being alive...

Being Alive - John Barrowman

i'm sitting here watching the 2006 version of Company by Stephen Sondheim on PBS right now with Raul Esparza. It won the 2007 Tony for Best Revival and he was nominated for Best Actor in a Musical.

Being Alive is usually considered the show stopper in the play. it is also the finale. it really says a lot when you listen to the words. I prefer the John Barrowman version of all of the ones i've heard. Barrowman did it in a revue with Carol Burnett years ago, but the videos are not very clear. when i found the video above, it combined John's version with my favorite character - Captain Jack - in Torchwood. what more could i ask for?

after the lyric, i have included the Raul Esparza version for your added enjoyment.

Someone to hold you too close
Someone to hurt you too deep
Someone to sit in your chair
And ruin your sleep
And make you aware of being alive

Someone to need you too much
Someone to know you too well
Someone to pull you up short
And put you through hell
And give you support for being alive - being alive
Make me alive, make me confused
Mock me with praise, let me be used
Vary my days, but alone is alone, not alive.

Somebody hold me too close
Somebody force me to care
Somebody make me come through
I'll always be there
As frightened as you of being alive
Being alive, being alive

Someone you have to let in
Someone whose feelings you spare
Someone who, like it or not
Will want you to share a little, a lot of being alive
Make me alive, make me confused
Mock me with praise, let me be used
Vary my days, but alone is alone, not alive

Somebody crowd me with love
Somebody force me to care
Somebody make me come through
I'll always be there
As frightened as you to help us survive
Being alive, being alive,
Being alive, being alive.


Being Alive - Raul Esparza


[the other song from the play i'll have to post is The Ladies Who Lunch with Elaine Stritch who was in the original Broadway version at another time. it was a theme song the bartenders had at the bar i worked at many years ago. we had a tendency to go out to lunch before work and felt no pain when we got there. if you get my drift?]

the ladies who lunch...

in an earlier post i shared "Being Alive with you from Stephen Sondheim's Company. i mentioned in the post that my favorite song from the play is The Ladies Who Lunch. i also have to post the video with the lady who began the entire thing: Elaine Stritch. though many have sung it, no one does it better...

and since today is Stephen Sonheims' birthday - I'll drink to that...


The Ladies Who Lunch
sung by Elaine Stritch


I'd like to propose a toast...
Here's to the ladies who lunch--
Everybody laugh.
Lounging in their caftans
And planning a brunch
On their own behalf.
Off to the gym,
Then to a fitting,
Claiming they're fat.
And looking grim,
'Cause they've been sitting
Choosing a hat.
Does anyone still wear a hat?
I'll drink to that.

And here's to the girls who play smart--
Aren't they a gas?
Rushing to their classes
In optical art,
Wishing it would pass.
Another long exhausting day,
Another thousand dollars,
A matinee, a Pinter play,
Perhaps a piece of Mahler's.
I'll drink to that.
And one for Mahler!

And here's to the girls who play wife--
Aren't they too much?
Keeping house but clutching
A copy of LIFE,
Just to keep in touch.
The ones who follow the rules,
And meet themselves at the schools,
Too busy to know that they're fools.
Aren't they a gem?
I'll drink to them!
Let's all drink to them!

And here's to the girls who just watch--
Aren't they the best?
When they get depressed,
It's a bottle of Scotch,
Plus a little jest.
Another chance to disapprove,
Another brilliant zinger,
Another reason not to move,
Another vodka stinger.
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!
I'll drink to that.

So here's to the girls on the go--
Everybody tries.
Look into their eyes,
And you'll see what they know:
Everybody dies.
A toast to that invincible bunch,
The dinosaurs surviving the crunch.
Let's hear it for the ladies who lunch--
Everybody rise!
Rise!
Rise! Rise! Rise! Rise! Rise! Rise! Rise!
Rise!

Ms. Stritch finished a one-woman show not too long ago of which there is an album - Elaine Stritch at Liberty.
she is 82 years old. maybe i should say young...