Musical theatre people in the know (i.e., people who agree with me) have long felt that the real standout ballad from the Funny Girl score is not People, but rather the lesser known eleven o'clock number The Music That Makes Me Dance.
It's a soaring, bluesy ballad about devotion and, unfortunately, loosing yourself in someone else. In other words, a torch song. If it had been released as a single the way People had been, I'm not sure it would have been as big a hit. With lyrics like "and as far as the man is concerned, if I've been burned, I haven' learned," it has a darker view of love and devotion than the somber yet hopeful People with its "children needing other children."
I have to say...well, I don't have to but it's my blog so I'm gonna say I don't quite understand her costume for this number. It's a black sequined v-neck top with a floor length black skirt and a strand of pearls. There's nothing wrong with it exactly, but for me it lacks the precision of most of the other Irene Sharaff looks Barbra wore in the show. It strikes me as something she might have worn at one of her club dates in the Village more than a costume for a period Broadway show. On the other hand, it was fun and a bit of a challenge to draw sequins.
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