Tonic Jukebox History
WEEK SEVENTEEN - Shakespeare
William Shakespeare has been the inspiration for many operas and musicals. This week we feature six of them.
Monday July 6
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Mendelssohn’s incidental music for the play is just perfect to listen to on its own.
Written in 1842, this suite, which is one of my favourites, includes the famous Wedding March.
Tonic has sung one piece from the suite (You Spotted Snakes), and here are the Overture and Nocturne.
Overture: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIcImOYivDA
Nocturne: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdW0f_m5c94
Wedding March: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z85QVFf3-2M
Tuesday July 7
The Taming of the Shrew
Musical: Kiss Me Kate (Cole Porter)
First performed in 1948, this musical is full of wonderful songs - Another Op’’in, Another Show - Wunderbar - Were Thine That
Special Face - From This Moment On - to name but a few.
Today’s choice: Brush up your Shakespeare
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPduoU826ew
Wednesday July 8
Macbeth
Opera: Macbeth (Verdi)
First performed in 1847, Verdi wrote this in his middle period.
Tonic members will remember singing this piece and being told that Verdi had turned the 3 witches into a small chorus.
Witches' Chorus - Verdi
(sorry about the annoying advert at the end - it was the best I could find)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7b4tKhV5mcg
Thursday July 9
Romeo and Juliet
Musical: West Side Story - Bernstein, Sondheim and others
The show premiered in 1957 and the film in 1961.
How do you choose one song from the wealth of wonderful material?
We have already used Tonight (Jukebox week 3).
This week I chose 'Somewhere' as I think it sums up the tragedy of the story.
(music starts at 1:27)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6qtHuntty0
Friday July 10
The Comedy of Errors
Musical: The Boys from Syracuse - Rodgers and Hart
The show premiered in 1938 and the film in 1940
Falling in Love with Love
I chose the video of Sarah Boggess at Proms with the John Wilson orchestra.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wcd4U7ohdUk
Weekend July 11/12
Twelfth Night
Musical: Play On! (A Jukebox Musical) - Duke Ellington
It seemed only right to include one Jukebox Musical.
The show premiered in 1996
It Don’t Mean a Thing - another one that Tonic has sung.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ti0Gj4GCDCY
Tonic Jukebox Extra
I have managed to find the recording of Tonic 1 and 2 singing the Witches Chorus in 2016.
You will find it at https://youtu.be/ogalbWbtRos
Monday July 6
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Mendelssohn’s incidental music for the play is just perfect to listen to on its own.
Written in 1842, this suite, which is one of my favourites, includes the famous Wedding March.
Tonic has sung one piece from the suite (You Spotted Snakes), and here are the Overture and Nocturne.
Overture: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIcImOYivDA
Nocturne: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdW0f_m5c94
Wedding March: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z85QVFf3-2M
Tuesday July 7
The Taming of the Shrew
Musical: Kiss Me Kate (Cole Porter)
First performed in 1948, this musical is full of wonderful songs - Another Op’’in, Another Show - Wunderbar - Were Thine That
Special Face - From This Moment On - to name but a few.
Today’s choice: Brush up your Shakespeare
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPduoU826ew
Wednesday July 8
Macbeth
Opera: Macbeth (Verdi)
First performed in 1847, Verdi wrote this in his middle period.
Tonic members will remember singing this piece and being told that Verdi had turned the 3 witches into a small chorus.
Witches' Chorus - Verdi
(sorry about the annoying advert at the end - it was the best I could find)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7b4tKhV5mcg
Thursday July 9
Romeo and Juliet
Musical: West Side Story - Bernstein, Sondheim and others
The show premiered in 1957 and the film in 1961.
How do you choose one song from the wealth of wonderful material?
We have already used Tonight (Jukebox week 3).
This week I chose 'Somewhere' as I think it sums up the tragedy of the story.
(music starts at 1:27)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6qtHuntty0
Friday July 10
The Comedy of Errors
Musical: The Boys from Syracuse - Rodgers and Hart
The show premiered in 1938 and the film in 1940
Falling in Love with Love
I chose the video of Sarah Boggess at Proms with the John Wilson orchestra.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wcd4U7ohdUk
Weekend July 11/12
Twelfth Night
Musical: Play On! (A Jukebox Musical) - Duke Ellington
It seemed only right to include one Jukebox Musical.
The show premiered in 1996
It Don’t Mean a Thing - another one that Tonic has sung.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ti0Gj4GCDCY
Tonic Jukebox Extra
I have managed to find the recording of Tonic 1 and 2 singing the Witches Chorus in 2016.
You will find it at https://youtu.be/ogalbWbtRos