Librarian - Waa Mu 2009: One for the Books
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Angela Gould singing "Librarian" from Northwestern University's Waa Mu show in May of 2009.
Tags: Angela Gould Northwestern Librarian Waa Mu
Added: 2 years ago
From: angelapgould
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From northwestern.edu:
"Waa-Mu 2009: One for the Books," Northwestern's University's 78th edition of the Waa-Mu show, will feature original songs, dances and comedy sketches based on the timeless tales of princesses, the adventures of Curious George, the trials of Holden Caulfield, and the poetry of e.e. cummings and Walt Whitman.
Performances of "Waa-Mu 2009: One for the Books" will be held at 8 p.m. Friday, May 1;
2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, May 2; 2 p.m. Sunday, May 3; 8 p.m. Thursday, May 7; 8 p.m. Friday, May 8; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, May 9; and 2 p.m. Sunday, May 10, at Cahn Auditorium, 600 Emerson St., Evanston campus.
Under the direction of School of Communication Theatre Professor Dominic Missimi, this year's Waa-Mu show will feature special guest appearances by such beloved fictional characters as Alice in Wonderland, Cinderella, Peter Pan, Prince Charming, Rapunzel, the elusive Waldo, Harold and the Purple Crayon, Tarzan and Jane and many others. Missimi has directed Waa-Mu for the past 16 years, not including the two additional years he co-directed the show with former theatre faculty member and longtime Waa-Mu director Tom Roland.
The 2009 production is among the most colorful, costumed and choreographed in recent years. In keeping with the show's title, the set will feature a gigantic and expansive shelf of books to create the ambiance of a university library. It is recommended for audiences aged 10 and up.
Waa-Mu is once again offering the traditional Mother's Day pre-show brunch from 11:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. Sunday, May 10, at the Hilton Garden Inn hotel in downtown Evanston, hosted by Missimi and featuring entertainment by members of the 2009 Waa-Mu cast.
"One for the Books" is the second show in Waa-Mu history to feature a "book" theme.
"We decided to do another show about books because there are so many interesting characters that are costumed," said Missimi. "It also was a good jumping board that sent us in a variety of literary and university-oriented directions."
"Every year Waa-Mu is a completely original show with music and lyrics by Northwestern students," added Missimi. "Some musicals take up to seven years to get to the stage, and we do it in only six months. This year's show features 33 rehearsed and orchestrated skits, which is miraculous, when you consider that the students are attending classes during the day and only have a four-week rehearsal period from start to finish, a shorter period than any other Northwestern production on campus."
Among the highlights of this year's show will be a "Tap for Dummies" number choreographed by David Bell, an associate professor of music theatre at Northwestern's School of Communication and an internationally renowned professional director. The tap dance will be performed to a vocal text by the entire 42-member student cast. The Waa-Mu cast members have choreographed all other dances in the production.
Northwestern junior Will Buck has contributed the music and lyrics for a dozen original songs to the show, including "One for the Books" the opening number, "Wonderland," "Bye Bye Prince Charming" and "Happy Ending." Buck also co-wrote "I Carry Your Heart" with sophomore Liz Olanoff, a song that pays tribute to author e.e. cummings, which will be sung by student soloist Kaitlin Fine. Reed Wilson, a junior, wrote the music and lyrics for "Song of Myself," a lyrical salute to Walt Whitman and the world of poets.
Northwestern and Waa-Mu alumnus Michael Mahler contributed a song titled "Librarian" that will feature choreography by senior Danny Westen. Mahler originally wrote the music and lyrics for the 2001 Waa-Mu Show, "Sorry We're Booked," when he was a cast member.
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From personal correspondence with Michael Mahler:
Librarian
music and lyrics by Michael Mahler
(snaps)
I may seem naive but I'm not
I haven't seen the world, but I've read a lot
You might think I look a bit up-tight
But I got Stephen King to keep me going all night
You know I learned back when I was in school
That when you're in the library you must keep your cool
All the boys would smile and give me looks
But sugar, I can tell a man by the size of his ... books
Librarian!
The Queen of the Dewey Decimal System
If you feel the need to scream and shout
Then honey, this-ah mother's gonna knock-ah you out
Cuz I'm a librarian
The Queen of the Dewey Decimal System
If you want to get with me you know it ain't that hard
Just reach into your wallet and pull out that library card!
You know you've just got to know how to read
(How to read!)
And baby I got all the knowledge that you'll ever need
And I don't need to take no guff
Cuz I got all my reference books to call your bluff
Oh and men come and go as they please
(Ooh!)
But a good book, baby, it won't ever tease
And a warm caress make you feel alright
But a novel doesn't snore in the middle of the night
I played the fool for far too many men
(Ah ha!)
I'm never gonna play that game again
Now when they're on my turf
All mean and loud
I can stand up proud!
Cuz baby, I'm a librarian
The Queen of the Dewey Decimal System
If you feel the need to scream and shout
Then honey, this-ah mother's gonna knock-ah you out
Cuz I'm a librarian
The Queen of the Dewey Decimal System
If you want to get with me you know it ain't that hard
Just reach into your wallet and pull out that library card!
(Ssh!)
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