I've never heard a single song from this show and know nothing about it. But someone told me that I would love the recording. What does everyone else think about it?
Broadway Star Joined: 9/9/03
Great score. Very smart and clever.
Stand-by Joined: 6/21/04
It has some great songs, some not so great songs. It's very jazzy. My favorites are "You're Nothing Without Me" (one of my favorite duets ever written), "You Can Always Count on Me", "The Tennis Song", "Lost and Found", "Funny" and "What You Don't Know About Women" (another very good duet...for females). The show itself is quite complicated. I'm not exactly sure of the specifics of hte plot, but I know it is about a screenwriter who writes a screenplay and is working on getting it filmed. Half of the show is the story of the screenwriter, ther other half is the actual movie (usually done with all black and white props/costumes, etc.). The song "You're Nothing Without Me" is a duet between the screenwriter and the main character in his movie (a detective/private eye movie...classic 20's). The show switches back and forth between the two worlds, which is what makes it a complicated show, technically. The plot is MUCH more intricate than that, but that is all I can really say about it. I'd recommend it.
LOVE that score! one of Coleman's best...and the plot/dialogue is very funny, as it was written by Larry Gelbart (of television MASH fame, as well as FUNNY THING/FORUM)...lyrics by David Zippel, another unsung very talented writer...
FinnFanatic, I love "You're Nothing (Without Me)." Have you heard Anthony Warlow's version? He does the duet with himself. He darkens his tone for the second character and it sounds like a completely different person. GENIOUS.
IMHO, I do not think the music is very good. Updated On: 7/7/04 at 04:36 PM
The only song from this show I have ever heard is Anthony Warlow's version of 'You're Nothing Without Me', which is great. For the some time I only casually listened to it and thought it was actually a duet between two different singers. Very enjoyable song.
Brilliant score, brilliant book, brilliant show. I saw the national tour and it was jaw-dropping. The show is about Hollywood detective film noir of the 40s, so the score is very big-band jazzy. The lyrics are among the best in musical theatre. Just listen to You Can Always Count on Me, Where's That Dame, The Tennis Song and Lost and Found to hear some of the wittiest lyrics in the biz. The CD is great, but when you combine the score with the fantastic book (completely original) and one of the best scenic designs I've ever witnessed (the changes from color to black-and-white were innovative and awesome), it is easy to see how it won the Tony for Best Musical and it made it into my top ten all-time great American musicals.
Sorry to gush so much, but I believe it was one of the last great old-fashioned original American musicals.
Saw a production of this by Orlando Theater Project, who teamed together with several Central Florida performers (including Toxic Audio, who now have their own show Off Broadway), last August. VERY good show. VERY good music!
-Sharon-
Orlando FL
Stand-by Joined: 12/31/69
It's a killer show...smart, sassy, jazzy...great orchestrations...tight harmonies, clever engaging lyrics..could use a revival! Give it a listen, you should find it quite enjoyable.
Its fantastic to the max. I wouldnt mind it at all if they put it back on broadway.
Ahhh yes.
Next year at the University of Michigan our main-stage shows are A Chorus Line, Midsummer, The Water, and City of Angels...and City of Angels I will be able to audition for! However, someone told me the chorus is really non-existent! Ah well!
I get to tech A Chorus Line and that will be too much fun!
It was nice to get a little info on this show.
...paully
The only "chorus" is really the Angel City Singers, who are hardly non-existant. They appear many times and are important to the mood and the advancement of the plot.
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/20/03
City of Angels is a great show and brought an interesting perspective to a Broadway show: real life writer in color vs film personality in black and white.
You Can Always Count on Me is a classic female comic song.
Wonderful musical. One of my favorites. Shame they have that shoddy movie with the same title...
Leading Actor Joined: 12/31/69
One of the most underrated and underappreciated shows in the past 15 years...Brilliant score, unique and intelligent book...and one of the great opening lines..."LA is like a pretty girl with the clap" It got lost in the middle of the Euromusical frenzy I suppose. Desperately needs a revival!
it was one of the first shows i ever saw. all i remember was that larry from three's company was in it.
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