The show-stopping “11 o’clock number” from new Broadway musical The Notebook, “My Days” quickly became the most popular song from the show. The song, written by Ingrid Michaelson and performed by Joy Woods, has been streamed nearly 4.5 million times on Spotify. The musical recently announced it will close in December.
The songs begins in C and modulates to D at 2:31.
Written by Dean Pitchford and Matthew Wilder, “What Dreams Are Made Of” is featured at the end of the 2003 Disney film The Lizzie McGuire Movie and performed by Hilary Duff. The disco-infused track begins in Eb and modulates up to E at 2:54.
“Run Away With Me” is from Kait Kerrigan and Bree Lowdermilk’s 2017 musical The Mad Ones about a girl who is preparing to go off to college. Performed here by Broadway actor and director Michael Arden, the song modulates at 2:38 and and 2:53.
Composer Jacob Yandura and lyricist/bookwriter Rebekah Greer Melocik adapted the 2015 HBO documentary How To Dance in Ohio into a musical of the same name, which premiered on Broadway late last year. The story follows a group of autistic teenagers as they prepare to attend their first spring formal. It was the first Broadway show to cast autistic characters with autistic actors. A UK production is planned for next year.
“Building Momentum” comes near the end of the show. It begins in Ab, shifts up to A at 1:04, and modulates again to Bb at 2:05.
“Take Me As I Am” is from the 1990 Broadway musical Jekyll & Hyde, featuring a score by Frank Wildhord (music), Leslie Bricusse and Steve Cuden (lyrics). Wildhorn in particular is known for his ballads, most of which include a dramatic key change or two. This tune begins in Bb major and shifts up to B at 2:12.
“Once Upon a Time” is from the 2004 Broadway musical Brooklyn by Mark Schoenfeld and Barri McPherson. The story follows a group of five homeless musicians in New York City who put on a play about a singer named Brooklyn under the Brooklyn Bridge in New York. The original production ran for 284 performances.
The track, which features Eden Espinosa in the lead role, begins in Bb and shifts up a half step to B at 2:14.
Nicholas Sparks’ 1996 novel The Notebook was adapted into a film in 2004, and a musical based on the book, with a score by Ingrid Michaelson, opened on Broadway earlier this year. “If This Is Love” comes in Act 1 of the show, and modulates from Gb up to Ab at 2:00.
“Panama Hattie is a 1940 American musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter and book by Herbert Fields and B. G. DeSylva. The musical is about a nightclub owner, Hattie Maloney, who lives in the Panama Canal Zone and ends up dealing with both romantic and military intrigue. The title is a play on words, referring to the popular Panama hat,” (SondheimGuide.com).
The musical was adapted for a 1942 film of the same name. With World War II underway and recently augmented by the addition of US troops, Hollywood was honing the craft of releasing films which were often short on budgeting, plot, or both. It seems that Panama Hattie was lacking only in the latter of the two factors. The film’s script “was quite witty, full of sight gags, yes, but tasteful sight gags, the non-Porter songs were not crap; Ann Sothern is a competent vocalist (nothing compared to Merman, who originated the part, but really, who is anything compared to Merman?), and Lena Horne’s in it,” (IMDB). “… But I suggest watching this movie for more than just Lena Horne … Virginia O’Brian is rather fun to watch with her deadpan singing … the plot is slim to none, but the movie really wasn’t about plot, it was about fun and peddling war bonds.”
The tune runs in A major overall, with a few temporary diversions. But the most noticeable shift, up a half-step to Bb, hits at 2:13 in advance of the number’s final wind-up.
Thanks as always to regular contributor Jamie A. for this submission!
“Would anyone have thought years ago that one of Broadway’s hits would be based on a wild and wacky Monty Python movie? Don’t be silly,” (TalkinBroadway). “On second thought, do. That’s what it’s all about … Certainly both fans and foes of big (meaning very big) Broadway musicals will relate to references to their excesses. ‘The Song That Goes Like This’ … mercilessly mock(s) de rigueur big, dare-I-say-pretentious, bombastic love ballads designed in their pre-fab way to press the emotional buttons and win applause … skewer(ing) the genre while illustrating and recreating every by-the-numbers recyclable cliche (‘I’ll sing it in your face/ While we both embrace/ And then we change the key’ … ).
Broadway can stand a self-inflicted piercing as sharp as one from the sword of a Round Table Arthurian … But just in case you’re distracted by just the jests and jousts, even in the CD’s lyric booklet it is pointed out that in the overblown key-changing ‘The Song That Goes Like This,’ there’s a character dramatically coming downstage on a boat and a chandelier descends! But it’s all for an evening’s amusement …” With music by John Du Prez and original Monty Python’s Flying Circus cast member Eric Idle, combined with lyrics by Idle, the musical debuted on Broadway in 2005 and saw a Broadway revival in 2023, with many national tours in the interim.
As the intro leads into the verse at 0:09, the first key change drops down two whole steps. At 1:20, we hear another modulation (this time up a whole step), duly announced beforehand in the lyrics. 2:02 and 2:24 continue the trend with more upward whole step shifts.
“Mi Mancherai,” (which translates to “I’ll miss you”) is from the critically acclaimed 1994 Italian movie The Postman. Composer Luis Bacalov won the Academy Award for Best Original Score, and the film was also nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Screenplay.
Italian singer Andrea Bocelli included the song on his 2015 album Cinema, which features classic film soundtracks and scores. The track starts in D and modulates briefly to Bb at 1:51 before returning to D at 2:28. After an instrumental interlude, the vocal returns at 2:56 again in Bb. There is a final modulation to Eb at 3:30.
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