To Inspiration

Sharing inspirations is one of the greatest joys of my life, whether giving or receiving. Here are a few that have stuck with me, and that I turn to when I need to remember what it's all about.

I'm always eager to find new sources of inspiration, so please send me yours! It'll be like friend dating!

Contemporary

Alice Ripley, J. Robert Spencer & Aaron Tveit perform "You Don't Know / I Am the One" from Next to Normal at the 2009 Tony Awards.

This is a video from Pasek & Paul's Zipper Concert on September 22nd, 2008. Here, Gavin is singing a song called "Do You Remember?" from a musical based on the Peter Pan stories.

BROADWAY LOVES CELINE DION January 9, 2015 - 54 Below BAND: Benjamin Rauhala (music director/piano), David Cinquegrana (guitar), Charlie Rosen (recorder/bass), Mairi Dorman-Phaneuf (cello), Shannon Ford (drums) BACKGROUND VOCALS: Rachel Mackenzie, Tara Minogue, Jeff O'Donnell, and Jillian Soares. Orchestration by Julie McBride. Vocal Arrangement by Benjamin Rauhala.

Jackie Burns ('If/Then,' 'Wicked') sings "The Adele Dazeem Medley, arranged by Benjamin Rauhala, at "The Broadway Princess Party" on January 29th, 2017 at Feinstein's/54 Below. Arrangement by Benjamin Rauhala. The medley includes "Let It Go" (Frozen), "The Wizard and I" (Wicked), "Defying Gravity" (Wicked), and "Always Starting Over" (If/Then).

A performance of "And I Am Telling You" by the ORIGINAL Effie, Ms. Jennifer Holliday. She blows away almost anyone else in modern times with this performance, securing herself a rightful place amongst this era's greats (Aretha, Whitney, Ella, Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughn, Mahalia Jackson).

Broadway Backwards Favorites 2013 Josh Young performs "Bring On The Men" from Jekyll & Hyde The 2013 edition of Broadway Backwards featured Tony nominee Josh Young, surrounded by a dozen hunky Broadway dancers, tapped the powers of Jekyll & Hyde to "Bring on the Men," in a steamy and seductive performance.

Steven Pasquale sings his 11 o'clock number from "The Bridges of Madison County" in the recording studio.

Performed by Chuck Cooper.

Performed by Cynthia Erivo.

Classic Musical Theater

This performance of 'But Not For Me' by Judy Garland is in the film 'Girl Crazy' with Mickey Rooney, 1943. 'Girl Crazy' was the last of the Mickey/Judy "backyard musicals". Previous Mickey/Judy musicals of this genre included 'Babes in Arms'(1939), 'Strike Up the Band' (1940) and 'Babes on Broadway'(1941).

Here is Audra MCdonald singing the song that basically guaranteed her a third tony back in 98. Ragtime...

Barbara Cook in Melbourne

Two of the most elegant charmers here remembered! Leonard Bernstein and Eileen Farrell perform Mr. B's beauty from "On The Town!" Unforgettable! Superb lyrics are by Betty Comden and Adolph Green!

Here is the one and only John Raitt at the General Foods 25th Anniversary Show: A Salute to Rodgers and Hammerstein singing "Soliloquy", the song he made legendary for the Richard Rodger and Oscar Hammerstein II classic and my personal favorite "Carousel".

Mandy Patinkin as George Seurat.

This clip is from a 50s musical starring Hutton and a legendary screen actor. Betty Hutton's most notable film role was the part of Annie Oakley in the 1950 musical of "Annie Get Your Gun." One of her best known songs Blow a Fuse, later renamed It's Oh So Quiet, was covered by Icelandic artist Bjork.

Danny Kaye at his finest.

Eartha Mae Kitt (January 17, 1927 -- December 25, 2008) was an American singer, actress, and cabaret star. She was perhaps best known for her highly distinctive singing style and her 1953 hit recordings of "C'est Si Bon" and the enduring Christmas novelty smash "Santa Baby."

Famous french singer, Edith Piaf. Live recital at Holland, 1962. La Foule. Considered the best singer the France gave to the world, Edith Piaf was born Edith Giovanna Gassion on December 19, 1915 in Paris, France. She died on either October 10 or October 11, 1963 (one year after this recital) in Cannes, France.

Opera

1965 Paris Manon Conductor Georges Pretre

Lorraine Hunt Lieberson sings again... Recitative (Ah! Whither should we fly, or fly from whom?) and air (As with rosy steps the morn). Production by Peter Sellars for Glyndebourne.

Act IV scene 4 (end) of Debussy's "Pelleas et Melisande" Pelleas - Thomas Allen Melisande - Ann Howells conductor - Colin Davis Royal Opera House, Covent Garden 17 July 1978 Intensely beautiful...

Giuseppe Giacomini and Sherrill Milnes sing the Otello/Iago duet "Sì, pel ciel" from Otello by Verdi.

from Verdi's Requiem in 1967.

Cardiff Singer of the World 1989 Dmitri Hvorostovsky Renato's Aria "Eri tu che macchiavi" from Act III, Scene 1 of the Italian Opera, "Un Ballo in Maschera" by Giuseppe Verdi Libretto : Francesco Maria Piave

The great Leontyne Price "owned" this role.

Recital

Chanson Triste

Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, baritone NHK Symphony Orchestra Paul Kletzki, conductor Filmed at the Salle Pleyel, Paris, 24 October 1960

This is the fifth of Mahler's five Ruckert-Lieder, recorded at Avery Fisher Hall with Zubin Mehta and the New York Philharmonic. Performed at the opening of the 1989-90 season.

Richard Strauss: Vier Letzte Lieder (Four Last Songs) for soprano and orchestra 1. Frühling (Spring) 2. September 3. Beim Schlafengehen (Going to sleep) 4. Im Abendrot (At sunset) Grand Hall of Moscow State Conservatory (БЗК) 29 February 2012 Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra Vladimir Fedoseyev, conductor Link to songs 1&2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fjya411XLs&feature=g-upl 3.

Strauss Morgen - Arleen Auger

Kathleen Ferrier Great Singers - Kathleen Ferrier, Vol.

Gabriel Fauré's "Jardin nocturne" from his cycle "Mirages", op. 113. Francis Poulenc at the piano in this recording from 1936.

Mattia Battistini, (27 February 1856 7 November 1928)was born in Rome. He studied voice with Persechini was was also the voice teacher of Titta Ruffo and Giuseppe di Luca. Once again and amazing coordination of the falsetto and chest registers.

Movement

dido's lament and death from dido en aeneas - dance version by mark morris dance company

Laura Careless: Dancer & Choreographer

Marcel Marceau was the legendary mime & was known to the World as a "master of silence" here is a clip of him performing The Mask Maker (1959)

Sergei Polunin "Take me to Church" by Hozier Directed by David LaChapelle Choreography by Jade Hale-Christofi