I'm a new LaChiusa Fan with a question!

[broadwaygiant19122]

Posted: 12/17/05 at 10:41pm

I had heard LaChiusa's name bandied about in relation to being a new Sondheim. Withthat said, I am a HUGE Sondheim fan and was naturally interested. In Early November I saw See What I Wanna See. It was my first LaChiusa production. I really enjoyed the score. To get some idea how he wrote, I bought Hello Again( still finding new perspectives,etc)... I just bought Marie Christine today and after listening to the first ten songs, I am hooked. I was curious whether I should buy Wild Party or First Lady Suite next. I have Lippa's wild party ( big idina fan) but I have never felt compelled to listen to most of it... i like the idea of the poem,etc. I was also wondering what the score of The Highest Yellow was like...got a chance to talk to Marc Kudisch about it at SWIWS(big fan of his too). I guess thats a couple questions..THANKS!

[hen88]

Posted: 12/17/05 at 10:48pm

I really like LaChiusa's work as well. You should definitely get his version of The Wild Party. I saw both productions, that LaChiusa's was IMO by far the better version. The music is stunning and bitter and the performances are extraordinary. I also saw SWIWS and loved it. I can't wait for the recording to come out. I never got a chance to see Highest Yellow. I hope they record it, unless he's planning on putting up another production. Then I will just go and see it. Well - I hope you enjoy your discovery of his music. By the way - his new musical is The House of Bernarda Alba and is going up this spring at Lincoln Center.

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 12/17/05 at 11:01pm

The Wild Party is my favorite score of his.

I just finished a huge report on Marie Christine - relating it to Greek Theatre. So many things I discovered in that piece in doing so.

Hello Again is a lot of fun.

[Jazzysuite82]

Posted: 12/17/05 at 11:03pm

Yeah Wild Party is def the next choice. Go for it, he's brilliant.

[apdarcey]

Posted: 12/17/05 at 11:10pm

welcome to our side!

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 12/17/05 at 11:17pm

The LaChiusian Side

[Pgenre]

Posted: 12/17/05 at 11:20pm

I must chime in here...

Michael John LaChiusa IS the future of musical theatre. He is unparalleled in the skill, depth and sheer beauty of his music and lyrics (and can put together a pretty snazzy book too, if need be). He is at once a glorious poet and a genius composer. The integration of his music and lyrics into a show is simply astounding. In my oh so humble opinion, LaChiusa is not only the "next" Sondheim; he has surpassed him in the skill, wit and intensity of his scores in only a handful of shows versus Sondheim's quite massive oeuvre. THE WILD PARTY is one of the most important theatre scores of all time and I dare you to not enjoy at least one song in that breathtaking score, if not the entire piece. His music is not easy, but it rewards the listener for paying close attention to every note and word... I simply cannot put into words how profoundly this man's work has affected nearly every facet of my life.

So, yes, I'm a fan. Get THE WILD PARTY. You won't regret it.

A Good Nightmare Comes So Rarely,
P genre

P.S. he is also the absolute sweetest human being as well, if any of you have ever had the chance to meet the man behind the music yourselves.
Updated On: 12/17/05 at 11:20 PM

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 12/17/05 at 11:26pm

Well, that was beautifully said!

I could go on about his work endlessly. We should make this the LaChiusa Appreciation thread, no?

[broadwaygiant19122]

Posted: 12/17/05 at 11:46pm

hey this is all really helpful/interesting.exciting...thanks!!...as far as the highest yellow goes, anybody hear any( i dont know if this is even possible), see it..etc?

[TheEnchantedHunter]

Posted: 12/18/05 at 12:10am

Michael John LaChiusa IS the future of musical theatre. He is unparalleled in the skill, depth and sheer beauty of his music and lyrics (and can put together a pretty snazzy book too, if need be). He is at once a glorious poet and a genius composer. The integration of his music and lyrics into a show is simply astounding. In my oh so humble opinion, LaChiusa is not only the "next" Sondheim; he has surpassed him in the skill, wit and intensity of his scores in only a handful of shows versus Sondheim's quite massive oeuvre. THE WILD PARTY is one of the most important theatre scores of all time and I dare you to not enjoy at least one song in that breathtaking score, if not the entire piece. His music is not easy, but it rewards the listener for paying close attention to every note and word... I simply cannot put into words how profoundly this man's work has affected nearly every facet of my life."


Madre di Dio...

Vivian Darkbloom
Ramsdale, New England

[broadwaygiant19122]

Posted: 12/18/05 at 12:26am

you don't agree, ms. darkbloom?

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 12/18/05 at 12:27am

Maybe one of her other personalities agrees.

[Chip1012]

Posted: 12/18/05 at 12:36am

He really is all that and more. In person and what he puts on stage.
Tonight I was looking at these lyrics from Little Fish...I think they are so smart.

"There I was on the highest mountain
in all the universe
standing right where an ancient people
had dissapeared, or worse.
Around me were the remnants of the lives they left behind
and all at once this feeling,
no,
this knowledge filled my mind.
If I myself were to somehow someday just up and dissapear
what of me would be left behind to show that I was here?"

[broadwaygiant19122]

Posted: 12/18/05 at 12:38am

is Little Fish his only work thus far which has not been recorded..well that and Chronicle Of A Death Foretold... he's the first composer I've really taken an interest in since Sondheim... i just can't get enough of his complexities..yet, a lot of his lyrics seem to center around simple truths such as the post from chip.

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 12/18/05 at 12:52am

And A Petrified Prince has not been recorded. I'd kill to hear that one - for whatever reason.

Little Fish has, technically, been recorded.

I love Marcy Harriell! REMEMBER ME is a great song! And I RAN is a hilarious song...

LITTLE FISH, unfortunately, had a horrible book - a problem that plagues many LaChiusa shows. I hope BERNARDA ALBA will be better - I think it will have a marvellous score.

LITTLE FISH does have the best opening line ever, "I had never known what I was really like until I stopped smoking. By which time, there was hell to pay."

Updated On: 12/18/05 at 12:52 AM

[broadwaygiant19122]

Posted: 12/18/05 at 12:58am

i haven't even heard of a petrified prince.. what are prince and little fish "about"? any kind of plot detail would be helpful.... so its been recorded, just not released? des he write the books for all of his shows?..anti-collaboration?

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 12/18/05 at 12:59am

So were there at least some songs from Chronicle of a Death Foretold recorded by anyone? I am so curious about this score being a Garcia Marquez fan.

[Jazzysuite82]

Posted: 12/18/05 at 1:00am

LaChiusa also wrote the Opera for the Chicago Lyric Opera Enigma Variations. That hasn't been recorded, though I'd LOOOOOOVE to hear that. I'm sure they won't record the opera he's writing for Audra. I really wanna see the Highest Yellow, it's not coming to NY anytime soon. That sucks.

[broadwaygiant19122]

Posted: 12/18/05 at 1:04am

yeah im actually really curious about the opera he is writing for audra...until marie christine, I really hadn't been exposed to audra , but what i had heard didn't really do much for me... marie christine has turned that right around just as sweeney did for my opinion of patti lupone..but i digress..highest yellow, yah i am really curious as im really interested in van gogh's tortured spirit,etc..when i spoke to marc at SWIWS, i made a comment about having seeing everything he has done recently with the exception of highest yellow and i asked if there were any plans for new york and he said not at the time , but anythings possible type but he would love to do it response...but it looks as if that wont happen anytime soon.

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 12/18/05 at 1:04am

HE has written the book of all his shows. He collaborated with George C. Wolfe on THE WILD PARTY and Edward Gallardo on THE PETRIFIED PRINCE (http://www.edgallardo.com/prince.htm).

Here's a LITTLE FISH review (http://www.talkinbroadway.com/ob/02_19_03.html).

Two songs in LITTLE FISH are "Days" and "Flotsam." And for good reason:

"His adaptation choices aren't bad. He has zeroed in on two stories, "Days " and "Flotsam " anthologized in "Transactions in a Foreign Currency" and merged them, giving the nameless ex-nicotine addict in one, a name and a group of pals from the other. The opening number, "Days" is a lively introduction to Charlotte, the ex-smoker now heroine, and the other "little fish.""
http://www.curtainup.com/littlefish.html


Audra McDonald has recorded a lot of his song on her CD "Way Back to Paradise" (named for the song in MARIE CHRISTINE). And she recorded the title song from "See What I Wanna See" for her CD "Happy Songs."

I hope, one day, he will be able to compile a CD of songs not recorded yet. I could dream.
Updated On: 12/18/05 at 01:04 AM

[broadwaygiant19122]

Posted: 12/18/05 at 1:06am

speaking of bernarda alba, im making my way through lorca's works right now.. a little aside. wolfe and lachiusa must make for a brilliant match... i have to get that cast recording.

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 12/18/05 at 1:08am

The Wild Party is nothing short of amazing.

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.cfm?boardname=bway&thread=844422#948791

There's something I wrote re: TWP. I know the show so much better now. Maybe if I have more time, I will revise what I wrote.

I can't believe how many times I wrote Alex Corey. It's Alix Korey. Gah! That was when I first discovered it (and her - Alix).


https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.cfm?boardname=bway&thread=844660#925151 Updated On: 12/18/05 at 01:08 AM

[broadwaygiant19122]

Posted: 12/18/05 at 1:09am

interesting review about little fish..it sounds so simplistic compared to his other works which are steeped in literary references or complicated historical periods. i really want to hear it though.

[broadwaygiant19122]

Posted: 12/18/05 at 1:21am

any word on tix for bernarda alba? its at the newhouse right?

[Jazzysuite82]

Posted: 12/18/05 at 1:30am

I actually have the score and Libretto to Little Fish (sssh). I think it's a great piece. It's like Company in many ways. It's a concept musical about a woman trying to quit smoking. I think it's GREAT regional theatre fare because it can be done on a small scale,yet it's sooo interesting. Not your typical musical...but then again it's LaChiusa. I find it interesting that audiences will accept experimentalism in plays but doesn't stand for it when it comes to musicals.