"The Story" and Other Musical Inspirations

I have this pathological thing that forces me to watch any TV show's "musical" episode, even if I don't actually watch the show. This is probably why I continue to watch "Glee." In terms of quality, there's a range. "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" pretty much wins, hands down, for best musical episode ever. The loser? "7th Heaven"--horrid. "Scrubs" did a great one, "Even Stevens" Influenza musical was cute, and the "That's So Raven" musical wasn't the most painful thing I've ever had to endure.

Anyway, they did this on "Grey's Anatomy" a week or so ago, and even though I said I wasn't going to watch it, I did. It's a sickness, people! I'm not really a fan of all of the sturm und drang angst of "Grey's," and it's totally unrealistic that all of the main characters would be operating on one person all at the same time. Don't they have other patients? It was still better than the "7th Heaven" musical. The standout moment of the entire episode: Dr. Calliope Torres' astrally-projected spirit singing "The Story" to her lesbian lover, her premature baby, and her comatose self.

Okay, that looks a little bizarre when written down. But it's true. I was moved. Is it just coincidence that "Calliope" means "beautifully-voiced?" Don't think so. Not that I didn't already know that Sara Ramirez is a goddess (she gave a Tony Award Winning performance as the Lady of the Lake in Monty Python's "Spamalot"--go look it up). I have a crush on her voice, and the iTunes people have 99 cents from me to prove it.

In related news, I auditioned for a choir called "Calliope" this morning. I'll find out if I get in by Tuesday, but I think my audition went really well, despite the full-scale attack my respiratory system is currently launching. For the audition, I sang the second verse of Ryan Murphy's "Pilgrim Song" and "Rakut" from Eric Whitacre's "Five Hebrew Love Songs." The latter is perhaps one of the most beautiful things in the world, not only because I think Hebrew is one of the most beautiful languages in the world, but because of the text:

"Hu hayah maleh rakut
"Hi haytah kashah
"V'chol kama shenista l'hisha'er kach
"Pashut uvli sibah tovah
"Lakach otah el toch atzmo
"V'heniach
"Bamakom hachi, hachi rach"

Translated:

"He was full of tenderness
"She was very hard
"And as much as she tried to stay thus
"Simply, and with no good reason
"He took her into himself
"And set her down
"In the softest, softest place"

The alto line just does the most amazing thing with the last four lines, and you can actually imagine being tenderly set down as the line flows. Ah...I love gorgeous music!