Oh My Goodness It's Thursday Already!

I thought it was wednesday today and then I was like "oh snap, it's thursday!" I'd like to appologize in advance for the lack of quality for this post as well as probably all the posts I do until after May 6. This is the most stressful month of my life and I'm kind of freaking out a bit...gah! But this is not a time for getting all concerned, this is a time to celebrate musical inspirations. There are so many wonderful musicians out there that I'd love to talk about but being the theatre nerd that I am I'm going to have to go with Andrew Lloyd Webber. Also I can talk about him without having to look much up... oh dear I'm durning into such a cop-out this month! So Andrew Lloyd Webber is one of the most well known composers and writers in the world of musicals. Some of his best works include Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Jesus Christ Superstar, Cats, and Phantom of the Opera. Phantom is the longest running show in Broadway history with Cats coming in at number three I believe, and Phantom being one of the longest lasting shows in London's West End. What I love is that he composes these massive musicals and there's so much power to the music. You put a live orchestra and a full chorus onstage and the result swells up and fills the entire room. It's the kind of music that feels so solid you could reach out and touch it, and there are lyrics both funny and heart wrenching. Much of a musical is written through lyrics as well as spoken lines and the way Webber writes both along with the accompanyiment complement each other so well. Now I feel like I've just been raving about how great and talented this man is but I must admit not everything he's done is amazing. Actually I have rather a lot of beef with his newest show. Love Never Dies just premiered last year as a sequel to Phantom of the Opera. It's an interesting concept, and the music is great, and I'm sure if it had no connection to Phantom I'd quite enjoy it. But it is the worst sequel in the history of ever. GAH! So much of it just bothers me! I could rant on and on about it but I'm sure you don't want to read that haha. So unfortunately I don't know how to add videos here... I promise I'll learn someday! So instead here are some links to a few Andrew Lloyd Webber songs to give you an idea of his classic style: Music of the Night (Phantom of the Opera), my favourite :) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Imv-7F8zHy4 Coney Island Waltz (Love Never Dies) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDRt8Ilqyu0 Hopefully those work... Also another brilliant composer, Stephen Sondheim, his style is similar to Webber's but a lot darker (Sweeney Todd the Demon Barber of Fleet Street and Into the Woods to name a few...) so if you're interested I'd deffinately check him out. That's it's for now, hope you're all doing well and I loved all your posts so far this week!