The Theatre Corner: December's Musical of the Month (2017): Aida

Album Cover
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Been a while since I have done anything with this series, so why not start the year off by reviving it. Towards the end of 2017, I started listening to a new musical that I ended up fell in love with. If you read my Musicals of 2017 post, then you know which musical it is. December's Musical of the Month is Aida.

According to Broadway.com, Aida is about, "...the exciting tale of a captured Nubian princess who falls in love with her conqueror, the Egyptian captain, Radames." (Full description here). I always enjoy stories that involve characters going against social norms to follow what they believe to be right and that is definitely the story we get here.

Heather Headley as Aida
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Aida is a musical I have been hearing about for over a year now and it wasn't until a friend told me that she had listened to it that I decided to give it a go. There was also the fact that Adam Pascal was a part of the original Broadway cast, so I had to check it out. I began listening to it towards the end of November on Spotify. But before I listened to it, I had to read a synopsis of the show on Wikipedia. Doing this actually really helps me to figure out the context in which the songs are performed. Otherwise, I would have been lost and not known what was going on in the show.

Sherie Rene Scott as Amneris
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In terms of the soundtrack itself, I am absolutely in love with it. I love how the instrumentals make you feel like you are in Egypt while also having a rock and roll flair to it. The melody of the lyrics fit with the music so well and the lyrics tell a story all by itself. They perfectly portray the conflict that weighs heavily on so many of the characters. The emotion is conveyed so well that you almost feel like you are there with them, feeling those same emotions. It is honestly beautiful.

Since I am a visual person (and I like watching clips of musicals) I looked on YouTube for clips of one of my favorite songs from the musical, "Elaborate Lives". I found many different versions that people had posted and eventually found one that was my favorite adaptation. This helped me to see what was going on and paint a picture in my head as to how the show might look.

Radames and Aida
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In terms of my favorite characters in the show, I have it narrowed down to two characters:
(In no particular order)

Aida: She is the princess of Nubia but has to keep her identity a secret when she is captured and thrown into slavery. I liked Aida because she is a very strong female who is unafraid to speak her mind.
Radames: He is the captain of the Egyptian army, soon to become the Pharaoh after the death of his fiance's father (the current Pharaoh). I really liked his character because he was able to break away from what his father wanted and was able to figure out what he wanted, which turned out to be Aida.

Favorite Songs:

(In no particular order)

Fortune Favors the Brave
Enchantment Passing Through
Not Me
Elaborate Lives
A Step Too Far
Easy as Life
Written in the Stars

Even though Adam Pascal was in this musical, that is not the reason why I recommend this musical. I recommend it because of the complex storyline and the amazing soundtrack. It is a musical filled with humorous and heartfelt moments, plus a touching ending.