Somewhere That's Green - Ellen Greene (Little Shop) 19/82/86 1/1/24

For many people, the calendar flip is a chance to review and reset their lives and look forward to a brighter future.

With that in mind, and with a nod to my musical theatre friends, I'm highlighting a Great Song of 1986 that didn't come from any of the charts...but yet is a perfect example of "optimism against all odds."

"Somewhere That's Green" originally came from Allen Mencken and Howard Ashman's 1982 Off-Broadway production of "Little Shop of Horrors," based on the 1960 horror film of the same name...and adapted into a major motion picture in 1986, starring Rick Moranis, Steve Martin, and several others, including Ellen Greene, who reprised her stage role as Audrey.

The song has Audrey dreaming of a life away from skid row and her abusive dentist boyfriend, happy as a housewife with Seymour, a loving family, and all the latest home appliances...including a washer, dryer, and a TV with an enormous 12-inch screen!

In my opinion, the emotion Ellen puts into the song makes you FEEL her desperate longing for a future she believes is far beyond her reach--turning it into one of the Great Musical Performances of all time.

The special effects of the '50s style film version only add to the notion that Audrey's vision is impossible to achieve--but still there's hope, as there always SHOULD be!

So welcome to 2024! Here's wishing YOU a brighter, better New Year, with a Great Musical Theatre Song of 1982 and 1986: "Somewhere that's Green:" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIvpOIUqKKA

Tomorrow: a winter remake!