Broadway Tunes

I always have a hard time picking a "favorite." Take music, for instance. To me it feels like I am excluding so many good options by saying, "My favorite kind of music is ______." There is no right answer to that. Some days I am in the mood for country. Other days have a more classical vibe. Other days I need to blast back to tunes that remind me of high school days. If I'm cleaning or working out, I might need a good beat to get me moving. How do you pick just one when there are SO MANY good options for music?

With that intro, I have days where I like a good Broadway or musical tune. It can almost be like listening to a story, but one with a good soundtrack. And even though I can't use the word "favorite," here are some songs I love listening to over and over.

Jekyll and Hyde - I get chills every time I listen to "First Transformation" and "Alive." If you know the story, this is where Hyde makes his first appearance. And the very last word of "First Transformation" is the climax that leads right into "Alive" which is why I have to listen to them together.

Notre Dame de Paris - When Disney released The Hunchback of Notre Dame as a kid's cartoon, I boycotted on principle. I have no idea how to take a story so dark and twisted and make it something suitable for children. This music much more closely follows the complex story as written by Victor Hugo. I love "Belle" because all three men sing about the same woman. Their feelings range from infatuation to obsession, and I'm not sure that anyone even comes close to love.

Across The Universe - Not technically a Broadway soundtrack. But I really like some of the Beatles remixes. One of my favorite is "Let It Be." It's more powerful if you have seen the movie, but I'm not sure I would recommend watching all of it just for that scene. An inner city choir sings this rendition, and the main soloist is a cherub-faced boy. If you watched it and weren't crying by the end, you might not be all the way human.

Phantom of the Opera - "Past the Point of No Return." I realize this may not be considered one of the power songs in the lineup. But there is something about the way this particular song blurs the lines between fiction and reality for the characters who are singing.

O Brother, Where Art Thou? - Alison Krauss is always amazing, and hearing her sing harmony on "Down To The River to Pray" just makes gospel music hit me in the soul!

That's all I have for now.