Have you ever been to The Goodspeed Opera House?
If you haven’t, this is your chance . . . because we’ve got two tickets to the new musical, Amazing Grace, which opens later this week at The Norma Terris Theatre at Goodspeed!
Never heard of Amazing Grace – The Musical?
Well, with Goodspeed as its launching pad, you just might be hearing a lot about it in the future. Goodspeed launched a couple of little shows you might know like, oh, Annie . . . and Shenandoah.
And the theater just so happens to be set in the sweetest little part of Connecticut. You might feel like you’ve time traveled back about 100 years when you drive through the city limits.
So how do you win your two tickets to Amazing Grace?
If you haven’t figured it out already, Amazing Grace features, well, a very famous song in the story (the show is actually about the author of “Amazing Grace”, John Newton).
Pick a song that you think could be the basis for a musical. Comment it below, and one winner will be off to Connecticut!
(My choice? American Pie – The Musical)
(Got a comment? I love ‘em, so comment below! Email subscribers, click here then scroll down, to say what’s on your mind!)
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50 Responses to The Sunday Giveaway: 2 Tickets to Amazing Grace at Goodspeed
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Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah (perhaps in the style of Once & preferably somehow incorporating kd lang’s version or kd lang, either one
)!
I think it’s between MMMBOP THE MUSICAL AND LIVIN’ ON A PRAYER. I’m gonna stick with LIVIN’ ON A PRAYER.
This Land is Your Land by Woody Guthrie. Its a beautiful song with so much possibility, hope and love for life. And I think a lot of people have a personal connection to it. When I was a kid I memorized all of the lyrics and used to lay on the floor in the center of the family living room and listen to it on repeat on my Dad’s record player. Plus it is a folk song so it already has a story built into it.
Hotel California. Imagine the set and lighting and costume design on that one!
You know that “Tessie – The Rally Rooters Red Sox Musical” would be awesome!
Take it back to 1903 with “Nuf Ced” McGreevy and the Rooters, the first World Series, the 86 year wait, the faithfulness of the fans, the victory and anything else dealing with the greatest team to ever play the game!
Not to mention you could open with the Rally Rooter anthem then by the time you get to the closing scene, there’s a 2004 remake (Dropkick Murphys) that would have the audience on it’s feet ranting and cheering.
I think McGreevy would be proud.
Anything by meatloaf.
The Beatles Rocky Raccoon
Bad Romance The Musical – Costumed by Lady Gaga
“Shelter from the Storm” by Bob Dylan
“Cats in the Cradle” by Harry Chapin
“Papa Was a Rolling Stone” by the Temptations
Bye Bye Bye The Musical
“We Didn’t Start the Fire” Billy Joel
“Born in the USA” – Springsteen
“Save the Last Dance for Me” – by Doc Pomus
“Leningrad” by Billy Joel
‘Amazing Grace’ provides an interesting template. It’s a widely popular, iconic song. The song itself is the result of a very powerful, real life situation, and it’s ‘life story’ as a song is just ‘off the ground’ enough to sing and dance. I think the above songs (and there are probably hundreds more) have many of the same qualities, particularly each has a ‘backstory’ worth telling in the musical theatre mode.
Joni Mitchell’s “The Hissing of Summer Lawns” may not be a song on everyone’s lips but the entire album is a great basis for a musical about the suburbs.
The Busy Lil Ole Hooker, Amazing Grace.
If I Were A Boy: A Musical Exploration of Gender Roles
Bills, Bills, Bills: The Musical
The Night The Kights Went Out In Georgia. It has characters and plot. Julia Sugarbaker’s rant would have to be worked into the show. Sutton Foster would be perfect.
“Folsom Prison Blues – The Musical” – It could either be a musical based on the song, or a musical based on Johnny Cash’s legendary concert there. Either way would work, although the bio-type show may have a better dramatic through line.
“My Way – The Musical” – Sinatra’s signature song has the same underlying theme of “I’m Still Here” from FOLLIES – a world-weary older person giving life the finger.
I’m rather fond of “Mon Homme,” which was originally sung by Mistinguett in 1916, but then evolved for Fannie Brice, Edith Piaf, Barbara Streisand…you could go anywhere with it.
When Doves Cry—The Musical. Based on the Greek myth of Persephone, who was kidnapped by Hades, god of the underworld, and made his queen. The story illustrates her transition from adolescence to womanhood, as well as the departure of innocence and the arrival of sin.
Yellow Submarine!
“Go Your Own Way” by Fleetwood Mac. It’d be a musical based on Jack Kerouac’s On The Road, with songs based on the aesthetic of the Beat Generation (jazz, poetry, etc.)
“Fever”- it could have that Weill/Gershiwn/Porter jazzy feel to the music, but have a modern/more sexy concept.
Visited the Goodspeed Opera House several years ago to see a terrific production of “1776.”
Thinking of a song that could be the basis for a musical, Johnny Cash’s “A Boy Named Sue” appeared in my head.
“Taxi” by Harry Chapin. Told in flashbacks about their meeting in college, their dreams and early attempts at success; the adjustments each made when faced with reality; and re-found love — one more shot at happiness — courtesy of a chance encounter on a rainy San Francisco night.
“Single Ladies”
“Morning Train” (can’t you see a show set on a train? Lives of intersecting passengers?)
“Common People”
She Thick – my original song about getting catcalled on the streets of NY since I was about 9!
Paschendale by: Iron Maiden
Sign O the Times by: Prince
Sweet Home Alabama by : Lynard skynard
La Vie En Rose – Edith Piaf. It’s so weird to me that people haven’t thought about turning Piaf’s life into a musical. Maybe they have and I just haven’t heard about it, but I think it would be a great show. The could even do her songs in French and have some French dialogue too.
“I Want You to Want Me” by Cheap Trick!
Also- as Solange wrote, I also saw “1776″ at Goodspeed a couple years ago. I dragged my family (because I recall my mom dragging me when I was a kid- but I loved it)! Same thing happened- whole family loved it and Goodspeed did a wonderful production of it! Love going to Goodspeed!
Somewhere Over the Rainbow
“Alice’s Restaurant Massacree” by Arlo Guthrie
Imagine – The Musical
Space Oddity
Patches
“Hurry Home” by Jason Michael Carroll
A lot of country songs have a good solid story already, so it’s not a stretch to make a full show.
“Piano Man” the Musical
There are already so many great characters in the song.
1985 (Bowling for Soup)… so many possibilities for a story around it.
Don’t Stop Believin’ … oh wait, that’s Rock of Ages.
“What’s love got to do with it” based on the movie of the same name.
How about “A Natural Women” by Carole King
Someone To Watch Over Me-Ella Fitzgerald
We Will Rock You-Queen (seriously though, any Queen song could be a FANTASTIC basis for a musical)
Cause we can’t edit comments, I’m commenting on my own comment here.
Starry, Starry Night-I would LOVELOVELOVELOVELOVE there to be a play or a musical based off of van Gogh. In high school, I wrote a one act about van Gogh…it’s terrible, and needs a complete overhaul. But seriously, I would love going to a show about van Gogh.
Hollywood by Madonna. Come on, who wouldn’t see that movie?
“Dear Hearts and Gentle People” – Might never make Broadway, but could be popular at community theaters everywhere and that spells success for its writers.
“The Boxer” by Simon & Garfunkle. One of my favorite story songs!
“Strange Fruit” (Billie Holiday)
“Judy’s Turn to Cry” (Lesley Gore)
“My Ding-a-Ling” (Chuck Berry)
“Jessie’s Girl” – Rick Springfield
“Stairway to Heaven” – Led Zeppelin
“Bananaphone: The Raffi Musical”
The Cranberries… “Zombies in my Head”
Just cause Zombies are very “IN” right now… cant go wrong!
“Walk on the Wild Side” (Lou Reed). I’ll paraphrase “Girls” and say: That was a voice of my generation, or a voice of a generation.
“Diamonds and Rust”
“You’re So Vain”.
The former could tell a complex story about Dylan and Baez in the turbulent 60′s.
The latter, well listen to the lyrics. There’s at least a story and a half there.
those are some good ones on here – but
‘Paradise By the Dashboard Light’ – Meatloaf
(have they tried?)
I think “Danny Boy” is a very iconic song which would make a great musical.(“Oh Danny Boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling, from glen to glen”, etc.) This song is a powerful, beautiful, very moving song with a great melody and bridge, and evocative lyrics. I think it’s a perfect song. It evokes a mood and an emotion of a homeland and a relationship. It could be the theme song for a powerful music. Look at the success of “Once” – so moving, yet simple in premise.
Blue swede shoes -Elvis !