Broadway in Everyday Life?

[MollyJeanneMusic]

Posted: 5/12/19 at 4:49pm

Have there ever been any moments where you've encountered something in your everyday life that reminds you of a certain Broadway play/musical?

For example, I've been studying for the AP World History exam, and the review book I'm using specifically mentioned that the town of St. Petersburg in Russia was renamed Leningrad after the Russian Revolution. Which, of course, meant that I then had Ramin Karimloo and Derek Klena's voices stuck in my head with the opening of "A Rumor in St. Petersburg." :)

What about you guys?

[DoTheDood]

Posted: 5/12/19 at 5:01pm

Anytime I hear someone say "It is what it is" I have to mentally finish it with "blab blab blab"

Thanks Katrina Lenk

[Someone in a Tree2]

Posted: 5/13/19 at 12:15am

I've often told folks that everything I know about world history I learned from a Broadway show. Watch enough musicals and it's surprising how much history you actually pick up. (And don't blame me if the details in 1776 or HAMILTON or LES MISERABLES don't conform perfectly to the true facts of history.) 

[JBroadway]

Posted: 5/13/19 at 11:06am

I agree with Someone in a Tree. I’ve seen enough theatre at this point that I very frequently come across topics, historical eras, social movements, historical figures, etc. that I first learned about from a play or musical.

It makes perfect sense when you consider that part of the purposes or art is to reflect society, culture, and history. Not only our own, but also those of other communities around the world and throughout history.

As for smaller phrases and idioms that remind us of songs from musicals, I think that’s partly by design in the songwriting process. A common practice among pop-writers is to take everyday phrases and turn them into a hook so that people remember the song. The trick is to find an expression that strikes a middle ground between distinctive and generic. Hamilton does a lot of that (“Look around, look around” “One Last Time” “What’d I Miss?” etc)

[YvanEhtNioj]

Posted: 5/13/19 at 11:33am

I'm 26, my name is Jordan, gay, all my friends are married, and I'm single AF. My life is basically Significant Other. 

[Mike Barrett]

Posted: 5/13/19 at 12:21pm

Cousin of mine went to the Bruins game in Boston yesterday, before they left everyone said how exciting that was and how they'll "Be In The Room Where It Happens" and I was like omg if only my conservative family would understand  that reference to one of my favorite Broadway songs  

[Kitsune]

Posted: 5/13/19 at 12:26pm

Recently I attended a work training about flavored tobacco. There was a "quiz" portion and we had to classify flavored tobacco products into categories of Fruit, Mint, or Alcohol flavored.

I don't know what was going through my head, but I put dulce de leche-flavored cigars in the alcohol column.

I 100% blame Guys and Dolls.

[OKBroadwayFan]

Posted: 5/13/19 at 2:01pm

Someone in a Tree2 said: "I've often told folks that everything I know about world history I learned from a Broadway show. Watch enough musicals and it's surprising how much history you actually pick up. (And don't blame me if the details in 1776 or HAMILTON or LES MISERABLESdon't conform perfectly to the true facts of history.)"

I am the same way in regards to religion.   I only paid attention to the music in church   If a Biblical truth was not put to music, I don't know it.   

[Dancingthrulife2]

Posted: 5/13/19 at 2:09pm

I was reading Zizek. Very interesting but serious stuff...well...until I came across this line "One shouldn't be afraid to take this a step further and refer to the old saying that music comes in when words fail." And then I cracked.

[JudyDenmark]

Posted: 5/13/19 at 2:21pm

OKBroadwayFan said: "Someone in a Tree2 said: "I've often told folks that everything I know about world history I learned from a Broadway show. Watch enough musicals and it's surprising how much history you actually pick up. (And don't blame me if the details in 1776 or HAMILTON or LES MISERABLESdon't conform perfectly to the true facts of history.)"

I am the same way in regards to religion. I only paid attention to the music in church If a Biblical truth was not put to music, I don't know it."

Same here. Between Children of Eden, Joseph, Godspell, Jesus Christ Superstar, and Book of Mormon, I feel like those plots have come in so handy! I was watching Jeopardy once with my (Jewish) parents who were flabbergasted that I cleaned up in a Bible category, until I explained that it was almost all from Godspell, haha.

[ahhrealmonsters]

Posted: 5/13/19 at 2:32pm

Every time I hear, or even think, "it's the middle of the night", Hamilton starts playing in my head. It actually gets really annoying.

[victoriafr]

Posted: 5/13/19 at 9:05pm

As a Hadestown fan, the phrase "living it up" can never be followed by anything but "on top." I also can't study anything relating to Russia without Great Comet popping into my head.

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 5/14/19 at 12:14am

MollyJeanneMusic said: "...I've been studying for the AP World History exam, and the review book I'm using specifically mentioned that the town of St. Petersburg in Russia was renamed Leningrad after the Russian Revolution...."

Keep reading. They change the name of the city again...

[MollyJeanneMusic]

Posted: 5/14/19 at 7:28am

GavestonPS said: "MollyJeanneMusic said: "...I've been studying for the AP World History exam, and the review book I'm using specifically mentioned that the town of St. Petersburg in Russia was renamed Leningrad after the Russian Revolution...."

Keep reading. They change the name of the city again..."

After all, they may CALL it Leningrad, but it will ALWAYS be St. Petersburg!

[dramamama611]

Posted: 5/14/19 at 7:35am

Used a variation of this Pippin quote in a speech just last night. 

"God's wisdom teaches me when I help others, I'm
Really helping myself"

 

After I wrote it, and as I was SAYING it, it occurred to me what it was from, and while OUT of context it's lovely, IN context - not so much.

[adam.peterson44]

Posted: 5/14/19 at 10:12am

Whenever i have to deal with someone cruel, the fiddler quote about the rabbi's proper blessing for the tsar comes to mind:  "God bless and keep the tsar...far away from us."

 

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 5/15/19 at 12:03am

MollyJeanneMusic said: "GavestonPS said: "MollyJeanneMusic said: "...I've been studying for the AP World History exam, and the review book I'm using specifically mentioned that the town of St. Petersburg in Russia was renamed Leningrad after the Russian Revolution...."

Keep reading. They change the name of the city again..."

After all, they may CALL it Leningrad, but it will ALWAYS be St. Petersburg! "

I believe they actually call it St. Petersburg again. That's how it is marked on maps.

But I've also heard the non-religious call it plain "Petrograd" or "Petersburg" without the "Saint".

No doubt there's an older generation that still calls it "Leningrad". I can remember when older people still referred to "Constantinople" even after it had been "Istanbul" for decades.

Updated On: 5/15/19 at 12:03 AM

[stoptheworld38]

Posted: 5/16/19 at 4:54pm

Anytime someone says welcome I start singing Welcome To the Rock...