"The theater, the theater, what's happened to the theater?"

Let's just take a moment to say how absolutely amazing musicals are...

 

My first musical love.

Need I say more? My favorite Christmas movie. Plus Bing... Plus Danny Kaye = AMAZING. Danny Kaye is a legend. And one of the most talented actors/comedians/people in the world.

Two words: Donald. O'Connor. Another one of the most talent people in the world.

 

Plus Debbie Reynolds, who is Princess Leia's mom... And Gene Kelly, who is, of course, amazing also.
Guess what? We're singing Singin' in the Rain in choir this year! Guess who's excited?

 

I like how Frank's name is before Gene Kelly's, even though Gene is the main character. (Edit: I just re-watched this movie yesterday. It's so cute! And Jose Iturbi is a genius)

 

Did you know Frank Sinatra was 30 in this movie? He looks 18! He was 40 in Guys and Dolls.

Tonight I watched both I Love Melvin, and Singin' in the Rain, starring Debbie Reynolds and Donald O'Connor. I Love Melvin is a little-known, cute, 72 minute musical with some great songs and dance numbers - including one where Donald O'Connor dances on roller skates!

And now I'm left thinking... Why can't we dress like this:

 

Or this?

 

(Donald O'Connor and Vera-Ellen in Call Me Madman. Look at that skirt!)

Or this?

(From I Love Melvin)

There's about a million others I could mention...

Hello Dolly
Oklahoma
Wicked
Les Miserables
Fiddler on the Roof
Gypsy
Chess (this is one my parent's like that I know nothing about)
West Side Story
Bye Bye Birdie
Annie
Grease
Marry Poppins
Into the Woods
Seussical
Cats
The Phantom of the Opera
The Sound of Music
My Fair Lady
Call Me Madman
Marry Poppins
Cinderella
Anything Goes...

I'm sure there's millions more.

So, until Tomorrow! Tomorrow! there's always, tomorrow! It's only a day away...

I feel so ashamed.

I can't believe I did it.
I caved.
I gave into the desire...
...the desire to listen to Christmas music
...three months before December.
There is a Dean Martin Christmas CD sitting in my CD player right now.

And now I feel like Frank Sinatra, "Sue me, sue me, shoot bullets through me... but I love Christmas music."

"So give a holler and hate me, hate me, go ahead hate me... I still love Christmas music."

Have a merry Christma- er, live long and prosper!

Powder your face with sunshine!

 

I'm stuck. I know what I want to happen.... I just don't know how to go about putting it on paper (or, in my case, the word document). So I'm sitting here writing this blog post and listening to Dean Martin.

 

I can't believe I haven't listened to him for nearly a year..... Here or there I would listen to one or two songs.... but I really haven't listened to him since last spring when we were on our long road trip and I got a migraine while listening to him.

 

But I can't stay away from his voice for too long. I just love it. And the music he sings too. He sings quite a bit in Italian (because he is Italian) and lots of jazz. But he also broadens into other genres as well... He has a few countryish songs which are kind of fun. "Goin' back to Houston! Houston! Houston!"
He was also part of the Rat Pack with Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr.....

 

And he has lots of amusing lyrics. "I haven't eaten in about a week, I'm so hungry that when I walk I squeak." "Standing on the corner, watching all the girls go by...." "I'd cry like a baby if you told me goodbye, I'd feel like a snowball on the fourth of July..... I'd cry like a baby with a busted balloon...."

 

And my three favorite crooners together in one picture:

 

(Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Dean Martin).

By the way.... which pair of names do you like better?
Choice #1: Quinn and Stacy.
Choice #2: Quinn and Nancy.
And which spelling of "Quinn" do you like better?
Choice #1: Quinn.
Choice #2: Quin.

Live long and prosper! And don't forget to powder your face sunshine! Put on a great big smile. Make up your eyes with laughter; folks will be laughing with you in a little while! Whistle a tune of gladness. Blue never was in style. The future's brighter, when hearts are lighter, so smile, smile, smile!