Podcasts from The Jeff Blumenkrantz Songbook Volume 1

I admit to being years behind the curve with this one, but after discovering the music of Jeff Blumenkrantz about four years ago, I have finally taken the time to download and listen to (most of) his collection of 20 recordings of the songs from The Jeff Blumenkrantz Songbook Volume 1, along with about 18 recordings of songs not in the songbook. I have made it through probably half the collection so far, and I look forward to listening to the remainder and any future songs Mr. Blumenkrantz may add to the collection.

I first learned of Jeff's songwriting by falling in love with (have so many have) his "I Won't Mind" on Audra McDonald's album. It took me a long time to realize that this was the same Jeff Blumenkrantz I had done summer stock with in 1984 (like there could be more than one?). I had seen his name in performing credits from time to time, but hadn't realized he had added songwriter to his accomplishments. Well, not to dis Jeff's capable performance abilities, but I suspect that at the end of his career it will be as a songwriter that he is most warmly remembered--and rightfully so.

With a wide range of styles and themes, and a keen intellect for writing lyrics that often manage to be poetic and conversational at the same time, these are songs that performers clearly love to sing, as evinced by the stellar line-up of performers singing on his podcasts--Sutton Foster, Kelli O'Hara, Kate Shindle, Megan Mullally, Marin Mazzie, Judy Blazer, and on and on. There are some men, too, but it seems to be with women that Mr. Blumenkrantz's music really takes hold. The singing is uniformly good, and often great, with performances that draw out the nuances in the songs without making them too precious. There are comedy numbers, too, which are all character-based and deserve wider hearing.

The last few recordings I have to listen to include most of Jeff's settings of Edna St. Vincent Millay poems. I've only listened to one so far and it had a tremendous, emotional impact with an art-song sensibility that will bring me to the other settings in the near future. When I have more to say about those songs, I will. Until then, if you want to check out Jeff's music for yourself, the podcasts are all available free through www.jeffblumenkrantz.com.

Enjoy.

The Jeff Blumenkrantz Songbook Volume I

Music by Mr. Blumenkrantz, lyrics by Mr. Blumenkrantz, Edna St. Vincent Millay and many others.

Cast: Jeff Blumenkrantz, Kelli O'Hara, Sutton Foster, Judy Blazer, Marin Mazzie, Kate Shindle and others.

The Drowsy Chaperone--Original Broadway Cast Album

Perhaps I've listened to this cast album a little too soon after listening to The Boy Friend or too soon after seeing Curtains, but during a lot of the time I spent listening to The Drowsy Chaperone, I felt like I had been there, done that already. 

Like The Boy Friend, this show's score harkens back to the sounds of the 1920s; like Curtains, this is a musical that lovingly mocks other musicals.

There is likable stuff in this score, though, and I bet I would like it if I saw it on stage.  Sutton Foster's song "Show Off" is very funny and well-sung.  Everything in this score is purposely a little fluffy, as our Host, the Man in the Chair, often reminds us.  Mrs. Tottendale's song "Love Is Always Lovely in the End" has some funny lyrics.  I also like the bonus track "I Remember Love" which was cut from the show. The very politically-incorrect "Message from A Nightingale" was funny, too, but I can understand why it didn't make the final version.  The songs for the male characters don't stand up favorably next to those of the women.

I didn't know that Georgia Engel had ever appeared on Broadway.  According to www.ibdb.com, this was her fourth show on Broadway--all musicals.  Also according to the Broadway database, Ms. Engel was replaced during the run of Chaperone with Cindy Williams and Joann Worley.  While all three are primarily known as television actresses, I can't think of three more differing performance styles than those three. 

The Drowsy Chaperone

Music and lyrics by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison

Book by Bob Martin and Don McKellar

Opened in 2006

Cast: Danny Burstein, Sutton Foster, Bob Martin, Troy Britton Johnson, Eddie Korbich, Beth Leavel, Georgia Engel, 

Grey Gardens original Broadway cast album on CD

This story, the musical telling it, the documentary film the musical is based on, and the Tony Award-winning performance of Christine Ebersole all drove me to pick this cast album out of the bin at the library. While I knew some of the story and had heard one song (which Ms. Ebersole had performed on the Tonys), I was unprepared to be so taken with Grey Gardens. The story, score, and lyrics are all compelling and very well written. Ms. Ebersole's singing ability is tremendous, and I'm only sorry that I didn't see her performance; I suspect her acting was as good as her singing.

The story surrounds Edith Bouvier Beale and her daughter "Little" Edie, of the socially prominent Bouvier family--as in Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onasis, who was Edie's younger cousin. Most of Act One takes place in 1941, as Edie is set to marry Joseph Kennedy, Jr. before he is sent off to battle in WWII. Edie is desperate to escape from her attention-demanding and extrovert mother, Edith (played by Ebersole). The marriage does not happen and Edie becomes trapped in the Hampton's home she and her mother share, called Grey Gardens.

Act Two takes place in 1973 as Edith and Edie are in jeopardy of being homeless as Grey Gardens has become very run-down and overrun by cats, and is about to be condemned. Mother Edith is still attention-demanding and now bed-ridden. Edie, now in her 50s, has spent her life in isolation at Grey Gardens, tending to (and always in the shadow of) her mother. Act Two Edie is played by Ebersole.

The music for this show is particularly wonderful, offering pastiche big band and Gershwin-like songs (appropriate to the 40s era) along with character songs that have a slightly Sondheim-esque feel to them. My favorite song of the score has to be "Another Winter in a Summer Town" which Edie sings near the end of the show. If there is another song which so completely captures longing, disappointment, and resignation I can't think of it now. The music, lyrics, and primarily Ms. Ebersole's singing of it, combine to make a very poignant and touching close to the show.

The credits on the Internet Broadway Database differ from the credits on the cast album for the role of the Act One younger "Little" Edie. The album lists Sara Gettelfinger, while the database lists Erin Davie. Inquiring minds want to know why.

This was composer Scott Frankel's first musical to be mounted on Broadway. I'm certain it won't be his last. I don't know if there are plans for Grey Gardens to tour. It closed on Broadway after only 308 performances. Whether it tours or is allowed to be mounted by a Chicago-based company, I look forward to having the opportunity to see this show.

Grey Gardens
Music by Scott Frankel
Lyrics by Michael Korie
Book by Doug Wright
Cast: Christine Ebersole, Mary Louise Wilson, Matt Cavanaugh, John McMartin, Sara Gettelfinger

Spring Awakening Broadway Cast Album

I probably should have lined up some uber-patriotic show for Independence Day, but instead I'm looking at the first musical by an independent rocker adapting a 19th century German play.

The original Spring Awakening was written by Frank Wedekind in 1891 or so. It has a long history of being banned, censored, reviled and protested over. I don't believe I've ever read the original drama, but Wedekind does make it into theatre history studies for his blending of naturalistic and expressionistic styles and, more so, for writing plays on topics that caused them to be banned, censored, reviled and protested over.

Spring is Wedekind's response to a society which is not honest in its discussion of sexuality. I assume composer Duncan Sheik and librettist Steven Slater are trying to speak to the same type of society in their 2006 adaptation. The musical aspects of the show are somewhat notorious for their explicit language and for being sung into hand-held microphones, both of which are anacronistic for a 19th Century German drama.

I don't care a hoot about that. The presentational style of the songs is a Brechtian devise that works well in this setting, where the songs act as the inner monologues of the characters more than they do as traditional plot-moving devices. The songs break the fourth wall convention to speak directly to the audience. Brecht said that Wedekind was one of his influences in developing his so-called Epic Theatre. So, either Mr. Sater and Mr. Sheik knew that and adapted accordingly, or they dipped unknowingly into some Epic Theater zeitgeist. Either way, bravo for them.

The music takes a little getting used to, and I believe that is because it uses so much guitar in the accompaniment. I'm so used to piano-based music coming from the pit. But there are beautiful tunes and powerful anthems just the same. And the cast performs them admirably.

Theater history lesson over.

Spring Awakening
Music by Duncan Sheik
Book and Lyrics by Steven Sater
Based on the play by Frank Wedekind
Original Broadway Cast Album
Released in 2006 by Decca Broadway
Cast: Lea Michele, John Gallagher, Jr., Jonathan Groff