Perfectly Imperfect: Sublime Rhyme in Hamilton's "My Shot"
Mateo Chavez Lewis HEARS IT in the SPIRIT of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s LYRICS
Shalom, Broadway lovers!
In today’s MARQUEE: The Broadway Maven’s Weekly Blast: A) a Mateo Chavez Lewis video about imperfect rhymes in “My Shot” from Hamilton; B) a review of an animated version of The King and I; C) a Broadway Blast about Dear Evan Hansen; D) a YouTube Gem that’s a 10-minute version of Hello, Dolly!; E) a recommendation for a Sondheim-related substack; and F) a Last Blast about Company.
ANNOUNCEMENT: The Broadway Maven is now offering one month’s FREE Membership, between now and December 31. Get invited to ALL Broadway Maven classes and other expert-led Broadway experiences (5-15 a month) for just $18 a month, with the first month’s fee waived for new members. Membership includes a password to the Clips Archive and periodic giveaways to Broadway and off-Broadway shows, including at least one opening night performance and party. Upcoming Members-only classes include A Chorus Line, Sondheim Bit by Bit, The King and I, Jewish Broadway Lyricists, and a watch party for Pacific Overtures. Join this vibrant learning community at the button below. It’s your home for Broadway appreciation!
BROADWAY MAVEN YouTube GEM: Wonder how Lin-Manuel Miranda juggles words to express his ideas? In this Piano Talk, Broadway Maven music educator Mateo Chavez Lewis explains perfect and imperfect rhymes, and how the latter works, particularly in the song "My Shot" from Lin-Manuel Miranda's Hamilton. He looks at extended examples of Miranda's wordsmithing virtuosity, with color-coded lyrics that highlight the imperfect and perfect rhymes in the "I Want Song" from the 21st century's signature show.
Note: the full two-hour video breaking down more than a dozen Hamilton songs is available to all Broadway Maven Members.
REVIEW: An animated feature based on a Broadway classic's beloved story and songs is an intriguing idea, and in the right hands it could introduce show tunes to a new generation of musical theater fans. Unfortunately, 1999's animated version of The King and I was not in the right hands.
In preparation for Sunday’s Members-only class on The King and I, I watched this curious bit of bright cartoonishness, and quickly realized that that its brightness does not make it something wonderful. Hardly.
Directed by Richard Rich, this puzzlement of an animated musical arrived at the tail end of the Disney Renaissance (this was the year of Tarzan) and the film boasts an appropriately menacing villain and a bumbling, over-the-top henchman. Add them to the cutesy animal sidekicks—a monkey and a panther—and the film feels plucked from the Disney formula. Some plot points have been radically altered (Tuptim is now in love with the prince and "The Small House of Uncle Thomas" is nowhere to be seen) and the pacing seems off.
But oh, the music. Many of Rodgers & Hammerstein's classic songs are here, including "March of the Siamese Children," "Getting to Know You," and "Shall We Dance?" These glorious songs, though, are sometimes presented in such a ridiculous fashion (like whistling a happy tune as a ship is under attack by a sea dragon) that the artifice of the medium overwhelms the enjoyment of the film. Still, you can't beat the score, and if the curiosity factor attracts you, it's a movie you may love to hate.
HOLIDAY GIFT: We all have Broadway musical and theater lovers in our lives and there's no better option for birthday, Chanukah, Christmas or congratulatory gifts than the "Be A Broadway Star” board game. Anyone who enjoys board games, charades, or trivia will also have a blast testing out their acting skills!
BROADWAY BLAST: The story of Dear Evan Hansen hints at Genesis in multiple ways, most obviously through Evan’s nearly identical name to "Eve," the figure tied to the first human fall from grace. Evan’s fixation with apples nods to forbidden fruit, symbolizing his temptation to tell a lie that changes his life. His literal fall from a tree, followed by his musings about “falling in a forest,” echoes the Garden of Eden's loss of innocence, and the show literally starts at the start of the school year -- the fall. Just as Eve’s choice led to self-awareness and consequence, Evan’s actions lead him to wrestle with guilt, identity, and redemption.
BROADWAY MAVEN YouTube GEM: Jerry Herman's Hello, Dolly! is a beloved show for its tuneful music and well-drawn characters like "well-known Yonkers half-a-millionaire" Horace Vandergelder and larger-than-life meddling matchmaker Dolly Levi. Here's a 10-minute version of that show, with a taste of all the major songs and plot points, so you can decide if you'd like to see it (or see it again).
RECOMMENDATION: If you're not reading The Sondheim Hub, a delightful twice-weekly substack about The Master, you should be. The newsletter is serious yet playful and dives deep into the lyrics and especially the music of Sondheim's shows. For example, the current issue examines the musical feature of the “canon” (think: "Row, Row, Row Your Boat") in Sondheim's, well, canon. Songs like "Have I Got a Girl For You" (Company) and "Every Day a Little Death" (A Little Night Music) use this satisfying musical form, and the newsletter breaks down many examples, using color-coded pieces of the score to illustrate, which is particularly satisfying for non-musicians. Subscribe at the button below.
ANNOUNCEMENT: The Broadway Maven knows that you have a busy schedule! Due to popular demand, we're introducing more evening classes, starting with "Sondheim Bit by Bit," which now meets at both Noon and 7 pm ET on December 10 and 17. The class is Members only; sign up for your FREE month here.
There are no FREE classes until January. But Members have lots of good stuff coming up (see the calendar for exact dates and times):
Note: A full calendar of upcoming classes is always available at TheBroadwayMaven.com.
• Sunday, December 8 10 am ET (note special time) The King and I was Juilliard Prof. Edward Barnes (Members only)
• Monday, December 9 Noon ET A Chorus Line (Members only)
• Tuesday, December 10 Noon ET Sondheim: Bit by Bit (Members only)
• Sunday, December 15 Noon ET “Careful the Things You Say”: Broadway’s Great Jewish Lyricists (Members only)
• Monday, December 16 Noon ET A Chorus Line (Members only)
• Tuesday, December 17 Noon ET Sondheim: Bit by Bit (Members only)
• Wednesday, December 18 Noon ET Stage Dor L’Dor: Broadway and Jewish Values (Members only)
• Sunday, December 29 Noon ET Pacific Overtures watch party (Members only)
NOTE: As always, Broadway Maven Members and ALL-ACCESS Passholders (through December 31) do not have to sign up or pay for anything. Just show up!
LAST BLAST: It's easy to miss, but the title number in Sondheim's Company mentions all seven days of the week. Examples: "Is Wednesday alright?" and "How about some Scrabble on Sunday" and "Bobby, there's a concert on Tuesday." The mention of all seven days underscores the constant presence the eternally single Bobby has in his married friends' lives. He's always available for them, in part because he doesn't have a commitment to anyone else.
The Broadway Maven is a vibrant educational community that helps its members think more deeply about musical theater. Every month, members may attend 5-15 expert-led classes and innovative Broadway experiences, all for just $18. We also foster enthusiasm for Broadway through the FREE weekly substack newsletter MARQUEE and host an expansive YouTube channel. It's your home for Broadway appreciation. Contact The Broadway Maven at DavidBenkof@gmail.com.