Quick Reviews

Just a round-up and review of some of the cast albums I've taken in the past few months:

Annie OBC: Yes, I had never listened to Annie or seen the movie as a child, so I came in to the cast album with a fresh set of ears, and hopefully an opinion unbiased by nostalgia. The beginnings of the cast album are certainly well constructed, with the tuneful and hopeful, "Maybe", "It's A Hard-Knock Life", and "Tomorrow". And Miss Hannigan's solo number "Little Girls" is an appreciated bit of comedy from composer Charles Strouse. The score then tours through several forgettable numbers till we reach intermission. And we get the clever, "You're Never Fully Dressed Without A Smile", and a bit of an 11 o'clock song in "Something Was Missing", but, we also get the unfortunate title number, and a heart-warming finale. Overall, it is a charming, family-friendly cast album that does occasionally rise above mediocre, that contains a worthy message. Grade: B-

Annie Get Your Gun NBC w/Bernadette Peters: The ageless Peters fulfills her star billing with rapturous beauty in the Irving Berlin classic. Her accent is certainly a bit grating, but especially in songs like, "Moonshine Lullaby" and "I Got Lost In His Arms" her purring vocals shine. But, ah listening to Berlin's score is like watching a good baseball team: hit after-hit after-hit after-hit. Though his songs may not rise above the crowd-pleasing, each one is surprisingly well-crafted, for a man who rarely wrote music to match a book. Tom Wopat alongside Peters is good, but not outstanding, maneuvering through an upbeat "My Defenses are Down" with a solid baritone sound and slide. Grab this album even if you know the tunes, or already have Merman's version just for the revisualization and the star-power of Bernadette Peters. Grade: B+

Applause OBC: Applause(another Charles Strouse score) is more comparable to a little league baseball team, a lot more big misses than big hits. The show was a star vehicle for film star Lauren Bacall, and although her voice is simply awful and quite bear-like in moments, she manages to deliver a star performance. Her "Hurry Back" is surprisingly emotional despite being just an awful piece of music, and when she sings, "Welcome to the Theatre", she entrances and delights. But the score is plagued with misfires like "Fasten Your Seatbelts", "One Halloween", "Who's that Girl". Really just destroying most of the score's momentum. But the more romantic and sweet "One of a Kind" and the folksy "Good Friends" won me over, and this one actually ends up being a sentimental favorite of mine. And the semi-rousing title number is a real piece of work, though it feels a bit more tuneful when Mr. Strouse sings it on the bonus tracks. Side
note: A drunk Lauren Bacall is strikingly equivalent to Carol Channing. Grade: C

The Secret Garden Cast Album Review

Music by Lucy Simon

Book and Lyrics by Marsha Norman

The Secret Garden, the musical based on the popular children's novel of the same name, was a moderate success on Broadway. The score is unquestionably lush, if not quite unfocused and sloppy at times.
I was hesitant to start listening to the cast album because of it's origins, but that disappeared as soon as I saw the cast: Mandy Patinkin! Robert Westenberg(the Prince in Into the Woods)! Allison Fraser(In Trousers)!, Rebecca Luker! John Cameron Mitchell! I couldn't remember where I had seen the name John Cameron Mitchell, but then I realized he sang a bonus track on Into the Woods, one of my first cast albums, that I devoured and listened to constantly. And the talent of the cast is thrilling even when the music seems to be muddled.
Lily's Eyes is fantastically emotional, Patinkin is stunning. It is easily the most accessible tune from the score. Hold On is a hidden gem of a female solo, that comes right before the beautiful 11 o'clock number, How Could I Ever Know.
One thing that could have helped the score is more vocal distinction. Often times 6 or 7 different people are singing over each other and it turns into just wasted music. The orchestrations however are exquisite, and really set a beautiful tone for the story. The cast album is somewhat divided between a folksy sound from Fraser and Michell, and an opertic tone from Luker. Also, the ghost chorus is cheesy and delivers some of the worst lyrics. Grade: B+

Below is my song breakdown:
+ I Heard Someone Crying, A Bit Of Earth, Lily's Eyes, Race You To The Top Of The Morning, Hold On, Where In the World, How Could I Ever Know
= It's A Maze, Winter's On the Wing, Storms, The Girl I Mean To Be,Come To My Garden/Lift Me Up, Come Spirit Come Charm
- A Girl In the Valley, Show Me the Key, Wick, There's A Man, 

Review: Hands On A Hardbody Cast Album

Music by Amanda Green and Trey Anastasio
Lyrics by Amanda Green

The creative team behind this unconventional musical was enough to turn my attention to it, but Hands on A Hardbody the musical closed quickly and without much to show for their efforts, the upcoming talent of Amanda Green, still hasn't... came. The recently released cast album does preserve some of the uniqueness and even beauty of the show. Amanda Green(High Fidelity, Bring It On) and Trey Anastasio(Phish?) combine to create some very interesting country/rock tunes. The book is by Doug Wright, who previously wrote the libretto to one of my favorites, Grey Gardens, which like, HOAHB is a documentary. I watched the documentary a few months ago, and enjoyed it immensely. The people portrayed seemed very real, and it kept my attention. Though by the end it drags and the winner was one of the least interesting ones in the film.

Hunter Foster

The songs themselves are mostly forced character ballads and generic showtune fodder. Each character is given a musical identity, and naturally most of them get country songs. But there is some pop and even a gospel number thrown in. The intro was intriguing and distinguished, but its far too obvious that the authors are trying to introduce the characters quickly while still telling a story. So we get lots of emotional, "I Know Where I've Been" type ballads. Standouts include the bordering on showstopping, "Joy of the Lord", the gospel number that proves both a lift to the dismal, emotional nature of the music, and a toe-tapper. Hunter Foster gets the 11 o'clock number, "God Answered My Prayers" which, is somewhat of an emotional climax. "I'm Gone" manages to stray above a stereotypical love duet, and find some melody, and "Stronger"(which I thought at first was very artificial emotion) proves to be one of the more moving numbers.
But, the song that disappointed me the most was the finale, titled wait for it... "Keep Your Hands On It". So cliche, it's unbearable.: "If you love something, just keep your hands on it". Oi.
HOAHB was a valiant musical endeavor, but at the same time a poor choice for a piece of serious musical theatre. Although as a positive, Green has done some fantastic choral work with the cast that uplift some of the meager tunes. B-
Below is my song breakdown:

+ Human Drama Kind Of Thing, Alone With Me, Joy of the Lord,
Stronger, God Answered My Prayers
=If She Don't Sleep, I'm Gone, Hunt With the Big Dogs, It's A Fix, Used to Be
-If I Had This Truck, My Problem Right There, Burn That Bridge, Hands on A Hardbody, Keep Your Hands On It

Review: Once the Musical Cast Album

I was hesitant to approach Once because as an Official Unofficial Theatre Blogger there is a clause in my contract that says- "Thou shalt not enjoy jukebox musicals, or musicals with songs unrelated to the plot." But, I overcame these hesitations and gave Once a try, with mixed results.
Let me start by praising the fantastic voice of Steve Kazee. He makes otherwise useless and emotionless songs like "Leave" and "Say It To Me Now" relevant just because of the sheer power and rawness of his voice. He is definitely deserving of the Tony he won based on his vocal performance.

Cristin Milioti's songs on the other hand come off as boring and uninspired. Her songs really put a damper on the entire affair. "If You Want Me" may contend on my list of worst show tunes ever written. But to her credit her voice has a bit of a haunting quality that fits well with Kazee. Though, to be fair, one would be hard-pressed to find a voice that doesn't sound good with the rapturous Kazee.
There is evidence of good song-writing throughout Once, but not necessarily effective show tune writing. There is (count it) one song with relevance to the plot. Grade: C+

Below is my song breakdown:
CAST ALBUM REVIEW
+ means a song helps the show, = means a song does not hurt a show, - means a song hurts a show.
+Falling Slowly, Leave, Say It to me Now, Gold
=Sleeping, When Your Mind Is Made Up
-The Moon, Ej Pada Pada Rosicka, If You Want Me, Broken-Hearted Hoover Fixer Sucker Guy, Abandoned in Bandon, Sleeping, The Hill, It Cannot Be About That

CAST ALBUMS REVIEW
+ means a song helps the show, = means a song does not hurt a show, - means a song hurts a show.
Grey Gardens
+The Five-Fifteen, Hominy Grits, Will You?, The Revolutionary Costume For Today, The Cake I Had, Jerry Likes My Corn, Around the World, Another Winter In A Summer Town
=Mother Darling, Goin' Places, Drift Away, The House We Live In,
-The Girl Who Has Everything, Marry Well, Peas in a Pod, Daddy's Girl, Entering Grey Gardens, Choose to Be Happy

Guys and Dolls
+Fugue for Tinhorns, Adelaide's Lament, Guys and Dolls, I've Never Been In Love Before, Luck Be A Lady, Sit Down, You're Rockin' The Boat
=The Oldest Establishment, I'll Know, A Bushel and A Peck, My Time Of Day, Sue Me, Marry the Man Today
-Follow the Fold, Havana, If I Were A Bell, More I Cannot Wish You






Gypsy
+Some People, Mr. Goldstone, I Love You, Little Lamb, Everything's Coming Up Roses, Rose's Turn, Nice She Ain't (Cut Song)
=Let Me Entertain You, Small World, You'll Never Get Away From Me, You Gotta Have A Gimmick
-If Momma Was Married, All I Need Is The Girl, Together Wherever We Go






Hello Dolly!
+I Put My Hand In, Put On Your Sunday Clothes, Ribbons Down My Back, Before the Parade Passes By, Hello Dolly, It Only Takes A Moment
=It Takes A Woman, Dancing, Motherhood, Elegance, So Long Dearie

Cast Album Reviews

CAST ALBUMS REVIEW
+ means a song helps the show, = means a song does not hurt a show, - means a song hurts a show.

The Fantasticks
+ Try to Remember, Metaphor,  Never Say No, Soon It's Gonna Rain, Plant A Radish, They Were You
= It Depends On What You Pay, The Rape Ballet,
- Much More, You Wonder How These Things Begin, This Plum Is Too Ripe, I Can See It, Round and Round

Fiddler on the Roof
+ Tradition, If I Were A Rich Man, To Life, Sunrise, Sunset, Do You Love Me, Far From the Home I Love,
= Matchmaker, Sabbath Prayer, The Dream, Miracle of Miracles,
- Now I Have Everything, The Rumor, Anatevka

Floyd Collins
+ The Cave, Lucky, Daybreak, Heart An' Hand, The Riddle Song, How Glory Goes
= Is That Remarkable?, The Ballad of Floyd collins, Through the Mountain
- 'Tween A Rock and a Hard Place, I Landed On Him, The Carnival, Git Comfortable, The Dream

Follies
+ Beautiful Girls, Broadway Baby, In Buddy's Eyes, I'm Still Here, Too Many Mornings, Your'e Gonna Love Tomorrow/Love Will See Us Through, Losing My Mind, Live Laugh, Love
= The Road You Didn't Take, Who's That Woman, Could I Leave You? The God-Why-Don't-You-Love-Me Blues, The Story of Lucy and Jessie
- Don't Look at Me, Waiting For the Girls Upstairs, Ah PAris, The Right Girl, One More Kiss

A Funny Thing Happened On the Way To the Forum
+ Comedy Tonight, Everybody Ought to Have A Maid,
=Lovely, Pretty Little Picture, Impossible,
- Free, I'm Calm, Bring Me My Bride, That Dirty Old Man, That'll  Show Him

Cast Albums Review

CAST ALBUMS REVIEW
+ means a song helps the show, = means a song does not hurt a show, - means a song hurts a show.

Chicago
+ All that Jazz, The Cell Block Tango, My Own Best Friend, Mr. Cellophane
= When You're Good to Momma, All I Care About, We Both Reached For the Gun, Razzle Dazzle, Class
- Funny Honey, A Little Bit of Good, Roxie, I Can't Do It Alone, Me and My Baby, When Velma Takes the Stand

A Chorus Line
+ The Music and the Mirror, One, What I Did For Love
= I Hope I Get It, At the Ballet, Montage, Nothing, Dance: Ten; Looks: Three,
- I Can Do That, Sing!

Company
+ Company, You Drive a Person Crazy, The Ladies Who Lunch
=The Little Things You Do Together, Sorry-Grateful, Have I Got A Girl For You, Another Hundred People, Getting Married Today, Side by Side by Side, Barcelona, Being Alive
- Someone is Waiting, Poor Baby, Tick-Tock

Evita
+ A New Argentina, Don't Cry For Me Argentina, High Flying Adored, And the Money Kept Rolling In, She Is A Diamond

Falsettoland
+ Falsettoland, What More Can I Say?, Something Bad Is Happening, Holding to the Ground, Days Like This, Unlikely Lovers, What Would I Do?
=About Time, Miracle of Judaism, The Baseball Game, A Day in Falsettoland, Everyone Hates His Parents, You Got to Die Sometime, Jason's Bar Mitzvah
- Year of the Child, Round Tables Square Tables, Canceling the Bar Mitzvah

CAST ALBUMS REVIEW
+ means a song helps the show, = means a song does not hurt a show, - means a song hurts a show.
Bat Boy the Musical
+ Christian Charity, A Home For You, Comfort and Joy, Three Bedroom House, Apology to a Cow, I Imagine You're Upset
=Hold Me, Bat Boy, Another Dead Cow, Let Me Walk Among You, Children, Children, Inside Your Heart
- Ugly Boy, Whatcha Wanna Do?, Dance With Me Darling, Mrs. Taylor's Lullaby, Show You a Thing or Two, A Joyful Noise

The Book of Mormon
+ Hello!, Man Up, I Believe, Tomorrow Is A Latter Day
= You and Me(But Mostly Me), Turn it Off, All-American Prophet, Sal Tiay Ka Siti, Making Things Up Again, Baptize Me, I Am Africa
- Two By Two, I Am Here For You, Spooky Mormon Hell Dream

Bring It On: the Musical
+ What I Was Born To Do, Bring it On, Killer Instinct, I Got You
= One Perfect Moment, We Ain't No Cheerleaders, Friday Night, Jackson, It's All Happening It Ain't No Thing, Enjoy the Trip,Better, We're Not Done, Legendary
-Tryouts, Welcome to Jackson, Do Your Own Thing, Cross the Line

Cabaret
+ Willkommen, Tomorrow Belongs To Me, Why Should I Wake Up?,
What Would You Do?, Cabaret, Finale
= So What?, Perfectly Marvelous, Meeskite, If You Could See Her,
- Don't Tell Mama, Telephone Song, Two Ladies, It Couldn't Please Me More, The Money Song,

Camelot 
+ C'est Moi, Before I Gaze At You Again, If Ever I Would Leave You, I Loved You Once In Silence,
= I Wonder What the King Is Doing Tonight, Camelot, The Seven Deadly Virtues,
-The Simple Joys of Maidenhood, Follow Me, Then You May Take Me To the Ball, How to Handle A Woman, What Do the Simple Folks Do?, Fie On Goodness, Guinevere

CAST ALBUMS REVIEW
+ means a song helps the show, = means a song does not hurt a show, - means a song hurts a show.

Adding Machine: A Musical
+ Something to be Proud Of, I'd Rather Watch You, Didn't We?, The Music of the Machine
= Harmony, Not Discord, In Numbers, The Party, Zero's Confession, Ham and Eggs, The Gospel According to Shrdlu, A Pleasant Place, Daisy's Confession, Freedom
-Office Reverie, Movin' Up, I Was A Fool, Death March

Aida
+ My Strongest Suit, Elaborate Lives, The Gods Love Nubia, A Step Too Far, Written in the Stars, I Know the Truth
= Every Story Is A Love Story, Another Pyramid, Enchantment Passing Through, Dance of the Robe, Not Me
- Fortune Favors the Brave, The Past Is Another Land, How I Know You, Easy As Life, Like Father, Like Son

Anything Goes
+ I Get a Kick Out Of You, You're the Top, Friendship, Anything Goes, Blow, Gabriel, Blow
= Goodbye Little Dream, All Through the Night
- There's No Cure Like Travel, Easy to Love, I Want to Row On the Crew, Be Like the Bluebird, The Gypsy in Me, Buddie Beware

Assassins
+ Everybody's Got the Right, The Ballad of Booth, The Ballad of Czolgosz, Unworthy of Your Love, The Ballad Of Guiteau, Another National Anthem,
=How I Saved Roosevelt, Gun Song

Avenue Q
+ It Sucks to Be Me, Fantasies Come True, Theres A Fine, Fine Line, I Wish I Could Go Back to College, For Now
= Avenue Q Theme, Purpose, Everyone's A Little Bit Racist, Mix Tape, The More You Ruv Someone, Schadenfreude, The Money Song
-If You Were Gay, The Internet is For Porn, My Girlfriend Who Lives In Canada, There is Life Outside Your Apartment

Reviews

Just a review of the couple of albums I have been listening too recently:
NINE: Nine is quite simply a musical theatre triumph. For sure one of the richest scores in recent memory. Maury Yeston's score is beautiful, moving, challenging, and profound. I don't often lavish compliments, but this music is so fantastic, I bought the 2002 revival cast days after acquiring the original. Highlights in include, "My Husband Makes Movies", Guido's wife's intro, and subsequent explanation of her husband's livelihood. Upon first listen, I assumed this would be one of the best of the album, but it was quickly forgotten when "A Call From the Vatican" raged on to my iPod. Anita Morris from the Original Broadway Cast purrs, and then quite literally growls into a climax. Beautiful and seductive. "Folies Bergeres" is a bit of a fantasy number, highlighted even more so by the casting of Chita Rivera in the new Broadway cast. "The Bells of St. Sebastian" is full of imagery, but the structure of the song did not suit me. And then "Unusual Way". What other superlatives can I use. It is breathtaking, easily exploding into the top 30 of 100 my Favorite Showtunes. And then, "Getting Tall".  Nine's retrospective finale has orchestrations unheard of in modern musical theatre. Large orchestras are a dying breed on Broadway today, and it was refreshing to hear such a grand sound from Nine. Yeston also creates one of the most necessary overtures in Broadway history, and even more innovative, it is sung by the cast. Undoubtedly, unquestionably beautiful. Grade: A

GRAND HOTEL: To perhaps defend my partiality to Yeston's "Nine", I cannot be so kind about his revisions to Grand Hotel. Originally conceived by Robert Wright and George Forrest, Yeston was brought in by director Tommy Tune to revise the ailing score and lyrics. Grand Hotel has a bloated concept that interweaves six or seven different stories of guests and employees at the hotel. The score is not completely devoid of beauty, the ballad, "Love Can't Happen" is lush, but a bit melodramatic,. It's reprise in "Roses at the Station" highlights it's beauty especially. "Maybe My Baby Loves Me" isn't awful, and it entertains, but its one of those playful, meaningless numbers. "I want to Go to Hollywood" and "Who Couldn't Dance With You" also highlight a forgettable cast album and a near forgotten one as well. Grade: C

SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE: Sondheim at his best. With a book that has a fantastic first act, but a simply disappointing and dull second act. Bernadette Peters and Mandy Patinkin are combined with such great material, the cast album is an instant classic. They both give incredibly touching vocal performances. The song, "Sunday in the Park with George" is a good opener. "Finishing the Hat" is a fantastic male solo, both touching and loosely structured to reflect the pointillism of the painting the musical is based on. "Sunday" was my instant favorite from the recording. It's on par with the operatic melodies of Leonard Bernstein. "We Do Not Belong Together" has a heart-wrenching line from Peters, that gives her character and Patinkin's a whole new level of characterization. The second act opener, "It's Hot Up Here" is funny, and melodic, and a highlight of the dismal second act. And "Move On" is a beautiful tribute to artists, as is the entire show. Grade: A

IN TROUSERS: I have been waiting a long time to listen to this cast album, as William Finn has recently become one of my favorite composers. It's a song cycle. It leaps from Marvin's adulthood to his labored past and adolescence. It is abrasive and distinct even today, as I am sure it was even more shocking when it was produced. "Whizzer Going Down", while perhaps nice musically, is a terror of a song, with far too many innuendos for my taste. The real triumphs here are Finn's two female ballads, "Love Me For What I Am" and "I'm Breaking Down".  Overall, the first part of the "Marvin Trilogy" is less focused and more repetitive, but still has valuable musical qualities. Grade: B

Top 100 Showtunes

1. I Am the One/You Don't Know-Next to Normal            

Defying Gravity-Wicked

Everything's Coming Up Roses-Gypsy            

The I Love You Song The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee           

Comfort and Joy-Bat Boy

Heaven On Their Minds-Jesus Christ Superstar

Tomorrow Is A Latter Day-The book of Mormon

Tonight (Quintet and Chorus)-West Side Story

Till We Reach That Day-Ragtime

What Would I Do?-Falsettoland

Another Winter In a Summer Town-Grey Gardens

Who Will Love Me As I Am?-Side Show

Make Our Garden Grow-Candide

Unworthy of Your Love-Assassins

Opening: The New World-Songs for A New World

What's the Use of Wond'rin'-Carousel           

This Nearly Was Mine- South Pacific

I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face-My Fair Lady

Camelot: Act II: If Ever I Would Leave You

Sunday- Sunday in the Park with George

How Glory Goes-Floyd Collins

My Strongest Suit-Aida

A New Argentina- Evita

The Gods Love Nubia- Aida

What I Did for Love- A Chorus Line

Flying Home-Songs for A New World

Die Vampire, Die!- [title of show]

All the Wasted Time-Parade

Send in the Clowns-A Little Night Music

Make Them Hear You-Ragtime

Company

Unlikely Lovers-Falsettoland

I Feel So Much Spring-A New Brain

Hear My Song-Songs for a New World

Tradition- Fiddler on the roof

Unusual Way-Nine

I Will Never Leave You-Side Show

The Impossible Dream-Man of La Mancha

Old Man River-Show Boat

What Would You Do?-Cabaret

Suddenly Seymour-Little Shop of Horrors

Losing My Mind-Follies

No One Is Alone- Into the Woods

A Light In the Dark-Next to Normal           

Roses’s Turn-Gypsy

Tomorrow Belongs to Me (Reprise)-Cabaret

 Dividing Day- The Light in the Piazza           

Momma Look Sharp-1776

It Sucks to Be Me-Avenue Q

The Revolutionary Costume for Today-Grey Gardens

Man Up-The Book of Mormon

A Home for You-Bat Boy

Back to Before-Ragtime

Brotherhood of Man- How to Succeed

I'd Give It All for You-Songs for A New World

Getting Tall-Nine

The Music Still Plays On-A New Brain

Where Do I Go?-Hair

I Miss the Mountains-Next to Normal           

King of New York-Newsies

Anything Goes

Put on Your Sunday Clothes- Hello Dolly

Edelweiss-The Sound of Music

Nine People's Favorite Thing-[title of show]

Run, Freedom, Run!-Urinetown           

All That Jazz- Chicago           

I Never Wanted to Love You-March of the Falsettos            

Sit Down, You're Rockin' The Boat-Guys and Dolls            

The Beauty Is [Reprise]-The Light in the Piazza

The Flesh Failures (Let The Sunshine In)-Hair           

Oklahoma

Getting Ready-13           

Soon It's Gonna Rain-The Fantasticks           

Just Another Day-Next to Normal

Don't Walk Away-Xanadu

Say It Somehow-The Light in the Piazza

Still Hurting-The Last Five Years            

Yours, Yours, Yours-1776

Comedy Tonight-Forum

Revolting Children-Matilda

Didn't We?-Adding Machine           

Christian Charity-Bat Boy

What More Can I Say?-Falsettos

Light-Next to Normal

Wilkommen- cabaret

Sailing-A New Brain

Seasons Of Love-Rent

Finale Ultimo (Don't Feed the Plants)-Little Shop of Horrors

One (Reprise) / Finale-A Chorus Line

Luck Be A Lady-Guys and dolls

Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again- The Phantom of the Opera

Will You?-Grey Gardens

 Hello!-The book of Mormon           

Any Moment / Moments in the Woods-Into the Woods

For Now-Avenue Q

King Herod's Song-Jesus Christ Superstar            

By the Sea-Sweeney Todd

Cabaret         

Naughty-Matilda

Love Never Dies

Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'-Oklahoma

Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man-Show Boat

Forget About the Boy-Thoroughly Modern Millie

Before the Parade Passes By-Hello Dolly

Fantasies Come True-Avenue Q

Any Minute-13

You Should Be Loved-Side show

My Own Best Friend- Chicago            

Floyd Collins Review

Darkness abounds at the Boiler Room Theatre in Franklin, where only those most-stooped in their obsession of musical theatre will recall an obscure musical called “Floyd Collins”. The musical ran a disappointing 25 performances Off-Broadway in 1996, bypassed that year for the media’s darling, “Rent”, but not forgotten thanks to a well-produced and well-received cast album. The music and lyrics come from Adam Guettel, of “Light in the Piazza” fame, and grandson of the great Richard Rogers with book and additional lyrics by Tina Landau.

            The musical tells the story of a Kentucky cave explorer named Floyd Collins, who searches for glory in “Sand Cave”, but ends up being trapped for 14 days while family, friends, mining companies, and the National Guard try to dislodge him.

            The music for “Floyd Collins” is, while not flawless, unquestionably intricate, and impossible to fully grasp in one listen. I find it almost inevitable to not compare this musical with the similar “Parade” with music by Jason Robert Brown. Both include critiques of media sensationalism and tragic deaths. While Brown’s score is more accessible to the common ear, Collins is much more rewarding upon frequent listens. The orchestra at the Boiler Room is held onstage thanks to the intimate accommodations of the theatre, and in true Guettel fashion contains a heavy amount of strings. The production begins bravely both musically and dramatically when Floyd enters the Sand Cave and spends the first fifteen minutes of the show singing of “The Call” of the cave. Not that this was necessarily a bad thing. The first part of the song is incredibly catchy, and has well-suited lyrics to match. And the yodeling, I believe it would be called yodeling, but whatever it is, it is fantastic. Guettel even effectively reprises it in another standout ballad, the finale, “How Glory Goes”. While fantastic musically, during “How Glory Goes”, Guettel falls into another Jason Robert Brown trap: He has a great title, concept, and base-line melody, but he circles around it with verses and bridges that take away from the great chorus he has created. Floyd sings the words “How Glory Goes” one time, and it is so beautiful, I can’t help but want more! Maybe that was the goal musically, but I hate it. The rest of the songs were fairly unremarkable, aside from the tuneful, “Lucky” and the tightly harmonized, “Is That Remarkable”.

I do have some problems with the book, thank you for asking. The basis of Floyd Collins, unlike most musicals in the last twenty years is not love, well not romantic love. Lindau seems to understand that she can’t keep the storyline solely based on a man who’s stuck in a cave after the first scene: fantastic. So at the beginning she tries to connect the audience emotionally with the Collins family with forced songs like “Heart An’ Hand”, but then in the second act she abandons this plan, and the book slips into an emotional mess.

Her scenes are disjointed, especially in the second act when she shows the family reaching an emotional climax, and beginning to fall apart, but then she never returns to them, and the musical ends. And then you think to yourself, “That was an incredible waste of time” or maybe, “Who were those people?” or was that just me? Again paralleling with JRB’s Parade, the writers want us to feel this grand emotion, but they don’t do enough to relate us to the characters. I felt the most emotion when Skeets Miller, the reporter who is able to sneak into the cave, and Floyd spoke together in the cave. They share a beautifully open conversation, where Lindau uses her most raw dialogue. Had the relationships in the show been modeled similarly to that one, the whole show would have been more cohesive and clear. For the opening scene, the logical choice in my opinion would be to start the narrative with a scene showing Floyd with his family. But, Lindau foregoes the traditional approach, which in hindsight does allow Floyd’s relationship with his family to develop through flashbacks and memories, but even though it’s an admirable method I’m not sure it captures the full essence of emotion the audience needs to feel the pity for Floyd that the writers are trying to garner.

In conclusion, “Floyd Collins” is an excellent entrance onto the musical field for Adam Guettel, and his music is unlike anything ever attempted on a Broadway stage. His score is performed admirably by the cast and orchestra at the Boiler Room, and it is certainly worth the trip.

Unimpressed

A slight break from my top 100 list to give you guys an update on the new musicals I'm listening to:

The Last Five Years: I gotta say, I'm really kind of disappointed. I guess I shouldn't be, but I had such high expectations based on the great things I'd heard about this show. I'll start out with the good: "Still Hurting" is great and stinging, it even made my top one hundred list. Most of Jason Robert Brown's jokes and lyrics are pleasurable and very real, probably too real. I always get a feeling that I'm listening to his autobiography, and I just want to say, "Too much information man". But that is also a part of the beauty of the show: it's realism is admirable even if annoying.
Now to the bad (though you see I couldn't even finish the good without taking a couple shots at the show): I'm most disappointed in the Act 1 Finale, "The Next Ten Minutes" and the finale "Goodbye Until Tomorrow". It seems to my amateurish ears that Brown has missed one of the simplest tricks of songwriting: He doesn't present a catchy, repeated key line. It feels like there is no chorus, it's all verses leading to nowhere. The rest of the songs are, though sometimes heartfelt, are just fluff.
I'll keep listening and I'm sure eventually this show will find a way to win me over.

Hair: This one was difficult for me to listen to, it's definitely not my genre of music, but I was immediately thrilled with "Aquarius" and a few other songs. Most of the other songs seemed to just blend together, until I found the movie on YouTube. Now I kind of really love the hippie feel of the music. I'm still getting to know most of the songs, but this one looks like it has a very promising future on my iPod.

The King and I: I'm only given this show two or three listens, but my initial observations seem to be that it is very simple, not bad, just simple. It's nothing like the beauty and complexity of "Carousel" or even "Oklahoma". But perhaps the classic nature of the musical is rooted more in it's staging, dancing, and superb acting. Oh, but a bonus: As a cast album junkie, I often lose the beauty of the ballets and dance numbers because I skip over them, not so for "The Small House of Uncle Thomas" which is hilarious and a signature part of the show.

Rent: Again, the word, "unimpressed" comes to mind. True, because of it's length it's difficult to sit down and listen to a large chunk of it at a time, but that's part of the problem. Larson's "conversations in music" are a nuisance. I listen to thirty minutes of useless conversations put to music to get to one or two good songs.
But, THE BEAUTY IS that those one or two songs are just simply wonderful. "Seasons of Love",  "La Vie Boheme", "Will I?", and others are beautiful. But overall, the album is hard to get into when I'm interrupted every other song with a "Tune Up" or a "Voice Mail".  

90-81

90. Getting Ready- 13 
Wait, don't tear me apart yet! This is the only other song from 13 on the list, but if this show had an intermission, this would be it's act one finale. And I love act one finales. This is the teenage version of "Tonight" from West Side Story which will definitely appear later on the list. I love how each of the character's come into the song with singular motives, and they each have a unique melody that they bring out. Lucy and Kendra also have a hilarious and tuneful exchange. 

89. You Should Be Loved- Side Show
When Side Show was produced, it was a disappointing flop with audiences, and in a way, I understand that (awful lyrics at points), but it is a deeply emotional, thought-provoking show as well. It's about Siamese twins that are conjoined at the hip and stars the fabulous Alice Ripley. This song is sung by the African American Jake, to one of the twins. He confesses his love for her, but she rejects him because she wonders what the world would think of an interracial marriage. The most telling line comes when Jake cries, "If I can see past your affliction, why can't you see past mine?" It really has a moving message and fine, rousing music.

88. Watch What Happens- Newsies 
Please legit theatre fans don't stone me yet, I promise there is only one other Newsies song on the list, but to be honest, I found the score genuinely listenable. But, the problem with this show, and most Disney shows is that in about 3 listens I've got it. It doesn't delve deep into the philosophy of anything, and it's not very emotionally challenging. In comparison to Next to Normal, Wicked, or the 25th Annual Putnam County SB, it's downright simplistic, but I did include "Watch What Happens". 
It is an original song from Menken, it is fast paced, and includes fine, well-suited lyrics for the female lead, who originated in the musical. But, the best part of the song is that it has a climax. A climax is very rare for most fast-paced, female ballads, and even more, a natural climax comes from the song that leads to anticipation for the plot. And since this is the closest any Disney show might get to legitimate character analysis, why not try to give them a nod for their efforts.

87. Rose's Turn- Gypsy
This kind of feels wrong since this is one of the most innovative and thought-provoking songs ever crafted on Broadway, but I've always viewed it as a great work of art, but not necessarily a fun one to listen to. Basically, Rose has a mental breakdown onstage, music and all. Gypsy is more than a good musical, it's a fantastic character study. 
One of the big discussion points for Gypsy is of the cast recordings is the definitive one? I prefer the original with Ethel Merman and the most recent with Patti LuPone. But, for this song, I like Merman. She's an institution, a goddess. 

86. I See A River- Urinetown

I See A River has a vague, hymn-like quality, that is used admirably for a closing number. My favorite part of the number is just the general irony and the philosophy of it. The people of Urinetown have run out of water to drink, but Hope Cladwell insists it doesn't matter because "the glass of water is inside of you". Urinetown's final jab at government and politics is the conjecture that often oppressive leaders will popularize meaningless statements just to get people to follow them and ignore their troubles. 

85. Yours, Yours, Yours

A sweet, very classically beautiful love song that is delivered in both the movie and on the cast album with heart-felt passion. Love songs make up some of my favorite Broadway songs. This one might be higher if were a bit longer, it is relatively short for show tune standards. And, it really is so beautiful I'm always left wanting another verse. 

The song in context is made even more touching because Adam and Abigail are separated, and this song is sung through letters. Well-written with fantastic harmonies

84. Don't Walk Away

The only song from the musical Xanadu which played on Broadway in 2008, but is based on the movie starring Olivia Newton-John. The musical itself is hilarious. The song itself has some fantastic music. There is a very retro feel to keyboards that really gives the song some fire. It has alright lyrics that are inexplicably undecipherable without reading them while you listen. Cheyenne Jackson is a perfect combination of heartfelt pleading and hilarious irony. The second I hear the first chord from this song, I'm in my own Xanadu.

83. The Beauty Is Reprise

I believe this is technically the only "reprise" on this list. Usually reprises are shorter and less memorable in shows, but in The Light in the Piazza Adam Guettel really shows off his genius. The reprise of "The Beauty Is" is actually a completion of a key theme. The first time it is sung, Clara is singing about the mysteries of Italy and of love, but Margaret's version is also a song of love, but also of regret and passion. She's singing of her love for her daughter Clara, and in the music you can almost feel Margaret reaching out to Clara. As for the music, I can't really say more than that at one point in the song, Victoria Clarke hits an incredible high note that literally gives me the chills every time I listen to it.

82. What is This Feeling? 

This is a less classically beautiful than a lot of the songs here, but how I can resist a song that has funny jokes and great actresses trying to out-sing each other? Am I a Wicked fan-girl? Maybe, just maybe. Honestly, I love when there are two melodies going on at the same time in a show and that's what happens here. That's good enough for me. 

81. Wishing You were Somehow here Again

The, I repeat THE most underrated song from Phantom of the Opera. This song is beautiful, and it assaults my unexplainable affinity to strong female ballads. The climax for this song will leave you breathless, or at least it does with me because I frequently can't resist singing along.