Jason Robert Brown

[laura is broadway]

Posted: 9/10/08 at 6:06pm

I feel like I'm missing something. I saw The Last Five Years this summer in Edinburgh at the Fringe Festival, and though I enjoyed the plot and the show overall, I can't get through the cast recording. I always here people raving about how they can't stop listening to his work, and how wonderful he is. I want to like it, is there something I'm missing? Should I try out Parade or another show of his?

[JohnPopa]

Posted: 9/10/08 at 6:14pm

I find 'Songs For a New World' a good CD listen and I'm with you on his work overall, I generally find it indulgent and whiny; cabaret-music pretending to be drama.

[Kad]

Posted: 9/10/08 at 6:23pm

I find his strongest work thus far has been Parade, and I think that's because he had to work around a book. Otherwise, like in Songs for a New World or L5Y, he becomes incredibly self-indulgent.

[taylorPHENOMENON2]

Posted: 9/10/08 at 6:32pm

I've never seen 'The Last Five Years', but as for the recording, I don't think it's really anything special, but I do love Norbert.
'Songs For a New World'- I love. Check it out (Andrea Burns is AMAZING)
Updated On: 9/10/08 at 06:32 PM

[bob8rich]

Posted: 9/10/08 at 6:40pm

I guess different people's tastes are always going to be different. The Last Five Years CD always blows me away every time I listen to it - both musically and lyrically. It's one of the few scores I know that genuinely makes me cry and laugh out loud to an equal degree. There is SO much depth of sub-text in the lyrics and the music is seriously beautiful in parts. What I love most about JRB is that his scores are quite different and I adore TLFY, SFANW and Parade in different ways. Parade, for example, is so powerful and All The Wasted Time is probably my all-time favourite song - while I find TLFY to have a more subtle emotional core.

Updated On: 9/10/08 at 06:40 PM

[ashley0139]

Posted: 9/10/08 at 6:43pm

I'm just curious - what makes a score self-indulgent? Just the term alone sounds pretentious. But I'm trying to figure out what makes one score self indulgent and another not.

[laura is broadway]

Posted: 9/10/08 at 6:55pm

Thanks for all the feedback, it's all really helpful

I just listened to "A Miracle Would Happen/ When You Come Home to Me". This is probably my favorite song from the score, for no apparent reason. The lyrics are not at all relatable to me, but I find them quite clever and the music rather catchy.


However, now hearing "See I'm Smiling", I'm incredibly bored and hate lyrics such as "I think your really gonna like the show, I'm pretty sure it doesn't suck".

Maybe another reason I can't get into it is the two person cast. One reason I prefer cast recordings over any other kind of CD is the variation and I guess it's (not really musically but) sort of repetitive?

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 9/10/08 at 7:06pm

Try Parade, it's got a lot more variety to the score and a heartbreaking storyline.

Even if it's incredibly inaccurate historically.

[Jon]

Posted: 9/10/08 at 7:24pm

If you've ever seen him interviewed, or seen him perform, you'd immediately spot his enormous ego.

Let's face it, Last Five Years is based on his life. Jamie is a self-centered jerk. His new show, "Thirteen", has a protagonist who is essentially a 13 year old version of himself.
JRB loving the adoration

[laura is broadway]

Posted: 9/10/08 at 7:43pm

Ah, that's rather annoying. I suspected the The Last Five Years was somewhat autobiographical, though it's difficult to understand why someone would want to portray themselves that way.

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 9/10/08 at 7:45pm

Oh, good, someone else agrees with me about Jamie.

Anyway, that's why I like Parade the best. Though poor Leo Frank was turned into Woody Allen.

[QuiteSo]

Posted: 9/10/08 at 7:47pm

I agree that he's full of himself - I can't read his blog for that reason - but at least he's talented? I just got back into Parade over the last week or so (just got the Donmar recording), you have to appreciate the different styles he experiments with, the lyrics certainly aren't the worst out there (can we say Stephen Schwartz?), and you can see that he has some Sondheimian sensibilities at times.

I think he's an extremely competent composer and lyricist, and if that comes with an ego...hey, I can accept it.

Updated On: 9/10/08 at 07:47 PM

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 9/10/08 at 7:51pm

I actually think that JRB is an excellent lyricist. He's no Sondheim, but who is?

I think what Jon is saying is that he inserts that ego into his shows, so it's hard to avoid. Correct me if I'm wrong.

[Broadwaynerd101]

Posted: 9/10/08 at 8:00pm

I love Parade. It is alot better, IMHO, then L5Y!

[heathurr2]

Posted: 9/10/08 at 8:12pm

I don't know Parade, but I know a few songs from The Last Five Years and Songs For A New World and I LOVE them.
I just recently discovered JRB's music, and I have to say that I'm loving it.

[HoshiForever]

Posted: 9/10/08 at 8:22pm

I love JRB, but I certainly see where some people would find his stuff to be self indulgent. Parade though, I feel, is truly his strongest work, it varies so dramatically from his other stuff and within the show itself that it shows his versatility and ability to capture such a huge range of emotions. I would suggest checking out both the OBCR and Donmar Parade recordings, they're extremely different and both have their moments of brilliance. I was lucky enough to see it at the Donmar and, while I certainly didn't agree with all the changes made to the show, I'm so glad it's given the show new life.

[laura is broadway]

Posted: 9/10/08 at 10:04pm

If I want to get just one Parade recording (at least just to see if I like it) which should I go with?

[sweeneytodd2]

Posted: 9/10/08 at 10:13pm

Does anyone else agree that the Last Five Years works more as a concept CD than a stage piece?

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 9/10/08 at 10:14pm

OBCR, IMO. Better cast and not as much annoying dialogue.

I mean, it's cool to hear the dialogue the first time, but sometimes you just want to listen to the song, you know?

Also, I dislike some of the song cuts/additions.

Updated On: 9/10/08 at 10:14 PM

[laura is broadway]

Posted: 9/10/08 at 10:40pm

Thanks

ughh now to decide to buy it now on itunes or wait and buy the cd... always so hard...

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 9/10/08 at 10:46pm

I'm only familiar with PARADE and I love that score. It's so stirring and beautiful.

[jeniferrenepatricia]

Posted: 9/11/08 at 5:55am

I love his song "Stars and the Moon." Betty Buckley performed it many times in concert.

[bob8rich]

Posted: 9/11/08 at 6:48am

"Does anyone else agree that the Last Five Years works more as a concept CD than a stage piece?"

Sweeneytodd2 - I don't agree that it essentially works better as a concept CD. It really depends on the way it's done on stage. I've seen some productions where it has not really worked and others that have been mindblowing. Obviously the quality of the performances is a major factor (Lara Pulver's Cathy at the Menier Chocolate Factory, for example, was simply stunning). And the director is key - if it's staged with invention it definitely works. In fact clever direction actually enhances the piece, making the concept of the two stories told in different linear directions make more sense than just listening to the CD.

[blondebaby589]

Posted: 9/11/08 at 9:56am

I enjoy JRB's work, but I think that a lot of it tends to sound the same. Especially L5Y and Songs for a New World. Parade for the most part sounds pretty different from his other work. But I'm excited that he's come out with 13 because the few songs that I've heard sound nothing like anything else he's done before.

[heathurr2]

Posted: 9/11/08 at 12:59pm

Because I'm new to his music, I'm curious as to how it's self indulgent.