Take Your Choir to Broadway!

Close out the school year with an exciting choral medley from an iconic Broadway show! Whether you’re looking for music from a long-time theatrical standard or an innovative new production, we’ll help you find the perfect medley for your group.

Over the last few years, the Great White Way has hosted shows ranging from ground-breaking original productions (In the Heights, Next to Normal), to adaptations of popular movies (Shrek: The Musical, Mary Poppins), to Tony Award-winning revivals (Hair). Even children’s literature (Seussical: The Musical) and popular music (Jersey Boys) have gotten in on the act!

Concert and community choirs may enjoy exploring medleys of music by various Broadway composers. Try Rodgers and Hammerstein on Broadway (songs from The Sound of Music, South Pacific, Carousel and Oklahoma), Broadway Legends: Lerner and Loewe (songs from Camelot, My Fair Lady and Paint Your Wagon), Sondheim! A Choral Celebration (songs from A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Into the Woods, Company and Sweeney Todd), Andrew Lloyd Webber in Concert (songs from Evita, Aspects of Love, Cats, Phantom of the Opera and Song and Dance), Applause! The Music of Charles Strouse (songs from Applause, Bye Bye Birdie, All-American and Annie) or Gershwin: A Concert Panorama (songs from Funny Face, Girl Crazy, Strike Up the Band and Oh, Kay!).

Bringing the magic of Disney movies to Broadway has also been popular recently. Younger audiences will especially appreciate Disney on Stage, featuring music from the Broadway productions of Aida, Beauty and the Beast, High School Musical, The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, Mary Poppins and Tarzan.

You can also take the opportunity to introduce your singers to some of the most iconic Broadway shows in history. Try a time-honored show like Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, West Side Story, The Sound of Music, Guys and Dolls, Fiddler on the Roof, Oklahoma, Sweeney Todd, My Fair Lady, Chicago, South Pacific, The King & I, Oliver! and A Chorus Line. Or maybe you want to explore a “new classic” like Wicked, Rent, Hairspray, Jekyll & Hyde or Ragtime. The possibilities are practically endless!

For more music from the Great White Way, please contact us or visit us online.

The Story of My Life

The Story of My Life, by Neil Bartram, is a musical about two men and a longtime friendship that started in childhood.  Richard Maltby Jr. , the director, says, “…this show  produced a reaction I had never encountered before…people are moved by what happens to Alvin and Thomas, but the emotional response in the audience members seems larger than that, more personal.”

The show debuted in Toronto in 2006, and premiered on Broadway in 2009.  Since then, it has been performed in several states and South Korea.  If you have already heard the cast recording, you will be happy to find the matching sheet music book.  If you are interested in finding out more about this book or other sheet music books of Broadway musicals, please contact us.

Digitally Download Sheet Music

Do you ever need sheet music in a big hurry?  Check out Stanton’s Digital Delivery to browse our digital sheet music library. There are pop songs, Broadway songs, sacred songs, guitar tabs, and much more!

You’ll need to download a free Scorch program that allows you to see the first page of each song you look up, and it allows you to print on your own printer.  Many songs can also be transposed to whatever key you need! Just pay with a credit card, download and print.

This service is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.  Happy browsing!

My Funny Valentine

Do you have a significant other that makes you smile with your heart?  Their looks may be laughable (and even unphotographable) yet they’re your favorite work of art?  Then you could call them “My Funny Valentine.”

With lyrics close to those written above, the well known song, “My Funny Valentine,” has become a staple for the day set aside to honor your favorite loved one.  Written in 1937 by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart for their musical, Babes in Arms, it is sung in the show by the female lead, Billie Smith, to her love interest, Valentine “Val” LaMar.  She pokes gentle fun at some of his characteristics, but ultimately tells him not to change, because they are what gives him his charm.  Just about everyone can relate to that set of circumstances.  After all, love reigns supreme – especially on Valentine’s Day!

If you would like to perform this wonderful song, there are many settings from which to choose. There are versions for vocal solo with piano, as well as arrangements for choir, jazz ensemble (with or without vocal solo), jazz combo, concert band and full or string orchestra.  You can find these all on Stanton’s website, or try our Digital Delivery option if there’s no time to lose!

The Book of Mormon

Since The Book of Mormon opened on Broadway in March of 2011,  this award winning musical has been a best seller.  Trey Parker and Matt Stone of  South Park, and Robert Lopez of Avenue Q fame, have teamed up to produce a religious satire musical that is fun, funny and irreverent.

Here at Stanton’s Sheet Music, we waited anxiously until November of 2011 when The Book of Mormon vocal selections finally arrived  in the store. Customers were calling to order this sheet music book before it was even off the press! This collection of all 16 songs and photos from the Broadway musical is a great companion to the cast recording which was released in June of 2011.  All of the sheet music from this collection is also available for immediate dowload through Stanton’s Digital Delivery!

For more information, email or call us at 1-800-426-8742.

Get a real, LIVE person on the phone!

We’re always talking about our knowledgeable staff—you’ll find that very phrase on much of our printed advertising, as well as on our website. Stanton’s sales staff is separated into departments to ensure that each staff member is well informed about a specific area of the wide variety of music that we carry. So when you call and ask about music for trumpet, you’ll be speaking with someone who has first-hand knowledge of repertoire, not just a phone operator with no musical experience. Here’s what you’ll find in each department:

CHORAL DEPARTMENT (ex. 1)
Church Choral Music
School Choral Music
Elementary Classroom Music
Classical Solo Vocal
Handbell

BAND DEPARTMENT (ex. 2)
Concert Band
Marching Band
Jazz Ensemble
Orchestra
Solos for all concert instruments
Instrumental Method Books
Music Software/Technology

POP/KEYBOARD (ex. 3)
Sacred & Secular Piano
Organ
Piano Method Books
Popular/Broadway Solo Vocal
Contemporary Christian Vocal
Guitar Solos and Methods
Music for Folk Instruments

BILLING AND ACCOUNTS (ex. 4)

You can direct emails to the exact department you need by clicking the links above, or press the appropriate extension when you call 1-800-42-MUSIC (1-800-426-8742). If you’re unsure of which department to choose, we’re always happy to direct you to whoever can best address your needs; press “0″ to have your call directed, or send a general email. At Stanton’s, it is important to us that you receive the most educated answers to your questions and the finest music recommendations.

Follow Your Dreams!

For many young people, the most intense performing experiences they may have are as part of a cast in a musical or play. Or, they may fall in love with a Broadway or touring production to the extent that they jump headlong into the pursuit of such a dream without the necessary planning and thought that should accompany such a big decision.

Veteran actor and educator David Ladd has created “Footlight Dreams – Following Your Passion for a Career in Musical Theatre”, a practical guide for performers, teachers and parents to help the decision-making process for aspiring performers as they contemplate their futures in the theatre.

Drawing on his experience as a singer/dancer, including a sabbatical year in New York where he chronicled his challenges and successes, Ladd presents the full range of information a student would need before setting their sights on a music theatre career, including a full range of interviews from professional actors detailing the significant obstacles to success in the field, statistics on costs of housing, transportation and training, and the audition/casting process for a new, non-Equity performer.

The final section of the book guides the reader as he/she explores their own career options, with thought-provoking questions, journaling opportunities and career resources, making this chapter especially useful for teachers working one-on-one with students or in the classroom.

It’s not an easy path, but if performing is your passion, pursue it with an open mind and listen to your heart – the successes can be glorious!

Contact Stanton’s for more valuable musical theatre resources!

Get Ready for School Musicals!

If your school/organization is putting on a musical this spring and you’re not ALREADY planning it–it’s certainly time to get started. But what kind of musical is right for your situation? Check our handy “cheat sheet” to find out:

High School or Community Theater Groups: You will likely require a traditional, full-length musical which must be contracted with a musical licensing company–check our previous blog for all the details.

Junior High/Middle Schools: Depending on the ability/requirements of your students and your budget, you may choose to do a full-length licensed musical, a Broadway Junior production or a 4-8 Classroom Musical. All of these options vary in difficulty, duration and cost, so you should be able to find one to fit your needs.

Elementary Schools: Your best bet is probably the traditional Classroom Musical for either K-4 or 4-8. If you want a more elaborate production, try one of the “Disney Kids” programs that are part of the Broadway Junior line-up.

Stanton’s can help you with either preview materials or vocal collections for any of these types of musicals–just contact us to help with your planning!

Leonard Bernstein’s Peter Pan

In 1950, Leonard Bernstein wrote songs and incidental music for J M Barrie’s play “Peter Pan”, which opened on Broadway on April 24, 1950. There had been six previous Broadway productions of this popular story between 1905 and 1928, so this was the seventh and newest telling of the story.  The tour was cancelled mid-run, and Bernstein’s music for it was largely forgotten, overshadowed by the  1954 “Peter Pan”, the music for which was written by Mark Charlap and Jule Styne, and  starred Mary Martin as Peter Pan.  In 2001, the conductor Alexander Frey approached the Leonard Bernstein Office with the proposal to record Bernstein’s score for the 1950 “Peter Pan”.  The recording proved to be a success.  Here is the collection of vocal selections for Bernstein’s “Peter Pan”, available for the first time in recent memory.  If you have heard the recording, you will be delighted with these vocal selections.  If you have not, it will be worth giving  the recording a listen!  For the table of contents, see our website at stantons.com, or call us at 1-800-42- MUSIC  for more information.

Just for Fun – New Pop Instrumental Play-Alongs

Are you looking for ways to keep your students motivated and get them playing more?  Based on the number of parents and students that stop by our store looking for ‘fun music’ to supplement their school materials and remain enthused, we know you are.  To that end, two new pop music instrumental play-alongs have been released by Hal Leonard. 

The first features 15 hits from country crossover star Taylor Swift.  The song list includes Back to December, Fearless, Love Story, Our Song, Today Was a Fairytale, and White Horse.  The other collection features 10 well-known songs from Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim’s ever-popular Broadway show West Side Story, which will be playing Columbus’ historic Ohio Theatre April 17-22, 2012.  Songs in this collection include America, I Feel Pretty, Maria, Somewhere, and Tonight. 

Both collections feature play-along CDs with recorded accompaniments and are available for flute, clarinet, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, trumpet, f horn, trombone, violin, viola, and cello.  They retail for $12.99 (CD included), and are a great way to keep students playing and experiencing different types of music on their instruments.