ASSASSINS BROADWAY vs. ASSASSINS OFF BROADWAY

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 8/3/04 at 6:46pm

Ok. I am leaving in a few minutes to buy me a copy of ASSASSINS. Now which one should I get........the original 1991 cast or the new 2004 cast? And please try to list reasons.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 8/3/04 at 6:59pm

ive never heard the original recording, but the new one is pretty good. it includes a shorter version of the booth/oswald scene; byck's second monologue (have it your way) and much more dialogue which isnt included on the original. hope this helps.

[TheNPH]

Posted: 8/3/04 at 7:04pm

The new one. It has Neil Patrick Harris in it, and he is all anyone needs. And the entire cast is better.

[NuggetMonkeys]

Posted: 8/3/04 at 9:08pm

You have probably left already...BUT:
If you are a first-time listener to Assassins, get the original. It has the Oswald scene, which gives a better taste/feel for the show. Sets the mood, if you will. :)
-d.b.j-

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 8/3/04 at 9:25pm

nope. I never went. No one around here has it. I called everywhere and all I got was, "What kind of cd is that? Nope......sorry. Never heard of it."

[bythesword84]

Posted: 8/3/04 at 9:27pm

I agree with NuggetMonkeys. I had the OB cast recording up until I saw the Broadway cast, and now I have both recordings. I have to honestly say that if I didn't see the Broadway cast 4 times and love seeing them, I wouldn't enjoy the CD as much as I do. If you haven't seen the show I'd absolutely say the original version.

As much as I loved the Broadway version, I don't feel the recording does it justice. I mean, yes it does have Something Just Broke, but I feel that the Booth/Oswald scene is much more crucial to getting the tone of the entire musical. I'd say the original version.

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 8/3/04 at 9:28pm

Damn Circuit City and Best Buy...if you went there.

My advice: buy a Circuit City gift card in online price of CD plus tax, then use it online to buy the CD rather than using a credit card. They can be cheaper than Best Buy.

[marebare]

Posted: 8/3/04 at 9:29pm

Do you have a Barnes & Noble near you? With a music section? My local B&N has a copy of practically every musical ever, including the original Assassins (I'm guessing they'll get the revival too). Otherwise I guess you'll have to order online!

[Grace2]

Posted: 8/4/04 at 1:49pm

Off-Broadway definitely. The cast gives much more emotion into the songs.

[bythesword84]

Posted: 8/4/04 at 2:12pm

There's absolutely a different feel between the two different CDs.

[umgeoboy]

Posted: 8/4/04 at 2:26pm

I'm honestly shocked by all the responses to get the original cd. The new production's orchestrations were much improved over the original. The original was a chamber musical whereas the new production's orchestrations were much fuller and there was much more depth in the music.

The production quality is very comparable between the two prodcutions of acting and singing capablitiy.

The other difference, besides the booth song is cut (which to me I was happy, what was cut definitely made the show flow better) is the new production has a song that is not in the original AND ties the show back into everyday people's lives. It brings the show full circle.

For all of those reasons, I definitely think the new cd is a much more indepth and quality production then the original.

[robbiej]

Posted: 8/4/04 at 2:35pm

Fascinating how you can say the orchestrations were improved. The original recording used 33 musicians. Not sure how many were used on the revival recording, but in the theatre there were only 13 musicians. And from hearing (only once) the revival, I'd say there weren't anywhere near the 33. And where's the string section? My goodness, that original cd is magnificent. In every way.

Just listen to the delicacy of THE GUN SONG.

Patrick Cassidy's terrific vocals as the Balladeer.

Victor Garber's subtle, deeply felt Booth.

Jace Alexander's painfully etched rendering of Oswald.

It's a spectacular cd.

That said, get both. You simply must have SOMETHING JUST BROKE, even if it doesn't work.

[umgeoboy]

Posted: 8/4/04 at 2:46pm

I disagree with your post. I saw the revival production and yes there were LESS instruments BUT the orchestrations were much fuller even with the fewer instruments. (hence turning a chamber musical into a full broadway production)

The acting/singing ability in the two productions were VERY comparable but were played differently. The new production combined two characters to connect the assassins to being real people.

NPH was very good in the part and I actually like his voice better then patrick cassidy. And Michael Cervasis (spelled wrong sorry) was amazing in the part.

Besides that the two female parts in the original musical are whiny and annoying whereas in the new production they have depth and can be listened to without flinching.

[robbiej]

Posted: 8/4/04 at 2:52pm

Just goes to show how opinions can differ.

ASSASSAINS was, after Caroline or Change, my favorite production of last year. So I have no ill will against this show.

I am interested in knowing specifically what you think makes the orchestrations 'fuller'.

And may I just submit that you might think the women from the original (Debra Monk and Annie Golden, by the way) are less deep than Becky Ann Baker and Mary Catherine Garrison because you actually got to see the women in the revival and appreciate fully their characterizations?

[leomaxfrank]

Posted: 8/4/04 at 3:00pm

the recordings are a toss up. what one lacks, the other makes up for it. they are BOTH crucial to any musical theatre fan's collection.
i do think the orchestrations are written much better in the new recording, though lacking the fullness. - i could be wrong but i thought i read somewhere about Weidman saying the original orchestra (in the OB theatre itself) was like 6 pieces and that they added instruments to the actual recording.

geoboy your argument is pretty good, until you talked about the female singing - both Becky and Mary are NOT singers in the least. Debra and Annie are easily superior vocalists, even if they are a bit pingy at times

Updated On: 8/4/04 at 03:00 PM

[umgeoboy]

Posted: 8/4/04 at 3:00pm

I agree with you about the woman being fuller because I actually saw the production but I do not like their voices in the original production because they seemed to whine when they sang. This is just my opinion.

As for the orchestrations being fuller, this is pretty widely accepted by the critics and all those who were publicizing the show, that one of the major differences between the productions is the fact they gave the orchestrations much more depth. The original sound was very one dimensional, a problem many critics had with the show.

[leomaxfrank]

Posted: 8/4/04 at 3:05pm

agreed

[umgeoboy]

Posted: 8/4/04 at 3:06pm

thanks leomax
i tend to agree with you that you need BOTH cds for a full musical theatre cd collection, but since the question is one over the other I tend to think the newer cast is a more rounded production

[robbiej]

Posted: 8/4/04 at 3:08pm

What was widely acknowledged was the fact that the orchestrations at Playwrights Horizons was lacking because they were played by only three instruments. Not so for the original recording.

People might like the new recording's orchestrations more for many, many reasons. But to say that they're 'deeper' really isn't true because the depth of the orchestra doesn't compare to the original recording.

[leomaxfrank]

Posted: 8/4/04 at 3:10pm

ahh 3 instruments..what a mistake that was!

thanks robbie!!

[umgeoboy]

Posted: 8/4/04 at 3:34pm

Isnt the original recording the one done by playwrights horizons?

[robbiej]

Posted: 8/4/04 at 3:39pm

Yes...but those are not the orchestrations heard in the theatre back in 1991. For the original production, Starobin orchestrated the score for three instruments (I believe they were piano, percussion and keyboards). For the recording, Starobin created orchestrations for a 33-piece orchestra.

[umgeoboy]

Posted: 8/4/04 at 3:41pm

From what I have heard from playwrights people, the cd that is out is the original production numbers from the show. Which made me believe on 3 musicians. If you listen to the cd it does not sound at all to me like there are 33 musicians playing which was my problem with the cd. I guess its just my opinion?

[robbiej]

Posted: 8/4/04 at 3:44pm

Yes...which is perfectly valid to have.

But the cd does indeed contain 33 musicians playing the score.

[umgeoboy]

Posted: 8/4/04 at 3:47pm

Wow if that is the truth, which I will be on a quest next time I am at playwrights I will find out, then I definitely think the new production far outways the original cd. With thinking the cd only had three musicians I understood why it sounded like a chamber musical and was lacking the depth I felt was inplace in the newer production. But if it is true that, that is truly 33 musicians then the recording to me is an even weaker recording.

Sorry, again just my opinion