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 The Ahrens & Flaherty Songbook
Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, Music by Stephen Flaherty
A collection of highlights from one of the most honored Broadway songwriting teams of our time! Titles: Alone in the Universe * The Human Heart * Once Upon a December * Wheels of a Dream * and more.
Book (00-32641)...$21.95  |
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 The Glorious Ones: Vocal Selections
Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, Music by Stephen Flaherty
This musical is based on the Francine Prose novel about theatre people, their love for each other, and their commitment to the tradition of going on. Titles: The Glorious Ones * Madness to Act * Opposite You * Rise and Fall * and more.
Book (00-29165)...$19.95 |
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A Different Kind of Music
By Lynn Ahrens, Broadway Lyricist
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As a lyricist for stage and film, I've been privileged to have my work performed by some of the greatest singers of our time—from opera star Bryn Terfel to Broadway star Brian Stokes Mitchell, from the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, to the dazzling soprano, Audra McDonald. In my heart of hearts, I wish I could sing like these artists—with ease, clarity, and bravura. But that wish won't be coming true any time soon. I have a small, airy voice that can carry a tune but wouldn't carry past the footlights, much less reach to the last row of a theater. (I do sound pretty good in the shower, though.)
Luckily, I can write. And having auditioned many hundreds of actors over the years for my own shows, I’ve noticed that it isn’t always the person with the best voice who wins a singing role. Very often we writers are even more persuaded by the intelligence, passion, charm, or emotional honesty a performer is able to convey through the lyrics. In fact, lyrics can show off your abilities in an audition just as effectively as hitting a high C. You don’t necessarily need a “big voice” to put across a song.
Music is mysteriously able to evoke deep feelings and moods in a powerful, non-verbal, and sometimes even subliminal way. It’s pure emotion. My longtime collaborator, composer Stephen Flaherty, is a master musical dramatist, and the music he creates is as evocative as any you will find written for theater.
But it is the lyrics of songs that allow us to literally sing stories, present ideas, and delineate characters. Lyrics are a different kind of music, providing opportunities for acting and storytelling that are every bit as compelling as the spoken scenes in a great play or the highest and most thrilling notes in a song.
Whether it’s a rousing ballad like “I Was Here” from our show The Glorious Ones, the tense drama of “Your Daddy’s Son” from Ragtime, a light, comic number such as “It’s Possible” from Seussical, or the intimate and simple “Love Who You Love” from A Man of No Importance, I work hard to make lyrics that are conversational and accessible.
There's MORE! Click here to read the full article. |
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A Man of No Importance: Vocal Selections 
