5 comments about Damn Yankees: An Original Soundtrack Recording (1958 Film).

1. This is not a product review but an Amazon service review. I ordered this and received the wrong cd. I followed all the instructions, sent it back and asked for a replacement. I never got it, nor did I get a credit. I have since ordered and received the cd from Barnes and Noble and it's a fun recording - almost the same cast as the broadway show.



2. DAMN YANKEES! is a fun show. Not one of the very best ever written - the plot s full of holes - but still a great deal of fun on stage and on screen.
   
   Gwen Verdon and Ray Walston re-create their Broadway performances here with zest and polish. Less effective is Tab Hunter replacing Stephen Douglas as the star ball-player. He simply can't sing teh score well enough and two of his solo songs are dropped. This shifts teh musical burden to the supporting cast, but robs the central love-story of much of its development. The movie makes changes to the lyrics and adds a new ballad "There's Something about an empty Chair" that is even more dreary than the song it replaces.
   
   Sound quality is not great. The album was orinally announced for release in both stero and mono formats but only the mono Lp was ever actually issued. This Cd marks the first release of the stereo tapes and although an improvement, it still suffers from that flat boxed-in sound of Warner Bros.
   
   Best to stick with the original Broadway cast disc.



3. The film soundtrack to DAMN YANKEES is similar but certainly quite inferior to the peerless 1955 original Broadway cast album. The Warner Bros. film brought the entire original cast to reprise their roles (with the exception of Stephen Douglass who was replaced by Tab Hunter, who provided the marquee-value for the box office). Gwen Verdon's performance of Lola is perhaps even better here than on the 1955 OBC; she belts the role a little better and on the whole her singing is stronger here. Shannon Bolin gets a new song "There's Something About an Empty Chair" which isn't really memorable. Rae Allen once again knocks `em dead with "Shoeless Joe from Hannibal, MO", and Ray Walston's performance of Mr Applegate is priceless. Tab Hunter is only average in his singing as the younger Joe Hardy. The remastering of this album is quite fine; there is some scratch and surface-hiss, but nothing too-obtrusive.
   
   Very nice for the price.



4. This is absolutely one of my favorite CD's in the entire world. First, let's talk about the differences between it and the Broadway CD. The Broadway recording contains two absolutely lovely songs, "A Man Doesn't Know" and "Near To You", and also the hilarious "The Game." These three were cut from the movie and replaced by "There's Something About An Empty Chair" (The only Damn Yankees song I cannot stand... it's just not fun nor pretty...). Otherwise, with a few changes in the length and phrasing of "A Little Brains, A Little Talent", "Whatever Lola Wants", and "Who's Got The Pain"... it's no different than the Broadway CD. However, I LIKE this CD more than the Broadway CD. I don't know why... the background music just sounds better to me over all, and Gwen Verdon actually SOUNDS like herself. Don't get me wrong, I own the Broadway CD also and I LOVE IT, but if you're debating, this is definitely the way to go (unless one of the cut songs is your favorite). After all, there's nothing like hearing the phrases "Hallo Joe!" and "ERP!" now is there? :o)



5. This CD is an exact replica of the 1958 LP. My only regret is the fact that they should have re-issued the original tracks with the underscoring and full dance orchestrations. As it stands, this is a very enjoyable listening experience with "A Little Brains, A Little Talent" (Verdon) being the show's standout number.

2 comments about A Little Night Music (1989 Studio Cast Recording).

1. This is nice to have for a completist of SJS material. The Overture is great, as are the full Night Waltzes. Maria Friedman is interresting but not really defintive as Petra, the maid.
   
   The rest of the cast seem miscast or unfamiliar with the plot ond tone of the show. One gets used to them though. Noone is really horrid, although I find myself skipping Liaisons, one of my favourite songs of the show.
   
   Get this if you find a copy at a reasonable prize. Get the Original Broadway Cast Recording, the Original London Cast Recording or the RNT Cast recording before you buy this one.



2. This is the most complete recording of Sondheim's brilliant ALNM score (I own this same recording on a different lable, Jay).

   First, my quibbles: There is a lack of dialogue in the tracks ti "In Praise of Women," "Night Waltz II," and "Remember?" that I find neccesary to the plot. And an appendix of bonus tracks of unused material and film music would have been a major bouns.

   Now, on to the good things: Maria Friedman pulls over the song "The Miller's Son" with great élan! The first-ever recording of the complete vocal overture! The added instrumental music in the final "Send in the Clowns" reprise is wonderful. And, probably the best of all, "Night Waltz II" was included. (YEAH!)

   This recording is not to be missed.

4 comments about Rodgers & Hammerstein: Songbook for Orchestra (Orchestral Suites).

1. From beginning to end this CD is pure delight. A great recording has great music, a great performance, and great sound; this one scores on all three counts.
   
   Rodgers and Hammerstein's musicals dominated Broadway in the 1940s and 1950s, and American musical theater has produced no more consistently eloquent and durable voice than Richard Rodgers. From his fertile genius flowed a surprising number of memorable songs, many of which have passed into and become an accepted and beloved part of modern American culture.
   
   This well-filled CD (77:36) features symphonic arrangements (all but two by Robert Russell Bennett) of the music from Oklahoma (1943), Carousel (1945), State Fair (1945), South Pacific (1949), The King and I (1951), Flower Drum Song (1958), and The Sound of Music (1959). All the great tunes are here in suites from each musical that average 10-12 minutes in length. The arrangements are expert: rich, varied, and colorful. The performances are polished, idiomatic, and irresistible; Kunzel and this orchestra are thorough masters of this kind of material. And Telarc's sound (recorded 1991) is state-of-the-art (engineer Michael Bishop deserves to take a bow).
   
   In short, there's nothing here to cloud your listening pleasure (the only quibble I can imagine is that some of your favorites may not last long enough), so it's hard for me to envision anyone with ears and a taste for music who wouldn't enjoy this CD. Warmly recommended. Finally, if you like this one as much as I do, you might want to know that the same team has produced a companion volume, the Lerner & Lowe Songbook for Orchestra.



2. Erich Kunzel's Rodgers and Hammerstein anthology with the Cincinatti Pops Orchestra is one of the best and most ravishing instrumental Rodgers and Hammerstein albums of all time. With sumptuous arrangements and warm, natural Telarc recording, this glorious 77-minute CD presents sweeping, melodic arrangements of over 60 Rodgers and Hammerstein selections, spanning eight scores, and Kunzel allows the Pops to play with a characterful and polished understanding of the Rodgers and Hammerstein idiom. The disc is enough to cheer you up on a dull day and make you smile, and it might even want to make you feel like a convert to Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals.

   This CD has all the scores arranged chronologically. The OKLAHOMA! suite that opens this disc promises a feast for the senses, Kunzel ably evokes the territory's "bright, golden haze" in the way he conducts the various excerpts, until you feel the atmosphere of the country charm of the show, and the love-affair between Curly and Laurey. Then, in CAROUSEL, he ably evokes the pathos of this tragic R&H masterwork, especially in the truncated Waltz, but he leads a wonderfully melodic "June is Bustin' Out All Over" and a devotional "You'll Never Walk Alone." Although this suite does not include Billy's pivotal Soliloquy, it includes "If I Loved You" as an expression of his love for Julie, and within minutes you could be soaked in the ups and downs of the show's mood.

   After a brief STATE FAIR suite, with sweeping renditions of "It Might As Well Be Spring" and "It's a Grand Night for Singing", we are brought into the disc's showstopping highlights. These highlights are the excerpts from SOUTH PACIFIC, THE KING AND I, and THE SOUND OF MUSIC. But yet Kunzel conducts the rest of the disc until the various suites amount to a series of showstoppers. These three suites present wonderfully-arranged versions of their many familiar classic songs, with well-played solos. The SOUTH PACIFIC suite presents the songs in chronological order, yet preserves the atmosphere of the show at the same time. Kunzel ably brings out the romance in "Some Enchanted Evening" and "Younger than Springtime," and contrasts it with the exotic and dreamlike "Bali Hai'i" and the comic "There is Nothing like a Dame" and "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair". Although the suite ends quietly with a reprise of "Dites-Moi" rather than the reprise of "Some Enchanted Evening," within minutes we are swept into the KING AND I suite. Kunzel ably brings out the Oriental pathos in this score, and he captures the warmth of Anna's rapport with the King's Siamese children in "Getting to Know You", and with the King himself in "Shall We Dance." There is also romance in the love ballads "I Have Dreamed" and "We Kiss in a Shadow." Similarly, in the selection from THE SOUND OF MUSIC, Kunzel conducts this until the orchestra soaks itself in the atmosphere of this Austrian R&H score. This SOUND OF MUSIC suite has more of a feel of the score compared to the bonus track on Sony's reissued version of the Broadway recording. You can almost feel as if you are following the progress of the Trapp family and how it lifts its spirits with the joy of music. Kunzel gives us a soaring version of the title song, and spirited versions of "Do-Re-Mi" and "My Favourite Things." He balances it with the open-air quality of "Edelweiss" and "The Lonely Goatherd." Although this suite could have included "Something Good," the love ballad written for the film, the three recollections of the songs that were cut from the movie only last for a while. And, the towering version of "Climb Every Mountain" crowns this portion of the disc, and this sumptuously-produced recording. But, I should also mention the infectuous FLOWER DRUM SONG medley, where Kunzel turns this underrated score into a work of art, until it convinces you to buy the cast recording. And, don't forget about the brief CINDERELLA WALTZ, too, when Kunzel conducts it magically, until you feel like you are in the company of Cinderella and the Prince. He is able to show how this R&H score marked a comeback for R&H after the failiures of Me and Juliet, and Pipe Dream.

   Overall, this glorious Rodgers and Hammerstein recording is guarunteed to make you want to pucker your lips out for a whistle or sing along (to paraphrase another revew for Kunzel's Disney Spectacular disc) - even if this recording is music only, and as long as you know the words to the songs (and you might know a large handful of them already.) There is always a certain magic in this fine CD that makes you feel like you're sitting in the theatre watching these musicals, until it makes you feel like it is truly, to borrow two R&H song titles, "Some Enchanted Evening" and "Something Wonderful" to be in Kunzel's company for this R&H offering. It would certainly be one recording that could make you feel willing to buy the complete cast recordings of the shows. And I guaruntee that it will make you feel willing to pull out your existing copies of the cast recordings to listen to them again. I also guaruntee that it will be a cornerstone in any Rodgers and Hammerstein collection, just as it is in mine. Recommended heartily to any Rodgers and Hammerstein enthusiast and to fans of Erich Kunzel's work. And, you can play it while reading the Richard Rodgers biography, Musical Stages, until Rodgers himself would count this as his favourite disc in the afterlife.

   By the way, most of the arrangements for the suites on this CD were done by the veteran R&H orchestrator Robert Russell Bennett, and it surely adds to the appeal of this recording. This itself is enough to amount to the icing on the cake, since Kunzel conducts them well on here, and since this recording still allows the suites to have the original theatrical atmosphere. And, although this recording is like the Mauceri collection of the Rodgers & Hammerstein overtures in compiling orchestral suites of Rodgers & Hammerstein, I think that I like the Kunzel recording even more because Kunzel has more magic in his conducting of these suites.




3. This is one of the best Erich Kunzel/Cincinnati Pops collections we own! A must for Rodgers and Hammerstein fans, too.



4. This is a first rate album with great arrangments and orchestrations. If you're a Rodgers and Hammerstein fan, you can't afford to miss this specatacular album

5 comments about Do You Miss New York?.

1. Recorded in 1992, when she was in her mid-sixties, this is an album Rosemary Clooney fans will love. Her voice is much deeper than it was when she was younger, and there is sometimes a little quaver in the voice when she holds a note, but she more than compensates for these changes through her delivery and her diction, giving real meaning to the words of songs that are, by now, familiar. Choosing to "narrate" her songs, she also avoids the need to hold long notes, and since virtually all the songs here are swing songs, and not ballads, she can allow the finger-popping rhythm and tempo to dominate.
   
   Several of the songs pay homage to early stars-"Gee, Baby, Ain't I Good to You," is a Nat King Cole song, as is "Route 66." "As Long as I Live," is Lena Horne's, and "May I Come In" is Blossom Dearie's. But here, they all belong to Rosie and her very talented band. Though Rosie begins each number, she yields to long solos by her musicians on virtually every track: Bucky Pizzarelli on guitar, David Finck on bass, Warren Vache on a soaring cornet, Scott Hamilton on tenor sax, and John Oddo on piano. The brushwork of Joe Cocuzzo on drums is a significant feature on nearly every track.
   
   On "Route 66" Rosie cedes the limelight for almost the entire song, with sax and cornet alternating solos and then echoing each other, before the other musicians take their turns and Rosie "mops up." "It's Only a Paper Moon," introduces John Pizzarelli, Bucky's son, who duets with Rosie, a fascinating listening experience, since his timbre is so close to her own in the low range that it's sometimes hard to tell which one is singing. "I Get Along Without You Very Well" is a favorite, as Rosie has a dialogue with the cornet of Warren Vache. A sax solo by Scott Hamilton is another special feature of this song.
   
   "We'll Be Together Again" is my favorite, with a lovely piano introduction by John Oddo, and a slow ballad tempo for Rosie at the outset. The pace picks up with a soaring cornet solo, soon joined by other instruments, as Rosie and her band compliment each other and give new meaning to the words. A consummate professional who knows when to shine and when to yield, Rosie has created a terrific album which is a whole-group effort. Mary Whipple



2. I do. This is a great CD. At first, I was slightly disappointed that I didn't recognize too many of the songs. But I have learned to love them all. It is a shame that she didn't the get airplay she so richly deserved on these later recordings. This CD is well arranged, majestically styled, and sung with the phrasing and emotion that only Rosemary could do!



3. This may be my favorite of Rosemary's Concord discs. It moves me more than a lot of the others, although if Rosie is singing, it's never a disappointment. From arrangements to song selection to song sequencing, for me there are no missteps in this CD. If you're a Clooney fan, this is a must-have.



4. Listen to any of these songs, say the title track. Notice how well Rosemary handles the demands of the lyric, which tells a wry story, and keeps the music flowing. We know she can sing; what this album of mostly slow and medium-tempo songs demonstrates is that she can phrase, too. Really well.

   And the music is superb from the backup group, which includes Bucky Pizzarelli on guitar and John Oddo (who also did the instrumental arranging) on piano. These treatments are relaxed and lightly jazzy; sometimes it is just the singer and one or two instruments, but even when all (six!) instruments join in, the songs keep a sound as intimate as from the front table of a small club. This is music for Manhattan, not Las Vegas.




5. New York has always been magical for Rosie, so it's no surprise that this album's title is - "DO YOU MISS NEW YORK?", the West-Coast can talk about their film business, but if you make it in New York, every other place in the world accepts you.

   Singing with maturity and a lifetime of experience with talented musicians backing her up - John Oddo (piano), Scott Hamilton (sax), Warren Vache' (cornet), Bucky Pizzarelli (guitar), David Finck (bass), Joe Cocuzzo (drums) her 17th album for Concord - has certainly enriched her singing.

   A few highlights - "AS LONG AS I LIVE" a Harold Arlen tune, with a note from the composer about the "girl singer" interpretation of his compositions read "you're exquisite", and we fully agree with that statement..."A BEAUTIFUL FRIENDSHIP" and "I WISH YOU LOVE" with guitar accompaniment, sung simply and tenderly..."IT'S ONLY A PAPER MOON" with the up-coming John Pizzarelli in a duet with Rosie, great guitar also by John..."I AIN'T GOT NOTHIN' BUT THE BLUES" this Duke Ellington classic, sung with plenty of heart and a real-low-down arrangement, and Rosie in top form.

   Concord Jazz and Rosie have become a permanent part of our lives, this album makes it all so clear, we will never get enough of America's original music - "Jazz" and our special "girl singer" - Rosemary Clooney!

   Total Time: 51:45 on 11 Tracks...Concord Jazz CCD-4537...(1993)

5 comments about Disney's Beauty And The Beast: The Broadway Musical - Original Broadway Cast Recording (Blisterpack).

1. We saw this show on Broadway in 1994 and even my then nine year old son loved the music. There are nine songs here that were not in the animated Disney movie. David Ogden Stiers (Winchester from MASH, Cogsworth in the animated movie) narrates the prologue and his voice is extremely sensuous! The cast works perfectly together and the magic comes through in the music. I am a little surprised that The Transformation (Home reprise) didn't become more popular as a wedding song:
   "We are home
   We are where we shall be forever
   Trust in me
   For you know I wont run away
   From today
   This is all that I need
   And all that I need to say is...
   Don't you know how you've changed me
   Strange how I fin'lly see
   I found home
   You're my home
   Stay with me"



2. It's a nice album with some beautiful songs, ideal for kids and young girls. If you've seen the movie or the show, you'll make it one of your favourite. The sound is flawless, so be sure your're getting a technically perfect recording



3. Thank you for the Beauty and the Beast (Broadway original cast) CD. Although I ordered it a few days before Christmas, the CD arrived on Christmas Eve. Thank you for making it a special Gift for my daughter.



4. I didn't get the part. Shoot. Oh, well, the CD has been a blast to listen too.



5. I bought this so that my daughter would have the music to practice with when she was cast in "Beauty and the Beast". There are additional songs that aren't in the Disney movie version and this helped her to put in extra practice. Actually, one of her favorite songs from the production was one that was in the play that wasn't in the movie. She still listens to this CD, even though the play was over with months ago.

No comments about The Capitol Years.

5 comments about Showtunes.

1. It had been a while since I'd purchased or heard any new Stephin Merrit and was totally unaware of Showtunes existence until a week or so ago. The price was right so I gave it a shot and am happy to say that Mr. Merrit's well has not run dry. Melody and humor still reign in Merrit's world and we're all the richer for it.



2. Stephin Merrit is easily one of the busiest men in music. His style is distinct and diverse at the same time, lending itself to a variety of different projects. Showtunes is such a different project.
   
   The namesake has to do with the numerous plays Merritt has composed music for. This package is the best of those recordings, which are available seperately, at least from certain online retailers. However, this is probably your best bet. Merritt (and many fans, based on some of the unfavorable reviewers) realize that some songs don't sound great out of context. And since these are from musicals, that's to be expected. However, for the most part, these tracks are fantastic - their catchy, witty, and very tuneful. Not hearing Merritt sing on them may be an acquired taste for some, as Merritt's drull baritone suits his songs well. That they aren't sung by him make them no less his. One of the wittiest lyrics has to be "The little Hebrew girl heard her mother's dying wish: 'don't become a Christian, just be Jewish.' Lyrics like this are abound in a very diverse, mixed bag of goodies.
   
   Chen Shi-Zheng directed the plays represented here, and all fall into the tradition of Chinese theatre. Consequently, many of the recordings are tinged by some of that sound. It's amazing how Merritt so easily allows this to fit into his sound.
   
   For those who don't think this is signature Merrit, however, check out Shall We Sing a Duet and its reprise. Tell me that couldn't have fit well on 69 Love Songs.



3. I know that the reviewer right before me gave this 1 star and called it "the worst drivel he'd ever heard". Before you allow this to sway you, look at his other reviews. This is a guy who's favorite band seems to be Chicago. Also, it would appear that he has purchased more than one box set of the TV show "Frasier".
   Take a negative review by this guy as a sign that the "Showtunes" album might well be excellent.
   Stephen Merritt might be a little too adventurous for someone who's brain has been turned to pudding by the blandness of Chicago and Blood, Sweat & Tears.



4. This album exemplifies the relentless self-absorption and boredom of performance art. I would never voluntarily buy anything else produced by this man. It is artless, stupid and monotonic.
   
   Did I forget to mention self-pitying and annoying?
   
   If you want to ruin your day, buy this CD and listen to it first thing in the morning.



5. Stephin Merritt has created another imaginative work with "Showtunes" in his 26-track CD. I've listened to it several times on my commute to and from work, and I'm not quite sure why one of the reviewers object to his absent voice. His other musical enterprises - 6ths, Future Bible Heroes, Magnetic Fields - don't always have him front-and-center. What he brings to us with "Showtunes" is more of his clever lyrics and catchy tunes.
   
   One track is especially remarkable - "Hail, Son of Heaven". It sounds to me like the Iraq War Anthem. You could read a bit of political intrigue into "Showtunes" lyrics, but hey, why bother? Just enjoy the opera excerpts and the liner notes.
   
   Why did I rate it with only four stars rather than a full five? His capolavoro, "69 Love Songs" (the three-disc set), has everything I want in a funny, clever, and touching entertainment package and gets the full five stars in my book.

1 comments about Michael Feinstein Sings the Hugh Martin Songbook.

1. I love Michael Feinstein. I saw him last winter. I've been a fan since his very early days. I like this album a lot because it has a few songs I'm unfamiliar with and others that are interprited by their composer who should have a pretty fair idea how he wanted them to go. He was also a pretty fine performer in his youth, having his own vocal group, The Martins. But this album is for the hard core Michael Feinstein fans, like myself. Those of you that like him for his singing and musical discoveries might want to stick to albums like Isn't it Romantic, The MGM Album, Remember, The 2 CD anthology and one of my absolute favorites Pure Imagination. None of that is to say that this is not a very good album, but one for his most ardent fans.

5 comments about Marie Christine (1999 Broadway Cast).

1. I have always been a huge fan of Audra McDonald so I found this soundtrack. It's got an incredible cast of amazing voices. The music is not musical-theatre-style at all. It is very dark, very brooding, very emotional. It is georgous though. I am very glad I have this album.
   I would reccomend reading a synopsis while you're listening to this. I got the soundtrack off itunes and don't have any synopsis so I was very confused as to what was happening, but if you know the story, it's phenominal music!



2. Boy! Heather Headley must have been unbelievably wonderful in AIDA, in view of the fact that she received the 2000 Tony and Drama Desk Awards instead of Audra McDonald who IS absolutely incredible as MARIE CHRISTINE. Did the fact that Ms. McDonald had already received three Tonys, a Theatre World Award, and a Drama Desk Award have any bearing on the voting? Or that AIDIA ran for 1852 performances, 1810 more than MARIE CHRISTINE's forty-two? Ms. McDonald received her fourth Tony & her second Drama Desk Award in 2004 for A RAISIN IN THE SUN and is in contention again this year for the revival of 110 IN THE SHADE. Another interesting tidbit: Ms. Headley and Ms. McDonald appeared respectively as Lorrell Robinson and Deena Jones in the September 24, 2001 benefit performance of DREAMGIRLS, available on the Nonesuch label.
   
   With MARIE CHRISTINE, Michael John LaChiusa firmly establishes himself at the forefront of the "serious" composers for the American Musical Theater. Upon LaChiusa's acceptance of a residency with the Lyric Opera of Chicago in 2004, USOperaWeb Managing Editor Robert Wilder Blue wrote, "We don't imagine that musical theater composer Michael John LaChiusa woke up one morning in the later years of the 1990s and made a decision to be more controversial.
   
   "Nonetheless, he set Broadway astir . . . with MARIE CHRISTINE and THE WILD PARTY, musicals whose subject matters (the Medea story and sexual escapades in the 1920s, respectively) were found to be unsuitable for that Disney-esque landscape, and whose music didn't set audiences to whistling upon leaving the theater. Worse yet, those works didn't conform to many critics' and theatergoers' preset ideas of categorization: were they musicals or were they operas? Finally, how were they to be judged? Were they the work of a genius or a hack? Critics and audiences have not been so divided in their impressions and opinions since Stephen Sondheim's COMPANY hit the stage in 1970."
   
   David Finkle wrote (in "The TheaterMania Guide to Musical Theater Recordings"), "LaChiusa has a gift for ravishing melody but cuts corners by not bothering to develop the themes and motifs into rounded songs. Seemingly allergic to the thirty-two-bar ditty, he prefers to construct his scores as if they're ever-evolving fragments of music. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it can strike the listener as continual 'songus interruptus.'"
   
   It works for me, and works incredibly well. Finkle further states, "LaChiusa's great fortune is in having Audra McDonald apply her gorgeous mezzo-soprano to his concoctions." He is also fortunate in having Anthony Crivello playing the part of Dante Keyes, Mary Testa as the Entertainer, and an outstanding cast of singers. Equally fortunate is having Jonathan Tunick supply the exciting orchestrations.
   
   Opera or Broadway musical? Do we really have to make that distinction? All I can tell you is that MARIE CHRISTINE is the most exciting piece of music I have heard in a long, long time.
   
   One of my fondest memories is seeing the great Dame Judith Anderson as MEDEA back in the mid-60s. I think she would be very pleased with Mr. LaChiusa's musical and especially with Audra McDonald's ravishing performance.
   
   NOT TO BE MISSED!



3. I'll be brief by saying that I disagree with most of the posted reviews that claim LaChiusa's music to be cold or unncessarilly complicated. After speaking with Marc Kudisch (from LaChiusa's "Wild Party")after a performance of "See What I Wanna See"--an equally moving and stimulating piece--he recommended that I listen to LaChiusa's works multiple times to appreciate their subtle genius. I've listened to the recording of Marie Christine well over 50 times and am still discovering subtle patterns and recurring melodies that provide moving links to the characters' respective emotional journeys and memories at the time. More importantly, however, LaChiusa is unafraid to tackle dark subject matter and present it in an honest and raw way--seemingly unchained by the expected commercial value recquired of most Broadway shows today. Because of this, he is able to tap into some of the most primal of human emotions through his music, which is likewise butressed by the fantastic Audra and supporting cast. Perhaps its the actor/musician in me that finds this piece intriguing, but I believe that anyone who is willing to listen to this ablum without any pre-conceived notions about what it is or should be, can benefit from not only the beauty and insight of the music, but also the thoughtful presentation of the raw elements of the human experience that are, in some ways, universal to all of us. In other words, I highly recommmend this CD as one of LaChiusa's exemplary works.



4. Let me place my view of this piece in context -- I have just come off an extensive study of Gershwin's Porgy & Bess, a show that, sadly, was viewed -- and presented -- as a Broadway vehicle until the Houston Opera restored its full operatic score in 1976. I HATED P&B as Broadway vehicle/movie, but find it interpretation as an opera breathtaking.
   
   I say all that to say that from the first time I heard Marie Christine I could not - for the life of me -- figure out what the *&(& it was doing on Broadway. Kudos for the reviewer who noted Medea isn't a sympathetic figure -- she isn't by B'way terms.
   
   However, she fits comfortably into the world of opera - a place filled with unsympathetic leads.
   
   I'd like to see MC staged by an opera company. Not "sold" as a B'way musical. Look at MC compared to Hairspray, Spamalot, even Guettel's Light... then place it in context with La Traviata, Aida, Carmen...



5. The "Beautiful" motif fits this show well... the music is beautiful. And arrogant. And lonely- Except for Audra's sake, I can't see how anyone went to see this.
   
   My biggest complaint with with music is that LaChiusa refuses to allow his melodies to develop fully, which is unfortunate, because he's written some of the most beautiful music to come to New York since Adam Guettel's Floyd Collins, or even Sondhiem's Passion. In too many songs, he allows the song to build much too quickly; "Tell Me" for example, moves in suddenly, which, while striking, fails to fully develop the rage Marie Christine feels. Also, it seems LaChiusa feels that no chord, or even rhythm can be anything less than confusing. There doesn't need to be three melodies within the chord at the end of "Finale", nor does he need to follow the one truly melodic song in the entire show, "I Will Love You", with a jarring and, frankly painful, chord that seemed to assault my ears. This certainly doesn't help the hummable factor.
   
   On another note, Audra McDonald is astoudning. She owns every note of LaChiusa's amazingly complex score. Her presence fills up the air from the moment you hear her voice. Anyone else in this role would have resulted in a complete wreck of a musical\"chamber opera". The rest, with the possible exceptions of Mary Testa and Darius DeHaas, are adequate and have their moments.
   
   Ultimately, LaChiusa's music leaves a powerful impression; For all it's faults, I can't stop listening to several songs from Marie Christine: "Tell Me," "Your Name," "Paradise is Burning Down," "Prison in a Prison," and of course, "Beautiful" all enter my mind and won't let go, much like Marie herself.

5 comments about La Révolution Française.

1. the cast recording of "la revolution francaise" is a beautiful cd packed with wonderful melodies (and maybe even words- i wouldn't know it's all sung in FRENCH) and a spectacular story of love at war. but if you know and love the schonberg of lesmiz, miss saigon and martin guerre ( three brilliant and everlastin masterpieces) you STILL have to come very open-hearted towards this piece of music and theatre. this show is MUCH MORE ROCK songs than you'd expect a s&b musical (based on the three we know by far). it much more like the original french recording of lesmis in that way. another important thing is that not all the music (nor lyrics ) was written by schonberg (and in that case -boublil too) there were another pair of compositor & lyricsist for the show (but unlike many unsucssesful shows that fell BECAUSE of this problem of multiple creators ( see LA CAVA and others) this one flows beautifuly!
   the show was a huge sucsess in its original run in paris- and i think it was for a very good reason.

   so, while expecting the new S&B (still in writing process) "a passage to india"- YOU CAN ENJOY THIS CHARMING CD!!!

   BTW- schonberg's voice can be heard on this cd as king loui




2. This album brings the French Revolution alive for my French students! Each day I supplemented our regular lesson about the events of the revolution and the reign of terror with a song or two from the album. By the end of the unit, students were asking me where they could buy it. I was pleased to be able to tell them that they don't have to go to France for it...they just have to go to Amazon.com!



3. I bought this album as a fan of Boublil and Schonberg and also as a student of French Revolutionary History. On both accounts I was impressed. It has a very 'dirty' sound, especially when compared to the refinement of Les Miserables - however, this is not to say that the music is not also beautiful and appropriate.

   Marie Antoinette's "Au Petit Matin" on the morning of her execution is touching in it's lullaby-esque style, while also having some of the raw emotion as in "Her or Me" in Miss Saigon. Likewise, the beautiful "Revolution" is a testament to the power of love in the most adverse of circumstances (being the Revolutionary Terror). The passionate ending of the two lovers re-united (there is, of course a love story - anyone suprised?) is tempered by the uncertainty of their fate. It can be assumed that they chose to die together, in their own form of revolution against the government.

   On the history angle, there is an almost cynical representation of the revolution. The revolutionary priest Tallyrand is portrayed as a Gospell priest, and sings of the 'Civil Constitution of the Clergy' with a swung beat. And Napoleon's mistress (Madame sans-Gene) puts the 'Lovely Ladies' in Les Miserables to shame in her gutsy rendition of "C'est du beau linge, mon General"

   I definitely recommend purchasing this product, and the French Concept recording of Les Miserables, if only to observe the evolution from dirty rock musical, to the passion and intricacies in Martin Guerre. A must have for Boublil-Schonberg fans! Also, it's great to hear Claude-Michel Schonberg as Louis XVI.

   By the way - it's all in French. I don't speak French, but you pick up alot of the language along the way anyway. I would seriously give anything to see this in production again...




4. All right, when I first received this album as a gift, I was a little wary of the concept. It screamed Scarlet Pimpernel, and Les Mis, and I was a little tired of hearing about Madame Guillotine. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the style of the music and how it was handled. Take Wildhorn's musical, The Civil War, set it during the French Revolution, and you pretty much have La Revolution Francaise. The musical style is the epitome of French music, expressing a certain joie de vivre even in some of the most depressing songs. A wonderful cast with fresh talent pulls this album together, however I think that the cast is a major deciding factor if a musical like this works. Keep that in mind if you see a performance live or plan to. If you're a die-hard Les Mis/Scarlet Pimpernel fan, get it but be warned it's not the 24601/Into the Fire gig. If you don't like Les Mis or Scarlet Pimpernel, get it and gain a whole new perspective on the French Revolution. Celui qui vous excite.



5. This album is the first os les miserables, miss saigon and more