Profile for Mother's Younger Brother

Awesome -- Act One is my favorite book!

Boy, this is an old thread! Does anyone have any information on the "live" Paris recording? Is it indeed different from the original concept and the 1991 recordings?

...SPOILER...? Love love LOVE the bonus track! Just as I was reading the liner notes and thinking, "Ok, Bruce -- where's the UK studio recording and the Italian release?" there's the bonus track. You're spoiling all of us Promises Fanboys!

WOW!! Thanks again, Bruce...I ordered mine the second I saw this thread yesterday. Are you at liberty to give us any details about which stars aligned and how this one came to be?

Huh! I thought it might be something like that. Thanks for the info, AND for including it. And my ears tell me that's not the only crack of hers you fixed.

Hey Bruce, I wanted to ask about the hidden track. Is there a story about why that was recorded? Was it intended as a B-side to something...were they just playing around in the studio and wanted to do it? Just curious. She sounds fantastic singing it. :)

As if the direction and choreography were REALLY what's wrong with it.

Thank you for the scans, Carlos -- and thank you again, Bruce, for this ridiculously fun, well-deserved remastering. It's like hearing the score for the first time all over again. I love the revival recording, but you've insured that the world has a definitive OCR, with that sound that could ONLY have been captured during the period. In particular, the work you did on "Where Can You Take A Girl" is incredible. That song had always been my one skipped track on the OCR, and it wasn't until I he...

^^ My thoughts exactly! I'm so glad to hear they've shipped already, and can't wait to hear it. Thank you for this "labor of love."

I agree with Michael Bennett -- she's otherwise perfect for the role. Although it's a little funny to think that she was playing Mamma Rose two years ago. )

How quickly we forget the first two Madame Armfeldts: Hermione Gingold (OBC) Margaret Hamilton (national tour) Can we really look at those two, however much we love them, and honestly question the "in her prime" alure of Angela Lansbury or Debbie Reynolds?

Saw the show Saturday night, and I thought Sean Hayes was fantastic -- every audience member around me seemed to feel the same way. He's completely charming. I just kept thinking, "What a terrific Broadway debut."

For what it's worth, I don't consider myself a "big Green Day fan" (other than a few songs I've heard on the radio) and I thought American Idiot was brilliant. I saw it twice during it's Berkeley run and would've seen it more if I had the time.

The problems with the show are not JUST the book and lyrics -- the problems are fundamental. The story itself is revisionist history, doing its best to tell us what the creators NOW think The Phantom of the Opera has been about for the last 23 years. The "plot" (what little there is of it -- mostly contrived twists and character elements) is soap opera camp at best. Yes, like most ALW shows there are several glorious melodies in there, but the show itself is just a plain old bad idea from sta...

I tend to prefer the resume-style bios. As a very good friend of mine (and fellow performer) says, "It's your bio -- not your Academy Awards acceptance speech."

I once handed Patti an original London cast Les Miserables souvenir program to sign. She signed a big "P" on it, then said, "Wait a minute -- is this mine? 'Cause I don't sign the Broadway one!" LOVE. HER. My boyfriend later commented that somewhere out there, there's a Broadway souvenir program with a big silver "P" on it.

^^ I've been thinking the same thing. Rent (at least the stage version) is what, a six-piece band?

Protesting a nearly 14-year-old musical that's already played Sacramento twice...as usual, RIIIIGHT in-step with the times, those Christians.

Interesting! I think Isherwood's review is right-on. I felt comparisons to "Hair" as well. The whole thing, though, works almost more as a ballet than a traditional musical. Yes, there's a plot, but the show succeeds at conveying moods and states of mind simply by its overall tone, rather than directly through the plot. It's the sum of its parts, rather than a through-story highlighted by stand-out songs. Anyway, I loved the show and will be seeing it again in a couple weeks.

Groffie couldn't have at least worn a tank top?!