Amour--Original Cast Album

Well a few days ago, I listened to Baz Luhrmann's La Boheme with L'AMOUR literally writ large across the stage? How to follow that? How about Michel Legrand's Amour? It lasted for 17 performances on Broadway and was not recorded until months later when the cast was re-assembled just for this recording. It seems like an appropriate follow-up--both are set in Paris, at least.
Amour is not a tragic story, though, and certainly no where near opera, although the liner notes say that M. Legrand's inspiration came from the French operettas of Offenbach and others. The story is of unrequited love that become requited. Painfully shy Monsieur Dusoleil (Malcolm Gets) is hopelessly in love from afar with Isabelle (Melissa Errico) who is trapped in an unhappy marriage. Dusoleil becomes a sensation when he realizes he can walk through walls and becomes known as M. Passepartout (pass through all). This gets the attention of the lady, but he must win her himself.

While the music seems a little light even by operetta style, the singing is all very nice. The courtroom scene seems to have the most interesting music, reminding me of a Gilbert and Sullivan operetta. But then there are two more scenes after the happy ending in the court.

Mr. Gets and Ms. Errico have pleasant voices, that only sound strained when pushed to extremes of volume or pitch. Lewis Cleale and Norm Lewis are the two voices I find most appealing in this cast. The best song of the bunch is an "I want" song for Isabelle called "Somebody".

I'm intrigues that James Lapine directed this show. He seems drawn to shows that are outside the norm--like Sondheim. This is not as interesting either musically or thematically as any of Sondheim. I wonder what drew Lapine to it?

Amour
Music by Michel Legrand
Lyrics by Didier van Cauwelaert
English translation by Jeremy Sams
Directed by James Lapine
Cast album released on CD in 2003
Cast: Malcolm Gets, Melissa Errico, Lewis Cleale, Norm Lewis,

Passion stage performance on DVD

Manipulative bitch!

I don't get this story. Are we supposed to side with someone? Feel sorry for someone? Can someone please tell me why Passion is admired by so many? Even the commentary track doesn't really help me.

The music never reaches the same fever pitch of the characters' situations. In fact, a lot of the music sounds to me as if it is recycled from Into the Woods or Sunday in the Park With George. The characters' situations never speak to me. The staging by James Lapine is beautiful to look at, but a bit cold. The story-telling feature of letters is also rather cold. And I don't get why the chorus repeats lines from other characters. Actually, I don't get why there is a chorus at all. Wouldn't this be a better "chamber musical", with just 5 or 6 actors rather than 14?

Marin Mazzie seems to go through a ridiculous number of dresses with hoop skirts. The mole on Donna Murphy's face seems to have a life of its own. Jere Shea's character seems to have the emotional depth of his chest hair. Sorry, I know lots of people love Sondheim, and I'm often with them. But I can't get a hold on this one.

Passion
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book and Direction by James Lapine
Original Broadway cast taped for television in 1994
Cast: Donna Murphy, Marin Mazzie, Jere Shea, Tom Aldredge

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee Original Broadway Cast recording

I have to confess I don't have much experience with shows by William Finn. The 25th Annual County Spelling Bee is the first show of his I've seen live. I saw it in a Chicago production in a long-term stay in a 500 seat theater. I believe the cast was a combination of locals and actors brought in for the production. It played for about a year I think. I recall loving it when I saw it. It really celebrates our individuality and the quirkiness in each of us, and also pokes fun at our nation's current competition-fever and pushy parents. It's witty without being overly insightful.

This is one of those shows that really needs to be seen to be appreciated, I think. The cast album alone doesn't pass along the charms of the characters. I just kept trying to figure out if there is any structure to the music. While being tuneful, it doesn't really have tunes--at least not that are strophic (with verses) or in an A-B-A form with which I feel most comfortable. Yes, I am an old-fashioned bitty.

The liner notes for the cast album includes the lyrics which struck me as odd. Apart from the vocabulary words that the characters are asked to spell, I could understand everthing that was sung. There is a bit also on the creation of the show, through workshops, and off-Broadway that mostly spoke about the likability of the show's story line. I wished for a bit more background on William Finn, but maybe that's because I don't know much about him or his other shows.

I also find it interesting that James Lapine directed this production. I know his name from Sondheim shows. While I don't hear a lot of similarity between Finn's and Sondheim's music, I guess the similarity is in how characters are continually interrupting one another, causing challenges to the staging.

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Music and Lyrics by William Finn
Book by Rachel Sheinkin
Original Broadway Cast Recording
Recorded on April 5, 2005, released by Ghostlight Records
Cast: Derrick Baskin, Deborah S. Craig, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Dan Fogler, Lisa Howard, Celia Keenan-Bolger, Jose Llana, Jay Reiss, Sarah Saltzberg