Does Frank Wildhorn Find His Lyricists on Craigslist?

Or does the job go to the highest bidder on EBAY?

Listening to Wonderland. Jack Murphy's lyrics are criminal.

From the opening number "Worst Day of My life"

My agent says I've got to smooze
If I expect my book reviews
to get some quotes that we can use.

(but it gets worse)

Another night when I leave my daughter
And spend it drinking imported water

(then...)

Oh God I feel like such a fraud
Like every inch of me is flawed
But still I smile while they applaud.

These are lyrics sung by a grown woman with a daughter.

And the next song...

To seek advice from a Caterpillar
Is not the same as googling the internet

Wildhorn's music is actually quite good. Replace your lyricist Frankie!

Updated On: 11/15/09 at 01:13 PM

*find

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Murphy really slipped up on Wonderland. He did some great work for Rudolf - The Last Kiss and Count of Monte Cristo, amongst some other work.

There's a few songs in Wonderland that are fine. "Once More I Can See" is perfect; "Through the Looking Glass" gets it's ironic tone done...but the majority of the lyrics are just .. wow - why?

I can't wait to hear what you think of "Home" and a few of the lines in "Don't Wanna Fall in Love Again." Haha some utter disasters in this one.

Even as the devout Wildhorn fan that I am, THIS concept album fails on pretty much all accounts for what they probably wanted. Firstly, there is NO star power. Saying Nikki Snelson's in the second/third biggest role of the show doesn't really draw anyone. Having someone like Linda Eder or Anthony Warlow on a concept album is a big difference to Janet Dacal who hasn't starred in anything yet and Darren Ritchie who played a supporting / featured role in one of his own shows.

Secondly - the lyrics. I really just can't imagine this project got this far with all these lyrics. I had heard that "Off With Their Heads!" was entirely rewritten for Mason, so perhaps with the new cast they re-did a lot of things.

I'm hoping some of the lyrics are changed in time for the opening. I don't even know how this story's going to make sense anymore based off the song list on the website. Seems like Alice has a bad day, says goodnight to her daughter and then finds her in Wonderland - but then has to go thrugh the looking glass again? I don't know....

Off-topic, but "Anything Can Happen" (which I really liked!) isn't int he show anymore either!

They really should have just released the Lauren Kennedy or Brandi Burkhardt demos...

I have a flier from the show in Tampa. It says at the bottom "Events, days, dates, times, PERFORMERS and prices subject to change without notice."

Considering that Kennedy isn't doing anything (to my knowledge), maybe she'll somehow return. Ah, I know this will NEVER happen but I want it to soooo bad.

The casting...I don't even know what went on. I'm guessing this will tour and never hit Broadway - I don't see why it wouldn't have attracted bigger names: Wildhorn got even DRACULA (with TWO Tony Nominees and Kelli O'Hara) and the The Civil War to Broadway. Dacal is NOT a typical choice for Alice, she doesn't even necessarily look like she'd have a 10 year old daughter; Julie Brooks looks way too old to be playing a 10 year old (Although I really like her voice so we'll over look it!).

Something must be going on down there - What, only a few people are still with it from that big workshop they had in the Spring (Snelson, Julie Brooks, etc); the bookwriter is no longer with the production (Phoebe Hwang), and now Eugene Fleming (who is on the concept album) is no longer with the show.

Have to call.