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With all the talk of the Disneyfication of Broadway, 2003 just might be known as its Hensonification, with puppet heavy productions of Little Shop of Horrors and Avenue Q just blocks from each other (and with The Lion King still contributing to the high puppet quotient, all we need is Carnival and Flahooley to make the season complete). Show music lovers are prime recipients of this bounty, as it has not only produced one of the best new cast albums of the season (Avenue Q), but a solid, more complete version of an old favorite: Little Shop of Horrors.
While the original Off-Broadway cast album remains one of the most enjoyable of cast albums to grace one's library, space limitations inherent in LP production means that it is not an ideal representation of the show. One of the main reasons to rush out and buy the new Broadway Cast Recording is that it preserves practically every note from one of the quirkiest musicals ever written. Some of the highlights of previously missing material is an expanded "Now (It's Just the Gas)" that preserves the counterpoint between Orin, the sadistic dentist/boyfriend of Audrey, and Seymour, as well as more complete recordings of "The Meek Shall Inherit" and "Mushnik & Son," plus the inclusion of the second act reprise of "Somewhere That's Green," the creepy finale to act one (the B movie organ orchestrations make for an especially effective touch), the frenetic opening to act two ("Call Back in the Morning"), and enough dialogue snippets to make the recording flow seamlessly. All of this, of course, would make for a good museum piece versus an enjoyable cast album if the performances were not up to par, and even in this regard the recording doesn't disappoint. While the cast has admittedly big shoes to fill (especially Kerry Butler, who has the unenviable task of stepping into iconoclast Ellen Greene's spike heels as the pneumatic fallen angel Audrey), they largely succeed in making the parts their own. Hunter Foster is by turns nebbish and touching as Seymour and gives solid renditions of all his numbers. Kerry Butler plays Audrey more as a worn down New Yorker than ditzy airhead victim, which makes for a surprisingly touching turn in "Somewhere That's Green," during which one feels it is the first time she has realized Seymour could be more than just a friend. Rob Bartlett has discovered his inner Zero Mostel as Seymour's boss/father figure Mushnik and mines all the humor to be found in "Mushnik & Son." As the rebel with a drill Orin (as well as a host of other characters), Douglas Sills plays the most against usual portrayal (Elvis impersonator or dark, brooding dominator), especially with "Dentist!," which is milked for every comic turn. All this, plus five bonus tracks consisting of cut numbers from the musical and its screen adaptation (two of which, "The Way He Treats Me" and "I Found A Hobby" are receiving their initial release) make this a must have CD.
The Boy From Oz (subtitled "The Musical of a Lifetime") is a musical biography of Australia's favorite 'local boy makes good,' Peter Allen, whose playfully over the top sexuality and stage presence made him a concert star in the '70s and '80s. A moderately successful songwriter, thanks to hits like "Don't Cry Out Loud" (co-written with Carole Bayer Sager) and "I Honestly Love You" (co-written with Jeff Barry), as well as providing two lines for the Oscar winning theme from Arthur, Allen also wrote and starred in the Broadway flop Legs Diamond before dying of AIDS in 1992. Over twenty of Allen's tunes have been woven into this 'Will Rogers Follies meets Mamma Mia!' musical, and his songs range from typical '70s/'80s pop ("Continental American") to touching ballads that verge on the schmaltzy (but thankfully never fully cross the line), like "I Honestly Love You" and "Don't Cry Out Loud," to surprisingly strong character driven numbers ("Quiet, Please, There's A Lady on Stage" and "She Loves to Hear the Music" being prime examples) and strong power ballads ("Love Don't Need a Reason" and "The Lives of Me"). The most fun numbers are the over-the-top camp songs, like "I Go To Rio" and "Bi-Coastal," which are fewer in number than one would like. As stated before, the reason to buy the CD is Jackman. While the entire cast is strong, especially Isabel Keating who eerily re-creates Judy Garland and Beth Fowler who plays Allen's mother, the album sags when Jackman is not singing, which unfortunately occurs far too often in its first half. That Jackman has a strong voice will come as no surprise to those familiar with his work in the Royal National Theatre production of Oklahoma! or from his award winning portrayal of Joe Gillis in the Australian production of Sunset Boulevard. The Boy From Oz, however, gives him a chance to stretch not only his vocal range, as he possesses a strong and supple upper register, but also his interpretive abilities, as many times he transcends the material ("Once Before I Go"), giving multiple goosebump moments. The Boy From Oz does contain one bonus track that will please fans of the show, a recording of "Tenterfield Saddler," which appeared in the original Australian production but was cut from the Broadway show during previews.
Pairing Sleater-Kinney and Fred Schneider on "Angry Inch" is sheer brilliance, as is having Yoko Ono perform "Hedwig's Lament" (giving added resonance to the line "I gave a piece to the rock star"). Also highly enjoyable are Cyndi Lauper's high octane rendition of "Midnight Radio," They Might Be Giant's quirky take on "The Long Grift" and Polyphonic Spree's "Wig in a Box." Overall, there are only a few missteps: having Stephen Colbert do a monologue version of "Ladies & Gentlemen" (Yitzak's speech in "Tear Me Down"), and the Spoons melodically challenged version of "Tear Me Down." Bonuses on the disc are two new songs: "Milford Lake," which features the original Hedwig (John Cameron Mitchell) and Stephen Trask, and "City of Women," featuring Robyn Hitchcock.
Only One Life features Feinstein not only at his vocal best but connected to the songs in a way that has not happened since the '90s. Highlights on the disc include a pairing of "After All the Loves of My Life" (best known as the bridge in "MacArthur Park") and "Only One Life," a touching "Didn't We?" and "All I Know." While a bit of diversity of tone and style would have been welcome on the disc, as there is an overwhelming similarity in the feel of the numbers, it is a welcome addition to the Feinstein collection.
The most Carpenter-esque number is a pairing of "Right From the Start," a number by Karen Benedetto that would have been snapped up by the Carpenters in a New York minute, and Kander and Ebb's "A Quiet Thing." Other highlights on the album include a driving jazz/funk version of "Never Never Land" that showcases her powerful belt, a Latin flavored "Time After Time" that is delightfully playful, and a surprisingly non-camp version of the "Theme from Valley of the Dolls." She also performs a rendition of the anthem for understanding, "Love Don't Need a Reason," (Peter Allen, Michael Callen & Marsha Malamet) that far outshines anything going on at Boy from Oz.
This is one of the most sensual and well put together albums of the year with only one misstep: a puzzling inclusion of "At the Ballet" from A Chorus Line, which is practically lifted from the cast album, spoken lines and all. As it does not match the rest of the album, it is a bit jarring, but its follow-up final number, David Frishberg's "Listen Here" is more than powerful enough to bring one back under Andreas' spell.
As is to be expected, several of the songs on the album are by that master of warped humor, Tom Leher: "Old Dope Peddler & When You Are Old and Gray" and the delightfully twisted "Masochism Tango." Two delightful finds are from cult underground composer "Durwood Douche" (AKA: Dick Shreve): the 'Marlene Dietrich' number "Merrilou" (better known as "When I'm Sitting on Your Face") and the 'Rosemary Clooney'-esque number, "Why Me, God?" (whose subtitle can't be printed here). Also included are songs by Randy Newman ("God's Song (That's Why I Love Mankind)" and the decidedly un-pc "Political Science") and parody numbers by McKnight (an antagonistic "Wind Beneath Your Wings") and Rick Crom ("Your Son isn't Going through a Stage"). For more information, visit www.sharonmcnight.com
What is surprising is that the strongest songs are not the ones that she has performed on stage. She pulls of an incredibly sensual "Blame it on the Summer Night" (Rags), a driving Latin inspired "Raise the Roof!" (Lippa's The Wild Party), and a surprisingly restrained and emotionally resonant "Anytime (I Am There)" (William Finn's Elegies). Not too surprisingly, she also scores on the pop-friendly "I'd Rather Leave While I'm in Love" by Peter Allen (The Boy from Oz).
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