The Drama Desk Awards were last night. They were entertaining, largely because Laura Benanti was the host and she's hilarious. The highlight for me was Sydney Lucas performing "Ring of Keys" from Fun Home, my favorite musical of the year. This song has stuck with me since I saw the show, and I was thrilled to see it performed again on last night's awards.

I could write a detailed essay on the song "Ring of Keys." It makes me cry it's so wonderful; it's one of the most powerful songs I've ever seen onstage. First of all, the music is gorgeous; I love the melody (and I love the fact that the only accompaniment is a piano). The lyrics really make the song astounding, though, as well as the delivery. Sydney Lucas hits it out of the park with this song. She's ten years old (actually, she might be eleven now, but she was ten when the show opened), and she gives one of the best performances I've ever seen, and this song clearly demonstrates why. She perfectly conveys such a wide range of emotions; she's confused and awed and is trying to process her feelings in this situation. The song beautifully captures a child's perspective, and it's a turning point for the character. Basically the music is absolutely gorgeous, the song propels the story perfectly, and the performance is fantastic.