Flashback Friday - AIDA

I have to say how grateful I am for YouTube, first of all.  YouTube is amazing because whether I have seen a show or not, I can look up at least parts of the show and be able to have a glimpse of what the experience was or might have been.  There are so many great clips and even some full shows.  Sometimes the quality is less than stellar, but I always say something is better than nothing.

With that said, my first Flashback Friday focuses on Elton John and Tim Rice's Aida-and more specifically the video that was initially the reason I fell in love with this show, from The Rosie O'Donnell Show.  I miss Rosie's talk show so much.  As a young musical theatre kid in Utah I could not see many of the shows I wanted to, and certainly not until they toured here several years later.  I could only listen to cast recordings and dream and imagine what might be occurring on stage.  Rosie brought me scenes and performances that I would never have seen otherwise and I at least got a taste of these incredible Broadway and Off-Broadway shows.

This show was and still is a BIG deal for me.  I finally had the opportunity to see this show a few years later when it came to Salt Lake City on tour.  Aida encompasses all of the reasons that I love musical theatre.  There is so much emotion in this show that just would not exist without the incredible Elton John score and the actors singing their faces off.  The story is incredible, and with Disney Theatricals at the helm, the sets, costumes, and cast were nothing short of incredible.

This song proves what musical theatre can do and how much emotion can come from even just one actor standing live on stage, vocally projecting their heart and soul into the audience.  I live for performances like this.  You simply cannot deny the power, the heartbreak, the raw emotion.  Heather Headley LIVES this song. Upon seeing this clip, I immediately went out and purchased the cast recording and just fell in love with Headley over and over and over again.  Although I never had a chance to see her perform live, she still completely IS Aida in my mind. 

If you want another taste of Headley's amazingness, check out this clip from when she originated the role of Nala in a little show called The Lion King.  I never get tired of listening to that song either.  I am just going to finish this post so that I can continue to relish in her performances.  YouTube is chock full of them-so take a gander and enjoy!

Have a great Friday my fellow musical theatre lovers!