Special Holiday Edition - Halloween 2017

The first time I saw The Nightmare Before Christmas (TNBC) was when I was 5 years old. It gave me awful nightmares and I never watched it again.

Until last week.

I didn't remember a single thing about it. It was like watching a movie for the first time except it was actually the second time and I was 24 years older (and less prone to nightmares).

I'm happy to report that I finally understand most* of the hype. It makes my musical theatre nerd heart soar. 

Before we watched it last week, my husband said something about thinking it was much more "musical-ly" than other Disney movies and I instantly felt myself getting protective of my childhood favorites like Beauty and the Beast and The Little Mermaid. But when you look just at the movies, since TNBC doesn't have a stage version, it has more sung songs (versus just orchestration) than any other Disney movie musical (I think?). And not only are all of the songs incredibly catchy - they continue the story, they give the character purpose, they set the tone for each scene and they are just so incredibly clever and fun.

Look at the song "Jack's Lament" for example: 

Yet year after year it's the same routing
And I grow so weary of the sound of screams
And I, Jack, the pumpkin king
Have grown so tired of the same old thing 

Well that's an established problem statement if I've ever heard one.
How you gonna solve it, Jack? (From "Jack's Obsession"):

You know, I think this Christmas thing
It's not as tricky as it seems
And why should they have all the fun?
It should belong to anyone
Not anyone in fact, but me
Why, I could make a Christmas tree

Oh no, Jack! Your plan went all wrong. "Poor Jack" how are you feeling about that?

But I never intended all this madness, never
And nobody really understood, how could they?
That all I ever wanted was to bring them something great
Why does nothing ever turn out like it should?

So do yourself a little Halloween favor and listen below. It is just really brilliant stuff and I think it brings the right Halloween mood that other musicals have attempted, but haven't gotten quite right just yet.


*I say most because it's been heartily welcomed by the goth community and I'm not quite on that hype train. I think Jack loves singing too much to be too emo.