Suddenly COVID

This has gone viral. (And should, if only for the play on words.)  

 I don't care. 

 I adore this.

   

A helpful YouTube commenter has listed the musicals being parodied. ("I Believe" was the one I didn't recognize, having seen The Book of Mormon only once. It's also the musical for which Andrew Rannells won a Tony):

"America" - West Side Story 

"Suddenly Seymour" - Little Shop of Horrors 

"16 going on 17" - The Sound of Music 

"Hello!" - The Book of Mormon 

"Defying Gravity" - Wicked 

"One" - A Chorus Line

 "Memory" - Cats 

"And I am Telling You" - Dreamgirls 

"Tradition" - Fiddler On the Roof 

"You Can’t Stop the Beat" - Hairspray 

 "Maria" - West Side Story 

"My Shot" - Hamilton 

"I Believe" - The Book of Mormon

Cuomo-sexual

Fortunately, younger daughter was in the room when I first watched this, and explained that this is a parody of "Sandy" from Grease - not my favourite musical. However, Randy Rainbow can make anything more palatable -- even White House press conferences with the current incumbent.



We're having similar fan-girling with our provincial health officers. Here are two tributes to Dr Bonnie Henry, the chief medical health officer for British Columbia:




Not nearly up to Randy Rainbow's production standards, but equally heart-felt, wouldn't you say?

He's got a funny feeling that he's won

As depressing as the news is, whether here in Canada, or over the border, or overseas, a bit of clever political satire can brighten things up. This is why I rather adore Randy Rainbow and his pink cat-eyed glasses. This week, he's gone after the impeachment hearings in the States, using one of my favourite songs from Rodger and Hammerstein's Oklahoma.

For you infants - or philistines - who don't know your musical theatre, here's an excerpt from Trevor Nunn's 1999 London production - which starred a relatively unknown Hugh Jackman as Curly - here featuring Vicki Simon as "Ado Annie", whose English accent occasionally slips through. She's singing to Josefina Gabrielle as a barefooted and over-alled Laurey.


I notice that later productions change the last verse, which originally ran:
I'm jist a girl who cain't say no,
Kissin's my favourite food.
With or without the mistletoe,
I'm in a holiday mood.
Other girls are coy and hard to catch,
But other girls ain't havin' any fun.
Every time I lose a wrestling match,
I have a funny feeling that I won.
Although I can feel the undertow,
I never make a complaint,
'Til it's too late for restraint,
Then when I wanna, I cain't,
I cain't say no.

Hosts in the bathroom

We watched the Tonys last night, and they actually made some sense this time, perhaps finally recovering from the in-jokey weirdness of the 2017 Emmys, hosted by Ken Spacey, before his plummet from grace.

This broadcast actually featured shows that I wouldn't mind seeing - assuming I had scads more cash than I do - including the award-winner for new Musical - Hadestown. (Gee, I'd have to see the appeal in that one, wouldn't I?)

One of the more amusing moments was a special musical number parodying a musical that didn't feature in the Tony nominations at all, but might turn up in next year's, as it's new on Broadway. I don't remember much about last year's awards at all; I'd even forgotten that Sara Bareilles and Josh Groban had hosted.

I can't embed the clip; I suspect there were copyright issues, as James Corden had it up on his YouTube station this morning, and it has been taken down. However, CBS posted it on their Facebook page, and I believe you can still see it here.

And here's the original, from the musical Be More Chill. It's kind of a complicated plot, but you'll get the idea that it's about the usual teenage problems.

Over the rainbow

I'm tired. I'm taking the Randy Rainbow escape. Because he is an escape. A big, campy, over-the-top escape - with a spot-on parody of the opening of Disney's Beauty and the Beast.

(Am I the only person who thinks William P. Barr looks like Elton John?)

Gucci on a Ritz

There have been a lot of retrospectives of The Carol Burnett Show in recent years. None of them ever include this splendid (and affectionate) spoof of the Fred Astaire/Ginger Roger musicals of the 1930s.

The songwriter Irving Berlin had a strict proviso against any parodies of his songs, so the songs here only hint at the Berlin originals - with the exception of the singing gondolier who warbles a garbled version of "Putting on the Ritz", which includes a reference to "Fred Austerlitz" (Fred Astaire's real name).

Other delights include Ken Berry's dancing (not what he was famous for in the television of the 60's and 70's), and Roddy McDowall's rather good impression of Edward Everett Horton.

Appalled when it comes to a Baldwin

I think Randy Rainbow's videos are clever, hilarious, and loaded with high production value. They can also sting, and not just his targets. This one makes me laugh and wince.



Maybe I need to sing "Cockeyed Optimist" to myself at bedtime?

Parting shot

And so 2018 ebbs away. I've got family to be with (and laundry to do -- because I'm that exciting -- and so I'll cheat, as usual.

I'd just like to point out that elder daughter, at age 26, didn't recognize any of these hit tunes, but I suspect it's the holiday lyrics that make them bearable.

See you next year.

I know it sounds a bit bizarre

After a weekend of musical theatre - which I'll tell you about tomorrow, all being well -- I was in the mood for something shorter, but equally as musically pleasing and witty.


Gawd I love this guy. The production values, the incisive (with considerable incisors) commentary, the clever lyrics, the wigs, the pink pussy hats....

If I only had the time

Today, the Resident Fan Boy is celebrating his first birthday in Victoria in 19 years.

Younger daughter has informed me by text that she also wants to light the candles this year, because she is "22 years old!". Pray for us.

While she was meticulously baking and decorating the cake yesterday, I entertained her with this latest Randy Rainbow concoction. I swear the man has the tidiest eyebrows on YouTube.

The damn fool who shot him

If you like Hamilton and Doctor Who, you'll like this. If you don't - or you've had it up to here with Hamilton parodies - you won't. Either way, it's bedtime.

Super-sensitive potassium

Because I can't resist.

Pop zingers

I've posted videos from Collective Cadenza (or cdza) on three occasions and a video from The Key of Awesome once before.  Both are groups clever with music and a little over the top with their humour.  However, I'm rather delighted to learn that they've teamed up:



I was also rather fiendishly pleased that the Key of Awesome had taken a swipe at Mumford and Sons, although I think M & S are pretty good at taking a joke:

You'll wake up screaming "Na-nah-na-na-nah"

Gotta go to bed.  But it's the last day of May, and I need to write a May post, no matter how brief.  Elder daughter, an intelligent young woman who is about to enter her final year of her undergraduate degree and has been named co-editor-in-chief of her university magazine, has an inexplicable obsession with One Direction.  (Well, I suppose they are her contemporaries.)  Needless to say, I've been torturing her with this parody.  Lots of puerile "they must be gay" humour, but some wonderful throw-way zingers.

We are the seventh sign of the apocalypse...

Nyuk-nyuk-nyuk.

We've had a humidex of 40 today and the current temperature is 27 with a humidex of 38.  Must go to bed...

Dydd Gwyl Dewi hapus!

It's March 1st, it's St David's Day, so the Resident Fan Boy brought me a lovely small bunch of mini-daffs to offset the piles of new snow outside, and it's time to crank up Bryn Terfel and haul out my favourite Welsh song parodies.

We start with Land of My Fathers, of course which you can sing phonetically with the aid of YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=modl5evfyb4&feature=related

Or you can always substitute the words by Swansea poet Nigel Jenkins which one can sing at rugby matches to make it look as though one knows the Welsh national anthem (stole this from the informative and entertaining blog Eine Kleine Nichtmusik) :

My hen laid a haddock, one hand oiled a flea,
Glad farts and centurions threw dogs in the sea,
I could stew a hare here and brandish Dan's flan,
Don's ruddy bog's blocked up with sand.
Dad! Dad! Why don't you oil Auntie Glad?
Can whores appear in beer bottle pies,
O butter the hens as they fly!

This probably only works if you're surrounded by people singing the right words....

Next the wistful song The Ash Grove...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kAvEfp1Rak
....which you can cheer up with the following lyrics:

Welsh History 101
by Heather Rose Jones filk: The Ash Grove

If ever you wander out by the Welsh border, come stop by and see me and all of my kin.
I'm Morgan ap Dafydd ap Gwion ap Hywell ap Ifor ap Madoc ap Rhodri ap Gwyn.
We'll feast you on mutton and harp for your pleasure and give you a place to sleep out of the cold
Or maybe we'll meet you out on the dark roadway, and rob you of horses and weapons and gold.

My neighbour from England has come across raiding, slain six of my kinsmen and burned down my hall.
It cannot be borne, this offense, this injustice! I've only killed four of his, last I recall.
I'll send for my neighbors, Llewellyn and Owain; we'll cut him down as for the border he rides!
But yesterday Owain stole three of my cattle, so first I'll retake them and three more besides.

We need a strong prince to direct our resistance: heroic, impartial, of noble degree.
My brother's wife's fourth cousin's foster son Gruffydd is best for the job, as I'm sure you'll agree.
What matter that Rhys is the old prince's nephew? He's sailed off to Ireland and will not return.
I know this for every time boats he is building, I send my spies money to see that they burn.

Yes, we are just plain folk who mind our own business, honest and loyal and full of good cheer
If ever you wander out by the Welsh border, come stop by and see all the friendly folk here.

And finally Men of Harlech (to which my husband insists on singing "Men of Harlech smell like garlic"). Far wittier is the ancient and revered Woad Song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KK5-F9mLp4Y

What's the use of wearing braces, hats or spats or shoes with laces
Vest and pants you buy in places down on Brompton Road?
What's the use of shirts of cotton, studs that always get forgotten
These affairs are simply rotten, Better far is woad!

Woad's the stuff to show men; woad to scare your foemen!
Boil it to a brilliant blue and rub it on your legs and your abdomen!
Ancient Britons never hit on anything like woad to fit on
Necks or knees or where you sit on. Nothing's good as woad!

Romans came across the Channel, all dressed up in tin and flannel
Half a pint of woad per man'll clothe us more than these!
Saxons, you may save your stitches building beds for bugs in britches.
We have woad to clothe us which is not a nest for fleas.

Romans, keep your armors, Saxons, your pajamas!
Hairy coats were made for goats, gorillas, yaks, retriever dogs and llamas!
March on Snowdon with your woad on, even if you're rained or snowed on
Never need a button sewed on, when you're wearing woad!