Funny you mention this, because I meant to post about it a few weeks back, and then forgot as things got crazy.
The orchestrations happened to be the thing I liked the least about this revival. I understand they were going for a lower-budget feel, but to me they sounded thin at a lot of moments (worse in person than on the recording), and those references you mention didn't feel sufficiently subtle – like they were there more to show off than to augment the story. Maybe that's just my comfort with the source material speaking.
Also, I know the Broadway revival's isn't the authoritative recording, but I do love its Act I Finale and was dismayed to see it shortened to something that felt like a sitcom button. Same goes for its Entre'acte.
Of course, I respect the talent here and see where you're coming from. But the direction they took was not my cup of tea, to the point where it massively stood out to me while watching. To each their own.... |