Seth Deconstructs: Lillias White's Don't Rain on My Parade

[@DavidKerley]

I had the good fortune of working with Lillias in the touring company of _The Wiz_ way back in 1979. When the tour started, Lillias understudied Deborah Malone in the role of Dorothy. When Malone left the tour, Lillias stepped in and boy howdy did she ever. Every night I watched her belt "Home" to thunderous applause from an excited audience. She was an unknown then, but quickly proved her acting and singing chops. I have very happily enjoy seeing her progress and achievements throughout the years. *_Brava! Lillias White!_*

[@SethTV]

WHOA!~ I love that you were there!!! We've talked about that tour during out concerts and how a pageant winner (???) was supposed to take over Dorothy but then someone in the cast got Lillias an agent who told the producers that Lillias had saved the show's ass numerous times when she was understudy and needed to take over. Thank you for commenting!

[@themarquis336]

Her sustained vibrato is literally perfect. So brilliant. She deserves every honour.

[@andiehuman]

My career goal is to have seth deconstruct me

[@calebmatthews2026]

RealisticHuman or undress me

[@uggbootgf]

Same!!!

[@Tadzio5050]

The song has a specific tempo that most singers rush through but White expands and contracts leading the train like motion of the tempo. She never rushes and because of that, she benefits from the tension built into the number. It is the best rendition of this song I've ever heard outside of the original production. Just shows what a great singer can do with a great song. Thanks for this and please thank her for her genius. P.S. Streisand's label, Columbia Records wouldn't produce the cast album of Funny Girl. Capitol Records did instead and the album peaked at #2 on Billboard.

[@RLucas3000]

Tadzio5050 Why wouldn’t Columbia produce it?

[@Tadzio5050]

@@RLucas3000 Didn't think there was any money in it.

[@LifeOutsideTheBubble]

Musicals sure do like an ol chuga chuga.

[@lydiascott5808]

"Are they coming here to hear the vocal arrangements or to hear me?" OOOOOH THE SASS I'M LIVING FOR IT. SPILL THAT TEA SIS

[@RLucas3000]

Lydia Scott Young Barb could definitely be a bit of a bitch. There’s an old clip of Judy Garland’s black and white tv show and Barb is kind of being (subtly) bitchy to Judy. I’m surprised Judy wasn’t in tears. And Barb keeps doing it right up until Ethel Merman stands up in the audience and joins them. You will never see Barbra shut up so fast in your life. Because even as ballsy as Barbra was, no body pisses off The Merm!

[@TwistedThunderKittie]

okay but she should have been aware of the harmonies of the arrangements

[@BbGun-lw5vi]

RLucas3000 I have no idea what you’re talking about. Barbra was definitely a diva and could be a bitch. But I’ve seen that show and Barbra wasn’t bitchy at all. If anything she was shy. Show me the moments where she was a bitch to her and almost made her cry. Judy was extremely nervous during that show but it was because she was insecure and nervous about singing the Happy duet with Barbra. In fact she had to tightly grip Barbra’s hand while she sang. It’s sad because although Judy’s vocals were weaker than at her prime, the emotion she put into a song was better than ever. No one made me feel like Judy. And she still had an amazing voice.

[@Melissa-tw2gp]

I’ve been into musical theatre my whole life and I’ve only just recently discovered Lillias White. I can’t believe it. She’s amazing!

[@jonahsahn]

wow.

[@dacostarik]

She is AMAZING!!

[@juliangines6764]

Ever watched Hercules?

[@grandcarriage1]

Agreed

[@broadwaybroad]

You must be young. I was introduced to her when I was 10 and saw Hercules for the first time.

[@JuanitaHarrisMissHarrisinParis]

I never wanted to perform this song until I saw her singing it. I performed it this past weekend and it was fantastic. Lilias, thank you for giving me yet another powerhouse song to my rep!! Amazing!!

[@janedough2492]

Juanita Harris where did you sing your song? I wanna find more places to sing!! I just found a Michael Buble song to add to my powerhouse performance repertoire. For me it’s the somewhat short songs, start slow, build, rise to the main crescendo then end with a whisper. Gets the crowd every time and easy on the voice. I’m not belting all the way thru. And definitely some slower phrasing helps with stamina. And now i want to sing this song also.

[@marquishalsell]

Her voice is just phenomenal that's why i was so glad to hear her voice as the leading singer from the movie Hercules she brought life to what almost coulda been a boring movie for Disney but her along with da otha sistas lit the whole movie up that voice pf her does wonders fr fr

[@persebra]

OOOOOHHHHH! This is my first time hearing of this singer just a 1/2 hour ago hearing the song, then clicking on this deconstruction. I did not know she had done Hercules. I LOVE the Muses. You are right, they really added so much to that movie.

[@alonelytuba]

she adds so much FLAVOR to the song

[@awlovesaw8502]

You are so right...with the normal anxiousness for her singing it. I can't tell you how many times I've been watching it!!

[@maybemablemaples2144]

She ate and left not a crumb. What an amazing and creative rendition.

[@holdyourhats]

Seth's enthusiasm is so infectious!!!!

[@secondaryactons]

Love love love her rendition! I so wish she sang this for Barbra at the Kennedy Center Honors.

[@Britgirl58]

Wouldn't that have been fantastic?

[@LightninRodsAttractMagic]

That was the year Bettye Lavette sang "Love Reign O'er Me" for The WHO. Barbara was sitting next to them. Definitely a performance worth looking up!

[@richelledriver9968]

Dont rain on my parade is a hard ass song to sing lol I love it

[@ccscalpo]

I've been obsessed with this performance since it was originally uploaded to KZbin and I'm SUPER excited to see Seth's deconstruction! My absolute #1 favorite version of this song!

[@tonee30]

Wow. When i discovered this performance a few years ago, I was amazed, but I thought that me and a couple of friends were the only ones that could really hear it. But, Seth has shown that he gets it and probably a lot of other folks do to. Lilias White is an amazing vocalist. Thanks for this.

[@TheBooma]

This👏🏽whole👏🏽thing👏🏽!!!!!!!! I love Lillias’ version of this song soooooooooo much and every word Seth says I echo WHOLEHEARTEDLY!!! Yes yes YES👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽💜💜🎤🎤🎼🎼

[@emilyandreano353]

White's performance of the song had been recommended to me, so I watched it--beyond great. I found this video on the same page and am so glad I opened it. I went to a pretty fancy college, Seth, and majored in Drama. Your deconstruction of the song and the way you used the video was as good as anything I ever got in school. It was also fascinating to understand what a Broadway conductor really does. Your shows during the pandemic were just wonderful. For all of it, thank you.

[@fabianbalkhausen1371]

I did Not know until now How much i actually needed this ! 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻

[@Tonntee]

Immediate fan. I need to hear more from her!

[@wieldwords]

I have no idea why this popped up in my suggestions, because I can’t carry a tune in a bucket and - le gasp/blasphemy - am not a big fan of Ms Streisand, but this is absolutely delightful and legitimately made my day. What a performance and an educational, entertaining deconstruction even for a painfully non-musical person like me. Pardon me while I go watch everything else I can find.

[@wookinooki9023]

i like her acting, the spoken part, her intonation is natural and relevant.

[@Happytravellerkimmy]

Thank you for this! I'm always happy to learn more about music and I cannot believe I didn't know about Lilias White until now. Beautiful!

[@xww6849]

11:04 I've done this before. I was in Grease as the Teen Angel when I was in High School, and I was in the ensemble for about 95% of the show. There's a point in the script, one scene away from Beauty School Dropout, where they give awards to Danny and Cha Cha for their dancing, and the directors told us to cheer after each prize was awarded. I'm pretty sure my cheering annoyed the hell out of everyone else on stage, but it worked!

[@filipsundqvist94]

Wow, she's breathtaking!! And that ending..... just wow.... 😮😍

[@jrmandrial]

Soooooo glad I found this breakdown video. You stopped at every tiny riff and turn that I love. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@MereMusic78]

Seth is keeping my spirits up in quarantine! 🥰

[@donnap3153]

Love!!!!

[@RaymondNYC1]

Truly a legendary performance.

[@barbarabrussell2]

OH SETH!!! I'M OBSESSED WITH YOUR DECONSTRUCTIONS!!!!!! BRILLIANT YOU, BRILLIANT LILLIAS OMG!!! XOXOX

[@thewrightplace5241]

I like how honest he is at the beginning of this video about casting.

[@jaysonmangalino2920]

I love that Dreamgirls clip... almost made me cry!

[@MsEmuNiNi]

Yaaas! I've been waiting for this!

[@wellwouldntyouliketoknow4137]

She gives me goosebumps

[@Bestofthebestforever]

In awe!! Wow!!!!!

[@rinnfey7729]

I love this so much! She is one of a kind!

[@babyshark154]

this video is GOLD

[@funtimeslondon]

I bought the double cd years ago- great to watch Seth deconstructing Lilias' incredible voice

[@tumaini14]

Amazing!!!

[@gardnersgourmetbakery6269]

Seth I love it..... and she was so amazing I can’t take it.

[@ztramsey93]

Seth I just adore you! I hope to work with you one day! Your commentary is amazing.

[@JonathanCurtis]

Funny Girl meets Funny Face! The last image of her at the bottom of the stairs in the red gown looks like Audrey in the iconic photo from Funny Face.

[@SEHmmmmmm]

Absolutely incredible!

[@RichCruse]

Wow, just wow!

[@VesnaVK]

This makes it so super clear how the criticism of Beanie's singing had nothing to do with Beanie not being skinny.

[@folliesfanatic]

Hi Seth, Great deconstruction. Marvin Hamlisch was the assistant vocal arranger per your comment. Buster Davis did the vocal arrangements. Also, I thought the show sounds like Ralph Burns he did do the orchestration. Completing the team was Luther Henderson. Except for Marvin, they all worked together on the No, No, Nanette revival 1971. Loved being with you on the 2014 Tahiti cruise, you were great.

[@SethTV]

AHA! Thank you for telling me! That totally makes sense. He was the rehearsal pianist and then was probably asked to do a few vocal arrangements to help out.

[@SethTV]

OOH! Thank you!!!!!! Of course, Marvin was SO young, it makes sense!

[@ayiboboproductions]

I watch this video once a day

[@mckenna8663]

You didn't think this would be gold? I just read her name and the song title and said, "Absolutely!! Yes, please

[@mlaugh09]

She is brilliant.

[@geoffreyblackmer]

Nothing is better than this and nothing ever will be.

[@writerdirect]

You're very gifted Seth; i was saying to our mutual friend Gibson that all this talent and hook up etc is worth a producership ( new musicals of note )

[@glucoseguardian6033]

Your dead riff is me everyday

[@PedroJardim]

I guess that's the best thing in youtube for me

[@chriseTx]

Love her. Love Seth. Love it. Own it!

[@comeagyn]

If this her audition song she gets every gig

[@writerdirect]

I was there at the original production of HAIR when Melba Moore went in for Ronnie Dyson for the first time; i was 10

[@SethTV]

WHOA!!!!! Must have been amazing!!!

[@writerdirect]

@@SethTV it was; whats also amazing is i finally got you to talk to me; ive been trying to talk shows and projects with you through many mutual friends; but i cant get you to talk to me? kibbitz?

[@writerdirect]

@@SethTV it was amazing; the original production of hair was everything they said hamilton was; but it really was; it was ground breaking; and i got to direct the 1980 off bdwy revival at harry streeps the brook theater a 399 he had in nyc in back of barnes and noble ( harry is merrills brother ); that production and same season before i saw hair for my 10th birthday; arthur kopits indians with stacy keach; gerry ragni later taught me my final lessons as a writer and lyricist; he would write on the linen napkins in the fancy restaurants with a ball pt pen lol

[@phoenixnyc]

So lucky I've gotten to see her live twice. Lilias White is beyond amazing. And this song is one of the two reasons (the other being And I Am Telling You) that I *HATE* the self-indulgent idea that only a faded pop star's songs can tell their story. Yes, Carole, Gloria, Cher, and most especially Bruce, I am looking directly at you.

[@Ms.OliversLife]

“Clunk fest”. Love.

[@lewisedwards4058]

Lillias White is a genius.

[@22bbayface]

honey you mean *HUNKULES*

[@jonahsahn]

which was definitely not Lilias's Muse.

[@anthonyhenrysmith]

loved it!

[@mjjm5511]

Love love love

[@writerdirect]

she both made it her own and she was like streisand; she and donna summer were the only ones so far who hit the marks ; besides Barbara

[@grandcarriage1]

Is there some copy on KZbin of the performance straight through? I need to see it now.

[@rosetaylor-riley7474]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/oJXbn56mrJaZaLM

[@diggerhoward4078]

This is absolutely amazing!!! Is there any chance a place we can watch the entire clip uninterrupted? I love this series so much! Thank you Seth!

[@AvalonMorley]

Check out Actor's Fund/Equity Fights AIDS. They might have it for sale. I think at least a cd set was made available. All proceeds for a very good cause.

[@tenorbelter]

DUNKA!!!

[@MadameCorgi]

2:50 why'd he have to point that out? I can't un notice it now!

[@fiestadoll]

Amaaaaaaaaaaaazing

[@channinghall5505]

I got out of breath just watching this

[@lindsrosey2980]

This is very interesting! Made me laugh too

[@robalexander7939]

Why are the words 'gay and lesbian' not transcripted in the close captioning when mentioning the benefit for the gay and lesbian synagogue? (14:34)

[@O2BAmachine]

Possibly KZbin guidelines. They get weird and think you're potentially being homophobic.

[@fallon2077]

Damn I love my black people we can sang

[@Courtney-gq6so]

❤️

[@islandgirl3656]

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@SJRD18]

Why is Seth so cute? He's SO cute!

[@piecesofme8531]

There *was* a black Fanny Brice on Broadway, who was it???

[@katiekawaii]

Damn.

[@brilliantatbreakfast]

I can't STAND Streisand, but this interpretation is amazing and makes me appreciate this song.

[@phanatxanamane4303]

Funny Dream Girl

[@jamilabrownie]

Slowing it down and making it a folk song and you sounded horrible lol

[@kelseyhymel3990]

Shooketh

[@piecesofme8531]

Lillian doesn’t need Barbara’s permission to do what she needs to a melody.

[@yonkers79]

Oh, Ben Platt listened!

[@josevelez7246]

LILLIAN LAST FEATURE

[@soulsista1223]

My career goal is to NOT have Seth call me a thief when I am inspired by other black singers cause we taught people like him everything he knows about musicality.

[@theoperatripleaxel5417]

I will never get the improvised away people play on musicals hahahaa (I'm a opera singer)... If u get on entry early or play a quarter wrong the opera is OVER baby, the show is O-V-E-R and u are fired hahahaha

[@jonahsahn]

Ok, but the number of times he said "sassy" throughout this entire video is quite annoying. Other than that, I enjoyed this behind the scenes telling of this moment in theater history. Not much of a "deconstruction." Also, folks were applauding before the D because what she was doing at that moment was much more soulful and moving than a single high note. There's a word he could use instead of "sassy" every time: "soulful."

[@faffolite]

Slowing it down an making it a folk song lol

[@MrQbenDanny]

BRAVO!!!!! Seth!!! All the gossip about you is so true, you are so annoying!!! She's not a rehearsal performer, she creates spontaneously onstage. All great artists do. Maria CALLAS did it all the time, the famous conductors followed her.

[@soulsista1223]

Seth. You need to do a video about all the people like you who still hold the rights to black music.

[@LightninRodsAttractMagic]

I cringed every time he called her sassy.

[@tlw1950]

I prefer Barbra.

[@chichi8398]

I think it was kinda boring - I prefer this spin - but I guess it’s a matter of personal opinion

[@tlw1950]

Absolutely. To each his own.

[@TwistedThunderKittie]

VERY pitchy.

[@khamikins]

yur mother is probably pitchy too

[@dontaealex13]

He low key shading the heck out of lillias... to me 🤷🏾‍♂️

[@feeniix6]

I doubt it. He loves her rendition

[@politereminder6284]

No he is not. 👀 He is complimenting her on her choices and boldness in this and other productions.

[@nicksnow914]

chile,,,, huh