Sorry for the delay... lol

Hey everyone. Sorry for the delay in blogs. Honestly just got carried away in doing other things. Next one won't take as long. For this installment of my Broadway musical blog, I am going with a show I have been avoiding for a long time... "A Chorus Line". But just because I hadn't given it a chance before doesn't mean I didn't do my research this time around.

This is what Wikipedia said about the show... "A Chorus Line is a 1975 musical about Broadway dancers auditioning for spots on a chorus line. With nineteen main characters, it is set on the bare stage of a Broadway theatre during an audition for a musical. The show provides a glimpse into the personalities of the performers and the choreographer as they describe the events that have shaped their lives and their decisions to become dancers." Now for this show, because I KNOW how a LOT of people consider it to be one of their favorites, I wanted to give it the best chance I could... which meant using as many resources as I could get my hands on. I ended up listening to both the 1975 original cast recording AND the 2006 revival cast recording. I also broke down and watched the 1985 movie version... My verdict without explaining why (yet) is that the show is just alright. Now, before people jump down my throat for this assessment, let me explain why. Not surprisingly, I had heard most of the songs before actually LISTENING to the soundtrack. I have been to enough auditions, recitals, and musical revues that it would be hard NOT to have heard them. Having said that, it really didn't sway my opinion of the show, if anything, listening to the whole show made me appreciate the songs more. I think my main problem with the show is a pretty simple one, and it TOTALLY explains why so many people adore this show. I just didn't connect with ANY of the characters in the show. I'm willing to bet that the people who love this show as much as they do have at least one character that they COMPLETELY identify with. Whether it is the aging dancer who just wants her one last chance, the young person just trying to figure out their sexuality, or any of the other characters in the show... I just didn't have that connection. That being said... the show itself is pretty good. I MUST take this opportunity to give props to composer Marvin Hamlisch, who recently passed away. He wrote some pretty memorable music, and he will be missed. In each recording there were some songs that I liked better than in the other one... The best example is the song "Sing". In the original, the girl (Kristine... who isn't supposed to have a good voice) belts out the incorrect notes with such gusto, that you totally understand why she has relied so heavily on her dancing ability. They even have the line "What I lack in pitch, I sure make up in power". In the revival, there is NO belting. She doesn't accentuate the lack of singing ability as much as she SHOULD have... It just didn't work in the recording. And they COMPLETELY missed the ball by not having that song in the movie. The part was played by Nicole Fosse... the daughter of the legendary Bob Fosse and his equally talented wife Gwen Verdon. With his dance ability, and his wife's comedic timing, the song could have been a home run with such a great genetic line. Sadly, it wasn't meant to be. All things considered about this show, I would give it a 7 out of 10... I will listen to it again, but I don't see it becoming a part of my normal rotation. Next show on my list... Aida.

Show #3... And it's an OBSCURE show!!!

Hey everyone. Sorry for the delay in getting these blogs done every day. This last week has been pretty crazy. That being said, I still listened to another Broadway soundtrack, and today's show is one that I doubt ANY of you have heard of. It is called "70, Girls, 70".

This is what Wikipedia says about the show... "The musical is based on the 1958 play Breath of Spring by Peter Coke. The plot concerns a group of larcenous old folks who steal furs from various New York City stores with the intent of using the proceeds from their resale to buy their Upper West Side retirement hotel, the New Sussex Arms, which is slated to be sold to developers." Basically... old people want to save their retirement home from being destroyed, so they resort to crime to try and raise the money to save it. To say this is an obscure show is an understatement. I had never heard of the show before I got a hold of the soundtrack, but I LOVED it. As much as "13 The Musical" had some questionable material for the age of its actors, this show had just as many risque jokes, and this time I thought it was adorably cute. There is just something about people of the elderly persuasion singing about how people are always asking if they still "do the deed". As much as it would seem gross to hear them singing about it, they never actually describe anything (the song is called "Do We")... and I thought it was adorable. And as for the singing on this album... you understand from the first verse of the first song that these people are "old". This recording was done in 1971, and it sounds better to me than last weeks recording of "42nd Street". I would LOVE to see this show actually performed locally, but I don't think it will ever happen. It is too obscure a show for theaters to take a chance with... PLUS, it could be tough to find a bunch of 70+ year olds with LOTS of energy to do this show. I'm not saying its impossible, but it would be tough. All in all I loved this recording. The songs were catchy, the story sounds fun, and I couldn't stop smiling as I was listening to it. If you are able to find a recording of this gem of a show, give it a chance. You will love it. I'd give "70, Girls, 70" an 8 out of 10... Next show is another one that I have just been putting off listening to... "A Chorus Line"... And since I have two different recordings of it (original 1975 cast, and 2006 cast), I have to listen to both... Oh goody (this "oh goody" is oozing with sarcasm if you couldn't tell... lol). See ya next time.

Day 2 of "A Musical a Day"... "42nd Street"

Look everyone... Day two, and I have listened to another show. Today's show is "42nd Street".

For those interested, here is the synopsis according to Tams-Witmark (performance license holders for this show). "This is the story of hard work, being in the right place at the right time, talent and love. FORTY-SECOND STREET is a celebration of Broadway and the people involved in shows. It focuses on aspiring chorus girl Peggy Sawyer, and takes us along her journey." OK... what did I think of it. Well, I wasn't all that impressed. I totally understand that this is a "tap" show. And that when watching it, you get to see some awesome tapping. That being said, I couldn't appreciate the amount of "tapping" that you had to hear on the recording. I would have much preferred to hear JUST the music in the background, and not the tapping of feet. My other problem with this recording is the performers themselves... I just didn't enjoy their voices... They seemed to ALL be singing WAY TOO LOUD. Maybe that was the style they were going for, but I didn't like it. Although a couple of the tunes were kinda catchy ("We're in the Money", "Lullaby of Broadway", and "Shuffle Off to Buffallo") nothing else was very memorable for me... Then again, I had already known those songs. I totally get that most (if not all) of the music in this was written in the late 1920's and early 1930's, there are some great songs and shows that came out of that era. This one just doesn't do it for me. All in all... I'm not a fan. I'd give "42nd Street" a 6 out of 10. Next time... a REALLY obscure show... "70, Girls, 70"...

A Musical a Day... Day #1... "13 The Musical"

Day #1!!! First one out of the gate COULD stir up some interesting discussion...

First off... here is the description of the musical according to MTI (Music Theater International)... "A grown-up story about growing up! When his parents get divorced and he's forced to move from New York to a small town in Indiana, Evan Goldman just wants to make friends and survive the school year. Easier said than done. The star quarterback is threatening to ruin his life and his only friend, Patrice, won't talk to him. The school freak sees an opportunity for blackmail and someone is spreading the nastiest rumors." OK... Here's MY thoughts on the show. Let me start by saying that I had heard about this show for a few years now, but hadn't actually taken the time to listen to it. Even though I really like the music of the composer (Jason Robert Brown... he wrote "Parade" and "The Last Five Years"), I just wasn't impressed with this one. And I think I know why. This musical was written to be performed by young teenagers (hence the title... 13). And I'm sure that for younger listeners this show would be great for them. My problem with it is the subject matter. I don't want to sound like a prude, but having young, 13 year old kids singing about "tongue kissing" (in several songs) is just uncomfortable to me. Not that it doesn't happen in real life (I know it does), I just don't want to see it, and I don't want to hear about it... Call me old if you like, but that's just what I think. As for the music. Some of the songs were pretty catchy... I especially liked "What it Means to Be a Friend", and "A Little More Homework"... The kids on the album were all really good. And for what its worth, some of the songs would make GREAT audition songs for younger singers... All in all, I would give "13 The Musical" a 7 out of 10. Next time... "42nd Street" - Original Broadway Cast Recording (1980)

Finally focusing my thoughts!!!

Hey everyone! After a few attempts at trying to write a blog, I realized that I REALLY needed to get some focus to my blog. As much as I TRY and be interesting in what I write, I know that it is pretty scatterbrained and random. And I have figured out something to do! Here's a little back story... For as long as I can remember, I have always enjoyed the music of Broadway... Now, I KNOW what your first thought is... "gay"... Um... NO! Musical Theatre is NOT just for "gay" people. Straight people (like me) can enjoy showtunes too... I understand that not everybody enjoys it, and that is fine. If you are one of the people who doesn't like musicals, this blog might not be for you. A couple days ago, I had to drive down to my dad's house for a funeral. I knew it was going to be a long car ride, so I put a couple shows on my phone to listen to on the trip. On my way home I put on a show that I hadn't listened to, but kinda wanted to check out (the show was "Aspects of Love"... more on that show later)... While listening to it, a crazy thought just sort of hit me... As much as I THOUGHT I knew about musical theatre, there are a LOT of shows that I just don't know about. It isn't for the lack of access to them (I have over 200 Broadway soundtracks on my computer), it was just the simple fact that I never took the time to listen to them. So I decided to change that. Starting tomorrow (I think), I am going to listen to a different Broadway show every day (sort of in alphabetical order). Some of them will be new (to me), some will be so familiar that I will sing every word of the show along with the recording... No matter what though, I will have to give an honest opinion of what I think of the show. Some of the reviews might be glowing, some might criticize the performers, but I have to be honest. Now, there are some shows that I just simply don't have yet... That COULD change over the course of the next several months, and if I need to, I can just patch the reviews in where needed. Maybe after I get comfortable with the schedule, I might try and experiment with other types of reviews. Maybe a podcast, or a vlog (video blog). All in all, I am looking forward to this new adventure. Wish me luck, and if you have any special requests, I would be HAPPY to do my best to make it work. So starting tomorrow... 13 - The Musical