WARNING: This is one of my cranky rants about nothing but I'm compelled to complain about anyway. (Andy Rooney lives.)
It drives me nuts when I’m at a concert and in the middle of a song the performer breaks the mood to introduce somebody or do a joke. The songwriters worked hard to craft a song that had a certain story or evoked a certain emotion, and the singer destroys it by blurting out “my new CD is in the lobby!” or "on piano -- the King Kong of the Keyboards -- Mr. Lester Spork!"
A prime offender of this was Sinatra during the ring-a-ding Rat Pack era. No one was ever better at interpreting songs than Frank Sinatra. Yet put him on stage with a drink in his hand and he suddenly became the Kingfish. He’d respectfully credit the songwriter then in the middle of “Eb Tide” break into an Amos & Andy voice and slander Sammy Davis.
Sure you should introduce your band and backup singers and fog machine operator but not in the middle of “Unchained Melody.” Lyrics are not just words you sing between racial slurs.
What if actors followed this practice during plays.
WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF
George: You can sit around with the gin running out of your mouth; you can humiliate me; you can tear me to pieces all night, that's perfectly okay, that's all right.
Martha: You can stand it!
George: I cannot stand it!
Martha: You can stand it, you married me for it! Ladies and gentlemen, Buster Ignatz, our Art Director!
HAMLET
Hamlet: In the most high and palmy state of Rome,
A little ere the mightiest Julius fell,
The graves stood tenantless, and the sheeted dead
How about these costumes? Ladies and gentlemen, Ruth Schmegegy and the gals from the shop!
Did squeak and gibber in the Roman streets.
The television equivalent is Pop-Up videos. As an “experiment” they employed them one time during an episode of ABC’s SABRINA THE TEEN WITCH.
Sabrina: Aunt Hilda, I’ve done all I can do, period.
BLIP: Melissa Joan Hart’s first period came six days after her 13th birthday.
And it extends even beyond TV. This is a true story. I was at a bachelor party for a member of CHEERS.
Anyway, you get the idea. Just sing the song. Or suckle her breasts. Again, it’s a matter of respect for the writers. Thank you.
