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re: Herman's LA CAGE Score Tony

Posted by: Chromolume 12:58 am EDT 04/03/14
In reply to: re: Herman's LA CAGE Score Tony - RonAnnArbor 05:33 pm EDT 04/02/14

With some exceptions (most notably "Look Over There" and "The best Of Times") I tend to think the score is not at all Herman's best. A lot of the songs are serviceable and do their job, but they're not as compelling or exciting to me as the songs in Dolly, for instance. And some of them, IMO, just fall way short in terms of craft - I find "Mascara" and "Masculinity" to be sloppy writing at best, and that horrid "Cocktail Counterpoint" should have been thrown out from the start. And I think "I Am What I Am" is better than the sum of its parts - it's a stirring anthem that was very exciting for its time, but some of the lyrics just don't sit on the music very well, and there are even moments in the orchestration that I find annoying and odd.

So yes, for me, especially as a young gay male (in college at the time), the zeitgeist helped the show a great deal - I was excited to see a show that dealt so openly with gay relationships - but the material didn't really live up, at least to me. And Fierstein's overly campy book (I find the Cagelles intolerable and rather embarrassing, for instance) didn't help.

If I'm in the mood to listen to Sondheim, I might very well turn to Sunday, among other scores. If I'm in the mood to listen to Herman, it's rarely going to be anything from La Cage, when many of his earlier scores are just simply so much better crafted.


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re: Herman's LA CAGE Score Tony

Posted by: perfectlyfrank 12:23 pm EDT 04/03/14
In reply to: re: Herman's LA CAGE Score Tony - Chromolume 12:58 am EDT 04/03/14

Oh, I disagree. While Mascara and espcially "Masculinity" aren't my favorite, songs like "Song on the Sand" and the title song work for me.

I think "I Am What I Am" took on a life of its own as an anthem but what I liked best about that number is how it was previously used in the show as "We Are What We Are". The juxtaposition works for me.

I happen to like "Cocktail Counterpoint" but perhaps that has as much to do with the staging as the song itself. Then again, I could say the same for "The Day Off" or "It's Hot in Here" in SUNDAY. Some songs are simply meant to work within the confines of the show while others ("The Best of Times", "Putting it Together") can work equally well outside the show.

As for scores, both composers have written stronger scores - Sondheim's COMPANY and SWEENEY TODD are more "go to" Sondheim scores for me. HELLO DOLLY and "MACK AND MABEL" are Herman go to scores. But that doesn't mean SUNDAY and LA CAGE aren't strong scores for both composers. I guess in my world, I don't need to prefer one over the other. I enjoy them both and listen to them depending on my mood.


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"Cocktail Counterpoint"

Posted by: BrianJ 02:18 pm EDT 04/03/14
In reply to: re: Herman's LA CAGE Score Tony - perfectlyfrank 12:23 pm EDT 04/03/14

I like LA CAGE a lot - I think I'm definitely above the average LA CAGE-liking-level of people on this board. I think "I Am What I Am" and "Song on the Sand" are stupendous songs, the title song is great and "The Best of Times" is very good, and I like "A Little More Mascara" just fine.

However, I must agree with Chromolume here that "Cocktail Counterpoint" is a complete and utter piece of shit!!

(Not that you're not entitled to your opinion, perfectlyfrank.)


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re: "Cocktail Counterpoint"

Posted by: perfectlyfrank 03:48 pm EDT 04/03/14
In reply to: "Cocktail Counterpoint" - BrianJ 02:18 pm EDT 04/03/14

Again, I did not say that Cocktail Counterpoint is a great song. I said it works fine within the show and that may have to more to do with the staging and the story itself - the bit with the dishes always makes me laugh.


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re: "Cocktail Counterpoint"

Posted by: Chromolume 05:20 pm EDT 04/03/14
In reply to: re: "Cocktail Counterpoint" - perfectlyfrank 03:48 pm EDT 04/03/14

the bit with the dishes always makes me laugh.

It's funny the first time. When she has to keep repeating it, not so much.


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re: "Cocktail Counterpoint"

Posted by: bradmurf 07:40 pm EDT 04/03/14
In reply to: re: "Cocktail Counterpoint" - Chromolume 05:20 pm EDT 04/03/14

"Cocktail Counterpoint" reminds me of the Pines. I prefer the Grove, where this song would be called "Drinks."


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re: Herman's LA CAGE Score Tony

Posted by: Chromolume 12:58 pm EDT 04/03/14
In reply to: re: Herman's LA CAGE Score Tony - perfectlyfrank 12:23 pm EDT 04/03/14

I confess I totally forgot about "Song On The Sand" - oops - yes, that is a very fine song. ;-)


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