FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS;
President Barack Obama's gift of an iPod to Queen Elizabeth II came loaded with 40 songs from popular Broadway productions, including "The King and I," "West Side Story" and "Dreamgirls." The iPod was given to accompany a rare coffee table book of songs by composers Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, which Obama also gave the queen.
I think this is a great gift for the Queen. Actually I'm enjoying the new technology forward gifts the Obama's have been giving (they gave Great Britain Prime Minister Gordan Blair a collection of 50 plus dvd's), gone are the days of stodgy gifts, that let's be honest were totally useless (can we say re-gift anyone).
Here is a list of the song's that the Obama's loaded on the Queen's IPod:
"Oklahoma!" "If I Loved You," Jan Clayton, "Carousel" "You'll Never Walk Alone," Jan Clayton, "Carousel" "There's No Business Like Show Business," Ethel Merman, "Annie Get Your Gun" "Once in Love with Amy (Where's Charley?)," Ray Bolger "Some Enchanted Evening," "South Pacific" "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend," Carol Channing, "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" "Getting to Know You," Gertrude Lawrence, "The King and I" "Shall We Dance?" Gertrude Lawrence, "The King and I" "I Could Have Danced All Night," Julie Andrews, "My Fair Lady" "I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face," Rex Harrison, "My Fair Lady" "The Party's Over (Bells Are Ringing)," Judy Holliday "Maria," "West Side Story" "Tonight," "West Side Story" "Seventy Six Trombones," "The Music Man" "Everything's Coming up Roses," Ethel Merman, "Gypsy" "The Sound of Music" "Try to Remember," Jerry Orbach, "The Fantasticks" "Camelot," Richard Burton "If Ever I Would Leave You," Robert Goulet, "Camelot" "Hello, Dolly!" Carol Channing "If I Were a Rich Man," Zero Mostel, "Fiddler on the Roof" "People," Barbra Streisand, "Funny Girl" "On a Clear Day (You Can See Forever)," John Cullum "The Impossible Dream," Richard Kiley, "Man of La Mancha" "Mame," Charles Braswell "Cabaret," Liza Minnelli "Aquarius, Ronald Dyson, "Hair” "Send in the Clowns," Judy Collins, "A Little Night Music" "All That Jazz," Chita Rivera, "Chicago" "One," "A Chorus Line" "Tomorrow," Andrea McArdle, "Annie" "Don't Cry for Me Argentina," Patti LuPone, "Evita" "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going," Jennifer Holliday, "Dreamgirls" "Memory," Elaine Paige, "Cats" "The Best of Times," George Hearn, "La Cage Aux Folles" "I Dreamed a Dream," Aretha Franklin, "Les Miserables" "The Music of the Night," Michael Crawford, "The Phantom of the Opera" "As If We Never Said Goodbye," Elaine Paige, "Sunset Blvd." "Seasons of Love," "Rent"That is a pretty comprehensive list of Broadway hits.
If I was allowed to contribute I would have added "Summer Nights" from Grease.
What would have you added, if anything?
6 Comments:
Well, it's not a Broadway show tune, but I would have included The Sex Pistol's "God Save the Queen" ...maybe thrown it in as a bonus track!
i think the Obamas need to improve at gift giving. if they want to give technologically forward gifts, an iPod and especially DVDs are not it. DVDs are quickly heading toward extinction, and while the iPod, and other personal MP3 players may have more staying power for the next 5 - 10 years, their ubiquity negates their uniqueness. there are other more technologically cutting edge items out there (i'd have to ask Honey, since he's on that pulse) to give that have both the "cool" factor and demonstrate the best of American ingenuity.
plus, the problem w/ gifting iPods and DVDs is that any schmuck can gift those. heck: I can gift those and i'm a confessed shitty gift-giver.
loading the iPod with showtunes is interesting. most of these seem to come from American composers, so that's good. i wonder if they also loaded it with Gershwin and Copland. i DO really like the idea that we give her a gift to remind her of the cultural gifts of our country to the world.
I'm with Mollie, what does the queen need? besides more English in England? the Hope Diamond?
Political gifts are always difficult to select, after all the head of a country can usually purchase whatever they desire, so you end up with more of a statement than a useful item. I think the loaded Ipod and dvds were useful as well as a good selection, but why just 40 songs, and not the entirety of each musical? Coupled with the book was nice.
Pax - good idea!
Molly - that is a novel idea, I think you should write the White House, I like the idea of giving tech gifts that display the cutting edge technology of American ingenuity.
Mommantor - she is one tough lady to gift for, no?
Joe - yes the book was a good florish at the end.
I'm sorry to intrude, VG, but who is 'Gordan Blair'?
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