Posted: 1/19/16 at 12:22am
I received a promo copy of the CD around Christmas. Glad everyone gets a chance to hear it now!
http://davidyazbek.com/music/women-on-the-verge-west-end-cast-recording/
Posted: 1/19/16 at 12:28am
Another thread was also created about this tonight. So there's no chance that this will be released commercially?
Posted: 1/19/16 at 7:51am
AWESOME! Thanks so much for sharing. This is one of my favorite scores ever, so I am thrilled to hear another version.
Posted: 1/19/16 at 6:41pm
Does anybody know if this will be released commercially? I'd love the opportunity to own it and not just stream it from David's website...
Posted: 1/19/16 at 7:06pm
The link isn't working for me. It says the page cannot be found. Anybody else?
Posted: 1/19/16 at 7:08pm
Looks like it's gone. And I didn't get a chance to download the songs!
Posted: 1/19/16 at 8:25pm
I'm so upset that I missed my chance to listen to this.
Posted: 1/19/16 at 8:25pm
I listened to a few and was quite content to stick with the fabulous recording of the Broadway production.
Posted: 1/19/16 at 9:22pm
There are still a couple of songs on SoundCloud, if you haven't heard yet. I think I prefer Haydn Gwynne's "Invisible" if only because the Spanish accent is dropped.
Posted: 1/19/16 at 11:37pm
It's Almodóvar. It should be very Spanish.
Posted: 1/19/16 at 11:59pm
Patti LuPone isn't Spanish.
Posted: 1/20/16 at 12:20am
Accent aside, as an Italian woman, she brought the right passion and ferocity of a lovelorn Spanish woman in the world of Almodóvar.
Posted: 1/20/16 at 12:49am
She's not Spanish but she is an actress.
Posted: 1/21/16 at 2:33am
Does anyone know anywhere else this is available? I missed it on Yazbek's site, and would really like to hear it. I'd be thrilled if they released a CD, but I'd take a stream or anything else I could get. Thanks,
Posted: 1/21/16 at 7:28am
I've secured a copy. PM me if you want it.
Posted: 1/21/16 at 10:07am
I've listened to the recording once through and it's an overall solid recording of a great score, but does not raise the bar on the Original Broadway Cast Recording. It's disappointing that they excluded the Overture and Entr'Acte (perhaps they didn't use them in the West End production?) because the orchestrations on this recording are much different than the OBCR, at times much more acoustic, and it would be nice to hear them with the West End instrumentation.
The performances on the whole are very good, but I still much prefer all of the OBCR performances more than their counterparts here. Tamsen Greig is the best of the cast and I very much liked her interpretations of Pepa's songs. Hadyn Gwynne is also a very good Lucia and delivers on "Invisible," but I do miss "Time Stood Still," which has been replaced here with a nice, new duet between Lucia and Ivan called "It's Me". Without the context of the actual show, I don't know if there was a benefit of replacing "Time Stood Still," but that's a much better song than the new one in its place. Speaking of Ivan, Jerome Pradon is not very good... Admittedly, it's impossible to compare his voice to Brian Stokes Mitchell's, but Mitchell is indelible on his solo songs and duets and Pradon just cannot measure up. They've mercifully cut "The Microphone" from this recording, which is a benefit. Ricardo Alfonso as the Taxi Driver sings his songs incredibly well, but I can feel the "performance" on this recording whereas Danny Burstein sounds much less forced. Unfortunately, Anna Skellern as Candela doesn't find the magic in "Model Behavior" that Laura Benanti did. This version is faster (believe it or not) and more frantic and Skellern bulldozes a lot of the humor with a loud, shrieking performance.
I do have to say that I quite like the new finale "The View From Here". It's not particularly unique or interesting lyrically, but it features a very nice a capella verse featuring the entire ensemble and it's a conclusion on par with "Shoes from Heaven". Again, without the context of the show I don't know which song is more fitting from a narrative perspective. Overall, though, I'd say this recording is worth having based on the new material added, the different orchestrations, and a few very enjoyable performances.
Updated On: 1/21/16 at 10:07 AM
Posted: 1/21/16 at 10:43am
"Shoes From Heaven" was never actually in the Broadway production, I believe it was cut in very early previews. The production ended with Pepa's solo "Talk to Me," which began as a duet with the Concierge. From what I've heard of "The View From Here," "Heaven" is far superior, I wish it was kept in the Broadway production.
The epic Overture was indeed cut from the London production, and that was a huge turn off from the start for me. I assume the very small band couldn't properly recreate it anyway.
Updated On: 1/21/16 at 10:43 AM
Posted: 1/21/16 at 10:49am
ljay889 said: ""Shoes From Heaven" was never actually in the Broadway production, I believe it was cut in very early previews. The production ended with Pepa's solo "Talk to Me," which began as a duet with the Concierge. From what I've heard of "The View From Here," "Heaven" is far superior, I wish it was kept in the Broadway production."
Oh that's interesting, I didn't realize that! I happen to love "Lie to Me" as a song and an introduction to Pepa and the central conflict of the show, but I didn't realize that it was also the finale. I'm not sure how I feel about that. "Shoes from Heaven" is not one of my favorite songs from the score, but it definitely provides closure to the show in a way that I can't imagine a reprise of "Lie to Me" could. Thanks for the info, ljay!
Posted: 1/21/16 at 10:55am
The titles are a little confusing! "Talk to Me" and "Lie to Me" are separate songs. The finale on the Broadway cast recording reflects what was heard on Broadway, but the ensemble parts "and the moon is up there laughing..." which is technically "Shoes From Heaven" was cut, the rest is "Talk to Me." Everything besides the ensemble singing ("Heaven" ) was in the Broadway finale, it was odd that the women never got to sing together for the finale, I was glad they it recorded it for the cast recording.
Updated On: 1/21/16 at 10:55 AM
Posted: 1/21/16 at 12:07pm
ljay889 said: "The titles are a little confusing! "Talk to Me" and "Lie to Me" are separate songs. The finale on the Broadway cast recording reflects what was heard on Broadway, but the ensemble parts "and the moon is up there laughing..." which is technically "Shoes From Heaven" was cut, the rest is "Talk to Me." Everything besides the ensemble singing ("Heaven" ) was in the Broadway finale, it was odd that the women never got to sing together for the finale, I was glad they it recorded it for the cast recording.
"
Got it! That makes much more sense. This is the first I'm hearing of the title "Talk to Me," since I'm only familiar with the OBCR. I so much regret not seeing this on Broadway...
Posted: 1/21/16 at 1:48pm
It's disappointing that they excluded the Overture and Entr'Acte
Honestly, given the newly conceptualized staging, they weren't necessary and I think they would have felt very out of place.
Hadyn Gwynne is also a very good Lucia and delivers on "Invisible," but I do miss "Time Stood Still,"
Me, too. I loved Time Stood Still and its connection to the character definition in the film. The new song was okay on stage, but it focused a little too sharply on her memories of their relationship, whereas Time Stood Still not only highlighted her obsession with preserving the past, but portrays a PTSD episode startlingly well, giving the audience a brief glimpse at her madness, more fully explored with Invisible in the second act.
Speaking of Ivan, Jerome Pradon is not very good... Admittedly, it's impossible to compare his voice to Brian Stokes Mitchell's, but Mitchell is indelible on his solo songs and duets and Pradon just cannot measure up.
I agree about the voices on the recordings, but Pradon more than made up for it on stage, exuding the requisite sex appeal.
They've mercifully cut "The Microphone" from this recording, which is a benefit.
It was cut from the London production entirely. The song wasn't missed, but I get why it was there. It's actually the opening scene of the film, but instead of speaking to his son, Ivan narrates his philosophy to the audience in a voiceover.
Ricardo Alfonso as the Taxi Driver sings his songs incredibly well, but I can feel the "performance" on this recording.
In London, it was a VERY different direction on the character. He was sort of an "everyman" narrator, not just the Taxi Driver. The Entr'acte was replaced with his rendition of My Crazy Heart, during which he accompanied himself on the guitar. I've listened to this track at least a dozen times already, reliving the electrifying thrill of his performance. It was appropriate for the production and one of the best male performances of any song I've ever seen. Seriously, I wanted to go back and see the show again, if only for that song.
Unfortunately, Anna Skellern as Candela doesn't find the magic in "Model Behavior" that Laura Benanti did.
And unfortunately, I agree. It didn't help that she fumbled some lyrics during the photoshoot sequence the night I saw it, but she just didn't have the comedic chops or perfection of timing as displayed by Benanti.
I do have to say that I quite like the new finale "The View From Here". It's not particularly unique or interesting lyrically, but it features a very nice a capella verse featuring the entire ensemble and it's a conclusion on par with "Shoes from Heaven". Again, without the context of the show I don't know which song is more fitting from a narrative perspective.
Okay, I'm a little foggy on the finale of the Broadway performance I attended closing weekend. I'd have to dig out the Playbill, but I swear the night I went, the finale was actually the alternate version of My Crazy Heart included on the cast recording (featuring LuPone and the leads). But I could be wrong. I don't remember it being Talk to Me. Regardless, The View From Here worked very well for the London production and fit nicely in the book as the characters reach their resolutions and gaze upon us from Pepa's balcony. It was quite lovely.
One thing I really missed in the London production was the tango for Marisa and the telephone man. It really provided more weight to her character as well as more texture to the show. The only other thing I would add to the London production would be a song for Paulina. Something perhaps using legalese to give us her POV on her interactions with Lucia/Pepa/Ivan and why she's the dichotomy she is.
At any rate, I'm so thrilled to have this recording! I loved both productions for different reasons, but I'd have to say London really did have the edge regarding the book and score. And the cast was (mostly) sublime.
Posted: 1/21/16 at 2:01pm
I saw it 7 times on Broadway including the closing weekend, and the finale was always what is heard on the cast recording: "Talk to Me" minus the "Shoes From Heaven" section. It was Pepa and Concierge, then Pepa sang it alone, then she proceeded to the ending scene with Marisa on the balcony.
Posted: 1/21/16 at 2:17pm
Mr. Matt, thank you for your comments on how this version of the score played on stage. I love reading these first hand insights! I'm glad to hear that some of the things that don't play well on the recording actually worked on stage.
I hope you're remembering correctly that at one point or another the London production did end up using the "bonus track" version of "My Crazy Heart" as the finale. I've always thought of it as a great ensemble ending, although that's an idea entirely engendered because it closes the OBCR. It's a perfect little coda after the curtain call, I've always thought.
Posted: 1/21/16 at 2:47pm
I saw the show in very previews when the alternate/bonus "My Crazy Heart" was the OPENING number, before "Madrid" was moved to that spot. It was gloomy and ominous as an opening number, I liked it, but I also saw the need for a high energy opening number like "Madrid."
Posted: 1/21/16 at 3:02pm
ljay889 said: "I saw the show in very previews when the alternate/bonus "My Crazy Heart" was the OPENING number, before "Madrid" was moved to that spot. It was gloomy and ominous as an opening number, I liked it, but I also saw the need for a high energy opening number like "Madrid."
"
The beauty of seeing early previews! I love "My Crazy Heart," but I think it benefits from knowing the characters and their stories, whereas "Madrid" works as a high energy introduction to the frenetic world of Women on the Verge.
