Anyone hear the Pirate Queen cast recording yet?- Page 5

[B3TA07]

Posted: 7/5/07 at 1:08pm

Wasn't it quoted by a Blockhead on the Pirate Queen boards that I'm now emancipated from that that was her account of what happened to the song? Check with Bardolator. Or Popular, but she probably keeps seeing my username as the most recent poster and rolls her eyes knowingly and doesn't click. But I'm very sure that's what I'd read. Maybe they allowed her to tell people that so that she'd feel better about it...? :P

[EponineThenardier]

Posted: 7/5/07 at 7:08pm

That's interesting that some didn't like "Enemy on Portside" I found that to be the one of my favorite parts of the cast album. Really.

I've always adored the second half if "Let a Father Stand By His Son." Best songs though as still "I'll Be There," "She Who Has All" and "Sail to the Stars." And "Woman"...and "Surrender." whoops.

Interesting how they changed the end of "Surrender" for the cast album. Hadley's notes were different.

The Christening was waaaay too short. It's not a number that I loved per say, but having 30 second worth makes it sound like it was a mistake in the recording studio, like it wasn't supposed to make it in but accidentally did.

Also WTF is with that squishing blip noise made in the middle of "Rah-rah-tip-top" at about 1:12 in the song. WHAT THE HECK IS THAT?! I had to go back and re-listen to that second because I thought I was hearing things. Unless it's just my disc.


As far as having previews of a show better than the NY version. Try Lestat. I'm not saying the show they had in previews was a masterpiece (far from) but it WAS better than the NY version. They changed all the wrong things.

I hate it when producers/creators think "Oh I'll change the lyrics and some costumes and wigs and replace some songs the show will be saved!" More often than not the replaced songs are good and didn't need replacing. It was the structure! Structure! Structure! Grrr.

Emcee what you said on Page 3 was pitch perfect.

It rather makes me sad this show. It really does have some great stuff and soooo much potential but it just wasn't executed correctly. Such a shame.

Updated On: 7/5/07 at 07:08 PM

[B3TA07]

Posted: 7/5/07 at 7:12pm

LMAO.

That noise sounds like when you get a new IM on iChat.

Hahahaha wow.

[TechEverlasting]

Posted: 7/5/07 at 7:35pm

"but it WAS better than the NY version."

"Where has it been writ my life should come to sh*t?"

That's the first time I've ever seen anyone say that Pirate Queen was better in Chicago than New York, and I strongly disagree. Chicago was an aimless mess, more a pageant than a show. Act 1 especially was much improved for New York. In the Chicago opening that dreadful 6/8 melody (essentially a dominant version of "The People's Song) was repeated about two thousand times. For New York this was broken up with the addition of "Woman", arguably the best song in the score. Other big improvements included the addition of Donal's father, Tiernan actually being pissed off about Grania marrying someone else, Evleen's character interacting with Grania and twice as much Irish dancing. In Chicago the first sea battle sounded like a symphonic "My Shirona", for New York there was a haunting percussion cadenza (sadly absent from the CD) and some interesting staging from Graciela Daniele.

I would love to know what Maltby wanted to do with the show. It's obvious his big ideas were rejected, but his little ideas did help.

[B3TA07]

Posted: 7/5/07 at 7:37pm

The first battle staging WAS fierce, until it became a pair of people fighting while running across the stage from wing to wing. But before that I was like OH SNAP.

The English costumes looked like video game enemies. In Kingdom Hearts, or something. :/

[changinandhow]

Posted: 7/5/07 at 7:47pm

theactorsoceity, that song would be Because I Am A Wife/The Woman That I Am. That was cut when the show came to Broadway.

Ben, first of all, I'm curious as to how Son of the Irish Seas would have worked as an opening number. You would have begun the show with Eoin's birth? And secondly, don't quote me on this, but I don't ever remember anyone saying Stephanie had the final decision for anything regarding material in the show on the Pirate Queen boards.

I second Tech, I also think that's the first time I've ever heard someone say they preferred the Chicago production as the whole...
Updated On: 7/5/07 at 07:47 PM

[EponineThenardier]

Posted: 7/5/07 at 8:22pm

I would have started PQ with Grace in prison and the people of Ireland in pieces over the loss of their queen (similar to the requiem number in Evita) then we get the back story.

[StephanietheStar]

Posted: 7/6/07 at 12:34am

While some things were great in Chicago, it's just about impossible to say the show was better there than in NYC...it obviously was a lot closer to being a great great great show when it was in NYC than Chicago.



and Eponinethenardier I can't even explain what your avatar does to me...I need a moment...

[TechEverlasting]

Posted: 7/7/07 at 12:16pm

Brad Hathaway reviewed the Pirate Queen CD for Potomac Stages. His comments are similar to many on this thread.

"This original Broadway cast recording of the most recent Schonberg and
Boublil massive musical may remain on your active listening list longer than
the show it documents remained on Broadway.
The quick departure of the show from Broadway after less than a hundred
performances (not counting its 32 previews) was more a reflection of the
story-telling failures of the script and production than of any weakness in
the score by the creators of Les Miserables, Miss Saigon and Martin Guerre."
Potomac stages PQ CD review

[Wicked63]

Posted: 7/7/07 at 12:24pm

I didnt care much for the show itself but i recieved the CD yesterday and i must admit it is a great album.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 7/7/07 at 12:34pm

It is pretty great. I've been listening to it every chance I get. I'm finding the "scene" songs really engaging too, like "My Grace" and "I Dismiss You".

[Wicked63]

Posted: 7/7/07 at 12:48pm

Ms Block sounds a little like Ruthie Henshall on the CD

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 7/7/07 at 1:00pm

I never saw Stephanie as Elphaba, but listening to the Pirate Queen CD there are moments where you can sort of tell that she must have been a kick ass Elphie.

[Wicked63]

Posted: 7/7/07 at 1:06pm

At least i can hear every word on the CD unlike at the Hideous Hilton- and i sat in row G orchestra.

[EponineThenardier]

Posted: 7/7/07 at 1:54pm

"Ms Block sounds a little like Ruthie Henshall on the CD"

I don't see why that could EVER be a problem.

[Wicked63]

Posted: 7/7/07 at 2:06pm

I didnt say it was a problem! did i?
Updated On: 7/7/07 at 02:06 PM

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 7/7/07 at 2:12pm

Cut one throat and down it goes
Clans will fall like dominoes

Yes, the lyric is there. It makes me shudder.

[TechEverlasting]

Posted: 7/7/07 at 2:55pm

If that lyric makes you shudder I can only hope you didn't attend one of the early Chicago previews. You might have shaken the seat loose.

[brdlwyr]

Posted: 7/8/07 at 11:52pm

BSB, when he sings that lyric, he should say "my goatness."

I LOVE the score!

[B3TA07]

Posted: 7/9/07 at 12:04am

changinandhow - Uh, no. I just meant that the music for "Son of the Irish Seas" would create a MUCH more exciting opening scene than the daft "Pirate Queen" music. Obviously the lyrics would be different and the title would be changed.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 7/9/07 at 12:32am

The CD is wonderful
and i am still exploring it
Can't believe Legally Blonde got a nom over this score
Updated On: 7/9/07 at 12:32 AM

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 7/9/07 at 1:04am

I love the score. I haven't stopped listening to the CD since I got it. I think there's a glitch though about 1:40 into "The Waking of the Queen". After she finishes her verse you can kind of hear her sing something under the music. I dunno what it is. It's weird. You have to turn up the volume a little to hear it.