Joe Brooks' METROPOLIS

Anyone, anyone?

I really like this show, back when it first opened in London "Time" did a huge five page spread on the show. The sets where stunning, the opening number used to be on you tube, but I have not seen it on there for quite awhile.

Give the show a go as with everything, some like, some love, some hate.

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Limelight check your PM's

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Wow, I have got to check this out. That could be awesome onstage. Story's very simple and theatrical, and you can't go wrong with sets and costumes that have that art deco retro-future look.

Scary would you like a copy of the CD?

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That it did!!


More Info on the show

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Scary, turn on your pm's!!

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I have the CD as well, and always consider it a guilty pleasure. I agree that "You are the Light" is quite a good song, and once you hear it, you'll sing its hymn-like refrain the rest of the day. Kuhn works very, very hard in the dual roles, and you can hear how effective she must've been. The score's principal anthem, repeated in different contexts, is a dark song about never seeing the sun that has a haunting, ALW-like feel to it. I forgot the title, it either has "sun" or "dark" or "night" but it's sung with blaring sirens and a swelling chorus and does suggest some of the power of the piece. (It's first sung after a little child is ground up in the machinery ... which partially explains why the show doesn't travel across the Atlantic...)

Sidebar about "You Are The Light." I had the album when I briefly lived in LA and used to go hear Marianne Williamson speak. I used to play "...Light" int he car and began to think of it as (new age minister) Williamson's song, even though she doesn't have a damned thing to do with it. It fit her, curiously. Ah, the power of associations.

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Updated On: 12/3/08 at 12:09 PM

I was so excited when the double CD became available. I was ripped off by the record store on the corner of 49th and b'way. I finally agreed to pay the 'unheard of' price of $45
after much soul searching. When I returned home, I found an additional $20 topped onto the charge...$65! At the time, I did nothing about it!

Anyway, I liked some of the score very much, but just hated the idea of the Judy Kuhn robot, lol- no offense Judy, just despised the plot. Haven't had a listen in years.

I saw this show at the Piccaddilly Theatre so long ago. The house tabs were replaced with a massive construction with the title Metropolis, looking as if carved into bronze. It split open horizontally as the show began.

This was a very painful production, with a lovely, huge 80s set designed by Ralph Koltai, and choreography by Tom Job (original Arbiter in Chess)- very Vogue and 80's angular robotics.

The story became increasingly convoluted but there were some nice anthems, which sounded like they had been cut from Les Mis. I remember thinking this was another missed opportunity- it could have been challenging but became mush.

Yea, the production on the cd is awful. And I agree about Futura's Dance.

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I love this score, but the recording is not very good. Kuhn is amazing, nominated for the Olivier Award, losing to Lea Salonga.

Pics from the original production are in photo section of my profile.

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