Singing in public -- and we're talking about unsanctioned singing, just, people piping up when they feel the spirit move them -- is usually rather charming. Consider the rousing round of "Happy Birthday" was is likely to hear once, twice, or eight times during a nice meal out or think about people who break out into spontaneous carols come the holidays.
But singing in a proper venue, say, during a concert? It can bring you closer to your fellow concert goers or it can annoy them (if they can't hear the singer on stage). Right? Are we alone on this?
There is one rather grand and wonderful exception: the sing-a-long. The Hollywood Bowl schedules a couple every summer, and it provides people the chance to warble loud 'n proud in the fabled venue without being on the receiving end of the stink eye from those in nearby rows.
Because everyone is singing, or should be. (Hey, it says "sing-a-long" right on your ticket and in the brochure, so, spoiler alert.)
"Grease" is the first of the sing-a-longs. Yep, people will be dressed in poodle skirts and leather jackets for the Saturday, July 13 evening. Yes, there will be the occasional beauty school drop-out with marvelously multi-hued hair. And, for sure someone is going to show in Olivia Newton John's leather, shoulder-less jumpsuit.
If the '70s meet the '50s isn't your thing, hang tight: The '60s meet the late '30s in the September sing-a-long. It's a little film called "The Sound of Music." Perhaps you've heard of it? Of course you have. Who doesn't know every moving lyric to "Climb Ev'ry Mountain"? Now that's a song we'd like to hear some stranger just break into, spontaneously, in public.
