I need stuff to listen to at work, especially in the afternoons when I get tired and food coma-ish. I’m getting tired of my current song rotation, and was wondering if Dopers had any thoughts. I think that when I get tired I tend to need songs with a lot of energy (patter songs are really good) and ideally with forward narrative power, which is why Broadway musicals are perfect, but I’m open to other ideas as well.
I do most of my listening on Spotify, so I’m much more likely to take the advice if it’s available on Spotify.
In case this helps, here are a list of musicals I’ve already tried:
Musicals I love to listen to, in no particular order:
Guys and Dolls
1776
Music Man
Legally Blonde (I know, I feel guilty about this, but I really do like it, especially for listening to when tired, it’s like pure caffeine in song form, and lots of forward narrative)
Ragtime (another one I feel vaguely guilty about, but hey, super-caffeinated music)
Book of Mormon (about half of it)
Wicked (at least, all the songs with Kristin Chenoweth)
Sweeney Todd
A Little Night Music
My Fair Lady
Mary Poppins (movie)
Musicals that are OK, but that I don’t like listening to that much:
Basically everything by Rodgers and Hammerstein (who appear to have no forward narrative power in their songs)
Grey Gardens
Kiss Me Kate
Gilbert and Sullivan (which I loooove madly, but not for work listening usually)
Musicals that either I don’t like or flat-out bore me:
Most of Into the Woods
Avenue Q
Mary Poppins (the musical)
How to succeed in business without even trying
I went on Spotify this morning and looked up Forever Plaid, Drowsy Chaperone, and Pajama Game, and Bells are Ringing, all of which sound promising. Singing in the Rain kind of bores me (sorry! maybe seeing the movie would help?), and In the Heights seems to be exactly what I was looking for!
They don’t have Damn Yankees or Dr. Horrible, but I’ve been reminded that I’ve wanted to see both of those for quite some time, so I’ll try to pick those up elsewhere. The Boyfriend is also unavailable through Spotify but sounds interesting.
Oh, right, Rent! I have been overexposed to some of the songs, but others I really like. (And yes, NSFW is okay as long as it’s not the whole thing; I mostly just filter out the NSFW songs.)
And Gypsy! I’ll add some of these.
West Side Story and Chicago! Right! I forgot about those! Oh, gosh, I haven’t thought of Little Shop of Horrors in years – I love “Somewhere That’s Green” as well – I will definitely add all three of these to the list, that’s exactly what I’m looking for.
goes to look up Cy Coleman and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels – will return with updates
I should have stated in the OP that they don’t need to be bouncy, necessarily – the energy can come from overwrought emotion, too
Second In the Heights, and will add Hairspray, Pippin and one of the very best musicals of all time, A Chorus Line. Spring Awakening is clearly in the same vein as Rent, but with teenagers instead of young adults.
I came in to say Guys and Dolls, my favorite musical, but it’s first on your list. A lot of good ones mentioned here;, I will add:
Annie Bye Bye Birdie The Wizard of Oz (people tend to think only of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” but so many of the songs have incredible energy – “We’re Off to See the Wizard”, “Follow the Yellow Brick Road”, and especially “If I Only Had a Brain”)
Also, if you like Ragtime, the same people wrote Once on this Island, about 1/2 of which I’d say has energy, and a more obscure (but more energetic) musical called Lucky Stiff.
High energy stuff might be good to look into the Jukebox musicals. I’m thinking specifically of American Idiot Movin’ Out Mamma Mia We Will Rock You Rock of Ages Jersey Boys
Several of these are TERRIBLE shows, that I would never recommend spending your time on. The story they used to knit these stand alone songs together ranges from boring(Movin’ Out) to bizarre(We Will Rock You), to boss (Jersey Boys). But it’s hard to deny the power of the music.
In a more traditional musical vein we have Hair - for energy and some decent storytelling The Fantastiks - Storytelling, storytelling, storytelling. Promises, Promises revival cast recording starring Kristen Chenoweth! Nine Good story, hard to follow if you’ve never seen the show though. Cats Stay away from Memory(snooze) and stick to Magical Mr Mestopheles(kickass). Annie Get Your Gun There are two promotional tracks out there which are recordings of Reba Mcentire which are pretty hard to find, but excellent storytelling (You Can’t Get a Man with a Gun, and I Got Lost in His Arms). I’m not a country music fan, but she did a great job with these two. Of course the Bernadette Peters cast album from the revival and the Ethel Merman original are fine work too.
Spamalot. Tim Curry, David Hyde Pierce and Hank Azaria. The female lead is amazing. The songs send up musical theater cliches very well. Can’t wait until they release the rights for local productions.
Right now, I’m playing in the band for a production of Always… Patsy Cline. Fun music.
This spring we’re doing Ain’t Misbehavin’. All Fats Waller songs. I saw the Pointer Sisters do that one. Great arrangements of classic jazz.
The Producers. Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick have a great chemistry. I played in the pit for a production recently. Most shows, I’m pretty well sick of it the second weekend. This one I enjoyed until closing night.
Smoky Joe’s Cafe has great classic songs. All Leiber & Stoller. I loved playing that show. No plot, just music.
Second vote for Forever Plaid. Also check out the holiday version, Plaid Tidings.
