(no subject)
well. here i am updating this nonsensical journal again. was gone all summer in exciting places doing all sorts of exciting nonsense. hawai'i, columbia univ in nyc...most splendid. we sang much, we acted much, we were in the spotlight much.
i've decided that i love opera. not as a career. but i think the technique should be applied to music theatre. the material for music theatre is better, but so often music theatre stars voice's just suck. i'm not talking about glynis johns bad singing, or even like angela lansbury kinda sqeuaky, nasally, straining and reaching. that's fine, because the acting covers for them. most of send in the clowns is completely out of glynis johns' range but bless her heart i almost cry every time i listen to it. (it is NOT a lame song, not in the context of the play. out of it, yes, it's cliche cuz nobody understands what it's about...)
but like, for instance, i was listening the pacific overtures new broadway cast recording...(here, i shudder) and i wept. jeez. christ almighty. it was so bad.
1. the orchestrations suck. yeah, maybe he made it work for a small band, but four black dragons is so WEAK on this. ugh. when the american ships arrive and there's that creepy vamp, it's meant to have the full complement of the bass clarinet, trombone, timpani, cello and horns to make it ominous. what does he do instead? he has a lame ass piano play it. for god's sakes. also they fucked up the "and the feet pattered as the men came down to stare..." part and also fucked up the "hai! hai!" by making them sound really funny. going for laughs. it used to give me chills. now it makes me sick cuz it sucks
2. the voices suck. sorry b.d.wong fans, in addition to his acting, his singing sucks. it's weak, it has no force at all to it. this applies to all the other singers. even the ones from the original '76 cast. alving ing. tsk tsk. so beautiful and good on the original cd, but look what 30 years can do. that plus they transposed chrysanthemum tea up like a whole step and a half. it already went up to an high f, why make it harder for alvin ing to sing? sigh. the only good song is welcome to kanagawa because it includes more of the dance music and the guy who plays the madam emphasizes the drag queen aspect of it more.
ahem. anyways. that's my cd review. sorry i had to rant.
on the other end, go FOLLIES! it's super-awesome, despite the fact that i was forced to get the original cast recording which has a bunch of shit cut from it so it's really incomplete. but you can tell that it's good. it's such a disturbing show...esp "losing my mind". actually the entire ending sequence...
i've decided that i love opera. not as a career. but i think the technique should be applied to music theatre. the material for music theatre is better, but so often music theatre stars voice's just suck. i'm not talking about glynis johns bad singing, or even like angela lansbury kinda sqeuaky, nasally, straining and reaching. that's fine, because the acting covers for them. most of send in the clowns is completely out of glynis johns' range but bless her heart i almost cry every time i listen to it. (it is NOT a lame song, not in the context of the play. out of it, yes, it's cliche cuz nobody understands what it's about...)
but like, for instance, i was listening the pacific overtures new broadway cast recording...(here, i shudder) and i wept. jeez. christ almighty. it was so bad.
1. the orchestrations suck. yeah, maybe he made it work for a small band, but four black dragons is so WEAK on this. ugh. when the american ships arrive and there's that creepy vamp, it's meant to have the full complement of the bass clarinet, trombone, timpani, cello and horns to make it ominous. what does he do instead? he has a lame ass piano play it. for god's sakes. also they fucked up the "and the feet pattered as the men came down to stare..." part and also fucked up the "hai! hai!" by making them sound really funny. going for laughs. it used to give me chills. now it makes me sick cuz it sucks
2. the voices suck. sorry b.d.wong fans, in addition to his acting, his singing sucks. it's weak, it has no force at all to it. this applies to all the other singers. even the ones from the original '76 cast. alving ing. tsk tsk. so beautiful and good on the original cd, but look what 30 years can do. that plus they transposed chrysanthemum tea up like a whole step and a half. it already went up to an high f, why make it harder for alvin ing to sing? sigh. the only good song is welcome to kanagawa because it includes more of the dance music and the guy who plays the madam emphasizes the drag queen aspect of it more.
ahem. anyways. that's my cd review. sorry i had to rant.
on the other end, go FOLLIES! it's super-awesome, despite the fact that i was forced to get the original cast recording which has a bunch of shit cut from it so it's really incomplete. but you can tell that it's good. it's such a disturbing show...esp "losing my mind". actually the entire ending sequence...