Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Dec 10 '08: Carols for a Cure

Carols for a Cure is an eclectic mix of classical choral, novelty songs, alternative rock, and world music, created and performed by singers in New York's biggest shows. For today's show, I interviewed Lynn Pinto, an actress who 10 years ago began recording Christmas songs with the casts of Broadway shows and sold the CDs to benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

Today's show doesn't fit into any cubby hole of music genres. Some are beautiful chorals, some have fabulous sounds that bowled me over, some are silly fun, and one song I just didn't get until Linn explained it to me. It's as fabulously mixed as the musical theater scene today. And it's a perfect foil to the oh-too-familiar music piped through stores and certain radio stations all December long.

To be perfectly honest, I put this show together with the hope that you, the listener, will go to the BroadwayCares.org site and purchase any of the Carols for a Cure series for yourself. The "for a Cure" part means all proceeds benefit research to find a cure for AIDS and services for those with the condition. (I'm a dreamer - I want an end to all diseases and life-threatening conditions, AIDS included.)

I am thoroughly grateful to everyone involved - the music directors who had creative ideas, the songwriters who donated their talents, the singers and musicians who take the time out of their performing schedules every year to make it a reality. It gives me great pleasure to listen to these songs, and I hope that these songs have the same effect on you, too.

Here are the songs I played on this show, just a tiny handful of all the great songs from the whole Carols for a Cure series:
Dreidel Dreidel Dreidel - 2003 Cast of Hairspray
I Wonder as I Wander - 2008 Cast of Spring Awakening
Good King Wenceslas - 1998 Nuns Choir of Sound of Music
Los Peces en el Rio - Antonio Banderas and the 2003 Cast of Nine
Los Peces en el Rio - 2008 Cast of In the Heights
Carol of the Bells (with Djembe) - 2008 Cast of The Lion King
Cold Christmas (by Elton John) - 2008 Cast of Billy Elliott
Eight Lonliest Nights of the Year - 2008 Cast of Avenue Q
Holiday Lament (The Fruitcake Song) - 2004 Cast of The Lion King
Tannenbaum - 2001 Cast of The Producers
The Holly and the Ivy - 2008 Cast of Mary Poppins
White Christmas - Bernadette Peters and the 1999 Cast of Annie Get Your Gun

Wednesday, December 03, 2008

Dec 3 2008 - Howard Ashman

Okay, it's not pretty - my formatting self destructed. But here's a list of what the songs were for today's show. Thanks for listening!

Title Artist Album
Cheese Nips Howard Ashman Howard Sings Ashman
Sheridan Square (Too Many Hats) Howard Ashman Howard Sings Ashman
Skid Row (Downtown) Rick Moranis, Ellen Greene Little Shop of Horrors [Original Soundtrack]
A Little Dental Music [*][Demo Version] Alan Menken Little Shop of Horrors [2003 Cast]
I Found a Hobby [*][Demo Version] Howard Ashman Little Shop of Horrors [2003 Cast]
Suddenly, Seymour Alan Menken Little Shop of Horrors [OS]
Be Our Guest (Demo) Howard Ashman Beauty and the Beast
If I Can't Love Her Ron Raines So in Love With Broadway
Seize the Day [From Newsies] David Moscow; Newsies Classic Disney, Vol. 5
This Only Happens in the Movies Kerry Butler Faith, Trust and Pixie Dust
I Can't Believe My Heart Susan Egan Coffeehouse
Lights of Long Ago Lynn Ahrens A Christmas Carol [2004 TV Cast]
A Place Called Home (A Christmas Carol) Liz Callaway On and off Broadway: The Story Goes On
Abundance and Charity Michael Mandell A Christmas Carol [Original Cast]
God Bless Us, Everyone Company A Christmas Carol [Original Cast]