Brown-nosing has already gotten play among reindeer songs. But The Original Cast of ‘Naughty, but Nice’ the holiday revue rekindles the concept with “Brendan the Brown-Nosed Reindeer.” This musical show tune tootles through the sycophantic attempts of the titular wanna be. He gets his.
Category: show tune
Ringers: Alex
Al Walser tried a cutie-pie book a few years back about a black/white reindeer (think Frank Gorshin in that 1967 Star Trek episode). Believe it or don’t, he saves the day. This author also sings about “Alex the Reindeer” with the loungiest showtune schmaltz this side of Tuskaloosa dinner theater. Brace yourself.
Line Up-starters
All the reindeer get named in some songs.
Autry, Gene Autry returns with Will It be A Hit? “Thirty-Two Feet and Eight Little Tails of White.” Kidsong before his Rudolph deal. (But THIS song comes out two years after.)
Where’s Rudolph? is the R+B question of “Reindeer’s Christmas Song.” The Stocking Fillers wail on it seriously.
“Now Dasher Now Dancer” is a musical interlude in the Mickey Rooney elder-recital of ‘Night Before.” Bouncey kidsong.
More kidsong from Candy Cane Lane: “Eight Reindeer” is bebopping lite rock about the names.
Starting the refrain, the reindeer list fills in Chris Commisso’s need for lines in the hyperactive pop number “The Christmas (All I Really, Really Want).”
The Sandpipers give each a voice in “Santa’s Other Reindeer (We are the Reindeer Who Work for Santa Claus).” This kidsong personalizes all but the ninth with mucho gusto.
“Dash Away All” is the hyper showtune from Sounds Of Blackness’s ‘The Night Before Christmas – A Musical Fantasy.’ Tempo to race ’round the world (never mind the going on strike twist).
Name One, again
Is Dancer the reindeer known for terpsichorean agility?
Nay! “Dasher the Dependable Reindeer” is the true leader of the gang. Showtune cleverness from Gary Pigg & The City Lights Orchestra. Finally, respect that is due the pilot. (Rudolph seems relegated to navigator.)
X-claim: cheers
Time to raise a cry and a cup for the holidays. Cheers is an appropriate greeting, wish, and toast. Let’s find out who sings what.
The MacDonald Brothers dadrock the blues hand-clapper “Three Cheers for Christmas.” You can hear the hip-hip hooray if you listen at all. Almost silly.
Jen Hanson’s “Three Cheers for Christmas Time” is a sultry jazz rhumba. Drinking is definitely happening.
Downer from Hermione Lund in the form of “Cheers to Christmas.” Missed opportunities, missing loved ones, i think there will be quaffing to come. Symphonic, emotional show tune.
ad silentnitum, unbroken
Still feeling deserted around the holidays? Still?! Sing with brimming eye!
Jim Caliendo soft rocks “Another Blue Christmas” as homage to The King. Stellar effort, decent song.
Steven Acker could take pointers, as his “Another Blue Christmas” is limp rock with empty lyrics. Elvis’s coattails can’t carry this.
Shredding blues guitar stretches “Another Blue Christmas” from Andrew Mellor to the breaking point. How many anothers can a man take?
Sweaty club jazz from David George and The Crooked Christmas Orchestra sneaks “Another Blue Christmas” up on you from expecting Santa to getting shafted.
ad silentnitum, continual
Done yet? No way, Hay-seus!
Those American Girls are not so happy with “Another Christmas.” there’s chores, and other people get to go to Aruba, and–well, YOU know. But there IS theremin. Odd electro-pop.
And then Gary Glitter swooshes in with an insistent backbeat to herald the kissing and singing and presenting of “Another Rock ‘n’ Roll Christmas.” Throbbin’!
“Just Another Song” is the swingin’ Stephen Colbert addition to the canon. And this time, my ad infinitum reference is used!
Life After X-please
Some lunatics out there admit that they look forward to the after-times from Xmas. What–? How–? Hoo boy….
Woebegone of folksy tune, John Caroll has mostly glad feelings now that “Christmas is Over.” There’ll be another one…. for those who even care.
Cardboard Box Thieves jig about with bluegrass pop confessing how little they like Christmas. “After Christmas” is preferred. ‘Strue.
Karen Jacobsen also complains about the hair-tearing-out pace of the holiday, so with a showtune turn she exalts “The Day After Christmas.” She even calls it Boxing Day, like that’s a thing.
But, to keep you off balance, Kermit & Dylan (impressionist Thomas Valenti) harmonize about how “I’m So Glad Christmas is Over” and it’s all back to normal. Music hall enunciated comedy.
Wait for the Show
Christmas is a big deal, a big show. Let’s bounce in our seats in the audience waiting for curtain time.
We’ve celebrated the Teresa Brewer big band version, now let’s try “I Just Can’t Wait ’til Christmas” as a torch song with back room bluesiness. That’s a better cover, mother. Madison O’Neill for the win.
But, I do admire a jazz tempo big band serenade. See what Jenny Daniel’s (cover again) of “We Can’t Wait.” I shiver so much i hear the tinkling of a two drink minimum.
Legit overorchestration arrives via The Kindie Songwriting Club (In the Nick of Time) and their slow building “Can’t Wait for Christmas.” This erstwhile kid song elevates the genre to showstopper.
Wait for the Lounge
What are you waiting for? Party like it’s Christmas! That is–in the manner most consistent with your observation. Oh, just so? The lounge it is….
“Can’t Wait!” is the jazz diva turn of white girl Esmee Denters. But the twirly shrill twists on her endnotes belie her down-ness. Piano bar mellow times.
Mindi Abair wootchi-cooes the jazz experience with “I Can’t Wait for Christmas.” Sure a whisper in my ear perks up my Xmas spirit, but where’s all the other partygoers?
Amateur piano bar bounciness gives Charles Szabo to sing out of both sides of his mouth. “I Can’t Wait for Christmas” is also kid-centric, with an oldster bent. But it means so well, it borders on kicky.
On the mainstage of the Yuletide Room, the showstopping ragtime barn burner is “I Can’t Wait to Fly on Christmas Eve” by John Gannon. Rockin’, in a retired guy kind of way. Yet, it warms me like chicken soup.