Okay, it's time. Last night I popped in my DVD of the holiday gem Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol for my annual viewing, so it's only fitting that today we offer its wonderful songs. And a joyous bonus. Actually, we even have a second bonus this year. The classic show was the first-ever animated holiday special, made in 1962 and for eight years it got repeated annually through 1969. But its simplistic animation finally caught up and alas it went out of the rotation. A shame since it's such a terrific production. For all its being Mr. Magoo and only 52 minutes long, it's a very nice adaptation of the story. And the score...well, it's Broadway quality and probably the best musical score for an animated TV special, and one of the best for TV, period. The music is by Jule Styne (Gypsy, Bells are Ringing) and the lyrics by Bob Merrill (Carnival, Take Me Along) who -- while writing this -- were, in fact, in the middle of working on Funny Girl. Though no longer on network TV, for a long time the show could be found every year on syndication. But unfortunately even that has largely faded away, though occasionally it pops up. But on its 50th anniversary in 2012, NBC brought it back to prime time, and happily its DVD release gave the show new life. Here are the wonderful songs. The first, "Ringle Ringle" introduces us to Scrooge and Bob Cratchit. When Scrooge visits the Crachit house in Christmas Present, the family sings the rousing showstopper, "The Lord's Bright Blessing." In Christmas Past, Scrooge returns to an almost-empty schoolhouse of his youth and sings a duet of himself as a young boy, "I'm All Alone in the World." Still in Christmas Past, Scrooge's fiance Belle breaks up with him for find a new idol to love -- gold, and she sings wistfully about their love lost, the lovely "Winter was Warm." In Christmas Future, Scrooge visits a junk shop run by thieves who have ransacked the now-empty house of a man who was died -- which he doesn't realize yet is him -- and they explain with very amusing glee that "We're Despicable." And now the bonus. For those who were skeptical of me calling this a Broadway-quality score, It turns out (aside from the reality that it is) that the show did play on Broadway -- sort of. In 2014, the Actors Fund did a benefit concert with a fairly elaborate staged reading of the TV show, with full costumes, limited sets and even some choreography. It was so successful that they brought it back a few years later. I've posted a video of that original production in the past (here, for those who'd like to see it), but for a change-of-pace this is a 4-minute montage of the follow-up. And like its predecessor, the production looks absolutely wonderful. And sounds like they used the original music arrangements. (While I prefer the Scrooge in the 2014 production, I'm using this version in part so that we can get both up here, but also because it's a little bit longer, so there's more material. However, in addition, the actress who plays 'Belle' and sings "Winter is Warm' here is Sierra Boggess, a wonderful performer who was the original 'Ariel' in the Broadway production of The Little Mermaid, and who has appeared in several videos I've posted from the BBC Proms.) Since the show is only about 52 minutes, it's much too short to mount a full-blow musical on its own, but I suspect it could be paired with another one-act show or just be done in community theaters. By the way, their adaptation of the thieves' song, "We're Despicable," is scary-good (in both years) how close they came with the casting (a touch better the first year) and even with the animated choreography. Even down to the tiny details, at one point, of the comically-weird, twisty hand movements. And fortunately, the best -- and closest -- of the performers is in both versions, the tall fellow with glasses. And here's the second bonus -- which I just discovered today. Apparently, a soundtrack album was planned, but never released. And it turns out that an overture was arranged for the album -- and recorded. And it's now shown up on YouTube. I've seen the animated special many dozens of times, and not only never heard this before, but I never knew it existed. Which I assume is the case for most people who have watched the TV special regularly over the years. And like so many overtures of Jule Styne musicals, it's wonderful. So, finally -- curtain up.
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AuthorRobert J. Elisberg is a political commentator, screenwriter, novelist, tech writer and also some other things that I just tend to keep forgetting. Feedspot Badge of Honor
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