Reconnecting to my passion

There are times In the middle of a long tour when I go to the room number from 2 motels ago because the motels start to look suspiciously alike. My energy begins to ebb and “there's no place like home” becomes my mantra. During these times one of the ways I can get my energy and enthusiasm back is to reconnect with the movie musicals that have always held a special place in my heart. Classics movies like “Singing in the Rain” (I could watch it 100 times and it wouldn’t get old), “The Band Wagon” which came out in 1953 and stars Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse (what fantastic performers! ) and “Meet Me in Saint Louis” starring the incomparable Judy Garland. Watching these movies helps me reconnect to the reason I love to perform. There is nothing in the world like performing a well written song like “Moonlight in Vermont” or “It’s Been a Long Long Time” where the music and words come together in an almost magical way and the results are timeless. Not to mention the songs that make you want to get out of your seat and dance, like “Sing Sing Sing”, “Chattanooga Choo Choo” and “In the Mood”. We have an entertainment history to be cherished and kept alive in this country. Thank God for all the wonderful composers, directors and performers from the past. For me a new attitude is just one great movie performance away and I have the energy to face yet another audience with confidence.

Other movie musicals I recommend which bring me joy and inspiration include; “An American in Paris”(1951), “The Barkleys of Broadway” (1949) “On the Town”(1949) and “Easter Parade”(1948).
Some performers I enjoy watching on You tube: Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, Gene Kelley, Cyd Charisse, Vera Ellen, the Nicholas Brothers and Ann Miller.
Michael