578 posts
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Post by michalnowicki on May 30, 2017 9:23:41 GMT
It's nice to hear a reference to your own country when listening to recordings. In "Come from Away" someone mentions being born in Poland. In Natasha and Pierre(...) Poland is being mentioned in song "Preparations", in "War Paint" LuPone pronouces Krakow really well (Cra-cuv, rather than Cra-cow).
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Post by Deleted on May 30, 2017 9:45:30 GMT
It's nice to hear a reference to your own country when listening to recordings. In "Come from Away" someone mentions being born in Poland. In Natasha and Pierre(...) Poland is being mentioned in song "Preparations", in "War Paint" LuPone pronouces Krakow really well (Cra-cuv, rather than Cra-cow). There was a good NY Times article on local references in Hedwig the other day - What’s Your City’s ‘Newly Annoying’ Neighborhood? Ask Hedwig. “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” always uses topical and local references written just for the cities where it plays. So it’s natural that when the musical’s national tour finishes in Washington next month, Hedwig, played by Euan Morton, will save her wrath for the most topical local of them all: President Trump.
John Cameron Mitchell, who created the show with Stephen Trask, explains that Hedwig, an East German transgender glam-rocker who escapes Communism, “will be identifying with another Eastern European gold digger.”
The line? “I sit in my mobile home watching the Berlin Wall come down, recalling with envy Mother’s escape to sunny Yugoslavia with the help of her close friend Melania. We are all Melania now.”
Other typical targets include local celebrities, conservative politicians, hipster enclaves and the “rough street in town,” explained Mr. Morton, who along with Mr. Mitchell, wrote most of the material for this part of the tour. They get advice from Michael Rudd, the assistant company manager, who from city to city collects suggestions from residents on references that might click.
Here’s a look at how Hedwig describes her visit to a “newly annoying” neighborhood in several of those cities — a moment that regularly gets a big laugh.
Boston
LINE “It all went down in the newly annoying Seaport District. I had just been barred from entering the gender-neutral bathroom at Legal Harborside when a limo pulled up.”
WHY IT WORKS The Seaport District is not unlike the meatpacking district in New York, which, with its celebrity-hunting partygoers, was the “newly annoying” reference for the Broadway run. Legal Harborside, an upscale spinoff of a classic Boston seafood restaurant, is popular with singles and tourists.
Chicago
LINE “It all went down in the newly annoying Wicker Park. I had just been barred from entering the gender-neutral bathroom at Violet Hour (and it took me 45 minutes just to find the doorknob!) when a limo pulled up.”
WHY IT WORKS Wicker Park is a West Side neighborhood awash in bicycles and blunt-cut hairstyles. Violet Hour is a cocktail bar that serves “pre-Prohibition-style libations.” A rotation of artists design the bar’s speakeasy entrance, often making it difficult to locate the door.
Dallas
LINE “It all went down in the newly annoying Cedar Springs strip. I had just been barred from the Rose Room — Cassie Nova found me in her dressing room trying on her costumes.”
WHY IT WORKS Cedar Springs is a commercial strip in Oak Lawn, the city’s gentrified gayborhood. Rose Room is a high-tech drag-show lounge inside the nightclub Station 4. Cassie Nova is a popular longtime drag queen with a potty mouth and a Texas twang.
Durham and Charlotte, N.C.
LINE “I had just been barred from the gender-neutral bathroom at Pat McCrory’s house.”
WHY IT WORKS Last year Mr. McCrory, the former Republican governor of North Carolina, signed House Bill 2, which mandated that transgender people use the bathrooms matching the gender listed on their birth certificates.
San Francisco
LINE “It all went down in the newly annoying Mission District. I had just been barred from entering the gender-neutral bathroom on an idling Google bus when an Uber XL pulled up.”
WHY IT WORKS Silicon Valley millionaires have transformed the Mission, historically home to working-class Latinos, into “Williamsburg on steroids,” as one writer put it. Google offers employees private shuttle bus service to and from its campus in nearby Mountain View, Calif., a perk that’s been the object of scorn and protests.
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578 posts
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Post by michalnowicki on May 30, 2017 9:58:30 GMT
^ Hmm, no too keen on the above, if I'm honest. Reminds me of John Partridge references to Primark during "La Cage..". How are all of the local references made by "Hedwig, an East German transgender glam-rocker who escapes Communism" relevant to the story?
In War Paint, the reference makes sense, because Helena Rubenstein was born in Poland.
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Post by Deleted on May 30, 2017 18:08:50 GMT
I've spent today hashing together a presentation to teach some students a (brief) history of musical theatre on Friday. And in hunting youtube clips I've re-discovered some gems I haven't listened to in an age (Hair, West Side Story, Anything Goes) and some choice turkeys (Tarzan, Little Mermaid, Spiderman...) As well as reminding me of some personal favourites I WILL convince them are worthy of scholarship (or at least a listen) including Legally Blonde and Groundhog Day. All rounded off with a LOT of 'Company' as I'm using that as a set text for discussion.
Phew! Some of those will make it back into my playlists.
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578 posts
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Post by michalnowicki on May 31, 2017 14:05:21 GMT
More War Paint today. Patti's accent is horrendous. She sounds like Old Lady from "Candide". I find Christine Ebersole's voice thoroughly enjoyable and I love "Pink". Unfortunately, it's not the best album.
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4,560 posts
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Post by Mark on May 31, 2017 15:14:07 GMT
More War Paint today. Patti's accent is horrendous. She sounds like Old Lady from "Candide". I find Christine Ebersole's voice thoroughly enjoyable and I love "Pink". Unfortunately, it's not the best album. Pink is a highlight indeed. A very well crafted song expertly delivered. As you say, a shame the rest of the score isn't quite as good.
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4,369 posts
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Post by Michael on May 31, 2017 15:27:44 GMT
I'm currently listening to two cast recordings: In Transit (so glad that I saw it in January) and A Bronx Tale. The last one is a master piece, looking forward to seeing it again in mid June.
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2,452 posts
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Post by theatremadness on May 31, 2017 18:17:30 GMT
Just finished listening to War Paint for the first time and oh my gosh I LOVE IT!!! My 2nd favourite new OBCR next to Groundhog Day. It's just full so so much sass, brass, style, substance and it's just old school musical beltresses giving it some. Lush orchestrations too. Love the music, some lyrics are questionable. But on the whole, this kind of musical is so much more personally up my street rather than something like Dear Evan Hansen, which I still moderately enjoyed, but not as much as some. And Patti LuPone is so unintelligible it's like she's doing her own Forbidden Broadway impression and I CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF IT. Her line reading of her first line on the recording just had me and I was gone. Pink is also a wonderful 5 mins of MT heaven!
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578 posts
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Post by michalnowicki on Jun 1, 2017 9:44:31 GMT
Pink is also a wonderful 5 mins of MT heaven! I think I must've been watching too many of Seth Rudetsky's deconstructions, because I'm obsessed about the little scoop (I think that's the term) Christine Ebersole does around 2 minutes 40 seconds of "Pink" where she sings "In ye-ars to come I wond-er how..." OBSESSED!
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Post by Deleted on Jun 2, 2017 10:15:47 GMT
I'm currently listening to two cast recordings: In Transit (so glad that I saw it in January) and A Bronx Tale. The last one is a master piece, looking forward to seeing it again in mid June. Personally found A Bronx Tale incredibly boring. One listen was a enough.
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2,452 posts
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Post by theatremadness on Jun 2, 2017 10:27:28 GMT
Yeah, I was the same with Bronx Tale. Made it to the end of Act 1 and had had enough. I was so disappointed in a Menken & Slater cast recording being so bland and a bit boring, so moved onto other new recordings. I may return to it at some point! I was also a little underwhelmed on the whole with Come From Away on first completed listen, though there were a few numbers i really enjoyed, but definitely willing to give that another go.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 2, 2017 10:56:38 GMT
I'm listening to the OLCR of Sondheim's Passion. Not listened to it in a very long time. Somehow I got the tune the opening song in my head and now listening to the whole thing. Helen Hobson is wonderful as Clara. It's amazing how much of it I remember. Michael Ball's voice soars. An excellent recording.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 7, 2017 18:15:53 GMT
Taking Hands on a Hardbody out for a spin. Lovely to hear Trey Anastasio's tone on a theatre score. Uplifting enough for a Wednesday eve.
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3,057 posts
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Post by ali973 on Jun 9, 2017 5:26:04 GMT
I'm currently listening to two cast recordings: In Transit (so glad that I saw it in January) and A Bronx Tale. The last one is a master piece, looking forward to seeing it again in mid June. A master what?!
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358 posts
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Post by tysilio2 on Jun 9, 2017 19:59:13 GMT
Not a show soundtrack, but two cds I keep returning to are Josh Groban's 'Stages' and Colm Wilkinson's 'Stage Heroes'. Brilliant orchestrations on both discs.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 15, 2017 21:38:15 GMT
I have just this minute discovered there's a German recording of 13, which cheers me.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 15, 2017 21:38:54 GMT
Being a Geek -
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134 posts
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Post by Kenneth_C on Jun 15, 2017 22:59:40 GMT
Currently listening to: One of the best things I saw in NYC last fall.
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243 posts
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Post by musicallady on Jun 17, 2017 15:09:43 GMT
Moved on to the underated Matador
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3,057 posts
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Post by ali973 on Jun 17, 2017 16:07:46 GMT
The Tom Jones recording? There's an EP with John Barrowman where he sings 1-2 songs, but that's all I know. There's an audience recording of the final performance. Caroline O'Connor's voice practically hasn't changed since.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 17, 2017 16:39:30 GMT
Currently working through the very underwhelming Hello Dolly 2017 Recording... I guess it is one of those shows you have to be in the theatre for to be amazed,
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3,057 posts
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Post by ali973 on Jun 17, 2017 17:02:31 GMT
The orchestra is glorious in the theatre. The recording is so flat and is such a flop.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 17, 2017 19:45:34 GMT
Not a show soundtrack, but two cds I keep returning to are Josh Groban's 'Stages' and Colm Wilkinson's 'Stage Heroes'. Brilliant orchestrations on both discs. Saw my first Groban show last year and was surprised how good it was. Some real power there, and a very genial host. Have given 'Stage Heroes' a listen this week and enjoyed - not my first choice of showtunes, but that voice is something. Couldn't get on with Falsettos - all a bit too pleased with itself. Picked up a programme in an ebay joblot for T wo Gentlemen of Verona - A Grand New Musical & so gave the score a youtube listen, and can't say it's aged well. The occasional melody, but no real drive to the music and a sense of scenery-chewing from the actors. Gave Amelie a listen - was okay, but nothing particularly stood out for me. And just discovered a '95 Lincoln Center 'Wizard of Oz' exists, with Jackson Browne and Nathan Lane. Only a few tracks on YT, but I'd like to see more of this.
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Post by mrbarnaby on Jun 17, 2017 21:26:36 GMT
Currently working through the very underwhelming Hello Dolly 2017 Recording... I guess it is one of those shows you have to be in the theatre for to be amazed, Sadly the recording isn't even a 10% representation of the joy that happens in the theatre. It suffers badly from being recorded so early on. There's no life or energy on it at all. It just exposes the limitations of Midlers voice. In the theatre however , the whole show is put across with such joy, it's a totally different kettle of fish. The only good thing on it it Kate Baldwin IMO. They also should have recorded the curtain call music etc. A real shame.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 17, 2017 22:13:26 GMT
The orchestra is glorious in the theatre. The recording is so flat and is such a flop. The Orchestra and Gavin are the best parts, sound glorious!
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243 posts
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Post by musicallady on Jun 18, 2017 14:51:28 GMT
The Tom Jones recording? There's an EP with John Barrowman where he sings 1-2 songs, but that's all I know. There's an audience recording of the final performance. Caroline O'Connor's voice practically hasn't changed since. Er a live full show recording 😉
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Post by Deleted on Jun 18, 2017 14:59:57 GMT
The Tom Jones recording? There's an EP with John Barrowman where he sings 1-2 songs, but that's all I know. There's an audience recording of the final performance. Caroline O'Connor's voice practically hasn't changed since. Er a live full show recording 😉 I also have that recording and listen to it quite a bit. I even quite like Stephanie Powers' numbers. Caroline O'Connor is very good, even, as Ali said,if she sounds the same in every song she does. I'll Dress You In Mourning is excellent. Too bad it never got a recording as it deserved it, especially when you look at the flops that did get recorded.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 21, 2017 7:12:26 GMT
Waking up with the Australian Mary Poppins.
Yesterday had a first listen to On The Twentieth Century OBC - doubt it will become a regular, but pleasingly OTT in places. Enjoyed 'She's a Nut'.
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578 posts
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Post by michalnowicki on Jun 21, 2017 9:05:37 GMT
I've been listening to Dreamgirls on repeat ever since I got my tickets to see it in July.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 27, 2017 10:30:35 GMT
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