Random Reviews: Sunday In The Park With George
So I just sat down and had a nice long listen to a recording of the 2008 Broadway cast of Sunday In The Park With George, and... I fucking love it.
Despite the fact that I am a giant rabid fan of The Phantom of the Opera, that doesn't automatically extend to the genre of musical theater as a whole, even though I'd absolutely love to make a career in it. Does that make any sense at all? I guess I'm thinking more as an audience member. I like Miss Saigon alright, Les Miserables has some nice songs but I'm not sure I'd pay to see it unless there was someone I really liked it the cast, I have a proprietary fondness for The Pajama Game since I was in a production of it once, The Music Man is win and so is My Fair Lady... on the other hand, I could give thismuch of a shit about Rent or Wicked or whatever else it is the 'leggers are recording in droves these days.
Anyway, I guess the point of that was, I don't own a metric ton of cast recordings. I've got a couple Phantom ones, the Miss Saigon Complete Cast Recording (wheeeeeee Thomas James O'Leary), the Jekyll & Hyde concept album (wheeeeeee Anthony Warlow), the 2000-whatever revival of The Music Man, and the highlights for the Les Mis CCR. Generally, when it comes to musicals, I stick to Phantom.
But as mentioned before, I was watching the Tony Awards and found myself quite enchanted with the performance put on by Daniel Evans and Jenna Russell from Sunday In The Park With George. They sang "Move On", which I thought was beautiful, and Evans was projecting this warm, familiar vibe--either he was reminding me of David DeWitt (which can only be a good thing) or I was recognizing him from Doctor Who, I don't know which. So I went digging, and came up with the recording.
It's a damn interesting show. For those who don't know, it's based off the painting "A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte" by Georges Seurat. The first act revolves around Georges and his model/lover Dot while he works on the painting; the second act focuses on his great-grandson George who is also struggling as an artist. The music at times struck me as being very film score-ish; something about it just evoked for me James Horner and his sad french horns. The song "Sunday" and its reprise have some extremely interesting chords in them. I had only ever heard a little piece of "Putting It Together" before so I was surprised at what a delightfully funny song it turned out to be--and speaking of funny songs, "The Day Off". I have to applaud anyone who can sing a song in the voice of two different dogs and presumably keep a straight face. I would have been rolling down the aisle in laughter. And maybe I'm a sucker for romance but I actually teared up during "Finishing The Hat" and "We Do Not Belong Together" I also really liked "Lesson #8".
I so wish I could see this production, if only it weren't in New York and me in Alabama, and if only it weren't closing like next week. Sigh.
And yup, I'd like to play Dot. Or anyone, really, if it meant I could sing those extremely interesting chords in "Sunday".
Despite the fact that I am a giant rabid fan of The Phantom of the Opera, that doesn't automatically extend to the genre of musical theater as a whole, even though I'd absolutely love to make a career in it. Does that make any sense at all? I guess I'm thinking more as an audience member. I like Miss Saigon alright, Les Miserables has some nice songs but I'm not sure I'd pay to see it unless there was someone I really liked it the cast, I have a proprietary fondness for The Pajama Game since I was in a production of it once, The Music Man is win and so is My Fair Lady... on the other hand, I could give thismuch of a shit about Rent or Wicked or whatever else it is the 'leggers are recording in droves these days.
Anyway, I guess the point of that was, I don't own a metric ton of cast recordings. I've got a couple Phantom ones, the Miss Saigon Complete Cast Recording (wheeeeeee Thomas James O'Leary), the Jekyll & Hyde concept album (wheeeeeee Anthony Warlow), the 2000-whatever revival of The Music Man, and the highlights for the Les Mis CCR. Generally, when it comes to musicals, I stick to Phantom.
But as mentioned before, I was watching the Tony Awards and found myself quite enchanted with the performance put on by Daniel Evans and Jenna Russell from Sunday In The Park With George. They sang "Move On", which I thought was beautiful, and Evans was projecting this warm, familiar vibe--either he was reminding me of David DeWitt (which can only be a good thing) or I was recognizing him from Doctor Who, I don't know which. So I went digging, and came up with the recording.
It's a damn interesting show. For those who don't know, it's based off the painting "A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte" by Georges Seurat. The first act revolves around Georges and his model/lover Dot while he works on the painting; the second act focuses on his great-grandson George who is also struggling as an artist. The music at times struck me as being very film score-ish; something about it just evoked for me James Horner and his sad french horns. The song "Sunday" and its reprise have some extremely interesting chords in them. I had only ever heard a little piece of "Putting It Together" before so I was surprised at what a delightfully funny song it turned out to be--and speaking of funny songs, "The Day Off". I have to applaud anyone who can sing a song in the voice of two different dogs and presumably keep a straight face. I would have been rolling down the aisle in laughter. And maybe I'm a sucker for romance but I actually teared up during "Finishing The Hat" and "We Do Not Belong Together" I also really liked "Lesson #8".
I so wish I could see this production, if only it weren't in New York and me in Alabama, and if only it weren't closing like next week. Sigh.
And yup, I'd like to play Dot. Or anyone, really, if it meant I could sing those extremely interesting chords in "Sunday".