Christina Applegate might have won the Tony had she not starred with Denis O’Hare. That sounds horribly cruel, but Denis O’Hare’s undeniable stage presence acted as a foil for Applegate’s considerable television abilities. It was like coloring with crayons as a child and thinking they’re great . . . until you met markers.
Denis O’Hare onstage in Sweet Charity was everything a Broadway star should be. The moment he appeared, he illuminated that stage. He had the talent to make Oscar the most charming quirk ever, both adorable and weird, but he embodied that un-bottle-able stage presence that demands your attention. There are extremely talented performers, and then there are those who have “it.” Denis O’Hare has “it.”
I love hearing him on the revival cast recording, and even if you didn’t see the revival, his Oscar makes the CD worth having. His “I’m the Bravest Individual” is a highlight on the CD as he talks himself out of his phobia through the song. And Oscar’s two solo-ish songs, which I skip over on the OBCR, I love to hear.
My only other encounters with O’Hare have been in the revival cast recording of Assassins and in the television Once Upon a Mattress. Again, with Charles Guiteau, O’Hare creates another quirk, though this one is admittedly less charming. He’s a splendid addition to such a strong cast, and the CD serves to prove his versatility and talent. In Once Upon a Mattress, he makes the prince a loveable mamma’s boy.
Getting to Know You Interview: http://www.broadway.com/gen/Buzz_Story.aspx?ci=511600
the Broadway Mouth
July 24, 2007
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Monday, July 23, 2007
Amazing Broadway Performer: Sherie René Scott
When you don’t live in New York, you consider yourself blessed beyond measure for getting to see a Broadway star of Sherie René Scott’s caliber once. I can’t tell you how thrilled I am to have been able to see her twice.
I first saw her in Aida. I had never heard of her before, except for her appearance on the Aida concept album. I figured that Heather Headley and Adam Pascal would blow her out of the water. Oh, but then she sang, “This is the story of a love that flourished in a time of hate,” and I learned Sherie René Scott is no third wheel to anyone.
Scott gives those stick-to-your-ribs types of performances, so when you’re listening to a CD, you can remember what she did and how she did it. I adored her layered Amneris with her rock ‘n roll inflections, and whenever I page through my souvenir program, I remember her simple feminine qualities which sheltered a deeper, stronger person trying to break out. And when she came out in the black dress to belt out the ending to “My Strongest Suit,” I was exhilarated beyond words.
How great it was that she had returned to Dirty Rotten Scoundrels by the time I made it to the show in its final month. I don’t want to give away too much of the show, but I totally fell in love with her character and, like every other person in the theatre, was cheering for her by the end of the show. Listening to her say with such great excitement, “These fries are French!” on the OBCR is one of the highlights for me.
I know she’ll make a delightful Ursula in The Little Mermaid, and I can’t wait to hear what she does with “Poor Unfortunate Souls,” and I hope to be able to see her in the part as well. If I miss another Sherie René Scott role, I’ll surely be a poor unfortunate soul myself.
After seeing her in Aida, I was compelled to buy her Men I’ve Had CD. I would love to hear a more theatrical solo album, but she sounds great. And the picture on the back of the case is worth the price alone.
Getting to Know You Interview: http://www.broadway.com/gen/Buzz_Story.aspx?ci=512596&pn=1
the Broadway Mouth
July 23, 2007
I first saw her in Aida. I had never heard of her before, except for her appearance on the Aida concept album. I figured that Heather Headley and Adam Pascal would blow her out of the water. Oh, but then she sang, “This is the story of a love that flourished in a time of hate,” and I learned Sherie René Scott is no third wheel to anyone.
Scott gives those stick-to-your-ribs types of performances, so when you’re listening to a CD, you can remember what she did and how she did it. I adored her layered Amneris with her rock ‘n roll inflections, and whenever I page through my souvenir program, I remember her simple feminine qualities which sheltered a deeper, stronger person trying to break out. And when she came out in the black dress to belt out the ending to “My Strongest Suit,” I was exhilarated beyond words.
How great it was that she had returned to Dirty Rotten Scoundrels by the time I made it to the show in its final month. I don’t want to give away too much of the show, but I totally fell in love with her character and, like every other person in the theatre, was cheering for her by the end of the show. Listening to her say with such great excitement, “These fries are French!” on the OBCR is one of the highlights for me.
I know she’ll make a delightful Ursula in The Little Mermaid, and I can’t wait to hear what she does with “Poor Unfortunate Souls,” and I hope to be able to see her in the part as well. If I miss another Sherie René Scott role, I’ll surely be a poor unfortunate soul myself.
After seeing her in Aida, I was compelled to buy her Men I’ve Had CD. I would love to hear a more theatrical solo album, but she sounds great. And the picture on the back of the case is worth the price alone.
Getting to Know You Interview: http://www.broadway.com/gen/Buzz_Story.aspx?ci=512596&pn=1
the Broadway Mouth
July 23, 2007
Friday, July 20, 2007
Amazing Broadway Performer: Carly Jibson
While I do keep up with what’s going on in the Broadway World despite my distance from 42nd Street, I try not to learn too much about new shows until I get a chance to see them on tour or on Broadway. Yes, I record shows when they appear on The Today Show and love the Tony Awards, but if I can, I like to walk into shows expecting nothing but what I’m given by that particular cast.
Let me tell you, I didn’t expect a lighting rod of a talent like Carly Jibson when I saw the tour of Hairspray. It was as if she was a never-ending wind-up toy, and she danced and sang around the stage like she was channeling the energy of Speedy Gonzales and the sweetness of Tweety Bird. The moment her eyes opened in bed and got to “Woke,” you couldn’t help but be madly in love with her Tracy Turnblad.
She was everything Tracy must be—cute beyond belief, perky, passionate, tough, spunky, and adorable. I vividly remember so much of her performance—her dancing with Penny (Alli Mauzy) to the opening of The Corny Collins Show, her cute walk, her gleeful spunk as she finally topped Amber Von Tussle—that you’d think I saw it yesterday. When I saw an excellent Tracy on Broadway and another charmer in the film version, I still couldn’t help but see Carly Jibson echoing in my mind. That’s not a negative reflection of these two other very talented women; it’s simply a comment on the young talent of Carly Jibson.
I can’t wait to see Carly Jibson on stage again. I believe she was only nineteen when I saw her in Hairspray. All that talent and only nineteen . . . I get excited thinking of all the great roles she could conquer as she gets more and more experience under her belt.
Getting to Know You Interview: http://www.broadway.com/gen/Buzz_Story.aspx?ci=40134
Broadway Mouth
July 20, 2007
Let me tell you, I didn’t expect a lighting rod of a talent like Carly Jibson when I saw the tour of Hairspray. It was as if she was a never-ending wind-up toy, and she danced and sang around the stage like she was channeling the energy of Speedy Gonzales and the sweetness of Tweety Bird. The moment her eyes opened in bed and got to “Woke,” you couldn’t help but be madly in love with her Tracy Turnblad.
She was everything Tracy must be—cute beyond belief, perky, passionate, tough, spunky, and adorable. I vividly remember so much of her performance—her dancing with Penny (Alli Mauzy) to the opening of The Corny Collins Show, her cute walk, her gleeful spunk as she finally topped Amber Von Tussle—that you’d think I saw it yesterday. When I saw an excellent Tracy on Broadway and another charmer in the film version, I still couldn’t help but see Carly Jibson echoing in my mind. That’s not a negative reflection of these two other very talented women; it’s simply a comment on the young talent of Carly Jibson.
I can’t wait to see Carly Jibson on stage again. I believe she was only nineteen when I saw her in Hairspray. All that talent and only nineteen . . . I get excited thinking of all the great roles she could conquer as she gets more and more experience under her belt.
Getting to Know You Interview: http://www.broadway.com/gen/Buzz_Story.aspx?ci=40134
Broadway Mouth
July 20, 2007
Film Musicals: The $50 Million Answer
The key to any successful business venture is to produce a product at a low enough price without resorting to amoral manufacturing methods (such as exploitative labor) to achieve that low cost. You figure out what you think you can make, then produce the item for less than that amount, keeping in mind the all-important profit margin.
Fortunately for Hollywood, there is actually a simple mathematical equation for producing live-action film musicals. While I am no mathematician, I am hoping to get a portrait in Sardi’s someday for this genius discovery of Pythagorasian proportions.
In surveying the recent past, the almost sure-fire gross of a musical film (provided there is adequate advertising and decent reviews) is $50 million.
(Pause for effect.)
The problem has been that a number of recent live-action musicals have cost that much to produce, so they essentially are only earning back their production costs in their theatrical run and are still falling short in earning back marketing costs, though I’m sure they all generate a profit on DVD and when taking overseas grosses into consideration.
Evita, which had mixed reviews back in 1996, brought in $55 million. Moulin Rouge, which had stronger reviews, pulled in $57 million in domestic gross in 2001. Interestingly enough, despite having comparable budgets, meaning nearly equal profit or loss, Moulin Rouge was seen as a big hit and kick-stepped the recent interest in film musicals. The Phantom of the Opera earned $51 million in 2004.
There are two aberration in my sound scientific, mathematic, afro-tastic, and philosophic theory—The Producers and Rent. The film of The Producers made only $19 million. That gross must be tempered, however, with its lack of marketing. In my city, there were a lot of theaters playing it like any other wide release, but the marketing was so anorexic, you’d hardly have ever known it was playing. Rent garnered only $29 million in 2005.
However, when musicals are successes, they succeed big-time. Chicago and Dreamgirls both made it to the $100 million mark, with Chicago at $170 million and Dreamgirls at $103 million, also having high-selling soundtracks, getting Oscar nominations and wins, and doing very well on the DVD front.
It’s interesting to look at critics’ views when analyzing box office data. According to Rotten Tomatoes, Evita was 66% fresh, Moulin Rouge was 78% fresh, The Phantom of the Opera was only 33% fresh, Rent was only 48% fresh, and The Producers only 52% fresh. Dreamgirls was 78% fresh, while mega-hit Chicago was 87% fresh. Today’s debut, Hairspray, no shocker, is at 94% fresh.
This year there are at least three big musicals coming our way. Opening today is the awesome adaptation of Hairspray, which I have a feeling will be a big hit. Then there is an all-new musical, Disney’s Enchanted, which features Broadway’s own Idina Menzel (let’s hope this is a big hit; perhaps Idina could have a big enough name to take on Amneris in the Aida adaptation). These will be followed by Tim Burton’s Sweeney Todd, which, with Burton and Johnny Depp attached, is sure to garner a considerable amount of buzz.
So, if studios can keep budgets in line and produce a strong film, they can seem to count on a $50 million gross. One way to keep budgets in line is to hire top new talent who don’t require huge salaries. For example, Disney could keep costs down of their planned Aida film by using a major talent like, um, let’s just say Heather Headley as an example—who has name-recognition in the African-American community and could do the part better than anyone else and deserves to—rather than tapping a big music star who cannot act the part and will cost several millions more to cast. Look at The Phantom of the Opera. There was only one named minor star, Minnie Driver, and it did $51 million in business.
Looking at this burgeoning boom of musicals on film, I can’t help but become thrilled. When I was a kid, I remember lamenting the lack of new film musicals. I loved Newsies so much, I managed to see it twice during its blink-and-you-missed-it run. By the time Evita was released, I was in college, and I think I saw it four or five times because I knew seeing it on the big screen could never be repeated at home.
I never believed the industry pundits who said people wouldn’t buy a musical today. When musicals that were done well were played on television—Mrs. Santa Claus, Cinderella, South Pacific, and Annie—they were monumental hits on television and on video. One success could be a fluke. But more than one, no way.
And yes, if my remembrance serves me correctly, Gepetto, The Music Man, The Christmas Carol, and Once Upon a Mattress weren’t such mega-hits, but they also weren’t very good.
So, I can’t wait to see how Hairspray does this weekend. It’s crucial that everyone who can goes out to see it because as musicals grow in popularity, the more studios will make. Plus, for kids like me for whom attending a Broadway show was as unreachable as flying like Peter Pan, it is great musical films like Hairspray that will help create more generations of Broadway attendees and creators.
To see my spoiler-free review of Hairspray (“The Beat Goes On: Yes, They Got Hairspray Right!”), just look for it on the index to your right. I would like to make one addition, which is that I did see Ratatouille and found it extremely enjoyable; however, Hairspray is the best movie I’ve seen all summer.
the Broadway Mouth
July 20, 2007
Fortunately for Hollywood, there is actually a simple mathematical equation for producing live-action film musicals. While I am no mathematician, I am hoping to get a portrait in Sardi’s someday for this genius discovery of Pythagorasian proportions.
In surveying the recent past, the almost sure-fire gross of a musical film (provided there is adequate advertising and decent reviews) is $50 million.
(Pause for effect.)
The problem has been that a number of recent live-action musicals have cost that much to produce, so they essentially are only earning back their production costs in their theatrical run and are still falling short in earning back marketing costs, though I’m sure they all generate a profit on DVD and when taking overseas grosses into consideration.
Evita, which had mixed reviews back in 1996, brought in $55 million. Moulin Rouge, which had stronger reviews, pulled in $57 million in domestic gross in 2001. Interestingly enough, despite having comparable budgets, meaning nearly equal profit or loss, Moulin Rouge was seen as a big hit and kick-stepped the recent interest in film musicals. The Phantom of the Opera earned $51 million in 2004.
There are two aberration in my sound scientific, mathematic, afro-tastic, and philosophic theory—The Producers and Rent. The film of The Producers made only $19 million. That gross must be tempered, however, with its lack of marketing. In my city, there were a lot of theaters playing it like any other wide release, but the marketing was so anorexic, you’d hardly have ever known it was playing. Rent garnered only $29 million in 2005.
However, when musicals are successes, they succeed big-time. Chicago and Dreamgirls both made it to the $100 million mark, with Chicago at $170 million and Dreamgirls at $103 million, also having high-selling soundtracks, getting Oscar nominations and wins, and doing very well on the DVD front.
It’s interesting to look at critics’ views when analyzing box office data. According to Rotten Tomatoes, Evita was 66% fresh, Moulin Rouge was 78% fresh, The Phantom of the Opera was only 33% fresh, Rent was only 48% fresh, and The Producers only 52% fresh. Dreamgirls was 78% fresh, while mega-hit Chicago was 87% fresh. Today’s debut, Hairspray, no shocker, is at 94% fresh.
This year there are at least three big musicals coming our way. Opening today is the awesome adaptation of Hairspray, which I have a feeling will be a big hit. Then there is an all-new musical, Disney’s Enchanted, which features Broadway’s own Idina Menzel (let’s hope this is a big hit; perhaps Idina could have a big enough name to take on Amneris in the Aida adaptation). These will be followed by Tim Burton’s Sweeney Todd, which, with Burton and Johnny Depp attached, is sure to garner a considerable amount of buzz.
So, if studios can keep budgets in line and produce a strong film, they can seem to count on a $50 million gross. One way to keep budgets in line is to hire top new talent who don’t require huge salaries. For example, Disney could keep costs down of their planned Aida film by using a major talent like, um, let’s just say Heather Headley as an example—who has name-recognition in the African-American community and could do the part better than anyone else and deserves to—rather than tapping a big music star who cannot act the part and will cost several millions more to cast. Look at The Phantom of the Opera. There was only one named minor star, Minnie Driver, and it did $51 million in business.
Looking at this burgeoning boom of musicals on film, I can’t help but become thrilled. When I was a kid, I remember lamenting the lack of new film musicals. I loved Newsies so much, I managed to see it twice during its blink-and-you-missed-it run. By the time Evita was released, I was in college, and I think I saw it four or five times because I knew seeing it on the big screen could never be repeated at home.
I never believed the industry pundits who said people wouldn’t buy a musical today. When musicals that were done well were played on television—Mrs. Santa Claus, Cinderella, South Pacific, and Annie—they were monumental hits on television and on video. One success could be a fluke. But more than one, no way.
And yes, if my remembrance serves me correctly, Gepetto, The Music Man, The Christmas Carol, and Once Upon a Mattress weren’t such mega-hits, but they also weren’t very good.
So, I can’t wait to see how Hairspray does this weekend. It’s crucial that everyone who can goes out to see it because as musicals grow in popularity, the more studios will make. Plus, for kids like me for whom attending a Broadway show was as unreachable as flying like Peter Pan, it is great musical films like Hairspray that will help create more generations of Broadway attendees and creators.
To see my spoiler-free review of Hairspray (“The Beat Goes On: Yes, They Got Hairspray Right!”), just look for it on the index to your right. I would like to make one addition, which is that I did see Ratatouille and found it extremely enjoyable; however, Hairspray is the best movie I’ve seen all summer.
the Broadway Mouth
July 20, 2007
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Amazing Broadway Performer: Cleavant Derricks
This was another case of walking into a show and not realizing the name before me but walking out in awe. I walked into the tour of Brooklyn knowing Melba Moore from the Purlie CD and Diana DeGarmo from American Idol. But I walked out thrilled to have seen them and in love with the talent of Cleavant Derricks.
Right away when the show began, the moment Cleavant Derricks rocked out in “Heart Behind These Hands,” I was in awe. People thought they came to see Diana DeGarmo and Melba Moore, but it was then they realized that they wanted to hear more from the Streetsinger. The CD does a great job of capturing his performance, but like it is for the best of Broadway performers, it cannot fully communicate the power of the live performance. He filled that theatre with his voice like a rock star, standing out even in perfectly harmonized group numbers.
I didn’t even know he was one of the original cast members in Dreamgirls until after the show. That just goes to prove, there are names and there are talents. Sometimes they go together. Sometimes they don’t. No matter what show, no matter what role, no matter what name, Cleavant Derricks proves that talent always, always rises above.
In addition to hearing him handle more rock scores (He’d be a great fit for The Civil War.), I would love to hear Derricks handle traditional theatre scores. How exciting it would be to witness him performing some of those great Rodgers and Hammerstein songs or even the music of some of the contemporary classics. I don’t know about you, but I smell a perfect talent for a solo album. That is, alongside more theatre roles.
Website: http://www.cleavantderricks.com
Okay, this isn’t exactly Dreamgirls, but this was the best I could find. As Tracy Turnblad would say, “It’s afro-tastic!”
Broadway Mouth
July 19, 2007
Right away when the show began, the moment Cleavant Derricks rocked out in “Heart Behind These Hands,” I was in awe. People thought they came to see Diana DeGarmo and Melba Moore, but it was then they realized that they wanted to hear more from the Streetsinger. The CD does a great job of capturing his performance, but like it is for the best of Broadway performers, it cannot fully communicate the power of the live performance. He filled that theatre with his voice like a rock star, standing out even in perfectly harmonized group numbers.
I didn’t even know he was one of the original cast members in Dreamgirls until after the show. That just goes to prove, there are names and there are talents. Sometimes they go together. Sometimes they don’t. No matter what show, no matter what role, no matter what name, Cleavant Derricks proves that talent always, always rises above.
In addition to hearing him handle more rock scores (He’d be a great fit for The Civil War.), I would love to hear Derricks handle traditional theatre scores. How exciting it would be to witness him performing some of those great Rodgers and Hammerstein songs or even the music of some of the contemporary classics. I don’t know about you, but I smell a perfect talent for a solo album. That is, alongside more theatre roles.
Website: http://www.cleavantderricks.com
Okay, this isn’t exactly Dreamgirls, but this was the best I could find. As Tracy Turnblad would say, “It’s afro-tastic!”
Broadway Mouth
July 19, 2007
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Amazing Broadway Performer: Mary Testa
I first met the talent of Mary Testa as she was singing about selling the kids in “Cincinnati” from Marie Christine. As I would drive around unable to take the CD out of my car stereo because I loved it so much, I loved the brassiness in Testa’s voice, though I didn’t yet know who she was.
Seven or eight months later, I’m sitting in the Ford Center for the Performing Arts watching a million chorus kids dancing away in flashy costumes with bright Colgate smiles, and I hear this voice. It took me about two second to realize, “Hey, that’s the woman from Marie Christine!” Her Maggie Jones was one of the highlights of that evening for me. It was a fantastic cast, but I loved Testa’s old school Broadway bravura, that voice that shouts out to the back of the theatre, defying microphones to contain it.
There are so few character actors today, either on film or on stage, and Mary Testa is a classic with the best of them. What I love is that she does have that classic stage presence in her voice and demeanor, but she’s tempered it with contemporary acting restraint. It’s too bad that Whoopi, on which she was doing a reoccurring role, didn’t last longer. With such a talent, Testa would have had a chance to make some inroads into Hollywood to become one of those well-known bicoastal stars whose name can sell tickets to tourists.
I know Testa has a slew of Broadway credits, but my other encounter with her has been as Domina on the Nathan Lane revival recording of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. Needless to say, I love her “That Dirty Old Man.”
She’s recently opened in Xanadu. I would love to see Kerry Butler in person, but for me, the main reason to see Xanadu would be Mary Testa.
Getting to Know You Interview: http://www.playbill.com/news/article/110074.html
Video Footage: http://www.broadwayworld.com/viewcolumn.cfm?colid=18189
Broadway Mouth
July 18, 2007
Seven or eight months later, I’m sitting in the Ford Center for the Performing Arts watching a million chorus kids dancing away in flashy costumes with bright Colgate smiles, and I hear this voice. It took me about two second to realize, “Hey, that’s the woman from Marie Christine!” Her Maggie Jones was one of the highlights of that evening for me. It was a fantastic cast, but I loved Testa’s old school Broadway bravura, that voice that shouts out to the back of the theatre, defying microphones to contain it.
There are so few character actors today, either on film or on stage, and Mary Testa is a classic with the best of them. What I love is that she does have that classic stage presence in her voice and demeanor, but she’s tempered it with contemporary acting restraint. It’s too bad that Whoopi, on which she was doing a reoccurring role, didn’t last longer. With such a talent, Testa would have had a chance to make some inroads into Hollywood to become one of those well-known bicoastal stars whose name can sell tickets to tourists.
I know Testa has a slew of Broadway credits, but my other encounter with her has been as Domina on the Nathan Lane revival recording of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. Needless to say, I love her “That Dirty Old Man.”
She’s recently opened in Xanadu. I would love to see Kerry Butler in person, but for me, the main reason to see Xanadu would be Mary Testa.
Getting to Know You Interview: http://www.playbill.com/news/article/110074.html
Video Footage: http://www.broadwayworld.com/viewcolumn.cfm?colid=18189
Broadway Mouth
July 18, 2007
“When you’re listening to this, try to ignore the lyrics. I know it’ll be difficult, but block them out. They’re not the best . . ."
The full title: “When you’re listening to this, try to ignore the lyrics. I know it’ll be difficult, but block them out. They’re not the best. But the tune is beautiful.” or . . . Upon Finally Buying the Tarzan OBCR
The fact that it took me eleven months to buy the Original Broadway Cast recording of Tarzan says a lot. I consider buying the cast recording an essential part of attending a Broadway show. You’ve just doled out $50-$125 (or maybe even $450) for a show, and listening to the CD is one of the best ways of remembering what you saw. The only other Broadway recording to get such a delay from me was Brooklyn, which was a length of about seven months.
I detailed some of my thoughts on Tarzan in a June blog entry entitled “Broadway Funk: Overhauling Tarzan,” so no fear, I’m not going to go into that here.
Upon hearing the new songs again for the fist time since last August, two observations come to mind. First of all, the lyrics are as bad as I remembered them. The songs from the original film are great, but of all the new songs, only the lyrics of “Who Better Than Me” rival those of the original songs. Even the lyrics of its reprise fall short.
But I’m also struck by how beautiful Collins’ music is and how the songs truly communicate important ideas in the story. Take “I Need to Know,” young Tarzan’s aching lament about his between-two-worlds life. The lyrics, yes, are dopey, but the concept is dead-on with what the character is experiencing, and its unusual melody is both melancholy and searching. It helps that Alex Rutherford has a strong voice but is also vulnerable in communicating the character’s predicament. Because of the lyrics, the song is almost un-listenable, but if you can block them out, the tune is very fitting.
Another great tune is Jane’s “Waiting for This Moment,” which, in its music, effectively expresses Jane’s excitement and wonderment around her. I honestly don’t know how much of that credit goes to Collins’ original music or to Doug Besterman’s orchestrations, but I can honestly say I love hearing that song.
“Different” is another example of this phenomena. It has a strange melody, but when you listen to what the lyrics are pounding into your head, that melody is very fitting. I have also fallen in love with Jane and Porter’s “Like No Man I’ve Ever Seen,” which is so whimsical in its orchestrations that it makes for a fun listen . . . despite the lyrics. It suits the characters perfectly . . . musically, that is.
The songs from the film make for excellent listening in their new arrangements, and I would actually be satisfied with my purchase with those songs alone.
This recording really makes me long for the Tarzan that might have been. If you watch the bonus features of the Brother Bear DVD, for which Phil Collins wrote songs that rival his film Tarzan songs, he addresses his experience co-writing the film’s underscore. When asked to write songs for Brother Bear, he expressed his desire to Disney to tackle the film underscore, so they paired him up with Mark Mancina, who has written a number of film scores. On the DVD, Mancina talks about hearing Collins’ first attempt at scoring. Collins thought it was great, but then Mancina used it as a learning experience to show him the many places where it needed improvement. By the end of the film, there wasn’t one ounce of bad underscore, and you can’t tell where Mancina’s work ends and Collins’ begins.
It’s a tragedy that that didn’t happen here. Listen to the music! It’s wonderful music. Had Collins’ been paired with a theatrical lyricist, such as David Zippel, something great could have evolved from what we have here. From the interviews on the DVD, Collins seems like a true artist, more concerned about the result rather than ego. I bet he would have been open to working with and learning from a collaborator.
I also can’t possibly talk about the Tarzan OBC recording without addressing the talent. Holy cow, I love hearing these voices! I was so thrilled to get beloved Merle Dandridge on CD, and I can’t get enough of her “You’ll Be in My Heart.” I also love hearing her in “No Other Way” because you hear a hint of her great interpretation of Aida in her passionate stance for her adopted son. Her amazing voice always rises above all those lyrics she’s given.
A pleasant surprise is Jenn Gambatese. Wow! I can’t get enough of hearing her sing on the CD. What a pretty voice in a traditional theatre sense. I love her playful line “I’m not following you, Daddy,” and her “Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no.” Yes, I know the latter is pretty pathetic lyrically, but she’s so cute when she says it.
Josh Strickland, whose great voice I vividly recalled from seeing the show, is in strong form on the CD. I do hope he gets a shot at a role in a better show. Chestor Gregory II is also in fine voice.
No shocker, Shuler Hensley sounds great. He makes for a strong but human ape leader.
I also think Disney should be applauded for giving both talented actors who portrayed Young Tarzan a chance to sing on the CD. You know darn well it cost them a pretty penny to do that when they didn’t need to, but how generous of them considering how one of those kids would have felt at not having the chance to record.
So, maybe I’m just another Man in Chair (and you know many of you are, too), but he describes the Tarzan CD best when he says:
Broadway Mouth
July 18, 2007
The fact that it took me eleven months to buy the Original Broadway Cast recording of Tarzan says a lot. I consider buying the cast recording an essential part of attending a Broadway show. You’ve just doled out $50-$125 (or maybe even $450) for a show, and listening to the CD is one of the best ways of remembering what you saw. The only other Broadway recording to get such a delay from me was Brooklyn, which was a length of about seven months.
I detailed some of my thoughts on Tarzan in a June blog entry entitled “Broadway Funk: Overhauling Tarzan,” so no fear, I’m not going to go into that here.
Upon hearing the new songs again for the fist time since last August, two observations come to mind. First of all, the lyrics are as bad as I remembered them. The songs from the original film are great, but of all the new songs, only the lyrics of “Who Better Than Me” rival those of the original songs. Even the lyrics of its reprise fall short.
But I’m also struck by how beautiful Collins’ music is and how the songs truly communicate important ideas in the story. Take “I Need to Know,” young Tarzan’s aching lament about his between-two-worlds life. The lyrics, yes, are dopey, but the concept is dead-on with what the character is experiencing, and its unusual melody is both melancholy and searching. It helps that Alex Rutherford has a strong voice but is also vulnerable in communicating the character’s predicament. Because of the lyrics, the song is almost un-listenable, but if you can block them out, the tune is very fitting.
Another great tune is Jane’s “Waiting for This Moment,” which, in its music, effectively expresses Jane’s excitement and wonderment around her. I honestly don’t know how much of that credit goes to Collins’ original music or to Doug Besterman’s orchestrations, but I can honestly say I love hearing that song.
“Different” is another example of this phenomena. It has a strange melody, but when you listen to what the lyrics are pounding into your head, that melody is very fitting. I have also fallen in love with Jane and Porter’s “Like No Man I’ve Ever Seen,” which is so whimsical in its orchestrations that it makes for a fun listen . . . despite the lyrics. It suits the characters perfectly . . . musically, that is.
The songs from the film make for excellent listening in their new arrangements, and I would actually be satisfied with my purchase with those songs alone.
This recording really makes me long for the Tarzan that might have been. If you watch the bonus features of the Brother Bear DVD, for which Phil Collins wrote songs that rival his film Tarzan songs, he addresses his experience co-writing the film’s underscore. When asked to write songs for Brother Bear, he expressed his desire to Disney to tackle the film underscore, so they paired him up with Mark Mancina, who has written a number of film scores. On the DVD, Mancina talks about hearing Collins’ first attempt at scoring. Collins thought it was great, but then Mancina used it as a learning experience to show him the many places where it needed improvement. By the end of the film, there wasn’t one ounce of bad underscore, and you can’t tell where Mancina’s work ends and Collins’ begins.
It’s a tragedy that that didn’t happen here. Listen to the music! It’s wonderful music. Had Collins’ been paired with a theatrical lyricist, such as David Zippel, something great could have evolved from what we have here. From the interviews on the DVD, Collins seems like a true artist, more concerned about the result rather than ego. I bet he would have been open to working with and learning from a collaborator.
I also can’t possibly talk about the Tarzan OBC recording without addressing the talent. Holy cow, I love hearing these voices! I was so thrilled to get beloved Merle Dandridge on CD, and I can’t get enough of her “You’ll Be in My Heart.” I also love hearing her in “No Other Way” because you hear a hint of her great interpretation of Aida in her passionate stance for her adopted son. Her amazing voice always rises above all those lyrics she’s given.
A pleasant surprise is Jenn Gambatese. Wow! I can’t get enough of hearing her sing on the CD. What a pretty voice in a traditional theatre sense. I love her playful line “I’m not following you, Daddy,” and her “Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no.” Yes, I know the latter is pretty pathetic lyrically, but she’s so cute when she says it.
Josh Strickland, whose great voice I vividly recalled from seeing the show, is in strong form on the CD. I do hope he gets a shot at a role in a better show. Chestor Gregory II is also in fine voice.
No shocker, Shuler Hensley sounds great. He makes for a strong but human ape leader.
I also think Disney should be applauded for giving both talented actors who portrayed Young Tarzan a chance to sing on the CD. You know darn well it cost them a pretty penny to do that when they didn’t need to, but how generous of them considering how one of those kids would have felt at not having the chance to record.
So, maybe I’m just another Man in Chair (and you know many of you are, too), but he describes the Tarzan CD best when he says:
When you’re listening to this, try to ignore the lyrics. I know it’ll be difficult, but block them out. They’re not the best. But the tune is beautiful.
Broadway Mouth
July 18, 2007
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