I hate to admit it, but it’s a plain fact: I like musicals. Stage musicals, movie musicals, it doesn’t matter. When I get two spare moments together, I want to see Chicago with my wife. I loved Moulin Rouge. I was once a season ticket holder to the Muny and Stages (before kids). Heck, I even liked Cop Rock, Steve Bochco’s only flop. I like the way people just broke out in song as naturally as breathing. I’d like to just break out in song at the drop of a hat myself, but only control myself because I’m such a poor singer. My infirmity hides my eccentricity. I only sing in church, where people have to be nice, or alone in my car, where people don’t hear.
But wait, there’s more. I’ve started to listen to show tunes at work. I bought my wife both soundtracks for Joseph and his Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and I’ve taken to listening to the Donny Osmond version over headphones at work. Usually I follow it with Joe Satriani’s Dancing with the Alien or Yes’s Tales from Topographical Oceans to reassure myself of my manhood. But I definitely have more fun listening to Joseph. If you see me buying Showboat on either DVD or CD, then please, please, start the intervention.
