spielberg produced film is about this feeling.


An American Tail - Somewhere Out There from kojihoon on Vimeo.

During a time when Disney’s animated features were mediocre, Spielberg took a shot at created an animated feature and the result was an immigration story that spoke to the hopes and struggles of the immigrant experience of the 1880s.

The film follows the Mousekewitzes, a family of Russian Jews who immigrate to American. During the journey, the son Fievel becomes separated from the family.  The film follows the families' struggle to find each other while surviving in a new country.

“Somewhere Out There” is a duet between Fievel and his sister Tanya, in which they sing about their hopes of finding each other. It features the “somewhere” motif, the leaping melodic shape on that word also featured in “Somewhere Over The Rainbow,” which expresses a longing before the melody gently descendes.

One of the strengths of this film is that the voice actors for the kids songs like, well, kids and this is also true for the singing of ‘Somewhere Out There.” Yeah, it’s a little rough but it's cute and feels more real then singing it with perfect technique and clarity.

Fievel is lost in New York City. Think about that for a second. That would be scary today as an adult, now imagine that as a kid in the 1880s. But he’s hopeful because as the song reminds him, “someone’s thinking of me and loving me tonight.”

When things are going fine, you may not think you need to be reminded your mom is out there worrying about you.  But when you have a moment in your life when you feel lost and lonely knowing that your mom is out there really makes the worlds seem not as scary.  As Fievel sings “it helps to think we’re sleeping underneath the same big sky.

Nagging phone calls and e-mails are more than worth enduring to be reminded of how much your mom cares about you. Don’t try to argue that she’s being silly or irrational and don’t give her some sarcastic remark, she’s not trying to make your life harder or more inconvenient, she just cares.

So next time your mom calls you and expresses concern about something going on in your life, just say “thank you for thinking of me” and ensure her that you’ll be careful no matter how irrational her worry may be.

She’s just doing her job.

Day 13 & 14: The Sound Of Music Tour!!

In Salzburg we took two bus tours.  The Sound Of Music Tour and The Eagles Nest Tour (which is actually in Germany).  The latter tour was amazing but the Sound Of Music Tour had a mediocre guide who wasn't very enthusiastic and made some pretty bad jokes, that nobody laughed at.  So this post will be pictures from the two tours interspersed with actually quotes from The Sound Of Music Tour Guide.  Oh yeah and no one sang along to the songs on the bus except for Diana which was totally awesome.   I mean why go on the tour if you're not into the musical?

 

 People now have blackberries, some call them crack berries.

They were running and Greta tripped and no one cared.

Julie Andrews went up the mountain in a horse carriage.  Imagine with her fur coat going up a mountain. There were a lot of cows there so she first had to find a clean spot to put her coat.

The building is a university and they filled the two love scenes in the gazebo behind the building.  After the film came out many people came to the gazebo and made their own love scenes.  All these love sounds meant the students couldn't study so they city decided to move the gazebo.

The first public swimming pool is on the left. It as first filled in the 1960s and it stills looks like it.

The building is a university and they filled the two love scenes in the gazebo behind the building.  After the film came out many people came to the gazebo and made their own love scenes.  All these love sounds meant the students couldn't study so they city decided to move the gazebo.

Over in that pasture are the black cows that we use for black chocolate.

When they got married.  She was 22 and the captain was 25 years . . . older.

The wife would stay home as the husband was in the field farming.  The wife would make lunch and ring the bell.  When the husband heard the bell he knew it was time to come home. . . And not only for lunch.

Do you see the bay window? That's the toilet. That's why we have shitty weather here.

Men had to climb a mountain to get edelweiss for their girlfriends and sometimes it was dangerous. Well now you know why we have such a low population. Now the tradition is different. Woman bring edelweiss to men as a six pack.  We now have edelweiss beer.

People come from miles around to yodel. I don't call my husband, I yodel to him. Just kidding. I need 5 beers then I know how to yodel. So far I've only had 4.

We are going to stop at the gazebo so you can have your own love scene.

Bui-Doi (from Miss Saigon)

[A conversation between myself (T) and one of my fourth grade student (J)]

J: Mr. Tang, are you married?
T: Yes I am
J: What’s your wife’s name?
T: Diana
J: Is she Asian?
T: No, actually she’s Caucasian, white like you
J: hmm . . . so when you have kids are they going to be Asian or normal?
T: [sigh], no actually. . . well, our kids aren't going to be either, they will be a mix of Asian and Caucasian
J: ohhhhhhh . . .

Most people are mixed race. My wife for example is 1/4 British, 1/4 Polish and 1/2 um. . . white. Keep in mind that once upon a time Polish, Jewish as well as Italians were perceived to be a different race and not "white."

As American culture has developed being "white" has taken on many groups that used to be minorities with the influx of other minorities including, Hispanics, Asians and African-Americans. The only difference between a mixed-race person who is Polish, English and Jewish and someone who is African-American and Asian is that the latter person is visually more apparent to be a mixed race because of the fact that there simply are fewer of that "mixture" in our country.

Diana and I are going to have children that are mixed and I'm glad that we live in a society that in general speaks highly of mixed race kids. Many people both Asian and Caucasian have commented that kids who are half-Asian and half-white are very attractive (i.e. Keanu Reeves, Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Jennifer Tilly).  In a way, our children represent the American dream of racial harmony however that’s not necessarily the case for all children of mixed race.

There were many things left behind by the American military when we left at the end of the Vietnam war, devastated cities, unexploded bombs that littered the countryside and mixed raced children created by members of the American military. In no way am I implying that the American are completely at fault for this. Vietnamese woman had a role in this in many different ways but regardless of who’s to blame for these children the bottom line is that they exist as “Bui-Doi,” the dust of life, outcasts from society.

In the middle of the brilliant musical “Mrs. Saigon” a remake of the opera, Madam Butterfly, a Vietnam Veteran makes an impassionate speech to raise money to aid these children.



Starting with an a capella men’s choir coming out of the darkness, this songs unfolds into a solo voice. There is passion and desperation built into the songs which while framed as a persuasive speech making us reconsider the role that we played in these children’s lives.

I don’t think anyone would disagree with the tragedy and the sentiment in this song. These really are “all our children too.” While I’m glad that my children will not be viewed as “half-breeds” I can’t but think that we all have the potential to view children in our country as “Bui-Doi” to a degree.

No matter how much my children try to be “American” they will always be perceived byr the mainstream as a minority. Some of this may be positive stereotypes like that they are good at math, or more disturbing negative stereotypes like that they are North Koreans who want to blow up America. I’m not saying we are there right now but it doesn’t take a lot of imagination to picture people getting there.

“Bui-Doi” is reminder not only a plea crisis that we must take responsibility for but it’s also a reminder of the danger of projecting our fears, insecurities and anger upon children punishing them for our own failures.

They are all our children too.

The Choir (television show BBC America)

Once upon a time summer was a time when television channels simply put on reruns. Getting wise to the actual viewing habits of viewers many channels, especially cable networks have started having new seasons of shows start during the summer as well as premiere new show altogether. One of the greatest from this summer television season is The Choir.

The Choir is a labeled by some as a “reality show” but it is much more a true documentary. BBC packaged this award-winning series for American audiences this summer and this week premiered the first episode of this 13 episode season on BBC America (Wednesdays at 10pm).

BBC America is one of the best television channels on cable. It’s not just Dr. Who episodes people. The Graham Norton Show is hilarious, I love Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmare and BBC World News America is regularly puts America’s news programs to shame with their unbiased converge of world wide events and their high level of journalist integrity.

Here’s the set up. Gareth Malone a 30 year old choir director is convinced that he can start a high school choir and get them ready for the “choir Olympics in China.” He chooses Northolt High School to continue his mission to bring music to everyone and provide a choral experience that he believes should be universal.



The first episode showed Gareth auditioning students and teaching them “Can You Feel The Love Tonight?” to record an audition recording to see if they could make it to this choir competition in China.

Gareth Malone actually knows what he’s talking about. While Diana and I don’t agree with everything he is doing as a choir director it is clear that he knows what he is the real deal.  At the first rehearsal, the choir sounds awful and the recording that make at the end of the episode does not sound like something from Glee. It’s still rough but it shows remarkable progress and this shows commitment to showing us the true reality of what it means to make music is eye-opening and inspiring.

So many times, this show could have went for cheap laughs and cheap drama. There was a portion of the episode where Gareth listens to students audition and the show could have gone the humorous American Idol auditions route but the refused to. Gareth’s response made us see the courage in what they were doing even if they weren't very good.

Singing in a choir is one of the amazing things you can do in your life and I wish that all of you can understand what it means. The Choir captures a small part of this. This show is about the love not only of music but also of being human and sharing the beauty of life together. 

If you've been in a choir, you'll love this show and if you haven't it will open your eyes to one of the greatest experience you can have in life and make you wish you could be in a choir.

Feed The Birds (Tuppence A Bag) from Mary Poppins

When I was a kid about in second or third grade I used to listen to audio-cassettes as I would go to bed and my favorite one to listen to was the soundtrack to Mary Poppins. Like many other things I encountered as a child I fixated on the music but the difference between Mary Poppins and other things I got into when I was a child, I’m still obsessed with Mary Poppins.

The pinnacle of Walt Disney’s creative ambitions, Mary Poppins still holds up today as one of the most finely crafted musical and films for that matter ever created. Dick Van Dyke’s often-criticized cockeyed accent can’t take away form his irresistible charm and virtuosic performance as Bart.



Karen Dotrice and Matthew Garber’s heartwarming performance as Jane and Michael Banks reminds us how good children actors can be.



And of course there’s Mary Poppins herself played by the “practically perfect in every way” Julie Andrews.


Mary Poppins came out one year before The Sound Of Music in 1964. Nominated for consecutive Academy Awards for both of these films, Andrews won for Mary Poppins (as well as Golden Globes for both of these roles). Let’s pause for a second, isn’t it just a little mind-blowing that Julie Andrews stared in two of the greatest films of all time in consecutive years?

Andrew’s Mary Poppins is dark and a little creepy with just as much charm as Maria from Sound Of Music. Manipulative, crazy and enigmatic Mary Poppins is one of the most enduring characters in film.

While the soul of The Sound of Music is “Edelweiss” (which I discussed in this earlier post), the soul of Mary Poppins is “Feed the Birds (Tuppence A Bag).” Representing the antitheses of Mr. Bank’s capitalistic motivation, the story of the old lady who feeds birds is one of giving and warmth. This is exactly what Jane and Michael so eagerly want from their father, which is why the children so badly want to feed the birds.



The verses are mysterious in their harmony, while the instrumentation paints a dark and uncertain picture of a foggy London street. A lilting waltz begins when Mary quotes the old lady before the verse comes to a rest.

I don’t know what it is about the way that Julie Andrews sings “feed the birds,” but it’s truly magical. Her singing warms your soul like a hot chocolate on a snowy day.  Maybe it’s the fact that what she is saying is a plea for all of us to just slow down our hectic lives and care for someone else.

Whatever it is, every time that first chorus starts I get chills. There is something so intimate, so immediate about this song. While "Feed The Birds" masterful musical arrangements and performance with subtle and nuanced meaning in the words, none of this gets in the way of the simple joy of knowing and loving this song as a child. 

Basket Case by Green Day

Grammy winner, concept album, protest music, Broadway show.

These are all phrases that describe Green Day of 2010. Is there anything in the Green Day of 1994 that would give us anyone clue of the greatness and the level of cultural relevance that Green Day would achieve 15 years later? I don't know but I always knew there was something special about Green Day even in middle school.

In 1994, there was the explosion of Grunge Music. This genre of music took Punk music added a layer of distortion, teen angst and cynicism to create a sub-culture that was both plaid, baggy and lacked the use of shampoo on a regular basis. Among the Grunge groups there were other bands that were grouped into this genre like that really were something different and one of those groups was Green Day.

Instead of creating a darker distortion of punk music, Green Day continued the tradition of punk from groups like the Ramones creating simple songs that were short, fun and featured pop influenced melodies. This is why many people beyond the alternative crowd found "Basket Case" appealing and why it has endured as one of there most popular song.



There is something special about the opening of this song. 22 year old Billy Joel Armstrong accompanied by his guitar inquiring to the world "Do you have the time to listen to me whine?" The statement is aggressive and brave. He's putting himself out there hiding behind nothing, simply speaking his mind and expressing from the heart.

What Armstrong is expressing isn’t exactly something that you would think is be an anthem but it is. This song is about embracing the things about ourselves that other people see as flaws. Yes, I’m melodramatic and neurotic, and it’s so bad “sometimes I give myself the creeps.”  While the lyrics wonder about what it means to crazy the music embracing the question “Am I just paranoid?” like a victorious call.

This song builds like symphony adding layers of instruments with an unforgiving driving pulse that never lets go of our attention. The sounds can be replicated on stage and knowing this creates a connection with the audeince. It’s not just art in a studio, it’s something that is alive and like great folk music that makes it mean something more.

People who others called crazy are responsible for all the greatest accomplishments in history. We all dream big and hope to try something that people haven’t done before. “Basket Case” is the reaction we need to remember and reminding ourselves that we may be cracking up, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

10 Reasons To Get Excited About Music: #10-8

On a recent issue of Rolling Stone, the magazine responded to the common complaint “rock is dead” with their “40 Reasons To Get Excited About Music.” This list had some stuff I disagreed with like featuring The Black Eyed Peas as the #1 reason but it also had a lot of great stuff including introducing me to my new favorite band The Gaslight Anthem.

There were a couple things I thought they missed so I’ve created my own list. So here we go, The Purple Reaction's “10 Reasons To Get Excited About Music” (or “The Top 10 Arguments That Rock Isn’t Dead.”)

10. Music Gods Still Walk The Face Of The Earth
U2, Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, Elton John, The Eagles, The Rolling Stones, and The Police. Many of the greatest musicians in popular music history are not only still touring but playing shows better than artists half their age. Paul McCartney’s recent sets have been almost two and half hours with little breaks and Bruce Springsteen in his last tour regularly played almost three hours.

Then there are the albums. Recent works from all of the above artists are some of the strongest work they have ever done and the only reason there is negativity around them is because previous work they previously recorded was so legendary. This combined with the live concerts shows us how much we still have to learn from these legends.

9. American Idol and Glee are teaching the youth of America (and some of us who need refreshers) the history of pop music.
American Idol regularly features themes for shows like when they did a show of Lennon/McCartney material. This episode not only featured famous Beatles' songs but also lesser known works like John Lennon’s “Jealous Guy.”



Glee covers current pop songs introduces older audiences to current music and the covers of older songs have exposed youth to pop music of the past like the works of Madonna.



You may not like American Idol of Glee but you can’t deny how cool it is that new generations are being exposed to some of the greatest music in our culture.

8. Rock Is Broadway
Tommy may have been the first rock opera but Rock Of Ages was the first Broadway show about Rock music.



Along with Jersey Boys, Million Dollar Quartet and Elton John’s Billy Elliot!, Rock’s influence of Broadway is more significant and pervasive than ever before. As much as I love my Sondheim, I got to admit the Green Day’s American Idiot on Broadway looks really awesome.



Rock music isn’t just being performed on a Broadway stage, it’s taking over. Jersey Boys, which told the story of Frankie Vallie and The Four Season has been a huge commercial success and Billy Elliot! is simply one of the greatest Broadway musicals ever.



Next: #7-5 The greatest magazine ever, Miley Cyrus and the glories of the internet.

Billy Elliot!

Billy Elliot! is the best new Broadway show that I’ve ever seen in the past ten years.

I haven’t seen every new Broadway show that’s out there but I saw Wicked and the Jersey Boys which had long and successful runs in Chicago, where I live. While seeing both of these shows were fantastic experiences, they didn’t really work for me.

As much as seeing witches fly in Wicked was awe-inspiring and as original the story is, the music is inconsistent. What’s disappointing is that the music sounds like “Broadway music” falling into this new modern musical genre of songs that are a little bit too long with words that simply aren’t that meaningful.

Jersey Boys featured beautifully performed and authentic 1960s pop music but totally side-stepped some important historical plot points, like how they stole most of their musical ideas from African-American performers. The best part of the show ended up being the fact that it becomes an oldies sing-along concert which while fun, is NOT what I’m looking for in a Broadway show. It would have been far more effective as a concert at Ravinia.

Billy Elliot! embraces what it means to be a musical, utilizing all of the artistic elements for one reason: to tell the story. The acting is direct and passionate. The set designs while not revolutionary skillfully creates Billy’s world. The music, brilliant composed by Elton John, adds depth and emotion while not drawing much attention to itself.

Then there’s the dancing.

I have never been impressed with dancing at a Broadway show and I’ve been to over a dozen shows. More often than not the dancing in shows feels like an afterthought, but in Billy Elliot! the dancing is breathtaking.

Check out the “angry dance” after Billy’s dad prevents him from perusing his dream and audition for the Royal Ballet School.



What you saw on the Tony Awards stage is exactly what I saw on stage. The brilliant use of the coal sign and the riot police shields perfectly represents how the conflict in Billy’s community is affecting his life.

Billy Eliot! is based on a film, which features an 11-year-old Jamie Bell giving one of the best child performances in film.



[the only reason this film is rated R is because of the use of swear words, otherwise it’s a PG film].

Elton John and company tell this story and takes the emotional beatsof the films and expanded them onto the stage. For example, here is the original “angry dance” from the film.



The film does things with the camera that you can’t do on stage, and there are things happening on stage that you simply can’t do in film. While it’s the same, it’s different. If you’ve seen the film, you can expect to feel the same emotional notes but in a completely different way.

If you haven’t seen the film, go rent it. It feels as good as the cheesy music in the trailer promises. It’s a great film, mature and smart (in some ways feels like a great sports films). If you’re a musical and you’re in Chicago you have to see Billy Elliot! C’mon, this show made me almost cry when Billy finally does a boy pirouette after weeks of practice.

There’s no greater compliment for a piece of art than to say that it makes you want to experience more art. Billy Eliot! not only makes you wish you could watch the whole musical all over again but it also makes you want to dance.

The Who’s Tommy @ Northwestern University

“Right behind you, I see the millions. On You, I see the glory. From you, I get opinions. From you, I get the story.”

The morning after seeing the Northwestern production (here's the ticket info.) of The Who’s Tommy, these words are still echoing in my head. The ending chorus of “We’re Not Going To Take It,” often referred to as “Listening To You” was the greatest moment of the production.



The simple set combined with the challenges of Townshend’s lyrics, which I couldn’t always understand in this performance made the narrative of The Who’s Tommy difficult to follow. As with most college productions there are simply amazing performances and some that needed improvement. The lead who played Tommy, Reed Wilson brought incredible energy and inner turmoil to the role while balancing a Broadway voice with Roger Daughtry rock sensibility, while other performance reflected the development of young singers and actors.



Regardless of any flaws in the performance the ending chorus of “Listening To You” just made everything make sense and tied the show into a satisfying and powerful musical experience.

The Who’s Tommy started off as a concept album, taking the idea of the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band one step further, well a lot of steps further. The Beatles tied together Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band with a reprise of the first song as one of the last tracks. Within this framework included songs that told different stories which thematically were not all related but shared a musical universe.

Tommy as the original double album told a linear story with varying lengths of songs and musical motives that The Who carries throughout the album. Tommy is a musical achievement, a masterpiece of conception pushing the possibilities of rock music and sensibility into amazing heights.

As a staged musical, the experience is very different. Most people know Tommy from the film that was made in 1975 featuring many of the most famous actors musicians of the time including, Jack Nicholson, Elton John and Tina Turner.



As a film, Tommy features phenomenal visuals, some fun performances and a clear story, but what you don’t get from the film is sense of is really what an musical triumph this rock opera is.

Watching the rock band at Northwestern’s production which were featured in the back center of the stage playing wall to wall music for two hours was astonishing. Rarely do you see rock bands playing live with such clarity and musicality. The authenticity, respect and craft that the band of Daniel Green, Alex Goldklan, Zach Spound, rich Clark, Nick Davio, Nicholas Park, Ian Weinberger (who was amazing on drums) and Alex Weaver brought to the show was truly awesome.

If you are in the area, I highly recommend checking this show (here's the ticket info). Nothing is quite like seeing great rock music live and being reminded how transcendent rock music can be, the heights of emotion in music and the power of a chorus.

Edelweiss (from The Sound Of Music)

I have sing along issues.

I love singing along to songs when I'm in the car or around the house and especially when I'm at dance parties. Oh, and singing along in Rock concerts. EPIC!! But I can't stand it when people sing along at Broadway shows. So when my brother asked me if I wanted to go to a "Sing Along Sound Of Music" event, I had my reservations.

Sound Of Music is without a doubt a great film musical. I take exception to the argument that it is the greatest musical of all time. There's pacing issues in the last third and there isn't much characterization for most of the children. Also there's something kind of creepy about "Sixteen Going On Seventeen."



Really? How is Rolf going to take care of Liesl? Take her to a concentration camp?

Then there's the fact that the last 1/3 of the film consists on no new songs only reprises. Also Sound Of Music features one of the most "mailed in" lyrics in Broadway history: "La, a note to follow so."

Despite these issues, the musical portrays a fantastic and inspiring true story and some of the songs are fantastic. For example "My Favorite Things," is harmonically and melodically adventurous which is why it remains a favorite in not only with musical fans but also with jazz musicians.



The "Sing Along Sound Of Music" is a touring event and I caught it at the 5th Avenue Theater, one of Seattle's historical Broadway theaters. The event featured a really mediocre print of Sound Of Music complete with subtitles for the songs so people could sing along.



However that wasn't it. People not only sang along but participated in the film ala Rocky Horror Picture Show. People booed at the Baroness, barked at Ralph and screamed "use the drapes" as Maria tried to figure out how to make the children play clothes. Oh yeah and people dressed up as nuns, Maria and the children.

I got to admit it was a lot of fun. Despite people singing a long and making jokes, I could enjoy simply watching the film. It wasn't all that different then watching it with a group of friends. I mean it's a three hour film. It's hard to sit through a film like this and not make a joke.

I didn't feel an urge to sing along until Captain Von Trapp picked up the guitar and sang "Edelweiss." There is a kind of musical cheese that surrounds most of the songs in Sound Of Music but there is something genuine and soulful about "Edelweiss."



My wife mentioned that when she watched Sound Of Music as a child she focused on the kids and Maria but as an adult it's the Captain and Austrian plot that really gets to her. I noticed this as well as the scenes about the children really define for the Captain what it means to be Nationalistic.

At the festival when the Captain stops in the middle of "Edelweiss." At this moment questions why he is taking a stand. Then Maria enters in to sing with him, she reminds him of everything worth escaping his homeland for.



It was amazing how the entire audience stoped singing when the Captain hesitated and felt the power of Maria's voice like she was singing with all of us as well. In some ways "Edelweiss" is the simplest song in the musical but its the most complex emotionally embodying the spirit and soul of a country in turmoil as well as the what it means to be a family.

If you ever get the opportunity to go to the "Sing Along Sound Of Music" I highly recommend you go even if you aren't a huge Sound Of Music fan. It's really a magical experience and a great way to experience the impact of the one of the most important pieces of art in our culture.

And seeing people dressed up like "packages wrapped up in string" is simply priceless.

Schadenfreude (from Avenue Q)

People encounter misfortune every day. From losing a pencil to losing a family member to cancer, bad things happen all the time. Sometimes we can make sense out of these bad things. For example, "Person A" deserved to be punched in the face because he always acts like a jerk to his friends. Other times however there is no logic that can be made of tragedy like a person who is injured by a drunk driver.

Sometimes when bad things happen to people most of us react with understanding and sympathy. However, others times we derive joy out of the misfortune of others. There's a word for that "Schadenfreude." This German word is a combination of "schaden" which means "adversity and harm" with "freude" which means joy. Schadenfreude is often harmless laughing at a friend who trips while walking down the street but can also be as insidious as enjoying watching someone get beaten up.

Often we justify our Schadenfreude by telling ourselves that the people who are suffering deserve it so all we are doing is simply being satisfied that justice is being done however this is really just an excuse for us to fall into our baser instincts.

“Shadenfreude” from Avenue Q directly addresses this concept in a humorous and twisted way.



Avenue Q is a Broadway show that features Sesame Street style puppets singing songs with mature themes and explicit language. Imagine if South Park and Sesame Street had a baby and you’ll get close to understanding the insane awesomeness of this musical.



Avenue Q makes light of “Shadenfreude” discussing how getting joy from other’s misfortune in an integral part in making the world a better place. Laughing at misfortune is part of human nature, everyone does it and it helps us get through the day. The song is framed with similar backgrounds and melodies to Sesame Street songs that usually instruct us with valuable life lessons. In the hands of the Avenue Q cast something very different is happening.

The internal logic of this song that justifies Shadenfreude a twisted, perverse and despicable part of our nature which is why it’s so funny that the lesson of this song is that it’s actually a positive thing to enjoy the pain of others.

The reason this song has come to mind is because frankly, I’m sick and tired of people getting so much satisfaction out of Tiger Wood’s current situation. I am not a golf fan, I don’t own any of Wood’s paraphernalia and I don’t doubt for a millisecond that he acted immorally. However it bothers me that people are enjoying in his misfortune.

What does it mean to us if we get joy out of watching a man get exposed for his extramarital affairs and have to deal with his career possible crumbling apart? Who are we to get satisfaction that this person is finally getting what we think he deserves? And why after celebrating and building Tiger Woods up in our culture are there people who seem to be enjoying watching him suffer?

Maybe it's because he's a celebrity and some people will argue that this means they deserve our criticism and scorn because they have voluntarily place themselves in the public eye. As much as that argument makes sense, I feel like I’m listening to the Avenue Q song as people seem to making excuses for acting and saying things that insensitive, heartless and just plain wrong. It’s funny to hear a song about people enjoying the misfortune of others but it’s not so funny to actually see it happening.

My favorite blog right now is the Two-Penny Opera. Ian Shane, an author and screenwriter has created a fantastic blog that comments on music, society and culture. He wrote a response to Tiger Wood’s apology that perfectly captured how I feel about this situation. This is hands down the best commentary I’ve read on this subject and gets to the heart of the subject and what it Tiger Woods means as a public figure.

I know that watching people fail and laughing about it is fun but so is eating a Big Mac. Just because something feeds into our nature and feels good, doesn’t mean it’s good for us. I’m not saying that I’m not above laughing at posts on Fail Blog, but I don't feel great about at someone's misfortune. This kind of laughing always leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

So next time something bad happens to someone and you get some level of satisfaction, think about it for a second. Yes, Schadenfreude is part of the way we instinctively react to the world but it doesn’t mean that it has to define who we are.

Mack The Knife by Bobby Darin

Not all lyrics are created equal.

Some lyrics are trite and are just there to serve the melody, other times lyrics play an equal importance in the song and with artist like Bob Dylan, the lyrics are the most important expressive and artistic aspect of a song.

Regardless of the level of the lyrical artistry, I like knowing the lyrics and what they are about. Often when I’m talking to friends and they a mention and I casually mention what they lyrics are about they are often shocked especially when the lyrics seems to say express something different then the words. One of the most striking examples of this is “Mack The Knife” from The Threepenny Opera

Between World War I and World War II, life for Germans was so bad that all artist could do was make jokes about life’s misfortune. This type of “black humor” was the only way people could cope with life. Two of the most important artists of this time in Germany who used dark humor to comment on life were the composer Kurt Weill and the playwright Bertolt Brecht. In 1928, these two legendary artist combined forces to compose the musical The Threepenny Opera.

The Threepenny Opera is the story of Macheath. He falls in love with a girl named Polly and wants to marry her against her father’s wishes. The father, Jonathan Jeremiah Peachum, who controls the beggars in London, successfully gets Macheath arrested and sentenced to death. Luckily Macheath is pardoned right before he is executed. Our hero is released and we are made to feel happy that Macheath has escaped such an unjust and cruel fate.

Before this story begins, we are told about this person, our hero, Macheath, otherwise known as “Mack the Knife.” The musical opens with a “moritat” a story of murder performed strolling musician. The moritat singer bookends the show singing about hos exploits.

Macheath is bad man even though it’s not clear what exactly he has done. The police have arrested him numerous times for crimes but Macheath always gets released because he served in the military with the Chief of Police. Even though Macheath has done some horrible things, we cheer him on in this story as he fights for his love and freedom, with the warnings of “Mack the Knife” echoing in our memory.

What people originally heard was not a big band arrangement with a swinging jazz vocalist out front, instead they heard this:



This recording of Brecht singing “Mack the Knife” in German is kind of creepy isn’t it? Listening to this song feels like I’m wearing a shirt that doesn’t quite fit right but I just can’t get it off. . ick.

That’s the original “Mack the Knife.” It’s eerie and just a tad disturbing. It’s like someone telling a group of people a joke about a girl being raped and laughing at his own joke while everyone else in the room is just sickened.

When Bobby Darin told his management that he wanted to record “Mack the Knife,” after he had just scored with the hits “Splish Splah” and “Dream Lover,” they argued against it. Darin recorded it anyways and it became his biggest hit. Many people recorded this song after Darin brought it into our cultural consciousness. My personal favorite is this Robbie William’s cover.



The song opens talking about a shark as a metaphor for Macheath. The “scarlet billows” is blood flowing while Macheath’s fancy gloves never show “a trace of red.” The next verse talks about a body “oozing life” as the singer wonders if he just saw Macheath around the corner. The singers takes us down by the river, where a cement bag is weighing someone down to the bottom of the river which the singers sees as a sign that Macheath is back in town. The last part of the song lists off people who Macheath killed. It’s kind of odd how this is the part of the song when it kicks into a joyful shout chorus.

I’ve always loved “Mack the Knife” but ever since I found out the history behind the song and what the lyrics are about, I feel a little guilty enjoying hearing about this sadistic man, Macheath. The thing is, I like the song even more knowing what it’s about, and the feeling that I shouldn’t is what makes it all the more fun.

Summer Nights (from Grease) by John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John

In 2007, NBC produced the reality television series, “Grease: You’re The One That I Want” to pick the two leads of a Broadway revival of Grease. The show a moderate success and a incredible promotion tool for the revival which had enormous ticket sales. Now, I actually never watched this show, but I’ll never forget this music video that was produced to promote the show.



This “medley” of songs from Grease stared Device van Outen one of the co-host of the NBC show. When I first saw this video on television, it just left me speechless. The medley is put together in a rather unorthodox way splicing different songs together, leading off with “Sandra Dee” one of the less well-known songs from the show. However, what most people were thinking about when they watched this video were the girls in black lingerie doing a not-so-subtle striptease dance.

After I saw this video on television I went to the official show website where it was posted and sent the link to a couple of friends. A couple days I noticed that the video was no longer on the website. Apparently, people complained and thought that this was an inappropriate way to promote a family-orientated television show about casting a family-orientated Broadway show.

I got to agree here, some of the moves on the chairs are a little racy and if NBC really wanted “Grease: You’re The One That I Want” to be a family show, this was a little much. The ironic thing is that the originators of Grease never intended to be a family show.

Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey’s 1972 musical, Grease was a show filled with expletives including a line when Sandy says “f--- it” to Danny when he asks if she is still mad at him. The original show more openly dealt the issues of teenage sexuality including Sandy’s abstinence, Rizzo’s promiscuity and the differences between the way that males and females view sexuality.

Then in 1978, Randal Kleiser directed the film version of the musical, which cleaned up the language in the musical and dealt with the sexuality of the show in a more subtle and light-hearted way. The film, which is the highest grossing musical of all time has become so popular that revivals of the Broadway show take more after the film then the original stage production. Like most people, the film version of Grease is the one that I know and love.

What makes Grease great goes beyond whether or not there are swear words used in the musical or even the way that sexuality the story deals with sexuality. Grease displays synergy between the music and plot that develops the characters and expresses the emotions in a real and convincing way.

And honestly who doesn’t love “Summer Nights.”

What a way to start a musical. Let’s have the two main characters reminisces about their summer romance but at the same time set across the school from each other. A lesser musical would have had the Sandy and Danny sing separate songs but in Grease they sing about their romance as a duet juxtaposing not only their own perspectives on the romance but the viewpoint of their friends.

The song starts out as Danny responds to his friend questions about his summer romance. Danny boasts while Sandy sheepishly recalls how it felt. The first verse builds to a chorus as Danny and Sandy innocently sing “summer days drifting away to oh, oh those summer nights.”

I clearly remember laughing out loud the first time I watched this film when I was a kid when the boys abruptly enter prodding for details. What’s even better is how the girls are just as nosy as the boys are. This song plays to the stereotypes that guys are more interested in things like “Did you get very far?” while the girls are interested in the romance, “Was it love at first site?” “Summer Nights” doesn’t so much perpetuate stereotypes as much as the song provides insight by comparing the ideas we have about the way girls and boys view sexually.

The form of “Summer Nights” is very simple, the duet builds to a chorus and then the response from the back-ground singers. This is repeated four times without a bridge. You don’t really notice the repetitive nature of the from because of the evolving background vocals which are a throw back to the doo-wop music of the late 1950s.

As the song builds Danny and Sandy provide more details because of the prodding of their friends. Danny gets more explicit, “well she was good, you know what I mean” while Sandy swoons “He got friendly, holdin’ my hand.” Danny’s bragging comes off more as funny then chauvinistic because he’s singing the same melody with Sandy in the same joyful musical space.

In researching “Summer Nights” I found this parody title “Ghetto Nights.”

What struck me about this version is that is still has the same warm-fuzzy teenage romance feeling at the end of the song.

There is something pure and joyful about Grease. The original Broadway show had it, the film had it, the over-sexualized promotion video had and the ghettoized version had it. It’s that feeling of summer nights, falling in love and a simpler time in our lives which is why we keep coming back to Grease.