Frankenstein CD Released on Ghostlight

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 10/7/08 at 9:39pm

I was browsing Virgin Megastore the other night, and I came upon the new disc. I splurged and bought it. I actually really like it. I think after Tale of Two Cities, my love for the lush mega-musical has been re-ignited. It's not as lush and large as the other shows, but it still has some beautifully haunting melodies. Maybe the show isn't your taste, or maybe it wasn't so great on stage, but I find the CD rather engaging and rememberable. Did anyone else get? What do you think of it?
Updated On: 10/7/08 at 09:39 PM

[DrTheatre]

Posted: 10/7/08 at 9:48pm

How do I get a copy? I would love to hear it!

[perfectliar]

Posted: 10/7/08 at 10:04pm

I'm assuming you mean FRANKENSTEIN

It's actually been out for about a month now... it was released on the Sh-K-Boom site and on iTunes on September 2, which is when I downloaded it. I loved the show when I saw it in previews last October, so I was excited to hear the CD. I love the score and recording, especially Christiane Noll, Mandy Bruno and Steve Blanchard. Hunter Foster is fine too, but he never really felt right for Frankenstein. I've been listening to it in my car for weeks now.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 10/7/08 at 10:57pm

You haven't lived until you've heard "The Coming of the Dawn". That song alone is worth the price of the CD. It's a shame more people aren't familiar with the show.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 10/7/08 at 11:27pm

Ha! Yes I did mean that! It's been a long week (and it's only Tuesday!). Thanks.

Well, I agree with you about Foster to a point. I love him, but usually he's a bit nasal, but I was surprised at how his voice has either changed and matured, or how he controlled his normal tone for this show. He really comes off well, at least to me, but I would have loved to see this on stage.

Did it sound this lush in the theater or were the orchestrations bumped up for the CD?

[perfectliar]

Posted: 10/7/08 at 11:40pm

They were definitely bumped up for the CD, or else changed from when I saw this in previews (I also noticed that a song called "The Sorrow Born of Dreams" was cut from the time I saw it to the time it opened)... I remember a lot of the show being much more "rock" than it sounds on the recording.

[DrTheatre]

Posted: 10/7/08 at 11:40pm

Oh..read this completely wrong...

[iflip4musicals]

Posted: 10/7/08 at 11:47pm

Are there liner notes with the CD, or should I just get it on iTunes?

[jordangirl]

Posted: 10/8/08 at 7:12am

There's a synopsis and pictures and stuff if that's what you mean.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 10/8/08 at 6:15pm

It's not much though, unless you just want the hardcopy, you're not missing much by getting on itunes.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 10/8/08 at 7:06pm

Good news

I will pick up a copy next Sunday. They did not have it 2 weeks ago when I was there. Hard to imagine it will be closing next year. They will have a mega sale when they go.

[stephen3]

Posted: 10/9/08 at 2:26am

Hi,
I Musical Directed and conducted FRANKENSTEIN as well as the CD.
I can clear up a couple of things: The song entitled THE SORROW BORN OF DREAMS
was cut during previews. I was actually sorry to see it go because I felt that it tied the story up nicely as a cautionary tale. I think that not including it in the show was a factor in the confusion about what the show was trying to say as a piece.

Yes, the orchestra was augmented for the recording by a a couple of brass instruments and a couple of strings that were overdubbed well after we wrapped the initial recording session and I wasn't part of that augmentation. Many of you might know that the orchestration was overhauled DURING previews and we dropped a couple of instruments and added others. Before the chageover to the new instrumentation the show sounded like a synth fest. Glad we made those changes as difficult as is was on us during the preview period.
In any case, even though it's a little more bombastic at times than I would prefer if I had been mixing it, it is a nice memory of a show that was rocky at times but whose heart was in the right place and in which all involved were very loving and generous artists.