john & jen - thoughts?

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john & jen - thoughts?

Posted: 3/22/05 at 10:44am

Hey everyone,

I just bought a CD copy of john & jen and really like the score, but from some googling, I find it doesn't get great reviews.

Do other people like this show or is it just me? Why don't critics seem to like it?

re: john & jen - thoughts?

Posted: 3/22/05 at 10:55am

Eh.
Carollee is awesome, but what else is new?
I feel like the music never rises above mediocrity.
I've listened to it 2 or 3 times, and I perhaps need another 2 or 3 times to get more into it.
It has it's moments, but you have mine through a fair amount of mediocrity to get to them.

Personally, I think I have too much bloom.

re: john & jen - thoughts?

Posted: 3/22/05 at 11:35am

I really like John and Jen. I mean, yeah, I does have some songs that don't really work well, but then there are some that are great (ie, Run and Hide). I think it's a worthwhile show, and it has a good story. Definitly worth at least listening to.

"Gimme Gimme That Thing Called Love"

re: john & jen - thoughts?

Posted: 3/22/05 at 11:42am

I really wanted to like the score. I love Lippa's The Wild Party, and both Carolee Carmello and James Ludwig sing beautifully, but having listened to the CD 3 or 4 times, I still can't recall a single melody. Compare that to The Last Five Years, which truly stays in your head long after the CD player has been turned off. John and Jen: a disappointment for me. But...this is added to my original post, I have a feeling that if I saw it, I would like it as the story is very powerful and though the score doesn't resonate with me, the musical itself would, I believe.

Updated On: 3/22/05 at 11:42 AM

re: john & jen - thoughts?

Posted: 3/22/05 at 11:50am

It's an absolutely beautiful show.

re: john & jen - thoughts?

Posted: 3/22/05 at 12:42pm

That's really funny, because I was OBSESSED with this CD the first time I heard it, and listened to it many more times. Out of My Sight? Bye Room? Every Goodbye is Hello? Omigosh, I found so many songs that stuck with me immediately. And I agree, Carolee and James are unbelievable. Wish I could've seen this one.

[title of show] on Broadway. it's time. believe.

re: john & jen - thoughts?

Posted: 3/22/05 at 12:46pm

Just too much angst for my taste.

re: john & jen - thoughts?

Posted: 3/22/05 at 2:23pm

I'm agreeing with most people that it's flawed and could be better. But Lippa writes really fantastic confrontation sequences and the end of Act I ios really great. Other than that, it gets stuck in the shadow of that other two person show (L5Y).

Eeeeeeyyyyyyyyaaaaaaaannnnnddddd aaaaaaaiiiiiiiiyyyyyyaaaaaammmmmmmm teeeeeeeelllllliiiiiinnngg yyyyooooooouuuuuuuwwwaaaahh...

re: john & jen - thoughts?

Posted: 3/22/05 at 2:32pm

i love this show , i think its amazing to the most extent lol.Carolee is amazing and well there is a lot of songs and duets from that show for a tenor lol (_ive used a lot of them) so yeah its defiently a peice of art,i love it

"what? what is it? do i have something in my teeth? ok lets get this over with : no im not seasick,yes ive always been green, and no i didnt chew grass as a child "

#10

re: john & jen - thoughts?

Posted: 3/22/05 at 2:34pm

But Infinite, we always knew you had an affinity for great flops...

Never heard it, so otherwise I can't comment.

#11

re: john & jen - thoughts?

Posted: 3/22/05 at 3:35pm

I don't feel like searching for it, but I started a "john & jen" appreciation thread about a month and a half ago.

#12

re: john & jen - thoughts?

Posted: 3/22/05 at 3:48pm

I saw it when it played off-Broadway. I never really liked it.

If anyone ever tells you that you put too much Parmesan cheese on your pasta, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.

#13

re: john & jen - thoughts?

Posted: 3/22/05 at 4:09pm

i love this show...combine lippa and jrb, you have something great :0)

"Contentment it seems merely happens, It appears Accompanied by no bravos and no tears" "The world is good you said Enjoy it's highs you said The summer flies you said So make a parade Of every moment Now throw away your hate And focus on what's great instead" ~William Finn

#14

re: john & jen - thoughts?

Posted: 3/22/05 at 4:11pm

I heard that JRB and Lippa actually had a fallout during this show. They used to be great friends (JRB orchestrated John & Jen), but they started fighting or something during john & jen. Now I heard that they won't even let Last Five Years and john & jen be in the same season at a theatre or something crazy like that. Oh, the drama!

Eeeeeeyyyyyyyyaaaaaaaannnnnddddd aaaaaaaiiiiiiiiyyyyyyaaaaaammmmmmmm teeeeeeeelllllliiiiiinnngg yyyyooooooouuuuuuuwwwaaaahh...

#15

re: john & jen - thoughts?

Posted: 3/22/05 at 4:13pm

If that's true, it sucks.

#16

re: john & jen - thoughts?

Posted: 3/22/05 at 4:15pm

yea, that does suck... espeically since they are my two of my fav composers. sigh...can't we all just get along?

#17

re: john & jen - thoughts?

Posted: 3/22/05 at 4:20pm

Any theater that does john & jen and L5Y in the same season should fire their Artistic Director. What a lame season that would be.

If anyone ever tells you that you put too much Parmesan cheese on your pasta, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.

#18

re: john & jen - thoughts?

Posted: 3/22/05 at 6:19pm

interesting, the two shows just closed a run in repertory at a small theatre here in Houston.

Will: They don't give out awards for helping people be gay... unless you count the Tonys. "I guarantee that we'll have tough times. I guarantee that at some point one or both of us will want to get out. But I also guarantee that if I don't ask you to be mine, I'll regret it for the rest of my life..."

#19

re: john & jen - thoughts?

Posted: 3/22/05 at 6:20pm

Yes. Very interesting...

#20

re: john & jen - thoughts?

Posted: 3/22/05 at 9:31pm

I am in love with this show. I think the music is so good. The cast is flawless and I love the general concept for the show.

#21

re: john & jen - thoughts?

Posted: 3/22/05 at 10:07pm

I love the show too. Carolee is great! In someways, I have to agree that it "doesn't really rise above mediocre". It's a great concept, but I haven't seen an awe-inspiring performance of it yet. However, there are many moments in the show, where they just make it brilliant.

#22

re: john & jen - thoughts?

Posted: 3/22/05 at 10:27pm

I think that a smart director could really make the show great and rather moving. Cause although the material is flawed - we all know plenty of shows with flawed material can be successful and entertaining.

But I won't live alone in a house of regret.

#23

re: john & jen - thoughts?

Posted: 3/22/05 at 10:41pm

I ordered this at Borders a couple of days ago.

CCM '10!

#24

re: john & jen - thoughts?

Posted: 3/22/05 at 11:09pm

I reviewed a very nice production of this by the Stoneham Theatre in Massachusetts recently. Here's the link:

https://www.broadwayworld.com/viewcolumn.cfm?colid=2432

jmn

#25

re: john & jen - thoughts?

Posted: 3/22/05 at 11:40pm

Time to piss of some Carolee Carmello fans:

I'm musical director for an upcoming producton fo John & Jen, so I've been studying the socre and listening to the castr recording. Yes, the music is somewhat atonal or dischordant at times, but part of it is that Ms. Carmello is OFF-PITCH on many of her belted high notes. She has a vibrato which wavers back and forth between being on the pitch and being a quarter step flat. Check out the end of "The Road Ends Here" for example.

It's the Donna Murphy Syndrome.

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