Dark Monday • Raul Esparza & Lin-Manuel Miranda

When I first discovered this clip, I giggled like a tween girl finding her first One Direction music video. After all, Lin-Manuel Miranda is adorable, and so very talented. He was the man behind 'In The Heights', writing the music and lyrics. And Raul Esparza is my future husband, he just doesn't know it yet. He is talented, gorgeous, and has a wonderful smile. Together, they are just Papi realness, and I can't resist it. They take on "A Boy Like That"/"I Have A Love" from 'West Side Story', the amazing musical with music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

I must say, I wasn't sure how well their voices would sound together, but I was more than pleasantly surprised. I love it, and keep hitting play again and again. This was taped as part of 'Miscast 2014', produced by the Manhattan Class Company, a group founded in 1986. The event allows Broadway performers to take on songs they wanted to sing, but had no chance of ever being cast without it. After watching this, I don't see why Lin-Manuel and Raul are not cast as Anita and Maria!

Dark Monday • Raul Esparza Sings "Simple Joys"

Because I wanted to post something special this week, I went to YouTube and found a clip of my Broadway boyfriend, Raul Esparza, that I had not seen before. It seems 10 years ago, in 2004, Raul appeared at 'Broadway Under the Stars', a free concert in Bryant Park, New York. Before this event started in 2002, Bryant Park was mostly known as the home to many shows during fashion week, including the finals for 'Project Runway'. Raul took part in 2004, singing a song from 'Pippin', the first Broadway show I had ever seen. He performed "Simple Joys", the first act number originally performed by Ben Vereen. That was in the 1972 production of the show composed by the amazing Stephen Schwartz, a fictitious look at the life of Pippin the Hunchback, son of Charlemagne. This is Raul looking all kinds of sexy singing "Simple Life".

The original production also starred John Rubinstein, Jill Clyburgh, Leland Palmer, and Irene Ryan. The show was choreographed by the incredible Bob Fosse, and to this day, I still clearly remember many of the dance moves. After seeing the show, I went out and purchased the Original Broadway Cast album, which I still have today. And now I have this video clip, I can watch as often as I want.

Dark Monday • Taboo

Top: A scene from the Broadway show 'Taboo'. In the center, show creator Boy George. Below left: Raul Esparza as Phillip Sallon. Below right: Euan Morton as Boy George.

A little more than 10 years ago, a new musical was coming together that told the story of the young life of an 1980s superstar, as told by the talented man himself. 'Taboo' told the story of a group of club kids in the early 1980s, from the standpoint of someone who was there. George O'Dowd, know to many as Boy George, the creative genius behind Culture Club, put the show together, writing the music and lyrics, as well as supplying the basics of the story. Boy George rose to popularity on the crest of the New Romantic movement, and for delivering incredibly well-crafted songs. And after hearing the score to the show, I would have to say I think the man still has the talent to deliver the goods. An example of this would be a song sung by Euan Morton, with Liz McCartney, Raul Esparza & the Original Broadway Cast Ensemble. "Stranger In This World" is a beautiful number, sung by the actor playing Boy George. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Well, I couldn't very well talk about the show and not share a song by the genius himself. First up is the song "Everything Taboo", which opens the second act. Club promoter Leigh Bowery is the character who delivers the song, played by Boy George. The song talks about the club scene, and adds a bit of flavor to the proceedings. After that, Euan Morton sings a medley of two of Boy George's hits from Culture Club, "Church of the Poison Mind" and "Karma Chameleon". Morton does an exceptional job treading the line between reminding us of Boy George and stamping his own performance on the song.

Finally, I come to my favorite song from the show. It also just so happens to be performed by one of my favorite actors in the show, Raul Esparza. One of the reasons I love him so much, aside from the dashing good looks, is his ability to have a huge range of characters played, and he does the job without fail. His Phillip Sallon has such a great depth and breath, I feel as though I knew him myself. The song is "Petrified", sung following his character being gay bashed and robbed in London. There is a glorious center to the song, and Esparza never fails to give it life. This is "Petrified",as sung by the amazing Raul Esparza.

Raul also manages to make his voice has so many different sounds, as the tone in his Phillip Sallon sounds very different than his Bobby from 'Company', or from his Riff Raff from 'Rocky Horror Show'. But what it really comes down to is the music, and there are most certainly plenty of riches on that front. This is a song I often listen to before going to sleep at night. And it never gets old. You can purchase the Original Broadway Cast recording of 'Taboo' from both iTunes, where it is available as a digital download, and Amazon, where you can purchase a physical CD.

Time Warp (2001) • Raul Esparza, Daphne Rubin-Vega & Joan Jett

A revival of 'Rocky Horror Show' opened on Broadway in October of 2000, although it is often referred to as the 2001 Revival. The show had an incredible cast, but what really blows me away is this version of "Time Warp", featuring Raul Esparza as Riff Raff, Daphne Rubin-Vega as Magenta, and Joan Jett as Columbia, that really blew me away. And while I do love me some Joan Jett, I must say it is the new spin from Esparza and Rubin-Vega that got the job done. I have no idea how Raul makes his voice do that, but when it does, I am a very happy camper.

It is just one of many songs I have in my collection which constantly remind me of my never-ending crush on the talented Mr. Esparza. I hope one day soon he comes back to his native Wilmington, Delaware, to give a performance of some of his great songs, including this one! I found this clip of the cast of 'Rocky Horror Show' performing on 'The Rosie O'Donnell Show', so please enjoy Raul, Daphne, Joan and the rest of the cast performing 'Time Warp'!

You can purchase the New Broadway Cast Recording of 'Rocky Horror Show' featuring Raul Esparza, Daphne Rubin-Vega and Joan Jett, as well as many other talented artists, from iTunes and Amazon. I say download it, and add it to your Halloween playlist. Later, you can just listen for the fun of it! And Happy Halloween!

Dark Monday • Raul Esparza & Marva Hicks

Bottom row: Marva Hicks, left, and Raul Esparza, right.

In May of 2012, a wonderful collection of music was released, all in support of a great cause. The album consisted of 26 songs, all sung by some of the top performers on Broadway. The songs were written by some of the talented composers currently writing for Broadway, giving the project a very New York feel. The entire project consists of the two CD collection, and a hardback book featuring beautifully illustrated versions of 17 of the songs. The project is raising funds for respected breast cancer charities, The Breast Cancer Research Foundation and Young Survival Coalition. It is a wonderful cause, one well-worth supporting. One of the great songs on the collection features the beautiful voice of Marva Hicks, who sings "Little Sleepy Eyes", The song was music and lyrics by Nona Hendryx, Marva Hicks and Charles Randolph-Wright. Hicks has a beautiful voice, as one might expect from someone who has had hits on the R&B charts, as well as a strong career in New York. There is a wonderful sweetness to the song, a true lullaby. Give a listen to "Little Sleepy Eyes".

On other occasions on this blog, I have expressed my feelings for the handsome and talented Raul Esparza. I find his voice to be incredible, showing both depth and range with a surprising ease. For the project, Raul sings "This Little World", with music and lyrics by Michael Friedman, whose most recent show was the hit 'Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson', a Rock musical about the founding of the Democratic party. I think Raul can sing anything, and this is a great song. I have to admit, Raul sings it to me almost every night before I sleep, and it warms me well. I hope you enjoy Raul singing "This Little World" as much as I do.

He's handsome, and can sing like that, no wonder I've got a crush on that sexy beast! For more about 'Over The Moon: The Broadway Lullaby Project', visit the official website. You can purchase the songs from the online store, iTunes, and Amazon. You can also order the illustrated book on Amazon, both the hardcover book and the Kindle version.

Dark Monday • Raúl Esparza

I decided I wanted a little bit of Sondheim for this post, and started checking out his shows. I opted for 'Company' and was exploring for more inspiration, and then it hit me, like a ton of bricks. How have I managed to go this long and not feature the very talented and sexy Raúl Esparza? I mean, come on. Look at that picture up there! And he was born in my home state, in Wilmington, Delaware! And his voice is really kind of amazing. And he come out in an interview in the New York Times as a bisexual, meaning I stand a chance. Well, I'll come back to that thought later, much later. He has starred in several Broadway shows, both musical and dramatic. In the 2006 Broadway Revival of the Sondheim classic 'Company', Esparza took on the role of Bobby, and did so with élan. Here is a clip of Raúl singing "Being Alive", one of the several iconic songs from the show. He is performing at the 2007 Tony Awards telecast, where he as nominated for a Tony Award, but inexplicably lost out to David Hyde Pierce. Enjoy.

While checking things out, I also came across this performance by Esparza when he was a guest of Seth Rudestky's show. It seems Raúl had sung a particular song written by Stephen Schwartz in some performances he had, even though he had not sung the song as part of the stage musical. Well, it would not be likely that he would be cast as Elphaba, so he would not have the chance to sing "Defying Gravity" from 'Wicked' on Broadway, or any touring company, any time soon. Thankfully, we have this video in place of the cast album.

For more about Raúl Esparza, visit his official website. You can also "like" him on Facebook, and "follow" him on Twitter. And to the best of my knowledge, Esparza has no album of his own, although he can be heard on original Broadway Cast albums, including the wonderful 2006 'Company' Revival release that includes "Being Alive". That Original Cast album is available from iTunes and Amazon.