I've been putting together some more audition material for myself these past few days so that I have something to bring into a voice instructor. I have been going through my songbooks and it has occurred to me that a makeover of my repertoire might be in order as well. Times, they are a'changin' so I need some new stuff! I'm keeping my fingers crossed that not all of my music belongs in the dumpster. It's gonna take a little more effort to pry a few of my favorite musical theater standards and standbys from my hands.
One of my favorite musicals of all time is Little Shop of Horrors (can you blame me? It's fantastic!) Suddenly Seymour and Somewhere That's Green are probably in my Top 10 list of favorite musical theater songs of all time. Who doesn't melt at the sound of those sweet little chord progressions? I like to sing what I love so they're here to stay in my anthology of material! Please, let me keep 'em! Please! Just give me some more time with them and I know I can bring them back to life! Why do I love these songs so much anyway? Maybe I need to go back to square one and take a look at the musical again.
It had been years and years since I'd watched "Little Shop." I'll never forget seeing it for the first time in the movie theater when I was about 7 years old. My grandparents took me knowing that it was something their granddaughter just had to see. I remember being frightened at the start of the film, so many scary, rough and tumble characters flooded the screen, but Audrey seemed pretty and nice, and Seymour was a non-threatening male character with which I could empathize. Long story short, I loved that damn movie! So going back to what I had learned in the seminar the other day about finding your story and letting that carry your voice, etc., I decided that it might not be a bad idea to watch it again and refresh my memory, 22 years later. (Better late than never, eh?)
I made my boyfriend drag out his projector and we projected "Little Shop" on the wall for a good old fashioned movie night. He had never seen the picture, so it made it even more fun for me because I love introducing people to new things. As soon as the Roger Corman-like introduction began to roll, I was seven years-old all over again. Funny how this musical never fails to tug at my heartstrings and conjure up the same emotions I felt for it as a child. However, now that I am fully grown, (in size, that is - certainly not in maturity) whenever I watch a musical whether it be on stage or screen, I inevitably feel an emotion that the seven year-old me was not yet acquainted...longing. I've become all too familiar with this feeling in recent years, and I am determined to do whatever is in my power to slake it!
Until such time - please cry your hearts out. That's what I do whenever I hear this song...
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