I saw it in London (as did several at this board). It's not really about soccer so much as it is The Troubles. That gives it a decidedly West Side Story-ish edge. It's an ambitious show, and has Lloyd Webber working (to my mind, successfully) in a blue collar idiom. You hear some "Song and Dance" type motifs, a bit of the "Aspects" recitative, and even a couple of echoes of "Superstar" in the dance/soccer music. Still, it's very fresh and contemporary. I always say: if someone else had written it, there would've likely been more enthusiasm. He really does not repeats himself, or over-employ the Puccini. The women in London were especially strong. I'd recommend the CD, especially for you singers looking for material not sung to death. "Our kind of love" is lovely, as is all the duet material for the leading couple. The story, as befits The Troubles, has tragic consequences. But it has surprises, and wisely avoids a too-obvious Romeo (Catholic) Juliet (Protestant) arc. It's more complicated, and to me, that made it powerful.
"I'm a comedian, but in my spare time, things bother me." Garry Shandling
Updated On: 2/10/04 at 11:47 AM
