Posted: 4/29/21 at 12:31am
Cast recording will be released for streaming on May 7th!!
Posted: 5/2/21 at 6:06pm
I saw this in Chicago a few years ago. Was not impressed. I thought it juvenile and pointless.
Posted: 5/2/21 at 10:11pm
It says world premiere cast recording, so I guess the Canadian cast/studio album from a few years ago? I think they had this (or parts of it) on a website a few years ago. Odd that the Off-Broadway production never got a recording, but maybe a formal release of the original will help the show have future life...after death.
Posted: 5/2/21 at 11:07pm
I saw Cyclone in its Seattle run. I was familiar with the show from reading about the Chicago run several years before that. I never saw a cast/studio album mentioned for the show from its Canadian run. Was there one? Where did you see or hear that?
Updated On: 5/2/21 at 11:07 PM
Posted: 5/3/21 at 11:09am
The Distinctive Baritone said: "It says world premiere cast recording, so I guess the Canadian cast/studio albumfrom a few years ago? I think they had this (or parts of it) on a website a few years ago. Odd that the Off-Broadway production never got a recording, but maybe a formal release of the original will help the show have future life...after death."
The recording is of the off-Broadway/regional tour cast. Not the original Canadian cast.
Posted: 5/3/21 at 2:02pm
Call_me_jorge said: "The recording is of the off-Broadway/regional tour cast. Not the original Canadian cast."
This is technically incorrect, it is only the Atlanta cast.
The recording cast features:
Lillian Castillo, Chaz Duffy, Scott Redmond, Jacob Richmond, Emily Rohm, Tiffany Tatreau, Kholby Wardell
Chaz & Scott did not do off-broadway or the first tour stops.
Posted: 5/3/21 at 3:46pm
Posted: 5/4/21 at 1:01pm
As a huge fan of this show, having seen it in Chicago, NY, Atlanta and Seattle, I'd recommend a listen when this recording is released. This Atlanta cast was fantastic, especially the cast who have been in all these productions, Tiffany, Emily, Kholby and Lillian, the music is addictive, and the concept is quirky, and it has some great dark humor with a script that is full of all-out laughs. Might not be everyone's taste, but I've always have a great time with each of the productions.
Updated On: 5/5/21 at 01:01 PM
Posted: 5/7/21 at 1:59pm
Having never seen this, I at least enjoyed the album and what I've read about the show. I liked the commentary from Karnak, has that been done on a cast album before? Some songs were not my cup of tea at all, but I could generally appreciate what they were going for. Some lyrics were appropriately clever and heartfelt, but a fair number were wince-inducing for me. The concept + setting is really interesting, and overall it's a fun album that has some great moments musically. I don't want to nitpick too much considering I haven't seen the show, so I'll stop here with the review.
Also, isn't this a similar concept to Happiness by Scott Frankel, Michael Korie, and John Weidman? Wish they made an album of that, I didn't get to see it. I know they're both Outward Bound- type premises, and that's fine by me. It's a great premise. But I'm wondering: how thematically similar are they? Both seem to be about appreciating the little things in life.
Updated On: 5/7/21 at 01:59 PM
Posted: 5/7/21 at 2:51pm
The recording is very good. The bits of scenes and Karnak narration provide a pretty clear context for the songs. The cast sounds great. This was my first time getting to hear the changes to the score since the off-Broadway run and I really liked them. It is very produced, so it feels more like a pop album than a cast recording, but that's not the worst direction to take this show.
They're also making a push for traction on TikTok, too. I had to laugh that the algorithm knew to send me this show of all the show-specific accounts I could have on mey feed. I loved the show when I saw it in NYC and really enjoyed the recording.
Posted: 5/7/21 at 3:44pm
Saw the show years ago off- broadway and remember really enjoying it. I'm enjoying the cast album. I am loving the hilarious Karnak narrations!
Posted: 5/9/21 at 9:22pm
Posted: 1/20/23 at 10:13pm
Has anyone seen the Arena Stage production in D.C.? I am thinking of seeing it while I am there in a few weeks. Have never seen it and have only listened to a bit of it. Decided it was something I should see before just listening to.
Posted: 1/20/23 at 10:23pm
I know there's been some kerfuffle about the McCarter Theatre's treatment of the disabled actor they cast to play Ricky. Apparently the actor had a health emergency and had to miss one show, and they instantly replaced him with his understudy. That understudy, and much of the creative team, are now attached to the Arena Stage production.
To add insult to injury, they've now apparently cut out the fact that Ricky is a disabled character at all by rewriting portions of the script.
Posted: 1/20/23 at 10:28pm
Nicticorax said: "I know there's been some kerfuffle about the McCarter Theatre's treatment of the disabled actor they cast to play Ricky. Apparently the actor had a health emergency and had to miss one show, and they instantly replaced him with his understudy. That understudy, and much of the creative team, are now attached to the Arena Stage production.
To add insult to injury, they've now apparently cut out the fact that Ricky is a disabled character at all by rewriting portions of the script."
I wasn't even aware that there was a disabled character in the show. I stayed away from the plot description outside of knowing the premise.
Updated On: 1/20/23 at 10:28 PM
Posted: 1/20/23 at 10:32pm
It's definitely complicated. Initially, they had the disabled character throw away his mobility aids pretty early in the show (because he's dead so doesn't need them anymore). Some people pointed out that this kind of erased the disability and made it impossible for many disabled actors to play the role. So, it seemed like they were on track to rewrite the role to make it more inclusive, but now have majorly backtracked and just tried to avoid the issue altogether.
Posted: 1/20/23 at 10:51pm
Well the initial portrayal seems to have made sense seeing the story line. Sounds like the re-write might not have worked.
It is one show that I have really wanted to see. I stumbled on it while planning some vacation time. I was all set to go to Universal Studios but decided on D.C. I also really want to see the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Couldn't get in the last time I tried to go. So, I get to see two things on my list in one trip.
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