David and I were at outdoor yoga this last Saturday and across the street Notre Dame College (not University) was prepping for their big homecoming game!
The marching band was practicing the entire time and we got to hear "America" from West Side Story - four measures at a time, as they slowly worked their way through the entire number.
Who knew that Notre Dame has such a large Puerto Rican population! Or maybe they have a robust theatre department.
I ll like West Side Story enough, but marching band variations of their songs might end up being a turn-off of the entire soundtrack.
But it got me thinking of a post for today, so.....not a complete loss.
I would venture to say, if someone (anyone) records something from the Sondheim / Bernstein musical, 98.43% of the time, they'd pick "Somewhere"or maybe "Tonight". No one - and I mean, no one - is doing a cover of "Officer Krupke".
So imagine my surprise in 1987 when Don Dixon turned in a cover of "Cool" from his album Romeo at Julliard.
Dixon doesn't deviate too too much from the original arrangement, though I don't really picture clicking fingers and ballet-type leaps on a parking garage either. (that visual is for my cousin who "claims" to have never seen the movie.)
But even he can tolerate a song for less than three minutes. I'm not sure Sondheim ever did better than West Side Story.
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