Before the Parade Passes By
This is a song from the show Hello Dolly! Dolly decides to put her dear departed husband Ephram behind her and to move on with life. She asks Ephram’s permission to marry Horace, requesting a sign from him. She wants to move on Before the Parade Passes By!

Pure Imagination
“Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory” (1971) is  a quirky & fantastical movie adapted from the book “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” written by Roald Dahl. Pure Imagination perfectly encapsulates the wonder each visitor should feel when they step into Willy Wonka’s magical candy factory. When Charlie finds one of five golden tickets hidden inside chocolate bar wrappers allowing him to join in on the exclusive tour, we learn that pureness of heart can be the key to happiness.

Bali Ha’i
BaIi Ha’i was orchestrated in 1949 by composer, Richard Rogers.  It is a calm and mystical show-tune from the Broadway musical South Pacific.  Bali Ha’i literally means “Your Special Island”.  Bloody Mary is the character, who sings this beautiful tune, that was also lyricized by Richard’s musical partner, Oscar Hammerstein.  Sandy had the honor of portraying Bloody Mary in a junior high production in 1987.  Yes, Generation Z, Sandy was born in the Ancient 1900’s and she is happy to bring back this iconic tune as a lovely soprano!

We Dance
Once on this Island is a Haitian-inspired musical retelling of The Little Mermaid. In this coming of age tale, a girl yearns to find her purpose in life, and does so by leaving her family and the people she has known her entire life to journey over to the other side of the island that she has never seen before. Our next song, We Dance, sets the stage for the way of life on the island. The islanders sing to the gods: Asaka, Mother of the Earth; Eguwe, God of Water; Erzule, Goddess of Love; and Papa Ge, the demon of death, to plea for what they want and desire. And in spite of whatever life throws their way, they dance through it all. 

Once Upon a December
This is a song from the show Anastasia. The Dowager Empress commissions a music box that plays the lullaby as a gift for young Anya, to comfort her while her grandmother is away. The recurring melody serves as a narrative device in the film since Anya’s memory of the lullaby and the music box’s necklace keys are her only ties to her forgotten past.

Make Them Hear You
“Ragtime,” the musical (winner of two Tony Awards: Best Book of a Musical & Best Original Score) is set in the early 20th century and tells the story of three groups in the United States: African Americans, represented by Coalhouse Walker Jr., a Harlem musician; upper-class suburbanites, represented by Mother, the matriarch of a white upper-class family in New Rochelle, New York; and Eastern European immigrants, represented by Tateh, a Jewish immigrant from Latvia. The show also incorporates many historical figures such as Harry Houdini, Booker T. Washington, Henry Ford, and Emma Goldman. Make Them Hear You is a powerful anthem asking the listener to keep the past alive by sharing the stories of those who have often been silenced.  

Singin’ in the Rain
Written in 1929 by lyricist Arthur Freed and composer Nacio Herb Brown, Singin’ in the Rain didn’t become an iconic song until the popular movie of the same name in 1952. Gene Kelly’s unforgettable scene singing and dancing through puddles has made this a time-honored classic. The song has been ranked #3 by the American Film Institute’s “100 years…100 songs,” beaten out only by “As “Time Goes By” from Casablanca and “Over the Rainbow” from the Wizard of Oz.

There’s Music in You
After a disastrous turn of events, Cinderella’s fairy godmother reappears to give her some final words of encouragement in this climactic song from the 2013 Broadway version of Rodger’s and Hammerstein’s “Cinderella”. Catch Jonneke’s performance in the Keystone Theatrics production at the Playhouse at Allenberry April 21-May 7. For tickets, visit keystonetheatrics.com.

She Used to Be Mine
The song, “She Used to be Mine”, was written by Sara Bareilles, an American singer, songwriter and actress.  She was inspired to write this song after watching the movie “Waitress”, produced in 2007; later adapted for Broadway and performed on the musical stage in 2016. The lyrics of the song reflect the thoughts and feelings of musical character “Jenna Hunterson”, who is both a waitress and expert pie baker.  “Jenna” is in an unhappy marriage and finds herself pregnant to her abusive and controlling husband. A subsequent, meaningless affair, further complicates her life. Looking to leave her husband, she learns about a pie baking contest offering a grand prize which would allow her to start her life over alone with her baby should she win.  At one point, she has lost all hope, and wonders about how it is, she lost control over her life and became so disconnected from the person she used to be. Sara Bareilles reminds us in this song that while we are all imperfect, we must find a balance and focus on our positive attributes as well, as they too lie within each of us.

Everybody Says Don’t
This is a song from the show Anyone Can Whistle. Anyone Can Whistle is a social satire about insanity and conformity. The mayor is attempting to revitalize the town and the song anthems her frustration as she tries to go against others to do the best for their town.

Someday
Someday from Disney’s 1996 animated film, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, tells of the dreams of Quasimodo, the hunchbacked cathedral bell ringer and the beautiful gypsy, Esmeralda. Both were persecuted by the Archdeacon because of their looks and gypsy heritage and in this song, they express their wish for a world where life will be fairer, need will be rarer and greed will not pay. Written by Stephen Schwartz and Alan Menken, the song was originally planned to be sung by Esmeralda, but wound up being used only during the closing credits.

The Greatest Showman
“The Greatest Showman” (2017 movie) is a largely true story with touches of embellishments that centers around P.T. Barnum’s life growing up in the 1800s. With a flair for creativity & business at an early age, he tries a multitude of jobs before landing on show business — the perfect marriage of his many talents. He eventually rises from nothing to create the Barnum & Bailey circus, taking the world by storm and becoming the “greatest show on Earth.” 

Never Enough
Never Enough is a ballad sung by the character Jenny Lind in The Greatest Showman. PT Barnum convinced “the Swedish Nightingale ” to join the show and go on tour with his circus. The song is an invitation and profession of love as Jenny and PT begin to fall for one another and get “caught up in the lights.” All the riches in the world will never be enough without the person you love by your side.