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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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").
"You can't overrate Bernadette Peters. She is such a genius. There's a moment in "Too Many Mornings" and Bernadette doing 'I wore green the last time' - It's a voice that is just already given up - it is so sorrowful. Tragic. You can see from that moment the show is going to be headed into such dark territory and it hinges on this tiny throwaway moment of the voice." - Ben Brantley (2022)
"Bernadette's whole, stunning performance [as Rose in Gypsy] galvanized the actors capable of letting loose with her. Bernadette's Rose did take its rightful place, but too late, and unseen by too many who should have seen it" Arthur Laurents (2009)
"Sondheim's own favorite star performances? [Bernadette] Peters in ''Sunday in the Park,'' Lansbury in ''Sweeney Todd'' and ''obviously, Ethel was thrilling in 'Gypsy.'' Nytimes, 2000
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.
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.
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.
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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