The Fortnight of Karaoke Musical Tag!

 Hello, friends!

It’s the end of May, and early June, a picture perfect afternoon fortnight, and the Maidens of Green Gables are hosting a Karaoke Blogathon!

They’ve been hosting it since May 23rd and will continue to June 6th! I’ve loved seeing what they’ve done so far, so you should check it out. I will be participating in real karaoke style later on, but right now I wrangled my sisters into helping me fill out this tag.

Take a seat and get comfortable!

Thanks to Em for being my secretary and typing up part of this while I was washing the dishes before I could step in! I also admit that I cheated a lot because as the editor I could change my answers while I didn’t allow that for my sisters...

The Musical Karaoke Tag!

Rules:

1. Answer all the questions to the best of your ability! (Videos and Gifs are MOST welcome!)

2. Share the button and link

3. Tag a few people to share the joy

(My (MC) answers will be in blue, Em's answers will be in red, and Fiona's will be in green. I will also say who said what just to be extra clear. Any extra comments from me will be in black)

If you were ever wondering, this is exactly the kind of thing that the three of us somehow get into.

The Questions:

1. What are three musicals you really, really, REALLY like?

MC: It doesn’t ask for absolute favorites, so those will remain a mystery and I’ll just say some well enjoyed ones. First I’m going to say the musical that introduced me to musicals: The Wizard of Oz. Then The Greatest Showman, and... Beauty and the Beast.

Fiona: Oh gosh, can I answer with Broadway musicals? (MC: yes) Okay: Dear Evan Hansen, my second one is going to be Newsies, and... *lists 500 musicals* ... okay, okay, Into The Woods.

This was Fiona when I told her to only say three.

Em: Okay, I love The Music Man, beyond that I’m going to take a minute... Les Miserables, and, um, *25 years later* Phantom of the Opera!

2. Name three of your favorite songs from musicals?

MC: “Trouble in River City” from The Music Man. “The World Will Know” from Newsies (*Fiona interrupts with a chorus of “Santa Fe”*), and “Through Heaven’s Eyes” from The Prince of Egypt! Actually, scratch the Newsies one. I’m going to use that for a later answer. Right now editor me is listening to music and I just was loving “Nowhere to Go But Up” from Mary Poppins Returns so I’ll pick that. It is so cute!

Fiona: Let me go to my “Musicals” playlist... “No One Is Alone” from Into the Woods. My second two are “Waving Through a Window” from Dear Evan Hansen and “Lovely London Skies” from Mary Poppins Returns.

Em: Okay, I love “Think of Me” from Phantom of the Opera, “On the Street Where You Live” from My Fair Lady, and “On My Own” from Les Miserables, of course! *Fiona sings a very mixed up rendition of On My Own*... (Em typed that. I didn’t think it was messed up at all.)

INTERMISSION: Fiona needed to play “Lovely London Skies” after mentioning it so we had a great singalong.

3. Who is your favorite actor or actress from a musical?

MC: Even if I’m not that fond of hour-long ballet scenes, I’m still going to say Gene Kelly. He plays Don Lockwood, so is there really any competition? Oh, or the master himself, Lin-Manuel Miranda!

Fiona: Haaaaaahgghghh..... I don’t want to say Ben Platt, but I want to say Ben Platt. Actually, I really just want to say Ben Platt. And also Julie Andrews!

Em: Ohhh... It’s hard to beat my girl Judy Garland. And I agree with Fiona, too: Julie Andrews!

4. Do you have a favorite musical duet or two? Favorite version?

MC: “Someday” from Zombies (2018) – It’s so fun, and the first time I just saw that movie it was from there, and it was so cute. You might be thinking that I’m just sold on anything cute. Well, that might be true sometimes, but there is a fine line between cute and cheesy. “All I Ask of You” from Phantom of the Opera is splendid, too! I mean, technically it has three singers, but we’re going with it.

Fiona: “Rewrite the Stars” from The Greatest Showman. AND “A Couple of Swells” from Easter Parade.

Em: Duet, duet... “Moses Supposes” from Singin’ in the Rain.

5. What are your favorite female solos?

MC: I know it is annoying in the context of the movie, but I adore the song “Never Enough” from the Greatest Showman. I love connecting it to so many things!

Fiona: Alright, I’ve got two! Can I have two? *consent is given*

“The Place Where Lost Things Go” from Mary Poppins Returns and the song in The Sound of Music, “I Have Confidence”.

Em: “On My Own” from Les Miserables (guys, you might think she says that a lot, but believe me, it’s nothing compared to in real life). “Climb Every Mountain” from The Sound of Music, and “Think of Me” from Phantom of the Opera.

MC: Technically that has Raoul.

Em: *vehemently says that it counts*

6. What are your favorite male solos?

MC: “If I Were A Rich Man” from Fiddler on the Roof! The amount of joy that that song brings me is kind of insane. 

Oh, also “All I Ever Wanted” from The Prince of Egypt. For some reason I used to hate that song because it was boring, but I’ve since become to be completely enthralled with that musical.

Fiona: “Make ‘Em Laugh” from Singin’ in the Rain. “Evermore” from Beauty and the Beast (*MC cries at the mere mention of that song.* It’s so beautiful!). “Words Fail/For Forever” from Dear Evan Hansen. I can’t choose!

Em: “Street Where You Live” from My Fair Lady. (though she also likes Dean Martin’s version. Like, a lot.) “Stars” from Les Miserables (she says to say hello to Miss Megan who uses that song in a certain story quite well...)

Not the Rex Harrison song from My Fair Lady like this GIF.

7. Favorite ensemble songs?

MC: “The World Will Know” from Newsies! And “Seize the Day”! Basically every song from that musical. I was just listening to “Mob Song” from Beauty and the Beast and forgot how much fun chaos that is, so that one, too.

Fiona: (After being denied permission earlier because it isn't a female solo) “This is Me” from The Greatest Showman! (Guys, this is editor me. I’m listening to a musicals playlist on shuffle and every time I come to one of Fiona’s questions I’m listening to that exact one. It’s starting to freak me out...)

I (MC) know that this isn't from that part of the movie, but I still am putting this GIF because it is epic.

Fiona: And “Life’s a Happy Song” from The Muppets!

Em: “How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria” from The Sound of Music, “Masquerade” from Phantom of the Opera. And “One Day More” from Les Miserables! *MC grumbles about adding the unmentionable musical yet again*

8. What musical theatre song (or entire soundtrack!) do you like to belt out around the house?

MC: I don’t belt. I don’t sing, really.

*Both Fiona and Em argue that I belt Into the Unknown*

Only when prompted by you two or when leaving the house. Actually, the one song that when I hear it I will belt it out forever is “The World Will Know” from Newsies. Don’t get me started...

Fiona: Um, every song ever? “From Now On” from The Greatest Showman is literally me every day! “How Far I’ll Go” from Moana! *MC, who is now typing, starts to move on* Hold on, hold on, I’ve got more! “I Want Adventure in the Great Wide Somewhere/Belle Reprise” from Beauty and the Beast. “Part of Your World” from The Little Mermaid. (MC: So basically all Disney?) (Fiona: Of course!)

MC: “PULITZER MAY OWN THE WORLD BUT HE DON’T OWN US!”

Fiona: Oh, “Good Morning Baltimore” from Hairspray!

“Best Summer Ever” from Teen Beach 2!

MC, if you don’t cut me off I’m going to keep going forever. *MC is busy typing and can’t do that*

“Waving Through a Window” from Dear Evan Hansen!!!!

MC: “PULITZER MAY CRACK THE WHIP BUT HE WON'T WHIP US!” Sorry, I told you that I shouldn’t be prompted.

Em: Whichever one annoys MC the most. I’m kidding, I’m kidding! 

Yeah, this was me (MC, sorry, I can't make it blue for some reason) when she said that.

I sing “Funny Girl/Belle” from Beauty and the Beast when walking around town, but that’s not really in my house is it? Just all of them!

Les Mis.

Les Mis.

Les Mis.

Les Mis

“On My Own”, “Just A Little Rain”. Why do all my songs involve Rain?

Fiona: “Singin’ in The Rain”!

Oh, what’s the one from The Music Man?

MC: I’M CUTTING YOU OFF

Me, again. I get a little testy when Les Mis is constantly talked about...

9. Which underrated musical would you like to tell us all about??

MC: The Prince of Egypt. IT is splendiferous. I know because I used to underrate it but I won’t make that mistake again. It’s the story of Moses told in a fully EPIC way! (This is why I edit things. I had this listed twice, haha!).

The Hunchback of Notre Dame! (Fiona: I don’t think that’s underrated. MC: It is!) “God Help the Outcasts” may be one of the best songs of all time. And “Out There”! Ack, I love it. If you don’t know, it’s about the person who lives and works in the bell tower of Notre Dame Cathedral. Though forbidden to do so by his cruel guardian, he leaves the tower for a day and meets new people while learning that what he’s been taught about being worthless his whole life isn’t true.

Fiona: Whenever people ask me my favorites I can never think of it so I just say one that I really like but know isn’t my favorite. It’s hard! Make sense?

Teen Beach Movie. This is definitely a very underrated musical. It is about two friends who get trapped inside a 1960s beach movie that is basically West Side Story, as it is called WET Side Story because it is surfers against bikers (Though Sharks and Jets would totally work too). They have to find their way back to real life while along the way teaching the people in the movie that it is not about Us vs. Them but about working together for a common goal to save the things they love. And it teaches the heroine in the movie to stand up for herself and do what she loves. There are really great and fun songs and musical numbers in this movie and it is a really fun musical. I would definitely recommend!

This GIF is from The Music Man, but it totally fits because West Side Story is based on Romeo and Juliet and this is based on that...

Em: *screams* *calms herself* *cheats by looking things up* (She couldn’t decide because she was debating underrated talent and I had to make her focus on underrated story!) I decide Royal Wedding. Is that really underrated? I mean I’ve never heard anyone else talk about it.

It has a good mix between upbeat numbers and slow songs. It contains a variety of relationships: brother-sister dynamics with the main characters as well as their romantic relationships.

Plus it doesn’t have a long balletic scene.

It’s about a highly acclaimed sibling team who go to England for the royal wedding, and each find love in London while having to weigh decisions with personal opinions on career and what they want to do in their lives.

Bonus opinions:

We had a vote for favorite dance scene in a musical. Rule is that you can only talk about one. Go!

Fiona: The one in Descendants 2. “You and Me”.

MC: OH!

Me (MC) when Fiona was talking about this.

Fiona: I know. It is just the most fun and creative and unique and awesome dance scene ever! They are all on a boat and with previous events the boat had gotten quite a bit of water on the dock and they’re all just splashing in the water in the dance. I love it because if I could be in any movie ever (not just a musical! Any movie!) it would be an extra in that scene, they’re all just splashing in the water with the choreography and it’s so cool!

Em: This is so hard! How did you just do that? I know mine’s going to be from White Christmas. Either “Minstrel” or “Choreography”. Both explain Vera-Ella’s fantastic talent.

Okay, “Minstrel / Mandy” from White Christmas!

Fiona: Love that, love that!

These three might be us. Any guesses for who is who?

Em: It’s funny and playful and a big sweeping stage number (with an audience of three at the end!). As I said, it shows off Vera-Ellen’s incredible dancing. It’s what stuck out to me from White Christmas for forever. besides Choreography but I can’t talk about that because MC says so and its her blog.

I don’t like limits.

I love White Christmas. Can we add that to my favorite musicals? No? I can only have three? *sigh*

Oh----(*is cut off by MC*)

MC: Note, because both Em and Fiona have said group dances, I’m going to say one like that, too. So this might not be my favorite dance from a musical ever, just one that works awesomely with a ton of people. For the sake of this moment I’m going to say “Cruisin’ for a Bruisin’” from Teen Beach Movie (2013). It just has such awesome vibes and perfectly captures a musical! Fiona explained what the movie is about above. Off of that, know that Wet Side Story is Brady’s favorite movie and Mack is not into it. “Cruisin’ for a Bruisin’” is his favorite part of the whole movie so he joins the dance because he has memorized all the moves. Don’t all of us want to do that with our favorites?

I’m going to tag:

McKayla @ Tales of A Triple

Lia @ The Singing Writer

Miss Megan @ The Pen and the Cross

Annnnnnnd now I'm exhausted.

Well, that’s all from the three of us! I hope that you liked our answers! Very soon we’ll be doing our own musical karaoke for this blogathon and some of these might be clues...any guesses? Do any of you share the same favorites with us? What are some movie musicals that we should watch? Make sure to check out all the karaoke goodness HERE!

Thanks for reading!

MovieCritic