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Rage Of The Heart(1993)
I think this came from the library. Man, they have some unexpected shit in that library. I have them to thank for “Madison Avenue” too. The tale of Abelard and Heloise is one of these great-love-tragedy things which we’re all supposed to know about but of which I know nothing beyond their names and the… Continue reading
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Ragtime (1996)
See also Ragtime: The Concept Album. This show surely wins a Nobel Prize for Effort: it features thirty-eight tracks covering two hours of music, let alone the script time. “Ragtime” is based on the novel by E.L.Doctorow, and has a book by Terrence McNally who has written tons of plays and musicals. The music and… Continue reading
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Ragtime: The Concept Album (1996)
See also the full review of Ragtime. In 1996 they put out a concept album of 21 tracks from Ragtime, which is a fairly hefty number, but, as we know from yesterday, only just over half the numbers on the full cast recording. The album doesn’t stint on the production or singing quality; concept albums,… Continue reading
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Reefer Madness (1998)
(This is the soundtrack to the stage musical, but there are different versions thereof; there’s a movie soundtrack as well.) I saw this show here last year. Now I’m listening to the CD, it’s a definite case of “Oh, so that’s what the lyrics were…” – good old Vancouver theatre sound… This is a spoof… Continue reading
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Repo! The Genetic Opera (2008)
Every so often I’m privileged (I believe that’s the word) to listen to something like this, and a healthy combination of enthusiasm and WTF stylings leads me to appreciate it against my better judgement. I don’t know that this is necessarily a recommendation, but it wasn’t dull… How to describe this? It’s a sung-through sci-fi… Continue reading
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Ring Of Fire (2006)
This is a jukebox musical featuring songs by Johnny Cash. (And possibly others – Windows Media Player kept giving me composer information about some of the songs, like I would know. I’m not at all an expert on country music, not even a novice… I just tend to avoid it on uninformed principle. After all,… Continue reading
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Saturday Night (1955)
This was Sondheim’s first music-and-lyrics show that was intended to be performed (as opposed to the four assignments he got from his mentor Oscar Hammerstein). But unfortunately, 1954 was a bad year for producers dying, and so this show only came to life over forty years later in concert performances. It often sounds old. In… Continue reading
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Seussical (2000)
So, Ahrens and Flaherty are back at GHM to work their magic. “Seussical” is their musical from 2000 based on the work of Dr. Seuss… you know who that is, right? If not, you are the living definition of Late To The Party; go discover him right now, no matter how old you are, and… Continue reading
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She Loves Me (1963)
Ah, the travails of shop salesfolk who unknowingly fall in love with one another’s correspondence while not getting on with one another in person. This is a popular Hungarian play which has been adapted for James Stewart and Tom Hanks amongst others. This musical dates from 1963 and was popular at the time, and when… Continue reading
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Shenandoah (1975)
1975 is about the back end of what I consider acceptable for the age of a musical these days (it used to be 1970) – so it’s lucky that 1975’s “Shenandoah” (music by Gary Geld, lyrics by Peter Udell, book by them and James Lee Barrett who wrote the screenplay for the James Stewart movie… Continue reading