Aida Original Broadway Cast album

When I turned this cast album in to the librarian, he proudly launched into "Ritorna vincitore". I had to explain that this was not Verdi's version, but Elton John and Tim Rice's Aida. While the story may be the same, the story-telling is certainly not.

At first this score reminded me of Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, with a belt-voiced female narrator opening the show. But in this case the narrator is Amneris, who becomes a primary character in the story. The rock and pop twinged score is also Joseph-like.

I didn't respond positively to much of this score. I like Heather Headley's singing very much, and she is very successful in "Easy as Life" which is the best song of the show. She also sings the reprise of "Elaborate Lives" very well at the end of the show, but the song is not as strong.

Adam Pascal is most effective when singing full voice. His sotto voce ballad singing is just breathy, rather than emotional. His Act II song "Radames Letter" could be effective but suffers from pedestrian lyrics.

Sherie Rene Scott sings very well as Amneris, showcasing a comic side with "My Strongest Suit" and then more emotional singing in the reprise. Of the rest of the music, I liked the chorus piece that ends Act I, "The Gods Love Nubia" a gospel-like spiritual, which is about the only singing the chorus gets to do. "Not Me" has some interesting four-part writing for Aida, Amneris, Radames, and Mereb. The two songs of Zoser (Radames' father) don't do a thing for me.

I have to question ending the show with three reprises, rather than a new duet for Aida and Radames as they are trapped in the tomb. Maybe the production team didn't want us to focus on the death of the lead characters. Well, then why tell the story?

According to the Broadway database, there was a production of Aida that used Verdi's music, but a new libretto with the story set during the Civil War. A similar thing was done by Oscar Hammerstein II with the music of Bizet for Carmen Jones. My Darlin' Aida was produced in the 1950s (as was Carmen Jones). Hmmm.

Elton John's version ran for more than 1,800 performances, so it must be considered a success. I think I'm going to join the librarian and put Leontyne Price on the turntable.

Elton John and Tim Rice's Aida
Music by Elton John
Lyrics by Tim Rice
Book by Robert Falls, Linda Woolverton, and David Henry Hwang
Based on the opera by Verdi
Cast: Heather Headley, Adam Pascal, Shere Rene Scott, Tyrees Allen, John Hickok, Damien Perkins, Daniel Oreskes