HOORAY FOR THE JOY-GIVERS! We always need more smiles, music and laughter. This fun series salutes those seriously unsolemn people, places and things that bring joy to the world. Starting during the pandemic, an oft joy-challenged time, readers are introduced to present-day joy-givers and reminded of cherished joy-givers of the past. Each salute will have online links to add more opportunities for happiness in the comfort of your socially-distanced home. Many installments of the series will include a salutary food or drink recipe to add another element of pleasure.
The “SHIELD THE JOYOUS” shields, which will be given to those honored or to their family, are inspired from a passage in “The Book of Common Prayer” (1662). Prayers are lifted to “tend the sick, give rest to the weary, bless the dying…and shield the joyous.” Joy-givers are precious. Let us preserve them, protect them, treasure them, smile with them, laugh with them, tap our toes with them and give them A ROUND OF APPLAUSE.
PLEASE GIVE A ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR CENTRAL ALABAMA THEATER and Joy-Giving Broadway Songs
You’re one, singular sensation, every step that you take, so get ready to treat your feet to 42nd Street and tap your troubles away because—EVERYTHING’S COMIN’ UP ROSES!
GET YOUR HIGHLIGHTER OUT—this “Round Of Applause” is going to give you enough joyous, FREE, YouTube-able music and dancing to get you through your Zoom “Family and Friendsgiving” weekend and possibly beyond Christmas 2020. Inspired by Carl Peoples and Central Alabama Theater with nominations from the Facebook group, Birmingham Theatre Family, and many other joy-givers, we’re saluting “THE 100 MOST JOY-GIVING BROADWAYS SONGS…EVER!!!” Yes, three exclamation points, that’s the razz-ma-tazz and jazz hands musical theater delivers.
“THE 100 MOST JOY-GIVING SONGS from THE MOST JOY-GIVING BROADWAY SHOWS” and the joy-giving person(s) who wants to share them with you this joy-giving season:
- “Everything’s Comin’ up Roses”—GYPSY—suggested by Beth McCord and Susan Degges
- “To Life”—FIDDLER ON THE ROOF—Kristin Breneman Stasdowski
- “It’s Almost Like Being in Love”—BRIGADOON—Harper Wood
- “The Impossible Dream”—MAN OF LAMANCHA—Michael McKenzie/Leslie Douglas Thompson
- “The Time Warp”—THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW—Jennifer Combs/Laura Kilgore Barnett
- “At the Top of the World”—TUCK EVERLASTING—Kaci Deakins
- “Anything Goes”—ANYTHING GOES—Kaci Deakins
- “There’s the Light at the End of the Tunnel”—STARLIGHT EXPRESS—Ted Vodde/Sidney C. Summey
- “She Loves Me”—SHE LOVES ME—Paul G. Barnes
- “Happiness”—YOU’RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN—Daniel Martin
- “The Circle of Life”—THE LION KING—Linda Leslie Joseph
- “A New Deal for Christmas”—ANNIE—Jennifer Combs
- “Climb Every Mountain”—THE SOUND OF MUSIC–Josh Martin
- “History has its Eyes on You”—HAMILTON—Linda Leslie Joseph
- “Seize the Day”—NEWSIES—Linda Leslie Joseph
- “Supercalifragilisticexpealidocious”—MARY POPPINS—Barbie Arnold
- “A Spoonful of Sugar”—MARY POPPINS—Barbie Arnold
- “Shall We Dance”—THE KING AND I—Ben Johnson South
- “Only Us”—DEAR EVAN HANSON–Julie Austin Head
- “For Good”—WICKED—Julie Austin Head
- “I Could Have Danced All Night”—MY FAIR LADY– Jan Alfano Gentle
- “When I Grow Up”—MATILDA—Julie Austin Head
- “I’m Still Here”—FOLLIES—Robin Wood
- “Mornin’ Glow”—PIPPIN—Dane Peterson
- “Hair”—HAIR—John Mertz
- “Singin’ in the Rain”—SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN—Linda Leslie Joseph
- “Welcome to the Rock”—COME FROM AWAY—Linda Leslie Joseph
- “The Music and the Mirror”—A CHORUS LINE—Josh Martin
- “When You Got It, Flaunt It”—THE PRODUCERS—Josh Martin
- “You Won’t Succeed on Broadway”—SPAMALOT—Josh Martin
- “Brotherhood of Man”—HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS—David Garrett
- “Times are Hard for Dreamers”—AMELIE’—Hannah Crider Stansell
- “Think of Me”—PHANTOM OF THE OPERA—Lewis Munn Armstrong, Jr.
- “Tradition”—FIDDLER ON THE ROOF—Lewis Munn Armstrong, Jr.
- “Good Morning Starshine”—HAIR—Lisa Berryhill Davis
- “Cabaret”—CABARET—Lisa Berryhill Davis
- “Tap Your Troubles Away”—MACK AND MABEL—Andrew Duxbury
- “Happy Talk”—SOUTH PACIFIC—Patty Miller
- “Ten Minutes Ago”—CINDERELLA—Patty Miller
- “Song on the Sand”—LA CAGE AUX FOLLES—Josh Martin
- “Repent, Repent”—ON THE TWENTIETH CENTURY—Josh Martin
- “Come to the Fun Home”—FUN HOME—Jamie Nelson
- “Watch What Happens”—NEWSIES—Linda Leslie Joseph
- “Dancing Queen”—MAMMA MIA—Linda Leslie Joseph
- “Chim Chim Cher-ee”—MARY POPPINS—Barbie Arnold
- “You Can’t Stop the Beat”—HAIRSPRAY—Michael Hoadley/Doug Williford
- “Time to Start Living”—PIPPIN-Jan Hunter
- “Side by Side”—COMPANY—Jan Hunter
- “Before the Parade Passes By”—HELLO DOLLY—David Garrett
- “Make Someone Happy”—DO-RE-MI—April Lufkin Miller
- “All for the Best”—GODSPELL-April Lufkin Miller
- “America”—WEST SIDE STORY—April Lufkin Miller
- “Popular”—WICKED—April Lufkin Miller
- “Brand New Day”—THE WIZ—Kate Orsini/Zachary William
- “Seasons of Love”—RENT—Jonathan Miles/Lynn Ritchie
- “You’ll Never Walk Alone”—CAROUSEL–Laura Brown McKenzie/Leslie Douglas Thompson
- “Defying Gravity”—WICKED—Laura Brown McKenzie
- “Together, Wherever We Go”—GYPSY—Kate Orsini
- “Run, Freedom, Run”—URINETOWN—Dane Peterson
- “There’s No Business Like Show Business” —Laura Kilgore Barnett
- “Get Some Cash for Your Trash”—AIN’T MISBEHAVIN’—Laura Kilgore Barnett
- “You’re Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile”—ANNIE—Dana Pharo
- “The Age of Aquarius”—HAIR—Elaine DiRico/Laura Kilgore Barnett
- “Razzle Dazzle”—CHICAGO—Ben South
- “24 Hours of Lovin’”—THE BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE IN TEXAS—Ben South
- “Friend Like Me”—ALADDIN—Kristen Knight Viikinsalo
- “One Night in Bangkok”—CHESS—Paul G. Barnes
- “Rum Tum Tugger”—CATS—Noah McGinty
- “It’s Time to Dance”—THE PROM—Kaci Deakins
- “Change It”—9 TO 5—Kaci Deakins
- “Anthem”—CHESS—Sidney C. Summey
- “We’ll Take a Drink”—GRAND HOTEL—Josh Martin
- “It’s a Miracle”—FIDDLER ON THE ROOF—Josh Martin
- “My St. Peterburg”—ANASTASIA—Linda Leslie Joseph
- “Step in Time”—MARY POPPINS—Linda Leslie Joseph
- “Free at Last”—BIG RIVER—Josh Martin
- “All the Best”—GODSPELL—Peyton Shepard
- “Why We Tell the Story”—ONCE UPON THIS ISLAND—Kaci Deakins
- “The Wells Fargo Wagon”—THE MUSIC MAN—Laura Kilgore Barnett
- “There is a Santa Claus”—ELF—Sherrie McKee Forehand
- “I Don’t Need Anything but You”—ANNIE—Sam Barnett
- “Raise You Up”—KINKY BOOTS—John Windham/April Lufkin Miller
- “Magic to Do”—PIPPIN—April Lufkin Miller
- The Opening—42nd STREET—Matthew Torbett
- “Oh My God, You Guys”—LEGALLY BLONDE—April Lufkin Miller
- “A Musical”—SOMETHING ROTTEN—Zachary William
- “The Floor Show”—ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW—Zachary William
- “Plant a Radish”—THE FANTASTICKS–Paul G. Barnes
- “Believe”—FINDING NEVERLAND—Paul G. Barnes
- “The King of New York”—NEWSIES—Beth McCord
- “Play”—FINDING NEVERLAND—Kaci Deakins
- “Hello Dolly”—HELLO DOLLY—Laura Kilgore Barnett
- “If I Were a Bell”—GUYS AND DOLLS—April Lufkin Miller
- “The Bitch of Living”—SPRING AWAKENING—Josh Martin
- “The Story of Tonight”—HAMILTON—Linda Leslie Joseph
- “Journey to the Past”—ANASTASIA—Linda Leslie Joseph
- “A Patriotic Finale”—WHEN PIGS FLY—Josh Martin
- “Ticker Tape Parade”—DOGFIGHT—Linda Leslie Joseph
- “Practically Perfect”—MARY POPPINS—Barbie Arnold
- We Need A Little Christmas”—MAME—Sherrie McKee Forehand
Please give A ROUND OF APPLAUSE for these “100 Joy-Giving Broadway Songs” to get us through the pandemic and to those who created them. Some mentioned entire, joy-giving shows to enjoy: BARNUM, THE FULL MONTY, INTO THE WOODS, MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG, THE FROGS, SPAMALOT (which may be my favorite musical thanks to a positively riotous, Virginia Samford Theatre (Birmingham) production), WEST SIDE STORY, KINKY BOOTS—and also, per musical and opera “stage sage,” Andy Duxbury, every Broadway show created by Jerry Herman.
CENTRAL ALABAMA THEATER (CAT) Founder/Director Carl Peoples, who started this joy-giving “100 Best” compilation with me over a long, laugh-filled lunch also selected three, crowd-delighting performances from the past five years at CAT: “Candles in the Rain” performed by Broadway veteran, Catherine Fries Vaughan in their 2017 Summer hit musical, THE BIKINIS! “Christian Cowboy” sung by Kellie Dodd and Joshua Green—however, Kristen Sharp stole the show with her bass drum and triangle antics (she never sang a note)—Carl Peoples said he still laughs out loud recalling it. And “Little Drummer Boy,” a moving arrangement performed by Grammy nominee/Dove Award winner, Ty Herndon, with Dr. Jeff Kensmoe and Royzell Walker the CAT Holiday Show, A NOT SO SILENT NIGHT at the Sirote Theater/Alys Stephens Center.
FREE CHRISTMAS GIFTS FOR YOU from Central Alabama Theater: Starting Dec. 13, 2020 at 7:30 p.m. and unwrapping a new, 12-ish minutes, “VIRTUAL” performance each day, CAT and some of central Alabama’s most-joy-giving performers give you: THE 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS every evening at 7:30. Perfect for family holiday joy. Connect at www.CentralAlabamaTheater.org or www.Facebook/CentralAlabamaTheater.
HAPPY, HEALTHY, JOY-FILLED THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY TO ALL!
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