An impactful late-night performance. A surprise Broadway get-together. A magical new album. That's what's coming in today's very musical Mac Weekly Highlight! I'm Claire, welcoming you back to your curated destination for all things Music, Arts & Culture. I hope everyone had a wonderful and safe weekend. Here in New England, people have been heading to the pumpkin patches and enjoying the last bits of fresh, autumn air before the winter snap sets in (up north, anyways). The first full week of October brought us some great content from the world of Music, Arts, and Culture, but three musical moments stood out to me the most; let's get to it!
Music
Boys and Girls, Jaden Smith
This past Tuesday, Jaden Smith appeared as the musical guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live. Boys and Girls is the final track from Smith's new album entitled Cool Tape Volume 3, and it's more than just a song; it's a statement. Touching on politics, climate change, social justice, and love, it urges young people to get involved and spread their light. In his performance of the song on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Jaden wore a white ensemble with the rainbow-colored word "vote" printed repeatedly and sang in front of a video backdrop with footage of marching activists and protesters. The performance was beautiful and left a lasting impact. Check out the video below to see the performance or and/or stream the song on your favorite music-streaming platform. I will be adding the song to my Mac Weekly Highlights Playlist on Spotify as well.
Theatre & Music
Pop-Up Performance of Sunday from Sunday in the Park with George
Theatre-lovers all over the world have felt the closure of Broadway due to the COVID-19 Pandemic heavily. Since the spring there have been many creative and collaborative virtual Broadway events, but on Wednesday we were brought the treat of a live Broadway performance in Times Square (with many precautions taken). Arranged by NYC Next, co-directed by Tom Kitt and Michael McElroy, and co-produced by Blake Ross, a group of Broadway performers gathered on the steps of TKTS to sing, adorned with face shields. They performed a stunning rendition of Sunday from Sunday in the Park with George with big smiles and shining faces. As an active performer myself who hasn't been able to sing with others since March, hearing a group of voices in harmony brought tears to my eyes and gave me goosebumps. This performance reminds us of the magic that Broadway brings. A video of the full performance can be found on NYC Next's Instagram.
Photo Courtesy of Joseph Marzullo/Media Punch via Playbill
Music
Highlands, Various Composers
This beautiful album was released at the end of September, but I just discovered it this past week. It contains 10 tracks of magical, cinematic music with a Celtic sound, each written by a different composer. Celtic music has always been soothing to me and this album didn't disappoint; I listened to it in reverie. Highlands is part of the "Scoring Pictures" catalogue of Universal Production Music and it can be listened to on the Universal Production Music website.
Photo Courtesy of Universal Production Music
Thank you for tuning in to read today's Mac Weekly Highlight. I hope you enjoyed all of the musical features! If you liked the article, please give it a heart and a share. This blog is my passion project and I am constantly trying to grow it! You can subscribe to Mac Claire via our website and also find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest for updates. This coming Thursday night, I am going to be bringing you a special feature all about pumpkins! Why and when did we start carving and painting them? How have pumpkin decorating trends changed over the years? What does your pumpkin style say about you? It's sure to be a Halloween treat and I look forward to seeing you then!
~Claire
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