VoicePlay occupies the top-tier of American A capella groups along with Pentatonix, Home Free and Voctave. The current five members are Eli Jacobson (Tenor), Cesar De La Rosa (Baritone/Tenor 2), Geoff Castellucci (Bass) and Layne Stein (Vocal Percussion). They frequently produce videos, sometimes in costume, with marvelously original arrangements, often created by Layne. The group often includes guest vocalists as they did in this song. Ashley Diane provides the amazing female voice here.
The song If I Were A Rich Man was written by Sheldon Harnick and Jerry Bock for the musical, Fiddler On the Roof which is still my favorite movie of all time. I have seen this movie 19 times in theaters and I-have-no-idea-how-many times at home. No other movie comes anywhere near that record.
The play and the movie are based on the 1949 collection of stories Tevye’s Daughters by Sholem Aleichem, a much less optimistic group of stories than the play or movie but fascinating and highly recommended. Here is a great article describing the stories and the process of turning them into Fiddler on the Roof.
Gwen Stefani’s Rich Girl provided the additional material, though she actually adapted it from Louchie Lou & Michie One’s 1993 song Rich Girl.
First off, if you have not see the movie (!?!?!?!?), you REALLY need to see Topol sing this song.
Reactions
Danielle Marie Sings always has great reactions as a vocal coach and music lover. Her irrepressible good humor and bubbly spirit make spending time with her a joy.
Lieben-Töten Reacts always provides a fun reaction.
I always enjoy What It Do Dave’s expressive reactions.
QoFyReacts always shows us a good time. Great reactions.
Deadgrl Superstar. Yeah, I know… I was initially thrown off by the name and by her ever-changing wild makeup and hair but I have discovered that she is very sweet and I enjoy her reactions.
Original Performances
Zero Mostel was the original Tevye on Broadway. This video is from the 19th Tony Awards on June 13, 1965.
Other VoicePlay Videos
Hoist the Colours from “Pirates of the Caribbean featuring Jose Rosario Jr. Absolutely amazing.
Man in the Mirror. A cover of Michael Jackson’s song. Beautiful.
You’re a Mean One, Mister Grinch featuring Adriana Arellano. So much fun!
Carry On Wayward Son featuring Omar Cardona. Great take on Kansas’ incredible song.
Tennessee Whiskey. Great rendition of Chris Stapleton’s song.
My Mother Told Me featuring Jose Rosario Jr., similar to Hoist the Colours. Fantastic.
The Nightmare Before Christmas songs
This Is Halloween.
Oogie Boogie’s Song.
I love watching music reaction videos. I am not a singer/musician, so I learn a lot about what makes these performers so special, what parts of their performances are difficult and set them apart and I share my enthusiasm for something I love – great music – with other people. Some of my favorite reactors, however, are not vocal coaches, opera singers or other experts – they’re just people like me who enjoy music and share their enjoyment with others.
There are hundreds, if not thousands, of music video reactors. I run across new ones all the time. The reactions I include in my posts are my favorites – both the people and the reactions. I thank them all for adding beauty to my life.