I've run this edition of Blast from the Past more than once, with some change-outs in the included clips. But I'm running it again, because at last, the divine Ms. Lauper is a bona fide, screaming success again on Broadway. For a long-time fan like me, it's both thrilling and vindicating. But what took so long? Congratulations to a fantastically talented lady on her long overdue success.
So, to refresh your memory, here are some of her biggest hits, and best songs.
Of course, Cyndi has more hits than that, and also some more recent music. I included a couple of non-hits that are nonetheless some of my favorites. But I'd really love it if she could use her show as a springboard to a chart comeback!
Meanwhile, have a great first full work week of the year. Happy Monday!
I was home alone on Christmas Eve. Don't feel sad, I'm married to a flight attendant, so I'm used to it. So, rather than yuletide revelry, I had Pizza Hut and a Glee marathon. Which wasn't bad. Especially since the run of episodes I had backed up on the DVR culminated with a Christmas-themed episode. Kind of perfect, and certainly fun.
It was the Thanksgiving episode that raised my eyebrows though. Usually, I'm multitasking while watching TV. I'm on the computer or doing some housework or something. But during this episode, I stopped, backed up the DVR and watched. Guest star Sarah Jessica Parker--looking for all the world like Carrie Bradshaw in a musical episode of Sex in the City--sends her New York posse over to Kurt and Rachel's absurdly large apartment, and comes in late. She calls as she's on her way, and recites an odd little soliloquy. Then, the apartment explodes in song, and the song is Let's Have a Kiki.
The song is mashed up with Turkey Lurkey Time, a bizarre choice, but it works. Totally in character for Lea Michelle's Rachel character. And I was oddly mesmerized. Now, understand that while I do have "the gay," for the most part I'm missing the musical theater gene. I'm more interested in Glee for the comedy, the characters, and the occasional song. But this one struck me as inspired.
The next day while reading my favorite blog, Joe.My.God., I saw that the number one song of the year was Let's Have a Kiki by the Scissor Sisters. Joe described the song as played out, the big song of the summer. And before Glee, I'd never heard of it. I may not have the musical bug, but I am a pop culture guru, and I'm a Scissor Sisters fan! I must be slipping. Here's the real version of the song, with a decidedly less PG vibe.
I don't know what it is about the song. It's not melodic. It's odd. But I find myself totally digging it. And wondering how it's possible that it totally got by me. I mean, I even figured out Gangnam Style before it was totally old news. But I missed out on the Kiki?
If you type "Joss Whedon" into the search box above, you'll likely have several pages of previous posts of mine to scroll through. I'm a huge fan, and have recently plowed through every episode of every show that Whedon has created. Yeah, I'm that nuts. His current show Dollhouse has been featured here as much as anything, but it looks unlikely to survive for the full TV season. But to help squelch my sadness about that likely eventuality, Whedon will be directing an episode of Glee! Which, given his spectacular success on the musical episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, "Once More, With Feeling!" bodes very well for fans of the show.
[Excerpt]
'Glee' exclusive: Joss Whedon to direct!
If I hadn’t been warming to Glee already, this for sure would’ve begun defrosting me: Dollhouse-keeper Joss Whedon has agreed to direct one of the back nine episodes that Fox just ordered. . .
I found this clip while travelling the tubes of the internets, and could not resist posting it. It's a clip of a politician played by Charles Durning in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. That movie (based on a musical play from 1978) was released in 1982, but this portrayal of politics is just as timely today. Durning even starts with, "My friends!"
Frivolity break! And this is a good one too. A bunch of pranksters stage a real-life musical number at an active food court. . .but the patrons aren't in on the joke! I've always thought that passers by in movie musicals ought to react like the patrons do!
[Excerpt from YouTube page]
From http://www.improveverywhere.com/, 16 agents create a spontaneous musical in a food court in a Los Angeles mall. Using wireless microphones and the mall's PA system, both their voices and the music was amplified throughout the food court. All cameras were hidden behind two-way mirrors and other concealed structures.
This is one of over 70 different missions Improv Everywhere has executed over the past six years in New York City. Others include Frozen Grand Central, the Best Buy uniform prank, and the famous U2 Rooftop Hoax, to name a few. Visit the website to see tons of photos and video of all of our work, including behind the scenes information on how this video was made.
