today's great songwriters: ahrens and flaherty

[apdarcey]

Posted: 7/21/05 at 2:01pm

so i've been ready to submit this post for a long time now, labeling ahrens and flaherty as two of the greatest writers for musical theatre of today's age (the 90's and present). every time i hear a score of their's i am amazed at how well they immerse themselves in the culture and time of the story they are trying to tell. once on this island, ragtime, seussical, a man of no importance and dessa rose, despite your enjoyment of the story or the book of the musical all have very engrossing scores that help plot and character development, while challenging the performers and the audience musically. personally, they are my favorite team writing for the theatre these days. i have not heard my favorite year nor lucky stiff, but i very much hope to as soon as possible. anyway, i'd like to present you with this thread to discuss the composers, their musicals, or anything pertaining to this wonderful team!
love, andrew

http://www.ahrensandflaherty.com/

[CapnHook]

Posted: 7/21/05 at 2:03pm

Amen!

And don't forget they did all the music for 20 Century Fox's animated film ANASTASIA!

[marincrazy11]

Posted: 7/21/05 at 4:03pm

ok as if I don't love all their stuff, but I love Anastasia so much! I love Stephen and Lynn! Such talented songrwriters and lyricists, respectivley. Their music is just so beautiful to listen to. And special kudos to Stephen. Most of his music can just stand alone, no words, no singer, and it's just as beautiful. I love them. They are so generous and so kind. Two of the nicest and most gracious people I have ever met. YAY Stephen and Lynn.

And I really want a stage version of Anastasia with their music.**

[jmnpublications]

Posted: 7/21/05 at 5:52pm

apdarcey,

I agree! Whatever issues people have had with their shows, it's rarely about the score. Special note: you can hear "Lucky Stiff" and "My Favorite Year" on BWW radio. I have never seen either show, but I really like the music, especially "My Favorite Year." You get a complete sense of the story and relationships by simply listening to the score.

I think Lynn Ahrens is a brilliant lyricist! She tends to be obscured by Stephen Flaherty's shadow because his music is so powerful, but her words are amazing. They layer back on themselves to have very different meanings depending upon the character who sings them and the context in which they are sung. They are also very poetic and absolutely drive every A&H show forward. Many times I find her lyrics take my breath away.

I was blissfully reminded of this when I saw "Ragtime" at Paper Mill Playhouse. What a masterpiece! I also saw a children's group do "Seussical" and a high school group do "Once on This Island," and they were both terrific. These youth groups' scaled down productions - like Paper Mill's "Ragtime" - let the characters and their evolution as everyday heroes become the focal points, even with kids singing the songs.

I can't wait for "Dessa Rose" to come out on CD. Seeing it twice was not enough. I want to be able to relive that experience over and over by listening to the full score. It was incredibly moving for me.

lc

[CapnHook]

Posted: 7/21/05 at 5:56pm

I haven't heard as much as a song clip from DESSA ROSE. I'm highly looking forward to discovering it.

Side Note: I never saw the show, but got the CD to MY FAVORITE YEAR. Didn't particularly like it too much. I think I need to see the show...

[nodaybut2day2007]

Posted: 7/21/05 at 5:59pm

I did not know they wrote Here's Where I Stand from 'Camp' I absolutly loved that song/movie. Good job to them.

[MyNameInLights]

Posted: 7/21/05 at 6:05pm

I LOVE THEM. I haven't come across a show of their's that I haven't liked.

[Hairspraydoll]

Posted: 7/21/05 at 6:06pm

Prob in my top 3 favorites. I love all their shows. Especially Once On This Island.

[MisterRussell]

Posted: 7/21/05 at 6:23pm

Saw a production of MY FAVORITE YEAR...it was disappointing. The recording preserves what was best about the show: F&A's great score. It has an unbearably lame book that sinks the show.

LOVE RAGTIME and LUCKY $TIFF, didn't care for ONCE ON THIS ISLAND or AMONI.

Can't wait for DESSA ROSE.

I would not like to hear of a stage versionof ANESTHESIA.

[Liz_Bennet]

Posted: 7/21/05 at 6:34pm

I love how unique Once on This Island seems to be (if there are other shows like it, I haven't found them yet). It has its own sound and, even more importantly, its own dramatic methods and voice. I hope it continues to be produced widely! I played for my mostly white high school's production and the show can really work with a cast of any race.

[apdarcey]

Posted: 7/21/05 at 10:34pm

liz, i would say that statement goes for all their shows, they really have their own unique sound that can really be compared to other shows, you know?
lc, me too about dessa... it was so moving, especially rachel's performance i thought... you will be in love with the cd capn... oh, and kecia lewis's song at the end (red blood and white milk), that was one of the best songs written for the theatre. period.
i've heard that my favorite year is probably their "weakest" show, which, seeing the other shows they've come up with, is impressive, because people have always said the score is great for that show, it's just the book that bogged it down.
lc, you are completely right about lynn's lyrics. they are incredibly moving, and yes she does generally sit in the shadow of stephen, especially when someone else writes the book for their shows...

i know there are more people out there who love a&f... let's hear it!

[Pinguin]

Posted: 7/21/05 at 10:38pm

Well, I mean, obviously Ragtime is GENIUS...and I like at least parts of the scores of Once on this Island, A Man of No Importance (Streets of Dublin is one of my favorite songs), Seussical, and My Favorite Year.

But they do have a couple songs that I just can't stand...Books being one of them.

Still...I have a lot of respect for them!

[Sluggy]

Posted: 7/21/05 at 10:49pm

I bought the OCR of "A Man Of No Importance" when BC/EFA was having a sale. I'd heard a few tracks on Emerson College's "Standing Room Only" (check out www.wers.org), so I thought I'd check it out. I love it! As someone said about another piece, you get a full sense of the story from the CD. Now I wish I had seen the production!

[MaTakeALookAtMe]

Posted: 7/21/05 at 11:08pm

Love the OBCR of My Favorite Year...one of my favorite cd's. Too bad the show didn't live up to the score

[wickedrentq]

Posted: 7/22/05 at 12:36am

Once On This Island was the first show I ever played pit for and I loved it! When you understand the story and the music is catchy and beautiful, particularly little things in the orchestrations like the clarinet countermelody in "Ti Moune", Soprano Sax responses in "Waiting for Life," flute being used for birds and the clarinet solo right before "A Part of Us." Just beautiful.

And I recently discovered Ragtime at Paper Mill and it's a marvelous show! I haven't been that touched or entranced by a score in years. I met them at a discussion at the Kennedy Center and they are also just soo nice and down to earth. Lynn was forced to sing and not happy. Haha.

[apdarcey]

Posted: 7/22/05 at 11:26am

does anyone have any scoops on their next project??