Everything I Know I Learned From Musicals

CD Preview - Life Begins at 8:40

OK, first let me set the scene here. Picture me, roughly the age of 13, perusing my already voluminous number of cast recordings, poring obsessively through the liner notes. It could have been the original cast recording of Sweeney Todd, Evita, Barnum, A Day in Hollywood/A Night in the Ukraine, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, or perhaps even March of the Falsettos.

Of course, at the time, the recordings would have been in the form of LPs, all in a pile strewn across my bedroom floor. The great thing about LP cast albums was they often had gatefold interiors that opened to reveal adult-size production notes, pictures, essays, and synopses. And I devoured them all with the brio of a star-struck, musical-obsessed little Nancy boy. I can still remember some of the names contained therein: the Martha Swopes, the Thomas Z. Shepherds, the Goddard Liebersons, the Kevin Kellys. Who were these people? How did they come to be involved in this hallowed process? And how could I become one of them?

Cut to 2010. I'm in the midst of correcting final exams, when I get a phone call from Tommy Krasker, executive producer at PS Classics. Now, Tommy and I had been in touch off and on for years. I think he contacted me about a glowing review that I wrote of one of the shows that his label recorded, although I can't recall which show. Possibly Adding Machine, or maybe A Catered Affair. Anyway, I took the opportunity to put a bug in Tommy's ear about giving me the chance to fulfill a life-long dream of writing the liner notes for a cast recording. He was actually very positive about the possibility, but I didn't hear back from him about it, although we did continue to correspond, albeit infrequently.

So, back to the phone call. Tommy said that the person who was supposed to write an essay to accompany the upcoming PS Classics release of the obscure but delightful 1930s revue Life Begins at 8:40 was unable to meet the already-passed deadline, and would I be able to scare something up in impossibly short order?

"Can I roller-skate?!"

As soon as I hung up, I made a beeline for my theater bookcase and amassed a pile of books to begin my research. For the uninitiated, Life Begins at 8:40 was a lavish Broadway revue in the traditional of the Ziegfeld Follies and George White's Scandals. In fact, Life Begins at 8:40 was going to be another in the Ziegfeld series, the famed Shubert Brothers having purchased the rights to the Follies after the great Zeigfeld's death. But legal problems arose, and the show eventually came to be called Life Begins at 8:40. The title is a reference both to the 1932 bestseller Life Begins at 40, and to the typical curtain time for Broadway shows of the era.

The show starred Bert Lahr and Ray Bolger, five years before they would make "The Wizard of Oz" together. In a bit of additional Pre-Oz synergy, both Harold Arlen (composer) and E.Y. Harburg (lyricist) worked on the score. Ira Gershwin also contributed lyrics to the show while his brother George was busy with a little thing called Porgy and Bess. The Broadway production of Life Begins at 8:40 opened at the Winter Garden Theatre in August of 1934 and closed in March of 1935, after a then-respectable run of 237 performances.

The new CD will be the first-ever complete recording of the score from the show, and features a veritable who's who of contemporary Broadway scene, including Kate Baldwin, Christopher Fitzgerald, Montego Glover, Rebecca Luker, Brad Oscar, and Faith Prince. The recording will be released on June 8th, but you can pre-order it on Amazon or CD Universe, or you can wait and download the tracks from Amazon or iTunes. Whatever you do, please don't download the songs from an illegal file-sharing site. The good folks at PS Classics work tremendously hard, and if it weren't for people like Tommy Krasker we wouldn't have a chance to hear previously undiscovered gems like Life Begins at 8:40 and Kitty's Kisses. And if it weren't for Tommy, I might not have had the chance to fulfill a lifelong dream. So, do us all a favor, and pay for your music. In the long run, you'll be glad that you did.

Review - Finian's Rainbow Revisit

Earlier today, the revival of Finian's Rainbow played its final performance at the St. James Theater, and I must admit that I'm experiencing mixed feelings about this. I'm certainly sad to see the show go, but after seeing the production again last weekend, I think I have a clearer understanding of why it didn't catch on.

Some history: When I saw the show during its Encores stint, I found it tuneful but creaky. (Read my review) But when I saw the show on Broadway during previews, I was pretty darned charmed by the whole thing. (Read my review of the Broadway production.)

But, in retrospect, I think that's why Finian's Rainbow is closing at a loss. It's charming, it's sweet, it's tuneful. But it doesn't provide the emotional impact of South Pacific, the sweeping romance and spectacle of The Phantom of the Opera, or the fun and, well, razzle dazzle of Chicago.

Of course, Finian's Rainbow does have that glorious Burton Lane music, which is more than matched by the alternately heartfelt and clever lyrics of Yip Harburg. I was continually, almost in spite of myself, drawn in by the sheer magic of Lane's sweeping melodies. Numerous songs sent a chill up my spine as the luscious chords swelled from the orchestra pit, including "Look to the Rainbow" and "Come and Get It Day"

I still think that Finian's Rainbow is one of the best of the old-style musicals, but as I watched the show last week, I was lot more aware of the choppy nature of the book. There's something about Finian's Rainbow that just doesn't build. The show feels overly episodic, with the resolutions coming very shortly after their precipitating complications. So, although the show certainly provides its share of charms, they don't coalesce into a larger sense of catharsis.

Fortunately, we have the upcoming release of the Finian's Rainbow cast recording from PS Classics to look forward. Even if you didn't get a chance to see the show in New York, rest assured that most of the best that the production had to offer is on that CD. This may well prove to be the definitive recording of the show. You certainly couldn't ask for a better cast, particularly Kate Baldwin, Cheyenne Jackson, Jim Norton, Christopher Fitzgerald, and Terri White. But, honestly, there's not a weak link in the cast, at least not vocally. I get the feeling that this will be a recording to savor for years to come.

The Sound of Music 50th Anniversary CD -- Plus a Contest

Well, ladles and jelly spoons, it has officially been a half a century since the Broadway premier of The Sound of Music. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the original Broadway production, Sony has released a special commemorative CD of the original cast recording.

As is customary for these re-releases, this recording includes a number of bonus cuts, which here include a track from the long-out-of-print Julie and Carol at Carnegie Hall. Three years before Julie Andrews would appear in what is now her most iconic role, she sang a parody version of The Sound of Music with Carol Burnett called "From Switzerland: The Pratt Family." The results are moderately amusing, but hardly memorable, but perhaps it will tide us over until Columbia decides to re-release the full CD. 

The two remaining bonus cuts are of marginally greater interest. There's a German version of "Edelweiss" culled from the first-ever Viennese production of The Sound of Music. And perhaps most interesting is the cut with Tommy Körberg, of Chess fame, doing a stirring rendition of "Climb Every Mountain" ("Sök dig till bergen").

And then there's the cast recording itself. Every year, in my musical-theater history course, we briefly (very briefly) discuss The Sound of Music, and I posit the notion that, while the show is a sentimental favorite among theatergoers, it in fact represents a regression in quality on the part of Rodgers and Hammerstein. A number of my students invariably react as though I've kicked a puppy. But these students are likely reflecting their affection for the movie version of "The Sound of Music," which in many respects is a considerable improvement over the stage show. Despite the immense popularity that the film has engendered, neither the film nor the stage play can even come close to the artistry of Oklahoma!, Carousel, or The King and I, nor even South Pacific, for that matter, and regular readers will recall that I consider South Pacific to be the most overrated musical ever.

But I must confess a certain fondness for The Sound of Music. I grew up listening to a bunch of LPs that my parents had of various stage shows and movie musicals, although in retrospect it's strange that they even had those LPs since they never really listened to music at all. But I did, and I greedily devoured the cast recordings to Godspell, Mame, and Oliver, as well as the soundtracks to "West Side Story" and "The Sound of Music." That's probably where my obsession with musical theater began, so I guess I have my parents to thank for that. I was particularly taken with "How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria," and would flounce around the house singing it incessantly, singing all of the parts myself. (OK, so where does *that* fall on the Gay-O-Meter? Off the frickin' chart, huh?)

But I've never really been a fan of the cast recording of The Sound of Music. Perhaps my own initial fondness for the soundtrack has prevented me from ever truly enjoying the cast recording, or maybe it's because it was at this point in Mary Martin's career that her voice started to show some wear. In the '40s, Martin had a lovely resonance in her low notes and a slight delicacy to her upper range. But by the end of the '50s, Martin's lower range had become overly pronounced and mannish, while her upper range grew thin and raspy. So, I'll probably file this CD in my collection, and if I ever do get the urge to indulge in some old-fashioned R&H treacle, I'll probably just bust out the movie soundtrack or throw in the DVD.

And now, guys and dolls, for the fun part: The first ever EIKILFM trivia contest! I have an extra copy of the 50th anniversary CD to give away to one lucky reader. Below are five questions regarding The Sound of Music. Respond below with your answers, and in the very likely event that more than one person gets all of the questions correct, I'll select a winner randomly from those entries. (Don't worry about tipping other readers off to the answers. I won't publish the comments until I've selected a winner)

Good luck!

SOUND OF MUSIC TRIVIA CONTEST 

1. Name a song from the stage version of The Sound of Music that wasn't in the film.

2. Name a song from the film of The Sound of Music that wasn't in the stage version.

3. What was the last song that Rodgers and Hammerstein wrote together?

4. What role did Oscar Hammerstein *not* perform on The Sound of Music that he did perform on every other R&H show?

5. With what other show did The Sound of Music share its Best Musical Tony Award?

[CONTEST DEADLINE: 11/13/2009]

Heart and Music - a Benefit Recording for Pancreatic Cancer

All right, all you show-tune queens. Stop downloading that bootleg of the Finnish cast of Spring Awakening for a second and do something productive with your time.

One of my Boston Conservatory students -- the very talented and entrepreneurial Tyler Paul -- was recently the associate producer on a benefit recording for the Hirshberg Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research. Tyler tells me that he holds the cause of raising funds for and awareness about pancreatic cancer research very dear to his heart, as he lost his beloved great uncle to the disease early last year.

The recording is called Heart and Music, and it boasts performances from quite a few of my BoCo students, including Marissa Miller, Sarah Drake, Ben Simpson, Niki Sawyer, and Mr. Tyler Paul himself. The recording features a number of popular, contemporary theater songs, such as "In Whatever Time We Have" from Children of Eden, "A New World" from Songs for a New World, and the title song, "Heart and Music" from A New Brain. The recording also includes some pop standards, such as "Let it Be" and "Bridge Over Troubled Water." All of the proceeds go directly to the Hirshberg Foundation.

Heart and Music is available now on iTunes; in fact, it's currently ranked as the #10 vocal album, right between Josh Groban and Norah Jones. As Tyler said to me in an email, "Not too shabby, huh?"

No, my friend, not too shabby at all.

The Story of My Life to Receive Cast Recording

The Story of My Life will indeed live on. The good folks at PS Classics will issue a cast recording of the short-lived Broadway show. Co-stars Malcolm Gets and Will Chase will head into the recording studio on March 13th, and the CD is scheduled for release on June 2nd, according to Tommy Krasker, executive producer for PS Classics.

As I said in my review of The Story of My Life, Neil Bartram's terrific score was the best thing about the show, combined with the wonderfully modulated performances by Chase and Gets. And the cast recording makes it infinitely more likely that the show will enjoy a regional afterlife.

Apparently, that's exactly what the show's producers were thinking. According to a recent report by Peter Filichia, after the disappointing reviews for The Story of My Life came out, the producers made the decision to close the show rather than run through all of the investors' cash. "They felt that the money they hadn’t spent could be put to better use by making a cast album that could spur further productions," writes Filichia. "That would give the investors some return."

As I've said, I really think we're going to see this show blossom in regional theater, much in the same way that The Last Five Years, Seussical, and even Into the Woods didn't reach their full earnings potential until they hit the aftermarket. And I really hope this isn't the last we've heard from Neil Bartram and Brian Hill.

Next to Normal Will Play Broadway

After what appears to have been a successful run at the Arena Stage, the new musical Next to Normal is now Broadway bound. The entire Arena Stage cast -- including Alice Ripley, J. Robert Spencer, and Aaron Tveit -- will make the transfer to New York, where the show will play the Longacre Theater, recently vacated by Boeing-Boeing.

The producers have announced an unusual move: they will close off the Longacre balcony, reducing the number of potential audience members from 1,100 to 820. This is apparently to provide more intimacy for the six-character musical.

Regular readers will recall that I had problems with both the message and the execution of Next to Normal when I saw it at the Second Stage. (Read my review.) Librettist Brian Yorkey continues to contact me about my review and my subsequent postings about his show. I have no intention of responding to his mean-spirited emails, nor any interest in getting into a pissing contest. Although you'd think that someone who has a show about to open on Broadway would be a little more careful in his treatment of potential influencers. I'm no Michael Riedel, but I do have a decent number of readers, and many of them are influencers in their own right.

But, believe it or not, I do plan on taking in the show again when it comes to Broadway, and I encourage my readers to see the show as well, to form their own opinions. I hear there have been considerable changes to the show since its Off-Broadway run, and if I can give Billy Elliot and In the Heights a second chance, I can do no less for Next to Normal. But, if I have the same problems with the show that I had before (e.g. an inconstant tone, a preponderance of clichés, and a message that includes an apparent repudiation of psychiatry), I certainly reserve my right to make those opinions known.

In other Next to Normal news, the folks at Ghostlight Records recently recorded the score, which will be released at a future date TBD. 

Sondheim's Bounce Becomes Road Show

As many of you know, Stephen Sondheim's latest show will play the Public Theater this fall. Yesterday, the folks involved announced two key developments. First, the show formerly known as Bounce will now be called Road Show. Second, the Public production will star Michael Cerveris and Alexander Gemignani as the Mizner brothers.

The latter certainly makes sense, given that the director will be John Doyle, and the pair appeared in Doyle's roundly praised revival of Sweeney Todd. That and the fact that they're both terrificly talented performers who will certainly do the show proud.

And then there's the name change. This will be the show's fourth appellation. ("Um...pardon the big words I apply, but I was an English major at CCNY...") It was originally known as Wise Guys, then briefly as Gold. Sondheim tells Playbill's Harry Haun that the show has seen some major revisions since its 2003 Chicago and DC productions and subsequent recording, and the shift in focus warranted a new title. Characters have been added and dropped, and the overall theme of the show has shifted from "resilience" (ergo Bounce) to "divergent paths" (hence Road Show).

Hit or flop, triumphant success or resounding failure, a "new" Sondheim show, or even a thoroughly revamped version of a long-gestating Sondheim show, is always cause for celebration. I just joined the Public Theater so that I'll be able to obtain what is likely to be a very hot ticket indeed.

The Story So Far: New Sondheim Boxed Set

At first I wasn't all that excited about the recently announced Sondheim boxed set, which bears the title The Story So Far. After all, there have been Sondheim tributes and retrospectives up the wazoo. Then I discovered that Masterworks Broadway will be releasing the four-disc set on September 29th, which is my birthday.

Thank you, universe. Way to make it all about me.

In truth, the fact that the new boxed set will purportedly include more than 30 previously unreleased tracks had certainly caught my interest. (See the full track listing here.) Most of these tracks appear to be demos performed by Sondheim himself, including:

"There's Something About a War," A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
"A Hero is Coming," Anyone Can Whistle
"Happily Ever After," Company
"Can That Boy Fox Trot," Follies
"Silly People" and "Not Quite Night," A Little Night Music
"Prayers" and "There is No Other Way," Pacific Overtures

The recording will also feature previously unreleased studio tracks, such as cut songs from Into the Woods, including "Have to Give Her Someone" and "Interesting Questions." It will also include some recordings that are available elsewhere, including the songs from the "Evening Primrose" soundtrack, which recently came out on a limited-edition CD.

Perhaps most intriguing to me are the cuts from Saturday Night, Sondheim's legendary first effort, which didn't make it to Broadway because of the death of its producer. The songs have certainly been recorded before, but the tracks on the new set feature the late Jack Cassidy singing "Class" and Arte Johnson performing "Love's a Bond." I'm not quite sure where these recordings came from. Perhaps it was some kind of demo recording.

In related news, Broadway Masterworks will also be partnering up with ArkivMusic to distribute on-demand digital copies of Sondheim's and Jerry Herman's shows. Collectors will now have access to shows that have been long out-of-print, including Herman's The Grand Tour and the Pearl Bailey Hello, Dolly!. And, most exciting, the London cast of Hello, Dolly!, starring Mary Martin, will be available on CD for the first time ever. These ArkivMusic CDs are nearly identical to the originals, although some of them will feature bonus tracks. 

The on-demand format makes it far less expensive for the recording companies to distribute more "marginal" recordings. That's the great thing about the digital revolution: it's giving us access to wonderful recordings that we might not otherwise have been able to obtain.