The all star cast recording featuring Patrick Wilson,Richard Kind & Jessie L Martin is to be released online (Sh-k-boom Records) next month and in the stores in April..
BLBC at NYTW was one of the most ridiculous evenings I've ever spent in the theatre. In fact, I had to stuff my fist in my mouth to keep from laughing at the amateur hour that was parading on that stage.
I'm certainly willing to give the score another chance, and am looking forward to the cast album.
But those of you who said you loved the show at NYTW, boy, did we see "different shows."
well I guess there are a lot of opinions about this show. There were so many return bookings made after people saw the show for the 1st time and Patrick Wilson still says today that he thinks its a fantastic show. If you saw the 1st draft of Rent at NYTW that had a lot of bugs in it that were ironed out before the Broadway transfer. Granted Bright Lights had a lot of things that could have been modified and if you saw the concert version at the Googenhiem in 03 you would have seen that there are characters and songs that were cut out to make the show much tighter and sharper! Check out the CD it rocks!
I saw it Off-Broadway as well. Though there was some strong material, and Patrick Wilson was very good - you just didn't like/care about the characters. they were so self-destructive, I didn't care if they got straightened out or not. Also, one of the leading ladies (the model) - was SO off-pitch I couldn't believe she was in a professional NYC production. She was just riffing all over the place and occassionally joined the key of the song she was singing. I understand there have been changes and with the cast list they mentioned, I'll be happy to revisit this show.
I think the overal opinion of the show is that the score is very good but was the staging/directing lacked a lot of things.. But I think everyone agrees that the some of the songs are excellent thats why the Concert version at the Googenhiem in August 03 got such good reviews. The bew CD promises to be a real treat with the all star cast. check out www.paulscottgoodman.com for more info..
Saw it at NYTW. Just horrible. Honestly one of the worst things out of the hundreds of things I’ve seen in NY. Oh God, I’m having a flashback!
"Bright Liiiiiiiiights, big ci-teeeeeh, Bright Li -i -i -i -ights… Coma baby, coma baby!"
Ahh! Make it stop! Oh no, not the shuffling singing Statue of Liberty! Ahh!
Seriously, only one good melody, a disaster of a book, and horrible, misguided direction and design.
And RentLondon, in regards to your comment "If you saw the 1st draft of Rent at NYTW that had a lot of bugs in it that were ironed out before the Broadway transfer." It sounds like you are comparing the full out Off-Broadway production of BLBC to an early in-house (not open to the public) developmental workshop of "Rent." The production of NYTW of BLBC was not a developmental workshop. It was a full-out production. The difference between the full-out production of "Rent" at NYTW and the Broadway production was miniscule (one song removed, one song moved, and one "musical quotation" replaced due to rights issues, that was just about all the changes there were from "Rent" in it's NYTW production and "Rent" on Bway.) BLBC was presented as a finished work ready for the masses (and critics) and could not have been considered a "1st draft."
