The 9 TO 5 Original Cast Recording- Page 2

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 7/10/09 at 10:02pm

iflip4musicals, that makes a bit more sense, it's just odd to me that it isn't Janney, Hilty or Block singing that first line. Not a big deal at all, just something that stroke me as odd.
It's not the kind of score that I think is so awful that I don't get how people would like it (THE WEDDING SINGER, I'm looking at you), but it's still so...generic, there's just no other word I can use to describe it. I get it's supposed to be fun and all that, it's just this season's LEGALLY BLONDE, I feel. Difference is I actually enjoyed more songs from that show than 9 TO 5. Perhaps because I thought I'd despise LEGALLY BLONDE and thought I'd love 9 TO 5.
"One of the Boys" almost bothers me, actually. I think John Kander and--if there is one--the Fred Ebb estate should get royalties for it even if Janney sells it like the pro she is.

[IdinaBellFoster]

Posted: 7/10/09 at 10:14pm

The recording is fantastic! I have a odd attraction to some of the more, random? songs. (ie. Around Here, which I can't stop listening to)

I LOVE 'One of the Boys'. Allison sounds very good, better than I expected. Stephanie sounds fantastic on 'Get out and Stay out', but I think that was pre-determined awhile ago haha.

'Change It' is also a very fun number, and sounds great on the recording. One change from the demo tracks which I do not like is in '9 to 5' when Stephanie sings 'I'll just have to fake it' It's not so much that I liked her big note, but the lame ending they have in place now is just very, I don't know, blah.

Overall, while the score may not come close to Next to Normal, this recording is produced very, very well.

[taylorPHENOMENON2]

Posted: 7/10/09 at 10:17pm

I'm so happy they added the alarm clocks for the opening number, which was missing from those downloadable songs released a few months ago.

[emo_geek]

Posted: 7/10/09 at 10:20pm

I was very sad Stephanie did not do her high note in 9 to 5 ("I guess I'll just have to FAKE IT).

[IdinaBellFoster]

Posted: 7/10/09 at 10:23pm

I also love Stephanie's more raw sound on 'Get Out and Stay Out'. On the demo she doesn't sound as emotional. Then again, it could just be the better orchestrations.

[brandontwin2]

Posted: 7/10/09 at 10:24pm

ray-andallthatjazz86 I'm in the same situation. I thought I'd hate Legally Blonde but love it quite a bit and I don't enjoy 9 to 5 which I thought I would absolutely love.

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 7/10/09 at 11:01pm

That is an interesting point Ray. Why is the first line of 9 to 5 sung by a man?

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 7/10/09 at 11:07pm

And I also don't get why people were so critical of Janney's singing. She certainly can sell an number better than the flashier Hilty and Block,

[iflip4musicals]

Posted: 7/10/09 at 11:09pm

Check back a page

"And to the whole "man singing the first line in a female power show" (MINI SPOILER ALERT?) It's Andy Karl who is on the womens' side, so it makes more sense once you (the audience, not a direct attack) learn that. "

[IdinaBellFoster]

Posted: 7/10/09 at 11:10pm

^ Why she was nominated for a Tony (and won the Drama Desk) while the other two weren't.

[iflip4musicals]

Posted: 7/10/09 at 11:19pm

I don't know why I feel the need to be so defensive about this show, but here goes!

I don't find Hilty and Block to be flashy, I know they have a big fan base (myself included). I do think, however they are fantastic performers. Block has really grown, in my mind. I saw her as Elphaba in the 1st national tour and did not like her, but now I love her and think she is a phenomenal performer. Always liked Hilty (plus we have the same birthday - so does Susan Blackwell - which just makes it more fun!).

I don't love Janney, but will admit that she sounds a lot better on the CD than live IMO. I think she can certainly sell a song, but sing a song is a completely different story.

As per the bland/Legally Blonde comparisons/ripping off thing: I have a lot of respect for this score (and I'm pretty sure I've said this before) because it brings us back to a different time in musical theater where not all scores were pop rock and many shows didn't exist in only one act. Perhaps that's why she used Kander and Ebb styles - or songs - to exemplify that. I could also be reading way more into it than anyone should. I think Legally Blonde tried to call us back to a different time, but didn't go all the way. 9 to 5 has an entre'acte! Would I call it the best score to hit Broadway? H*ll no (can we use the real word, I'm not up on the rules as I should be), but I do think Dolly did a great job for her first bway score.

I know Backwoods Barbie ended up on her latest solo album, but was it written for that album and used in the show, or vice versa, I never remember the story.

Updated On: 7/10/09 at 11:19 PM

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 7/10/09 at 11:34pm

To say that 9 to 5 takes us back to Golden Age musical comedy is laughable.

[iflip4musicals]

Posted: 7/10/09 at 11:40pm

Then maybe it "reminds" us of a different/older time in theater. I like how she paid homage to Kander and Ebb and the general "rules" of the time.

I think "Man in Chair" would like it, and I trusted his opinion on "The Drowsy Chaperone" (Gabel and Stein's of course)

[[tos]fan999]

Posted: 7/11/09 at 12:56am

I like it, for the most part. I listened to it in it's entirety just once, and now I'll just skip around, always skipping all of the "dream" songs. But I love Heart to Hart. Kathy Fitzgerald is hysterical!

[CSonBroadway]

Posted: 7/11/09 at 1:01am

Actually, now that I'm thinking of it, "One of the Boys" reminds me of a big musical number that would be in a show in the golden days of Broadway.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 7/11/09 at 2:35am

I still crack up when Stephanie sings "No good deed goes unpunished" in "Shine Like the Sun". Obviously, it's a common phrase, but it's just funny to me that it pops up in another musical sung by Stephanie and directed by Joe Mantello. Lots of coincidences.

[Voulez-Vous]

Posted: 7/11/09 at 2:52am

That was going to originally be Megan's line but Stephanie asked Megan & Dolly if they could switch because of the Elphaba thing.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 7/11/09 at 4:00am

I believe "Backwood Barbies" was written with the 9 TO 5 musical in mind as a song for Doralee like it ended up being.
I think the show is very inconsistent, there's "One of the Boys" then "Heart to Hart" has the gospel influences, there's a few country numbers. I mean, it's all over the place and I can't say that I think it's intentionally inconsistent in style. It just feels disjointed and very bland. There's very few songs I can say stand out. Most importantly, I think it fails to do what in my mind every movie-to-musical adaptation should do, which is justify why this story needed to become a stage show. As it stand it just feels like they inserted songs saying things that the movie managed to say in two lines.

[brandonm2]

Posted: 7/11/09 at 10:22am

My favorite track on the CR would have to be "I Just Might"

[CSonBroadway]

Posted: 7/11/09 at 11:47am

I love the part in "I Just Might" when Stephanie sings..."Just might RISE about the heart"