Here’s me performing “Everybody Says Don’t” from the musical Anyone Can Whistle on my ukulele.
So, a little backstory:
I first heard this song years and years ago when I listened to the TWELVE-HOUR (!) radio broadcast that was done for a milestone birthday of Stephen Sondheim’s. Unfortunately I didn’t hear the broadcast live but someone traded me all the recordings in exchange for some Broadway bootlegs. It was twelve hours of Sondheim music. OH MY GOD, YOU GUYS. I’m not sure if I even still have it but it was fucking amazing. Highly recommend.
I don’t even actually remember who sang this song in the broadcast, but it really struck me and immediately became one of my favorite Sondheim songs – which is saying something, given the size and scope of his work and how obsessed I am with everything he does.
My love for the song was rekindled when I saw this bootleg video of Raul Esparza performing it in an Encores presentation of Anyone Can Whistle. Raul is truly one of the best current interpreters of Sondheim’s work; he always seems to bring new emotion and beauty to the songs. Naturally this one is no exception. I loved his jubilance, the way he gallivants around the stage really hammering home the points in the song about being joyful and carefree. Awesome.
I’ve arranged musical theatre songs for my own usage before, including some Sondheim stuff, and it’s kind of a tricky/annoying process. I sit there staring at the sheet music, looking at the individual notes in the accompaniment and trying to figure out how those complex piano chords can be translated into an acceptable ukulele substitute. Then I have to transpose, because obviously I can’t sing in the same key that someone like Raul Esparza does. It’s a long process; I stayed up all night last night doing this one, because I’m silly.
Anyway, I hope you like this! I’ve recently downloaded a whole bunch of Sondheim scores so I’m thinking of doing more. Specifically I have my eye on “Giants in the Sky” from Into the Woods, “Could I Leave You?” from Follies and pretty much everything from Company.