panto song suggestions - help PLEASE!!!

[lovecat]

Hi guys,

I have foolishly volunteered to direct our drama group's panto this year - we're doing the Snow Queen. The writer has put in a shedload of songs, some of which work, some of which are a bit.... well, dull and miserable. The lyrics beautifully reflect the onstage drama, but they are not going to hold the attention of our target audience.

I have made a few substitutions that work, but am having a mental block with two of them - could you possibly offer some suggestions?

The first one is 'The World is Stone' - Cyndi Lauper - the Snow Queen sings it at the end of Act 1 when she has revealed her plan to turn the world to ice. Now, whilst it's lyrically appropriate, it's going to make the small children cry and the bigger ones leave during the interval and never come back...

The second is 'Within You' - by David Bowie, from Labryinth. Again, lyrically spot on - this is to be sung by the ice fairy that has fallen in love with Kay, the boy with splinters in his heart - but omg I've youtubed it and it is a DIRGE!

So, something about the world freezing over and something about unrequited love - I'm not averse to writing new lyrics for an old tune, but it has to be something relatively fitting to the action, iyswim.

If anyone can help I'll be eternally grateful (and you'll get a mention in the programme!)

[Chutzpah]

Foreigner, Cold as Ice, with a lyric rewrite
"I want it cold as ice" etc etc
Bon Jovi, If I can't have your love, it's a power ballad rather than a dirge!

[Chutzpah]

Or The Chiffons, One fine day. It's upbeat but you can fiddle with the tempo!

[Blu]

Can you up-tempo them like mad? IMO most songs benefit from a bit more oomph than in the original when done in pantos etc.

I once worked on a version of Blood Brothers which everuyone said was much more gripping and enjoyable than the W end version - all down to the musical director taking everything 50% faster than written.

[Chutzpah]

or Shayne Ward, Melt the snow, with a slight lyric tweak

[lovecat]

Ooh, thanks guys, that's great!

The writer is being v. precious about his masterpiece, we have compromised on the second song, I suggested Madonna, Open Your Heart, he has come back with Evanescence, Bring me to Life, I said if he can rewrite the lyrics sufficiently then fine as I've kind of lost the will to live on this one....

I agree re. tempo - for the first one I suggested a punked-up version of Let it Snow, which I could see working quite well, precious writer person was v. sniffy... but I do like the Foreigner suggestion and may be able to swing that one past him! - will investigate the Shane Ward one, haven't heard of it.

Thanks again