The Top 5 Performances to Watch When You Want to Procrastinate
If you’re a college student, then you’ll know that the dreaded midterm season is underway. You’re probably swamped with work trying to study and write papers. But if you’re like me, you’ll also need to take a couple study breaks throughout the night. One of my favorite ways to de-stress (or procrastinate) is to watch some performances that are readily available on YouTube. Here are my 5 favorite performances to watch to avoid my midterm stress:
1. “Party Worth Crashing” by Kait Kerrigan and Brian Lowdermilk, performed by Meghann Fahy, Cortney Wolfson and Colleen Ballinger
This song is the epitome of fun and what you’d probably rather want to do instead of being trapped in your school’s library. Meghann Fahy, Cortney Wolfson, and Colleen Ballinger (also known as MirandaSings on YouTube) have such a fun chemistry with each other – they’re really like three friends getting ready for a party and having a good time. The best part of the whole song is Colleen’s solo/“rap” two minutes in – always remember that “it’s your life.”
2. “Ten Minutes Ago” / “The Next Ten Minutes” mashup, performed by Jeremy Jordan and Laura Osnes
You probably wouldn’t think to take one song from Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella and another from Jason Robert Brown’s The Last Five Years. But this duet mashup performed by one of the strongest duos Broadway has seen, Jeremy Jordan and Laura Osnes, is so hauntingly beautiful. In this video, the entirety of 54 Below is silent; it’s because it’s just so captivating. There are some beautiful moments and some that will make you laugh. Overall, it’s one of the best Broadway mashups to be captured on YouTube.
3. “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now” by Celine Dion, performed by Jeremy Jordan
Yes, we have another video starring Jeremy Jordan. But where the previous video was sensitive and tugged at your heartstrings, this one is hysterical as he prepares to take on the Celine Dion power ballad “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now.” Jeremy Jordan often performs songs originally written for women, but this one is probably his best. Not only does he show off his powerful belt, he intentionally raises the key multiple times. By the end of the song he is basically singing in the stratosphere.
4. “The Ladies Who Lunch” by Stephen Sondheim, performed by Patti LuPone
If you haven’t seen Stephen Sondheim’s 80th birthday celebration concert, you are missing out. Many of Broadway’s greatest actors came together for a huge performance to commemorate one of the best composers of the twentieth century. There are so many fantastic performances throughout, but one of my personal favorites is Patti LuPone singing “The Ladies Who Lunch.” She has such laser precision with every word she sings, and even cracks the best joke at the late, great Elaine Stritch.
5. “Take a Glass Together” by Luther Davis, performed by Brent Barret and Michael Jeter
It took me awhile to find the fantastic show Grand Hotel, but after watching this performance once I quickly became obsessed. Their performance at the 1990 Tony Awards is the definition of a high-energy showstopper. The huge ensemble taps their way through the number, but the true star is Michael Jeter. The Tony-winner moves so fluidly you almost wonder if he even has bones. Tap dancing is typically reserved for older and grander musicals, but when you see the finesse and energy of this routine, you’ll wish every performance was as energetic as this one.
These are just some of my favorite performances to watch when I’m on YouTube and don’t want to do schoolwork. What are some of your go to musical moments online?
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