Onto my soundtrack thoughts now from my first listen:
New orchestrations are really good. The film soundtrack has more musical balance than the OBCR.
Corden slips in and out of his American accent repeatedly... he sounds no better than “okay,” and his casting seems like a misfire. JUSTICE FOR BROOKS!
I will never forget the show tried to rhyme “lesbian” with “thespian.” Reminds me of when Jason Robert Brown rhymed “Beyoncé” with “fiancée” for some reason.
The Indianans are no longer referred to as “...tea-bagging, Jesus-jumping losers and their inbred wives.” It is now “...finger-wagging, Hoosier-hopping losers and their homely wives.”
“Now let’s go start a fight!” I like this change, though I might’ve preferred something like “Now let’s go make things right!”
Pellman gets to show Emma’s softer side throughout, something I thought Kinnunen did not get to do so much on stage.
MERYL STREEP. Her two big numbers are everything. I would’ve loved if she had held that last note of “The Lady’s Improving” a bit longer though. I appreciate that she gave Beth Leavel all the credit in the world for helping her learn this role.
I approve of the cuts/new ending of “Dance With You.” Emma’s little “bye” to Alyssa foreshadows “Alyssa Greene” and I LOVE how both numbers now end unresolved.
Rannells sounds great! I think he’ll be better than Chris Sieber was on stage.
Key and Kidman both let me down a bit. Kidman is too soft and whispery in “Zazz,” and I think “We Look to You” in D major is a bit too high for Key’s register. Potts sang it better.
McCalla’s “Alyssa Greene” barely outdoes DeBose’s. A couple of minor line interpretations did the trick.
LOVE THY NEIGHBOR TRUMPS THEM ALL!
UNRULY. HEART. I might cry seeing this scene next week. Love the bigger buildup and C major modulation better than B’way.
”Build a prom for everyone...” Something tells me they’re already at said “built” prom in the movie (“And now we’re dressed up/You are a vision in aqua blue” is another altered lyric). Emma saying this does not make quite as much sense as the onstage version.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it once again: the end of “It’s Time to Dance” just feels so good.
“Simply Love” is a serviceable new song. It is here that Corden is at his best vocally despite some schlocky lyrics. Leagues better than “Wear Your Crown” though. I wonder what its context will be.
3.5/5 from me. Both recordings have their pros and cons, but they pretty much equal each other out. Is it next Friday yet?
“I am furious, but I am sailing.”
Updated On: 12/4/20 at 03:30 PM