Next Time Try Something Besides Show Tunes

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart is always good for a smile and the 10/28/2009 show was no exception. Toward the beginning of the program, Stewart examined how “liberal protesters sing show tunes to pressure Harry Reid into putting the public option back into health care reform.” The segment includes a few clips from the actual protest where the protesters use music from Annie with their own lyrics to disrupt a health insurance convention…

Stewart goes on to poke fun at the event with his own protest rendition of The Trolley Song (funny stuff) but it got me thinking about the potential impact if protesters opted for something besides show tunes. Sure, show tunes are catchy but if you really want to shake them to the core with some poignant (and pointed) selections, perhaps Kindertotenlieder is the way to go. Or if you take the opera route, how about a serenade to death panels with something from The Dialogues of the Carmelites?

What do you think would work?

Here’s a clip of the segment (the singing starts around 1:12):