Frank Wildhorn

[Ashleydanielle]

Posted: 6/5/07 at 7:33pm

Is he completely hated? I noticed a lot of people expressing their disdain for J&H in the Pirate Queen post, and I was curious about what others think. I was thinking of using "Someone Like You" for an audition for a school this week because it was something I had been working on and it works really well for my voice. At the same, I don't want to be hated for singing Wildhorn. Please give me some advice!

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 6/5/07 at 7:37pm

Sing it

For whatever reason, he is reviled. People hate him & many love his music

It is what it is

[blaxx]

Posted: 6/5/07 at 7:38pm

He has good songs. No one will hate you for singing that, if you do it well, on the contrary. Just make sure you have chosen the right song for the show and part.

He's obviously not COMPLETELY hated, his shows are popular.

[Ashleydanielle]

Posted: 6/5/07 at 7:54pm

It's not an audition for a specific show; it's an audition to get into school. I need to find some different ballads that show the voice as much as Wildhorn stuff or Les Mis, but that aren't overdone or hated like they are, but at this point, I think I'm out of time. I have some other songs I'm thinking of doing, but I'm not as comfortable with them. I just really like this one for my voice. I only get to sing one song but I thought at the audition I would let them know I have an uptempo prepared too, and my uptempo is pretty obscure and fun. Is it a bad idea to sing "Someone Like You?" I don't want to not get in because they hate him.

[blaxx]

Posted: 6/5/07 at 8:08pm

Believe me, if you don't get in, you shouldn't blame Wildhorn. If that was the case, they would ask you to not sing any of his songs, as opposed to making you guess if they like him or hate him.
If you feel comfortable with it, you should sing it.

[baddadnpa]

Posted: 6/5/07 at 8:10pm

He writes good music, but all of his shows are terrible.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 6/5/07 at 8:26pm

Is he completely hated?

Look up PatiB.

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 6/5/07 at 8:31pm

I think his music to THE CIVIL WAR is gorgeous and I love JEKYLL AND HYDE (Complete Concept Recording). I agree, that the shows themselves are not that good, but his music is good, if you like that kind of music.

Posted: 6/5/07 at 8:37pm

if it shows off your voice definetly sing it. I doubt ANY school auditioner would hold the composer against you and as others have said, out of context many of his big power ballads are quite pretty (I think--wasn't his first hit Where do Broken HEarts go for Whitney?)

I think one reason for the hatred towards Wildhorn is he seems to suffer from the probs Lloyd Webber has (and I actually am a big Webber fan--more or less) but 10 fold--ie hammering tunes into audiences ears to have a hit, repetitive writing, and prefering (for wahetver reason--on purpose or not) to write with particularly poor or ill suited lyricists...

E

[1peter4:10]

Posted: 6/5/07 at 8:58pm

I LOVE Wildhorn! (The music, not the shows- except Jekyll)
I see no reason you shouldn't use that song. It got me a role once, actually. Good Luck!

[BustopherPhantom]

Posted: 6/5/07 at 9:13pm

I'm not much a fan of Wildhorn myself; his music is just too "generic pop" for me.

And as for the British composers somehow choosing the most insipid lyrics... my personal belief is that part of that stems from the music being (most of the time) so over-the-top that the lyrics HAVE to follow suit or not blend at all.

[LostLeander]

Posted: 6/5/07 at 9:41pm

He writes good pop music - not theatre music.

Sing the song. If you sing it well, that's all that matters.

Posted: 6/5/07 at 9:45pm

"And as for the British composers somehow choosing the most insipid lyrics... my personal belief is that part of that stems from the music being (most of the time) so over-the-top that the lyrics HAVE to follow suit or not blend at all. "

I suppose except Don Black's best lyrics are probably with ALW (which is saying something)--listen to some of his other scores. Hideous. Of course if you take them as more over the top//grandiose it does fit in with the fact that legit opera has never been known for its lyrics (no matter what language)...

But I can think of some pretty sweeping, grand scores (West Side Story? Sweeney Todd?) with brilliant lyrics...

E

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 6/6/07 at 2:22am

I'm not afraid to proudly admit I'm a huge Wildhorn fan. I love his music, schmaltzy or not.

Though he's done some not so great things, as long as he keeps pumping out those ballads I never, admittedly, can get enough of, that's all I care about.

Shameful, I know.

[me2]

Posted: 6/6/07 at 11:58am

Unless you are auditioning for a Broadway show, the people want to like you and want you to do well. I doubt they will sink you based on a song as long as it fits you.

Casting directors want you to do well, but you get like three bars to stun them, so . . .
Broadway Blog: . . . The Jane Eyre Altercation (a sad but true story)

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 6/6/07 at 12:11pm

He has some excellent songs. Personally, I wouldn't choose Someone Like You simply because it was sung to death in the 90s, not to mention being used in virtually every figure skating competition. The more poignant, yet equally emotional, When I Look at You from Scarlet Pimpernel is actually a better song.

[Piercemn]

Posted: 6/6/07 at 1:30pm

Someone stop him before he writes another "score." At least he doesn't openly steal from classical composers the way Andrew Lloyd Webber does.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 6/6/07 at 1:52pm

Someone stop him before he writes another "score."

He already has. Several, in fact. His latest got decent reviews as well.

[Enjolras77]

Posted: 6/6/07 at 2:06pm

I think Wildhorn is a VERY gifted composer. I have always been a big fan of his music since I heard the Jekyll and Hyde concept album back in the mid-90's. I have repeatedly sung selections from his shows for numerous auditions and other functions.

However, his shows do all suffer from cheesy lyrics and subpar books. Although, I do think after all of the revisions, Scarlet Pimpernel, now has a fairly decent book -- it's too bad that it took three versions of the show to get there!

Another problem is that all of his shows have anachronisitic music. It's not that I have a problem with period pieces having modern scores (I love Les Miserables, etc.), but ALL of his shows are period pieces with pop scores -- and sometimes it just doesn't transfer well on stage. It sounds great on a CD, but not when watching a live production with everyone in period costume. This is heightened by the fact that his music is almost over-the-top melodramatic -- and most of the shows are too. It almost makes the extreme emotions of the characters seem laughable.

However, I still think he is a great melodist and I hope that he can someday find the right project that can bring him success on Broadway.

[Weez]

Posted: 6/6/07 at 2:07pm

Wonderful avatar, Enjolras. <3

Uh, I'm a Wildhorn fan too, but I've only experienced his music. I loved the 1994 concept album of Jekyll & Hyde, but was somewhat less impressed with the OBC, probably because it cut quite a few of my favourite songs out. Still, the songs on their own are fine.

It's jst a shame that Lloyd Webber can write a poppy score with a less-than-amazing book and have his work run for decades, whereas Wildhorn is more reviled and picked on for having less success with a sortof similar thing.

Updated On: 6/6/07 at 02:07 PM

[Enjolras77]

Posted: 6/6/07 at 2:20pm

Thanks for the compliment on my avatar Weez -- I am a BIG fan of Anthony Warlow!

As far as Webber is concerned, a lot of his success is because he was first. He had success in the '70s with Jesus Christ Superstar, and then hit it big with shows like Cats and Phantom of the Opera at a time when big splashy pop operas were in style. By the time Wildhorn came around in the mid-90's there was already a backlash against the big mega-musicals of the 80's. He was viewed more as a Webber wannabe than as another pioneer in the field of pop-opera. ...and speaking of Webber, his last three Broadway attempts have all been less than successful as well (By Jeeves, The Woman in White, and the 2000 Jesus Christ Superstar revival).

[theactorsociety]

Posted: 6/6/07 at 2:44pm

He writes audition songs. Almost all of his music is so generic to any situation that it really shows off voice and that's it. But only sing it if you really can because it is so well known as a powerhoused ending.

[JRybka]

Posted: 6/6/07 at 3:04pm

I know that many on this site are complete theater snobs so I am sure I will get crap for this...

But I really love his music. And I listen to everything from Sondheim to Robert-Brown

Why is is so wrong to love some total pop melodic mush just as much as the shear amazing talent of a Finn or a Lippa.

Is it wrong to love everything from Rick Astley to Bob Dylan and eveyone in between?

[BustopherPhantom]

Posted: 6/6/07 at 5:15pm

"Is it wrong to love everything from Rick Astley to Bob Dylan and eveyone in between?"

Of course not; it's just that some theater people (if I'm assuming correctly that some people are like me) just don't like modern music all that much.

And yes, some people are complete snobs. Them's life.

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 6/6/07 at 5:25pm

What ever you do, don't sing "Murder, Murder" from J&H with an umbrella and horrible choreography.