HERE WE ARE heads to the recording studio- Page 6

[SidebySidebyLogan]

Posted: 5/17/24 at 6:26pm

StylishCynic said: "I've been listening since 11 PM last night, and I'm still digesting. There are a lot of delivery choices that changed for the album, and I'm just really accustomed to the slightly quicker, bigger performances from the stage.

I just now realized... they didn't includethe monologues at the end, and now I'm completely gutted. Seems like such a huge miss to 1) capture each of these actors' incredible take on the material and 2) give listeners who didn't see the show a sense ofthe characters' growth."

That was my one complaint as well but it still “Shine”s

[berniesb!tch]

Posted: 5/17/24 at 7:35pm

I have been listening all day and have nothing to add but I could listen to Jin and Micaela sing forever. 

[Robbie2]

Posted: 5/17/24 at 10:53pm

berniesb!tch said: "I have been listening all day and have nothing to add but I could listen to Jin and Micaela sing forever."

Same here...all day! The Soldier's Dream - Double Duet...Micaela & Jin  pure Sondheim bliss! 

Updated On: 5/17/24 at 10:53 PM

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 5/17/24 at 10:57pm

Shine, Soldier's Dream, the Bishop's Song, and the Waiter's Song are top-tier Sondheim songs.

Considering the fear some of us had going into Here We Are, I think we would have been satisfied with even just one song as good as the 4 above.

[StylishCynic]

Posted: 5/17/24 at 11:33pm

The Bishop’s Song, while delightful and brilliantly orchestrated, perplexes me. There’s almost no rhyme!

Have we ever had a Sondheim song with hardly any rhymes?

For someone who held brilliant rhyme scheme in lyricism to the highest regard, it’s so out of character that it has to be intentional.  

This is where I really grieve the revised Hat book that will never come.

[ljay889]

Posted: 5/17/24 at 11:54pm

I’ve been wondering that too! The lack of rhyme for the Bishop’s Song must be intentional, right? It throws me off, although I like the song. This score is certainly not Sondheim’s best lyrics, but it is still such a treat and surprise that he explored many different sounds in the score, even if it’s reminiscent of previous works. I was initially fearful it would sound like a continuation of Assassins and Road Show, and it sure is not. 
 

[rattleNwoolypenguin]

Posted: 5/24/24 at 9:33am

The more I listen to this I wonder is he purposely making fun of his writing a few times?

I mean these are just ridiculous songs and in the best way. I would think that he probably had his own in jokes with this score.

I think every time I come back to these songs I like them more and more.

and The Soldier’s Dream “it’s the end of the world” section is so beautiful and memorable.

When I left the theatre I wasn’t sure what I thought, but this cast album really captures what’s great about the show

[ljay889]

Posted: 5/24/24 at 10:42am

I don’t think he was making fun of his writing, but I think he enjoyed exploring a  goofy and whimsical sound, a style he hadn’t used in many years. Road Show, while technically a better and fuller score, was much more serious, so HWA’s sound is very refreshing. 

[Charley Kringas Inc]

Posted: 5/24/24 at 11:46am

My take on the lack of rhymes in the Bishop's song is that it reflects the fact that he doesn't have it together as a priest. The whole song is flighty and distracted, and his attempts to get a Music Man-style rapport going are met with hostility. It also feels like a joke by Sondheim - by removing his ability to rhyme, Sondheim makes the Bishop totally and utterly out of step with his own role as a musical character, just as God might be said to remove an actual Bishop's ability to believe, or even simply behave.

[ljay889]

Posted: 5/26/24 at 12:07am

Check out this great video highlighting parts of the score that echo other Sondheim songs. Also, a nice analysis of whether it was intentional or not. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zg6gizI69g

The most obvious to me has been the opening notes/theme aka "wake up it's the end of the world, you morons" being identical to "Bobby boy, you know how I hate the opera" (etc) from the Company opening number. 

Updated On: 5/26/24 at 12:07 AM

[binau]

Posted: 5/26/24 at 3:18am

They might speculate haven't listened yet, but it makes me wonder if the 'point' of this show is on the surface to entertain us but the subtext is playfully making fun the authors, the art form, the audience, society (entitled people, young lovers, naive young people) - while also trying to highlight the harsh reality of life ("It is what it is") and saying something poignant about the meaning of life and existence ("Snow"). 

[inception]

Posted: 5/26/24 at 9:27am

Yesterday evening had a courier show up with the order I had made that included the cd copy of this.  Haven't had a chance to play it yet, but the booklet is very nice with many photos from the production and the lyrics to the songs.  Makes it very much worth purchasing over simply streaming. 

[WindyNewYorker]

Posted: 5/28/24 at 7:54pm

This cast album should win the Grammy!!

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 6/21/24 at 3:18pm

I listen to the album every day and it's begun to settle into my brain, heart, and soul as all Sondheim scores do eventually. I now have a renewed wish that this show can make it to Broadway. It was a perfect production and I actually think it was a mistake not to transfer. This season was way overpacked but ultimately so dull for new musicals. I will treasure this album and my memories of the production at The Shed for a very long time.

[Broadway Flash]

Posted: 6/21/24 at 4:36pm

It was truly one of my favorite things I’ve ever seen.  It’s the perfect musical for me.  I hope it makes it to Broadway too

[WindyNewYorker]

Posted: 6/21/24 at 11:54pm

Two of my most favorite performances last year didn’t get transfer:

The Light in the Piazza (City Encores)

Here We Are (the Shed)

[MrsSallyAdams]

Posted: 8/1/24 at 9:28am

The "Musicals with Cheese" podcast devoted their final episode to Here We Are. The host has a fun theory on how the different restaurants represent different eras of musical theater. Sondheim would likely scoff but they've put more thought into it than I expected.

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

Restaurant that promises everything and delivers nothing = Jukebox musicals

Restaurant that deconstructs the work of a dead chef = Scaled down revivals

Restaurant that is shut down by the government = The COVID pandemic lockdown

EPISODES | Musicals w/ Cheese (musicalswithcheese.com)