Defying Gravity (song)
"Defying Gravity" is the signature song from the musical ''Wicked'', composed by Stephen Schwartz, originally recorded by Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth on November 10, 2003, and released on December 16, 2003. It is mostly a solo sung by the main character of the show, Elphaba (the Wicked Witch of the West), with two small duets at the beginning and in the middle of the song between Elphaba and her friend Glinda, and a chorus part at the end in which the citizens of Oz sing. Development The song was composed by Stephen Schwartz, and first performed in October 2003. Context and sequence In ''Wicked'', the song is the finale for the show's first act, when Elphaba discovers that The Wizard of Oz is not the heroic figure she had originally believed him to be. Realizing this, and despite Glinda's attempts to dissuade her, Elphaba vows to do everything in her power to fight the Wizard and his sinister plans against the Animals of Oz. She sings of how she wants to live withou ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Idina Menzel
Idina Kim Menzel ( ; ; born May 30, 1971) is an American actress and singer. Particularly known for her work in musicals on the Broadway stage and having achieved mainstream success across stage, film and music, Menzel has garnered the honorific title "Queen of Broadway" for her achievements. Her accolades include an American Music Award, a Billboard Music Award and a Tony Award, as well as nominations for three Drama League Awards and four Drama Desk Awards. In 2019, she was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her contributions to live theatre. Menzel rose to prominence as a stage actress in 1996, making her Broadway debut playing Maureen Johnson in the rock musical ''Rent,'' which earned her a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. After appearing in several smaller-scale stage and Off-Broadway productions, in 2003 Menzel originated the role of Elphaba in the Broadway musical ''Wicked'', for which she won the Tony Award for Best Actres ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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STS-131
STS-131 ( ISS assembly flight 19A) was a NASA Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station (ISS). launched on 5 April 2010 at 6:21 am from LC-39A, and landed at 9:08 am on 20 April 2010 on runway 33 at the Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility. The mission marked the longest flight for Space Shuttle ''Discovery''. The primary payload was a Multi-Purpose Logistics Module loaded with supplies and equipment for the International Space Station. The mission also removed and replaced an ammonia tank assembly outside the station on the S1 truss. STS-131 furthermore carried several on-board payloads; this mission had the most payloads since STS-107. It is also the last shuttle mission with a crew of 7. Crew Mission payload Multi-Purpose Logistics Module ''Leonardo'' The primary payload of STS-131 was the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM) ''Leonardo''. The MPLM was filled with food and science supplies for the International Space Station (ISS) ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Take Me Or Leave Me
"Take Me or Leave Me" is a song from the musical ''Rent'', written by American composer Jonathan Larson. In the original 1996 Broadway production, the song was performed by Idina Menzel as Maureen and Fredi Walker as Joanne. Film version In the 2005 film adaptation, "Take Me or Leave Me" is performed by Menzel, reprising her role as Maureen, and Tracie Thoms as Joanne, since Walker-Browne was considered too old for the role. Remixes of the song were released on April 11, 2006. Track listings Charts Performances and covers Menzel has performed the song on a few concerts and tours, including the Barefoot at the Symphony Tour, Idina Menzel: Live at Radio City, Idina Menzel: World Tour, as a duet with randomly-chosen audience members. She also performed the song at the end of a curtain call for ''If/Then'' in 2014. The song has been covered numerous times, with ''The Atlantic'' calling it a "modern musical theatre staple". Darren Criss and Aaron Tveit covered the song on a ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Glen Ballard
Basil Glen Ballard Jr. (born May 1, 1953) is an American songwriter, lyricist, and record producer. He is best known for co-writing and producing Alanis Morissette's 1995 album ''Jagged Little Pill'', which won Grammy Awards for Grammy Award for Best Rock Album, Best Rock Album and Grammy Award for Album of the Year, Album of the Year, and was ranked by ''Rolling Stone'' as one of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. He is also well known for his collaborations with composer Alan Silvestri. He was involved in the recording and writing of Michael Jackson's albums ''Thriller (album), Thriller'', ''Bad (album), Bad'' and ''Dangerous (Michael Jackson album), Dangerous''. As a writer, he co-wrote songs including "Man in the Mirror" (1987) and "Hand in My Pocket" (1995). He is the founder of Java Records. He won the 48th Grammy Awards, 2006 Grammy Award for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media for "Be ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Warner Bros
Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. Founded in 1923 by four brothers, Harry, Albert, Sam, and Jack Warner, the company established itself as a leader in the American film industry before diversifying into animation, television, and video games and is one of the "Big Five" major American film studios, as well as a member of the Motion Picture Association (MPA). The company is known for its film studio division the Warner Bros. Pictures Group, which includes Warner Bros. Pictures, New Line Cinema, the Warner Animation Group, Castle Rock Entertainment, and DC Studios. Among its other assets, stands the television production company Warner Bros. Television Studios. Bugs Bunny, a cartoon character created by Tex Avery, Ben Hardaway, Chuck Jones, Bob Givens and ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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I Stand (album)
''I Stand'' is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Idina Menzel and was released on January 29, 2008. The album was produced by Glen Ballard, who co-wrote most of the songs with Menzel. Promotion Singles and EPs The first single, a dance pop version of '' Defying Gravity'', was released in March 2007, even though the track was only included on the UK and iTunes editions of the album. An EP, also titled ''Defying Gravity'', was released two months later, featuring five different remixes of the track. Another version, featuring five DJ versions, was also released. The song '' Brave'' was released as the second single in November 2007. The single ''Gorgeous'' was released in December 2007, alongside an EP featuring five remixes of the song. Each remix was edited down for the EP but could be purchased full-length as a single. Three additional remixes of the song were released on a new EP in January 2008, again also all available in longer, single forms. Also, in August ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Amber Riley
Amber Patrice Riley (born February 15, 1986), sometimes known mononymously as RILEY, is an American actress and singer. She is best known for her portrayal of Mercedes Jones on the Fox comedy-drama series ''Glee'' (2009–2015). For her performance on the series, she and the rest of the cast won a Screen Actors Guild Award, and have been nominated for three Teen Choice Awards, three NAACP Image Awards, and a Grammy Award. In 2016, Riley originated the lead role of Effie White in the West End debut of ''Dreamgirls''. She won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical and Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Musical Performance in 2017 for her work. Riley won season 17 of ''Dancing with the Stars'' in 2013. In 2017, Riley appeared as a judge on BBC One musical theatre talent show '' Let It Shine'' and formed a musical theatre supergroup with Beverley Knight and Cassidy Janson, known collectively as Leading Ladies and signed to East West Records/Warner. Her deb ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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100 (Glee)
"100" is the twelfth episode of the Glee (season 5), fifth season of the American musical television series ''Glee (TV series), Glee'', and the special 100 episodes, one-hundredth episode of the show. Written by series co-creators Ryan Murphy (writer), Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan (writer), Ian Brennan, and directed by Paris Barclay, it aired on Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox in the United States on March 18, 2014. This is a two-part episode, with the second part airing on March 25, 2014, and features the apparent end of New Directions after the club is shut down by principal Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch). Many graduates of the glee club return, as do special guest stars Kristin Chenoweth as April Rhodes and Gwyneth Paltrow as Holly Holliday. Plot Rachel Berry (Lea Michele), Kurt Hummel (Chris Colfer), Santana Lopez (Naya Rivera), Mercedes Jones (Amber Riley), Quinn Fabray (Dianna Agron), Puck (Glee), Noah "Puck" Puckerman (Mark Salling), Brittany S. Pierce (Heather Morris ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Countertenor
A countertenor (also contra tenor) is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range is equivalent to that of the female contralto or mezzo-soprano voice types, generally extending from around G3 to D5 or E5, although a sopranist (a specific kind of countertenor) may match the soprano's range of around C4 to C6.A sopranist is a term used to describe a countertenor whose vocal range is so high it is equivalent to that of a soprano; however, this term is widely used falsely. Countertenors often are baritones or tenors at core, but only on rare occasions do they use their lower vocal range, instead preferring their falsetto or high head voice. The nature of the countertenor voice has radically changed throughout musical history, from a modal voice, to a modal and falsetto voice, to the primarily falsetto voice which is denoted by the term today. This is partly because of changes in human physiology and partly because of fluctuations in pitch. The term first came into ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Chris Colfer
Christopher Paul Colfer (born May 27, 1990) is an American actor, singer, and author. He gained international recognition for his portrayal of Kurt Hummel on the television musical ''Glee'' (2009–2015). Colfer's portrayal of Kurt received critical praise for which he has been the recipient of several awards, including Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Miniseries or Television Film at the 2011 Golden Globe Awards, and three consecutive People's Choice Awards for Favorite Comedic TV Actor in 2013, 2014, and 2015. In April 2011, Colfer was named one of the Time 100, ''Time'''s list of the 100 most influential people in the world. Colfer wrote, starred in, produced, and novelized his first film, ''Struck by Lightning'', which debuted at the 2012 Tribeca Film Festival. He also wrote ''The New York Times'' bestselling ''The Land of Stories'' series of YA books, starting with '' The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell''. , he has published eighteen books. Early life and education ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Lea Michele
Lea Michele Sarfati (; born August 29, 1986) is an American actress, singer, songwriter, and author. She began her career as a child actress on Broadway (theatre), Broadway, appearing in productions of ''Les Misérables (musical), Les Misérables'' (1995–1996), ''Ragtime (musical), Ragtime'' (1997–1999), ''Fiddler on the Roof'' (2004–2005), and ''Spring Awakening (musical), Spring Awakening'' (2006–2008). Michele came to prominence playing Rachel Berry on the Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox series ''Glee (TV series), Glee'' (2009–2015), for which she received an Emmy Award nomination, two Golden Globe nominations and won four People's Choice Awards, three Teen Choice Awards and a Satellite Awards, Satellite Award. Michele and the rest of the ''Glee'' cast earned a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series from four nominations and three Grammy Award nominations for music recorded for the series, also spawning multiple hits on ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Wheels (Glee)
"Wheels" is the ninth episode of the American television series ''Glee (TV series), Glee''. Written by series co-creator Ryan Murphy (writer), Ryan Murphy and directed by Paris Barclay, the episode premiered on the Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox network on November 11, 2009. "Wheels" sees the glee club hold a bake sale to raise money for a handicap accessible bus, so that club member Artie Abrams, Artie (Kevin McHale (actor), Kevin McHale) can travel with them to Sectional rehearsals, sectionals and Will Schuester, Will (Matthew Morrison) challenges the students to experience life from a different point of view. Quinn Fabray, Quinn (Dianna Agron) struggles with the medical expenses incurred by her pregnancy, and Noah Puckerman, Puck (Mark Salling) renews his offer to support her. Sue Sylvester, Sue (Jane Lynch) accepts a student with Down syndrome (Lauren Potter) onto the cheerleading squad, and Kurt Hummel, Kurt (Chris Colfer) and Rachel Berry, Rachel (Lea Michele) compete for ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |