A Little Night Music is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Hugh Wheeler. Inspired by the 1955 Ingmar Bergman film Smiles of a Summer Night, it involves the romantic lives of several couples. Its title is a literal English translation of the German name for Mozart's Serenade No. 13, K. 525, Eine kleine Nachtmusik. The musical includes the popular song "Send In the Clowns", written for Glynis Johns.
"Send In the Clowns" is a song written by Stephen Sondheim for the 1973 musical A Little Night Music, an adaptation of Ingmar Bergman's 1955 film Smiles of a Summer Night. It is a ballad from Act Two, in which the character Desirée reflects on the ironies and disappointments of her life. Among other things, she looks back on an affair years earlier with the lawyer Fredrik, who was deeply in love with her, but whose marriage proposals she had rejected. Meeting him after so long, she realizes she is in love with him and finally ready to marry him, but now it is he who rejects her: He is in an unconsummated marriage with a much younger woman. Desirée proposes marriage to rescue him from this situation, but he declines, citing his dedication to his bride. Reacting to his rejection, Desirée sings this song. The song is later reprised as a coda after Fredrik's young wife runs away with his son, and Fredrik is finally free to accept Desirée's offer.
Whitney Elizabeth Houston was an American singer, actress, film producer, and philanthropist. Known as "the Voice", she is one of the most awarded entertainers of all time, having been inducted into numerous halls of fame. Houston's crossover appeal on the popular music charts and her performances influenced the breaking down of gender and racial barriers, as well as popular culture. She has been recognized for her vocal delivery, distinctive timbre, and for popularizing the use of gospel singing techniques in pop music. In 2023, Rolling Stone ranked Houston second on their list of the greatest singers of all time. She has sold over 220 million records worldwide, becoming one of the best-selling music artists in history. Houston also enhanced her popularity by producing and starring in multicultural movies. Her life and career have been the subject of multiple documentaries and television specials.
Mahalia Jackson was an American gospel singer, widely considered one of the most influential vocalists of the 20th century. With a career spanning 40 years, Jackson was integral to the development and spread of gospel blues in black churches throughout the U.S. During a time when racial segregation was pervasive in American society, she met considerable and unexpected success in a recording career, selling an estimated 22 million records and performing in front of integrated and secular audiences in concert halls around the world.
Doris Troy was an American R&B singer and songwriter, known to her fans as "Mama Soul". Her biggest hit was "Just One Look", a top 10 hit in 1963.
Jennifer Kate Hudson, also known by her nickname J.Hud, is an American singer, actress, and television personality. Having received numerous accolades for her work in music, film, television, and theater, Hudson became the youngest woman and third African-American recipient of all four major American entertainment awards: Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony (EGOT) in 2022. She was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2013, and Time named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2020.
Maria Menounos is an American television presenter. She has hosted Extra and E! News; she was a TV correspondent for Today, Access Hollywood, and co-hosted the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 in Athens, Greece. She also co-created and is currently CEO of online podcast series network AfterBuzz TV. She is currently signed to WWE where she has served as an ambassador since 2013, having even competed in some tag team events as a pro since 2009. She hosted the podcast Conversations with Maria Menounos. She also co-hosted Miss Universe 2023 pageant on November 18, 2023.
Lilián Annette Garcia is an American ring announcer, singer, and podcaster. Best known for her time in WWE, she is currently announcing for the Professional Fighters League (PFL).
"I Believe I Can Fly" is a song written, produced, and performed by American singer R. Kelly from the soundtrack to the 1996 film Space Jam. It was originally released on November 26, 1996, and was later included on Kelly's 1998 album R. In early 1997, "I Believe I Can Fly" reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100. It also reached the number-one spot of the Billboard R&B Singles Chart and remained there for six non-consecutive weeks. Internationally, "I Believe I Can Fly" topped the charts in eight countries, including Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
Jennifer Yvette Holliday is an American actress and singer. She started her career on Broadway in musicals such as Dreamgirls (1981–83), Your Arms Too Short to Box with God (1980–1981) and later became a successful recording artist. She is best known for her debut single, the Dreamgirls number and rhythm-and-blues/pop hit, "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going", for which she won a Grammy in 1983. She also won a 1982 Tony Award for Dreamgirls.
Mark A. Jackson is an American former professional basketball player who was a point guard in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the St. John's Red Storm and was selected by the New York Knicks in the first round of the 1987 NBA draft with the 18th overall pick. He played in the NBA for the Knicks, Los Angeles Clippers, Indiana Pacers, Denver Nuggets, Toronto Raptors, Utah Jazz, and Houston Rockets in a career spanning from 1987 to 2004.
WWE Wreckless Intent is a compilation album released by WWE on May 23, 2006. The album is the sequel to the previously released WWF Forceable Entry, and like its predecessor it featured rock and metal artists performing versions of the wrestlers' entrance themes. A noted change with this album compared to the Forceable Entry album is the incorporation of rap and hip-hop artists doing versions of entrance themes as well as providing additional original tracks. This also marks as one of the last WWE albums being released by Columbia Records.
Albertina Walker was an American gospel singer, songwriter, actress, and humanitarian.
Alicia Warrington is an American drummer and professional wrestling ring announcer. She has played drums for Kate Nash, Kelly Osbourne, Lillix, Hannah Montana, Uh Huh Her, Gore Gore Girls, Dawn Robinson, The All-Girl Boys Choir, The Dollyrots, The Bruises, Tracy Chapman, Selena Gomez, Colton Dixon, Chris Rene and others.
Mama, I Want to Sing! is a 2012 musical drama film written and directed by Charles Randolph-Wright, an adaptation of the 1983 off-Broadway gospel stage musical of the same name written and produced by Vy Higginsen and Ken Wydro. It was the final film produced by Fox Faith prior to its dissolving.
Deborah Ruth Lurie is an American composer, arranger, and music producer from Boston, Massachusetts. She has scored several films such as Sleepover (2004), An Unfinished Life, Mozart and the Whale,, Sydney White (2007), Dear John (2010), One for the Money (2012), Safe Haven (2013), and Poms (2019). She has been a string arranger for musicians such as Brandi Carlile, Kelly Clarkson, Allison Iraheta, Adam Lambert, and Katy Perry. Lurie has also been a string arranger for several rock bands such as 3 Doors Down, Bon Jovi, Creed, Halestorm, Papa Roach, Simple Plan, The All-American Rejects, and Three Days Grace, though her best known collaborations have been with Hoobastank and Theory of a Deadman.
Mama I Want To Sing! is a 1983 musical based on the life and times of African-American singer Doris Troy.
Victoria Loren Kelly is an American singer-songwriter. She first gained recognition after posting videos on YouTube as a teenager, and made it through to Hollywood week on the ninth season of American Idol in 2010. Thereafter, she independently released her self-produced debut EP in 2012, Handmade Songs.
Vy Higginsen is an American theater producer, playwright, former disc jockey, and radio and television personality. She is the founder and executive director of the Mama Foundation for the Arts, and the co-writer of the 1983 musical Mama, I Want to Sing!, the longest running black off-Broadway musical in American history.
Samantha Johnson, is an American professional wrestling ring announcer and musician. As of May 2024, she is the ring announcer for the Raw brand of the professional wrestling promotion WWE under the ring name Samantha Irvin.
