Still not quite sure I understand the Witch's make-up (the dark circles around the eyes are so Kabuki stylized to me; maybe it's the computer screen) but she knocks the song through the roof, making the character's emotional stakes so clear, her point of view so defiant and all the more poignant because Streep doesn't lean into sentimentality. (The way she shakes her head on the lines about the prince, impatiently, especially spot-on). Anyone who feared that she'd whisper or talk-sing her way through this score should feel relieved and happy. I suspect her "Last Midnight" may be thrilling (and it's not an easy song to thrill with).
"I'm a comedian, but in my spare time, things bother me." Garry Shandling
What I like about these new threads on similar pieces is that you don't have to tag on the end of an existing BROAD subject hoping to find something just like this. So congrats for starting this singular new topic.
This is probably the first time someone performing this song has made me think about what the Witch has missed out on in her life due to the ugliness inflicted upon her. "Princes, yes..." makes me wonder what her life was like before the garden! I've never even considered it.
"...everyone finally shut up, and the audience could enjoy the beginning of the Anatevka Pogram in peace."