Spring Awakening Wins Grammy for Best Musical Show Album- Page 2

[hermionejuliet]

re: Spring Awakening Wins Grammy for Best Musical Show Album#25

Posted: 2/10/08 at 6:43pm

Ouch, people. I think it is great that they won the award. I didn't know the best album was simply all about production. Though I don't think the production is that horrible.

So, that was the Drowsy Chaperone. Oh, I love it so much. I know it's not a perfect show...but it does what a musical is supposed to do. It takes you to another world, and it gives you a little tune to carry with you in your head for when you're feeling blue. Ya know?

[Scarywarhol]

re: Spring Awakening Wins Grammy for Best Musical Show Album#26

Posted: 2/10/08 at 6:51pm

No surprise, even though as a cast album, it is terrible.

[fflagg]

re: Spring Awakening Wins Grammy for Best Musical Show Album#27

Posted: 2/10/08 at 7:06pm

Another award that belonged to Grey Gardens.

Do you know what happens when you let Veal Prince Orloff sit in an oven too long?

[jv92]

re: Spring Awakening Wins Grammy for Best Musical Show Album#28

Posted: 2/10/08 at 7:09pm

Who votes for this award that means nothing anyway? And may I predict Sheik and Sater's acceptance speech-

SATER (in annoying, squeaking voice): Omigod well, dreams can come true...
SHEIK: Uh...uh...um...uh...

It's really one of the worst albums ever produced, besides being one of the worst scores every written. I'm not happy for them at all. In fact, if I could throw a rock and them, take their prize and and it to the Grey Gardens people, I would.

[snl89]

re: Spring Awakening Wins Grammy for Best Musical Show Album#29

Posted: 2/10/08 at 7:26pm

Spring Awakening is better than Sondheim?

Cool.

(Ohhh dear.)


I am SO going to get hammered for this one. but um. In my completely honest opinion, YES. :)

(I have tried to like Sondheim, I really, really have. It just hasn't happened. He is not my cup of tea. There are certain songs of his I really like, but in general, give me Spring Awakening over any Sondheim show ANY day! Sorry, I know, it's blasphemy but I'm not going to lie and pretend I like his work just because it's the "elite Broadway fan" thing to like)

I don't need a life that's normal. That's way too far away. But something next to normal would be okay. Something next to normal is what I'd like to try. Close enough to normal to get by.

[jv92]

re: Spring Awakening Wins Grammy for Best Musical Show Album#30

Posted: 2/10/08 at 8:00pm

SNL89: Your show is better than Sondheim!
SATER: (in annoying, squeaking voice): Omigod well, dreams can come true...
SHEIK: Uh...uh...um...uh...

[iflip4musicals]

re: Spring Awakening Wins Grammy for Best Musical Show Album#31

Posted: 2/10/08 at 8:00pm

I love Spring Awakening, I thought it deserved most of the Tony's it won. I didn't love Grey Gardens, and I think it got the Tony's it deserved. And in the case of the Grammy's COMPANY deserved it! Loved Company, and no one can deny Sondheim anything!
Then again, whoever votes for these probably never really listen to the recordings..... And if they do, they're more likely to go for Spring Awakening with its rock-y music and whatnot than a fantastic, beautiful score by Sondheim.

"I've never encountered such religiously, you know, loyal fans as Broadway musical theater fans. It's amazing." --Allison Janney

[hermionejuliet]

re: Spring Awakening Wins Grammy for Best Musical Show Album#32

Posted: 2/10/08 at 8:05pm

I love Sondheim AND Spring Awakening... what's wrong with that?
Why wouldn't the Grammy's choose something that is sooooo pop/rock based?

Oh, and I was reading my Sondheim Review and enjoying a peanut butter brownie today (combination = pure bliss) and some asked me if Sondheim was a cult.

It amused me.

So, that was the Drowsy Chaperone. Oh, I love it so much. I know it's not a perfect show...but it does what a musical is supposed to do. It takes you to another world, and it gives you a little tune to carry with you in your head for when you're feeling blue. Ya know?

[gumbo2]

re: Spring Awakening Wins Grammy for Best Musical Show Album#33

Posted: 2/10/08 at 8:08pm

To be fair I haven't heard the WSS album, but I thought COMPANY so wonderfully captured what the show was about on the album, not to mention everyone sounds great on it, and there's real feeling behind the songs, and the spoken scenes on it are actually entertaining to listen to as well. I'm a big Spring Awakening fan, but I think COMPANY is by far the better album. Just my thoughts. Not that it matters. Good for Spring Awakening for winning.

[Pippin]

re: Spring Awakening Wins Grammy for Best Musical Show Album#34

Posted: 2/10/08 at 8:09pm

hehe. the church of Sondheim.

"I'm an American, Damnit!!! And if it's three things I don't believe in, it's quitting and math."

[luvtheEmcee]

re: Spring Awakening Wins Grammy for Best Musical Show Album#35

Posted: 2/10/08 at 8:12pm

Personally liking something does not make it, objectively, technically, better. Like it better all you want, but the difference in the level of mastery and talent between the two is practically astronomical. It's possible to like something else better and still understand and respect that. It took me a very, very long time to get into Sondheim, and I would've taken many things over his work any day, but I still could still appreciate his work for what it was. Even if it wasn't my thing, that didn't stop me from understanding that it's some of the best theater writing in existence.

A work of art is an invitation to love.

Updated On: 2/10/08 at 08:12 PM

[CATSNYrevival]

re: Spring Awakening Wins Grammy for Best Musical Show Album#36

Posted: 2/10/08 at 8:13pm

No one else is outraged that the West Side Story CD was even NOMINATED??? That recording is a nightmare!

[BobbyBubby]

re: Spring Awakening Wins Grammy for Best Musical Show Album#37

Posted: 2/10/08 at 8:28pm

It is clear from the choices in the last few years that voters DO NOT listen to every disc, even though they probably were given a free copy. They go for name value, largest selling, or that year's Tony Winner.

[BobbyBubby]

re: Spring Awakening Wins Grammy for Best Musical Show Album#38

Posted: 2/10/08 at 8:30pm

Oh, and YES!, the fact that that awful Britsh West Side Story was even nominated is a joke to the theatre industry as an artform. It only got nominated because it got great distribution via Decca.

Oh, and funny, this weekend when I went used cast recording shopping, I found a used copy of that West Side Story for 5 bucks. I paid full price, and regret that. Ewwwww! The living creators of that piece must have been happy for the paycheck but unhappy with the quality.

[snl89]

re: Spring Awakening Wins Grammy for Best Musical Show Album#39

Posted: 2/10/08 at 8:31pm

"Personally liking something does not make it, objectively, technically, better. Like it better all you want, but the difference level of mastery and talent between the two is practically astronomical. It's possible to like something else better and still understand and respect that. It took me a very, very long time to get into Sondheim, and I would've taken many things over his work any day, but I still could still appreciate his work for what it was. Even if it wasn't my thing, that didn't stop me from understanding that it's some of the best theater writing in existence."


oh I most definitely can appreciate the beauty of Sondheim's work, for sure :) I can totally respect why he is hailed as one of THE great composers of all time. I get it. But it's just really hard for me to say that I feel Company should have won over Spring Awakening when I love the Spring Awakening score SO much more. And maybe that's wrong- maybe I should try and be more objective than that. But I can't help it. I think the Spring Awakening score is absolutely gorgeous, and though it may not be as technically *difficult* or something as Company, I feel it's just as well written and performed for what it is.

I would never ever lie and say I think anyone from the Spring Awakening cast is at ALL in the same league as Raul, or even the other members of the Company cast for that matter, but the score? I have no problem saying that I feel the Spring Awakening score is stronger. Because I honestly feel that is true.

And as I originally said, I agree that the production of the recording itself was NOT good. But the material is.

I don't need a life that's normal. That's way too far away. But something next to normal would be okay. Something next to normal is what I'd like to try. Close enough to normal to get by.

[jv92]

re: Spring Awakening Wins Grammy for Best Musical Show Album#40

Posted: 2/10/08 at 8:35pm

The main problem I have with the album (besides the score) is that it's horribly produced! It doesn't capture the show and it's mixed and mastered terribly. It sounds boxy and annoying.

[BobbyBubby]

re: Spring Awakening Wins Grammy for Best Musical Show Album#41

Posted: 2/10/08 at 8:37pm

And I know I'm in the minority but I'm not a fan of the Company revival disc. It is badly sung, especially Barbara Walsh's screaching, over-shot "Ladies Who Lunch". Esparza is appealing, as he always will be to me, but the cast he is with isn't top notch, not even close. They play their instruments well, but vocally, this disc is hit or miss. It is nice to have more of Furth's book, but I wish it were on a more conventional production, like the greater Barrowman production at Kennedy Center. That cast was a million times better, especially Ripley. Here "NOt Getting Married Today" is out of control, though I've seen the preview on the PBS website and it works much better live. Esparza gives a great "Being Alive" and "Marry Me a Little", while I think he missed what "Someone is Waiting" is about. His version, along with the orchestration was kind of like a weird lullaby. More "Hushabye Mountain" that confused bachelor. I found the opening number a wreck musically, both orchestration and playing quality. I am happy this show will have a visual life, because I imagine the vocal weakness is easier to take when you see the product as a whole. I'll stick with my OBC of Company any day


I know I will get shot, but my favorite cast recording during this voting period was Legally Blonde.

[luvtheEmcee]

re: Spring Awakening Wins Grammy for Best Musical Show Album#42

Posted: 2/10/08 at 8:43pm

Exactly, BobbyBubby -- I feel like they probably just go, "oh, well, I've heard about this one, it got lots of awards!" and vote that way. Which is a shame.

snl -- I'm not asking you to say that you think Company should have won over Spring Awakening. Thankfully, I'm not that blindly biased. You love Spring Awakening. That's lovely, it's fabulous, we all get that. What I'm talking about not a matter of what you love; it's a matter of what's better writing. Plenty of my favorite scores are not so great. It sort of bothers me when people are afraid of admitting that they might like something that might not be hailed as the greatest thing on earth, so instead of just owning up, they say they actually think it's objectively great.

And if you're going to say things like:

oh I most definitely can appreciate the beauty of Sondheim's work, for sure :) I can totally respect why he is hailed as one of THE great composers of all time. I get it

Then you should be able to recognize that. It's a matter of what's better. Not what you like better. And if you can't separate those two things, well, then this is a completely pointless discussion.

Also? Since you included him in your dissertation, this isn't about Raúl. Also thankfully, I can see past who is in a show.

A work of art is an invitation to love.

Updated On: 2/10/08 at 08:43 PM

[HeyMrMusic]

re: Spring Awakening Wins Grammy for Best Musical Show Album#43

Posted: 2/10/08 at 8:44pm

I have listened to all the recordings except the West Side Story one because of all the nightmarish things people are saying about it. If I were to vote, it would have been between Company and Spring Awakening. The Spring Awakening cast recording is odd because it was recorded in between the Off-Broadway and Broadway mountings at a sort of in-between phase musically. Still, I think it's a great recording that sounds like it was produced as an alt rock album. It seems like an album rather than a recording representing the show, and there's nothing wrong with that. I think this Grammy win is a deserved one, although whenever I listen to the Company recording, I keep wondering why the show wasn't nominated for its wonderful orchestrations. Company is an exquisite, timeless recording that is a great alternative to the dated original cast recording.

~Steven

[luvtheEmcee]

re: Spring Awakening Wins Grammy for Best Musical Show Album#44

Posted: 2/10/08 at 8:48pm

The Company recording... I think it captures the show perhaps as well as an album could have captured it. Which is great! But, for someone who loved it as much as I did, that doesn't feel like enough. I think the album is beautiful, and love the choices to keep pieces of dialogue, but if there's any conception that I expected it to win, I'll deter that now. Not because I don't think it's deserving, but because... look at what we're talking about. The Grammys. It's all about what's commercial. End of story.

A work of art is an invitation to love.

Updated On: 2/10/08 at 08:48 PM

[orangeskittles]

re: Spring Awakening Wins Grammy for Best Musical Show Album#45

Posted: 2/10/08 at 8:51pm

I have no problem saying that I feel the Spring Awakening score is stronger. Because I honestly feel that is true.

"Blah blah blah, Bobby, my junk is you!"

Yes. Clearly a misstep by Sondheim. He WISHES he wrote Spring Awakening.

Like a firework unexploded
Wanting life but never knowing how

[luvtheEmcee]

re: Spring Awakening Wins Grammy for Best Musical Show Album#46

Posted: 2/10/08 at 8:52pm

Well, Bobby is totally my junk.

God, I wish Sondheim had written such corny vernacular into HIS masterpieces, too. It would've made them so much better.

A work of art is an invitation to love.

Updated On: 2/10/08 at 08:52 PM

[orangeskittles]

re: Spring Awakening Wins Grammy for Best Musical Show Album#47

Posted: 2/10/08 at 8:59pm

Then you could hum them!

Like a firework unexploded
Wanting life but never knowing how

[HeyMrMusic]

re: Spring Awakening Wins Grammy for Best Musical Show Album#48

Posted: 2/10/08 at 9:01pm

I mean, we all know that these hardly mean anything. I lost my respect for this award when Spamalot won. Over The Light in the Piazza or anything else that year? That was just terrible. It's not even a respectable enough score to have won. At least people do like Spring Awakening's score, no matter what you all think about it.

~Steven

[luvtheEmcee]

re: Spring Awakening Wins Grammy for Best Musical Show Album#49

Posted: 2/10/08 at 9:01pm

It's times like this that I wish I was good at lyrical parody.

A work of art is an invitation to love.