So I was supposed to give you a Chess in Concert review and a [title of show] review, but I've been mesmerized lately with all the Iran protests. As a result, first review up by tomorrow morning will be of the film Persepolis.
With all the crazy-ass stuff going on in Iran, now would be a good time to re-watch Perseoplis, Marjane Satrapi's animated memories of growing up under the Shah and the 1979 Iranian Revolution. Or if you have yet to see this excellent movie, do yourself a favor and get a hold of a copy. Or the graphic novel on which it is based. Satrapi has reportedly denounced the election results as a fraud.
And since you can't stand side by side with the protesters, get yourself a green Twitter avatar to show your support here.
I was originally planning on posting full reviews today of Chess in Concert (CD & DVD) and the new cast recording of Hair. Looks like things are changing a bit.
I've been listening to Chess now for the past hour and still am bored out of my mind. Early thoughts: Idina Menzel is no Elaine Paige. Adam Pascal has ruined his voice. Josh Groban is giving a good effort with a strong "Anthem." The live mixing and producing isn't as high a quality as other live shows. And this disc has done nothing to change my opinion on the show itself: Chess is still a failure; still a product of its creators and their time. I'm gonna stop listening now and spend the rest of my afternoon/evening enjoying other recordings. I'll tune into the broadcast of the "live" show tonight on PBS and just supply a brief capsule review of the DVD/CD package. Sorry guys, I don't get paid to write here. And I have a pretty strong feeling that most of my readers will understand my case.
As for my upcoming Hair review, well I decided to hold off on it until June 23, the day the hard copy is available in stores, for my official review. The recording is available via downloads right now - and believe me, it's fantastic. However, no matter how enthusiastic I may feel about the recording, I feel I should wait for the entire package - jewel case, booklet, etc. - to dish out a full fledged reccomendation. The quality of the tracks themselves is superb, but the tracks of Spring Awakening were too and as anyone who owns that album can attest, the overall packaging was dissapointing at best (of all things there was no plot synopsis. Really?!?!?). So to be fair, I'll gestate over my digital copy in the mean time. It'll allow me to write more in depth too.
If I get around to it tonight, expect a Chess review and if not, I'll post it tomorrow with a second review that is long overdue - the [title of show] original cast recording.
Now in the meantime, take a look around at the rest of the theatre blogosphere to catch some pretty interesting thoughts. Here's the callboard...
Steve on Broadway (SOB): While Steve has been taking it easy, he still finds time to post blogs and fill us in on his recent trip to Chicago and tell us the effect a certain pointillisitc painting had on him.
There’s not much else to say that hasn’t been said about West Side Story and this revival. Therefore this will be a short review. We are all aware of the exceptional Leonard Bernstein score (perhaps the greatest score ever); we are all aware of the influential Jerome Robbins choreography; we are all aware of Karen Olivo’s fantastic performance as Anita. And of course we are all aware of the show's inherent flaws: a couple of low key performances that can’t measure up to their respective costars; and namely Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Spanish foiling of Stephen Sondheim’s wondrous lyrics.
To start, yes, the score is still phenomenal more than 50 years after its debut. Back in the ‘50s it was considered too "dissonant" and "complex" for the mainstream. In retrospect, those who spoke too soon look foolish. There is no denying the sheer beauty of the ballads like “Tonight” and “Maria” and the absolutely influential sounds of “Cool” and “America.” When was the last time you were able to listen to an album all the way through and be able to recognize every single track as a standard? And with the large orchestra accompanying the mostly successful cast, the songs really do sound as equally good as they do on the film soundtrack.
Speaking of quality sounds, Matt Cavenaugh is the best sounding Tony ever committed to disc. It’s a privilege to hear Bernstein’s music for Tony sung by a strong vocalist who can do it justice. Josefina Scaglione is fine as Maria, if not completely powerful in voice at least sweet. Cody Green’s Riff and Curtis Holbrook’s Action do solid work, with Holbrook creating a memorable presence for his minor role.
However one must single out Karen Olivo. The role of Anita has always been a coveted role for actresses of all races, and two of the most influential Latina actresses of all time made their marks performing in the original Broadway cast (Chita Rivera) and the Oscar winning film (Rita Moreno). Here Olivo gives a standout performance among the whole cast. She attacks her songs with confidence and with the sense of an actress. She is also given the opportunity to be the first Anita to be able to incorporate Spanish into her performance, allowing her to distance herself acting wise from Rivera and Moreno. Olivo claims in various interviews and news articles that she embraced that opportunity and was able to be liberated from sticking to the standard interpretation. By doing so, she has laid out a career path for her that is set to take off and go places. Her first major exposure as Vanessa in 2008’s Tony winner for Best Musical, In the Heights, landed her this role. Her own performance and hard work in this revival of West Side Story has paved the way for her to continue the legacy of influential Latina actresses and their connection to Anita. It gives me great joy and pride to predict great things for Karen Olivo in the future. May her career continue to blossom and flourish.
Olivo thanks her good friend Lin-Manuel Miranda for her breakout in In the Heights. It’s no small coincidence that Miranda was commissioned to adapt Spanish-language lyrics to Sondheim’s originals. Fellow blogger Chris writes much more eloquently and intelligently on this subject than I could hope to do so. So please refer to his review of the cast album for reference, particularly in the Spanish translations. I agree for the most part with the naysayers about the unnecessary gimmick. But the execution seems to trump the concept. While it’s kinda cool to hear a different sound, one definitely yearns for Sondheim’s remarkable lyrics in “A Boy Like That/I Have a Love.” Thankfully, the English language tracks of this song and “I Feel Pretty” are available via iTunes and a special edition disc available only at Barnes and Noble. Unfortunately, you do have to buy the entire album on iTunes and the whole B&N disc to obtain the recordings along with some extra bonus tracks. Kinda silly, but if you’re a WSS fanboy and lover, it's worth the (i.e. my) effort and money (this is where a playlist becomes handy for substitutions for key tracks).
Still, this is West Side Story. And a new recording can only do so much wrong. The essential quality of the material is still present and the strong vocal abilities of Karen Olivo and Matt Cavenaugh are jovial. Is this the definitive recording of the show? Maybe not. But neither is the movie soundtrack or the original Broadway cast recording. And the only reason the revival recording isn’t as essential of a disc as the previous two (which were important to bringing new sounds to both film and stage) has to do more with the familiarity of the material than with the disc itself. However, I can say without reservations that the revival recording will perhaps be the most played out of all of them in my life.
I seem to have written more than originally planned for West Side Story. I adore the show and it remains close to my heart as a highly influential landmark to my life. Perhaps I’d forgotten in recent years how much the show actually means to me. This revival has rekindled that love. And for that, I am grateful. Hopefully, I can make it out to New York to catch the show live before it closes. It will be at the top of my list.
Certainly Not Ordinary People, Definitely Not Normal
A couple of years ago when I was listening to the drek that is High Fidelity, my thoughts prematurely wrote off composer Tom Kitt as a talented writer with no sense of musicality and character. What should have been an excellent rock score for a would-be rock musical came off as amateurish with no direction and no sense for the (bad) book and elementary-grade lyrics (“climb the chart… to your heart” *gag*). Fast forward 3 years and what has emerged from Mr. Kitt is a developed composer of grade-A quality work (and a Tony to show for it) and, more importantly, an entertaining rock score that can finally give my Spring Awakening cast recording a much needed break.
next to normal is a gem of a show.In a season where there were flying ballerina boys, a green ogre, a mash-up of ‘80s power ballads, and a group of annoying kids, next to normal gives us a family who is struggling to stick together in the face of sickness and grief.The show is electrifying and shocking, two things that are sorely missing from this year’s Tony Award winner for Best Musical IMHO.
The music is fantastic for the most part.I will admit, on my first listening, I was not impressed.The songs seemed derivative of a Jason Robert Brown score trying to be Jonathan Larson with a bit of Duncan Sheik thrown in for coolness factor.While I was immediately drawn into the story, I was a bit baffled by the score and its connection to the themes.The songs seemed blatantly unsubtle (“Superboy and the Invisible Girl”) and forced into a rock sound that didn’t seem to fit thematically for me (“Just Another Day”).However after learning of the show’s strong critical reception and reading a trusted blogger’s second opinion of the production, I decided to give the show a second listen.And I’m happy that I did.Now the album is in constant rotation in my car stereo and on my computer.The songs that seemed at first obviously symbolic now just seem simple and pure.The songs that seemed a bit “too rock” for the material, now come off as angry and confused – apt adjectives for a show about mental illness and family angst.
**spoiler**
The strongest part of the album is the middle of disc one starting with the revelatory “He’s Not Here.”After showing up to dinner with a birthday cake for her son Gabe (Aaron Tveit), Diana’s (Alice Ripley) husband Dan (J. Robert Spencer) has to painfully let her know that she is suffering from hallucinations.Their son Gabe has been dead for over a decade.**spoiler end**This escalates into the stirring and riveting “You Don’t Know/I Am the One” segment that was performed on the Tony Awards.These two songs are so well written; it must be a joy for actors to be able to play a song as though it were scripted dialogue by Arthur Miller.Kudos to Kitt’s music and Brian Yorkey’s lyrics for capturing not only the intensity of the moment, but the pain and power dynamics of the life these characters live.It’s like the dishwasher scene in Rachel Getting Married or the dog chasing scene in No Country for Old Men in that it captures the essence and tone of the whole show in a brief 5 minutes that resonates strongly.
The fact that daughter Natalie (Jennifer Damiano) is not present in the previous segment is a beautiful choice on behalf of the creators.The next number segues into Natalie’s situation brilliantly.“Superboy and the Invisible Girl” manifests out of an unaccepted apology to Natalie from her mother.Jennifer Damiano soars here and takes her moment and seizes it.Always overshadowed by her brother, Natalie laments over her non-existent relationship with her mom.It’s an important song and all the more poignant for Gabe’s ending taunts.
Then we are given the opportunity to get the perspective of Gabe in “I’m Alive” – a deliciously melodic, almost folksy/Blues Travelers-esque song that bounces with energy and spirit.Aaron Tveit’s sweet tenor sounds fantastic throughout the score, especially here.
What wasn't looked over on my first listen of the show (and what was extremely apparent) was the strong performances of the entire cast, particularly J. Robert Spencer and Alice Ripley.Spencer anchors the show with an incredibly rich emotional core.His voice is superb and emotionally textured.His last song with Aaron Tveit is heartbreaking.Alice Ripley deservedly won her Tony for Best Leading Actress in a Musical (despite her crazy in-character acceptance speech).next to normal offers her the part of a lifetime.And she takes it by the horns and runs with it.What could have come off as hysterical and manic, her vocal performance is powerful and rich.I’ve never been a big fan of her (at least to me) strained high notes and seemingly forced vibrato, but what was a dislike for me years before is a strong suit for this show and role.She sounds marvelous, actually, and I’ve developed a new respect for her belt.
Bravo to Adam Chanler-Berat for his superb Henry, Natalie’s would-be boyfriend.In the hands of a lesser performer, Henry could have easily been a throw away character; however, Adam’s Henry is ever present throughout the score where the story does not center on him, but couldn’t have existed without his ever-present persona.This is in part due to Kitt and Yorkey’s work, but elevated by Adam’s humorous, strong, and ultimately sympathetic performance.
I do wish there was more dialogue on the disc.The first act is pretty well represented, but when things go a bit crazy (hee hee) in the second half, the story and situations become a bit vague.Some of the songs I just plain don’t like (“I Miss the Mountains”), and the opening number “Just Another Day” still seems jarring and forced for the introduction of the material.Minor complaints about a mostly terrific listen.
I now consider myself an avid supporter of this show.I hope it does well, but feel nonetheless that it will have a life beyond Broadway.I can’t wait for the opportunity to perform the piece in the possible future in community and regional productions.What a treat to be able to sing not only melodic and fun tunes, but richly textured and emotional material.
Playbill.com has posted an article reflecting back on the cast albums of the 2008-09 theatrical season. After reading it, I've concluded that while the season may have been a bit blah for new musicals, it was still a pretty good year for cast albums. And while not every new show was of my personal liking (13, Shrek), there was one show that I fell in love with and one more that I am currently falling in love with more and more.
Now this past year was a little cough*crazy-hard-ridiculous*cough rough financially, so my New York trip didn't manifest itself, thus I missed most of the new shows (all but one to be more precise) live. Sad. Very sad. And being from Texas, It's not quite as effective for me to try and win $25 lottery tickets to some productions. As a result, I've returned to cast albums and television performances once again (which I must admit brought back a certain nostalgic mystery to discovery again) as my window to Broadway. So my judgments on the productions of the Broadway musicals of the past season are based solely on cast albums (with a little help/influence from Wikipedia, theaterwebsites, publications, forums, bloggersIadorewithallmyheart, and a couple of illegal bootlegs - I in no way condone this practice, but they just happened to fall into my lap... and alcohol impairs your judgment, so I've heard).
No Spark, No Electricity
First up - Billy Elliot, the Musical. My quips: where's the Broadway cast recording? Ugh. What we are left with is the original cast recording from London that, for my money at least, is a dud. I've had the recording in my library for a couple of years now and even upon initial listening, the album was lame.
While the story is strong and heartwarming (see the excellent movie from which this musical is based), as a stage show I was never swept up. Perhaps it's Elton John's lukewarm and workmanship-like quality score - it gets the job done minus, pardon the musical pun, the 'electricity'. Or maybe it's the so-so performances of the cast members that fail to ignite a spark for me (although I must confess to liking the London Billy, Liam Mower, over Kiril Kulish). And Haydyn Gwynne is fine as Billy's dance teacher.
However, I think my main problem with the cast album is its inability to portray the heart of the show - the dance. That's not the cast album's fault; it's a fundamental thing. Cast recordings are made to preserve a show to the best of a compact disc's abilities. We're not talking DVD here (although I think Broadway creators/producers need to start looking into that medium's untapped potential more). But even with that said, from videos that I have seen of the show, while the actual choreography and dancing are great, my opinion of the production and staging is that they are overblown and weird. And the acting from Kiril Kulish, not to mention his singing voice, leave a lot to be desired. From what I've heard and read, David Alvarez seems to be fairing well as the most well-balanced Billy. And a former cast mate/friend of mine (and Broadway performer) Andy Richardson tells me that his friend Trent Kowalik is giving a wonderful performance (based on his Tony Awards performance, I can say he's a spirited young performer indeed).
In the end, I'm not an avid fan of the show. Maybe if I saw it live I would be inclined to think otherwise. But what the cast album has yet to do, is intrigue me enough to want to see it live. And from what I've seen of the recent production, I'm not biting. ** (out of ****)
Actor and sometimes director/writer. This blog is dedicated solely to my thoughts on the wonderful world of live theater. If you wish to read my take on film, head to "And That's a Wrap," [http://j.mp/ThatsaWrap] syndicated at TheMoviePool.com [http://j.mp/TMPBlog].
So I was supposed to give you a Chess in Concert review and a [title of show] review, but I've been mesmerized lately with all the Iran protests. As a result, first review up by tomorrow morning will be of the film Persepolis.
Posts
