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Post subject: Musicals Discussion Thread
Posted: Mon 07 Mar , 2005 3:56 pm
of Vinyamar
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I'm opening this thread cause I know there's a fair few interested parties on this board who either participate in Musicals or at least enjoy going to see them.

I'll start the ball rolling by recommending a wonderful musical by Howard Goodall, based on the book by Melvin Bragg. The synopsis is in my own words and I'd ask anyone contributing to the the same.

The Hired Man

Set in Cumbria around the turn of the century, the story follows John Tallantire and his young wife Emily as their lives unfold through the beginning of the industrial age, the decline of the agricultural life, the birth of Trade Unionism, World War I and the Mining communities. The story is at it's heart a simple one of family life. John and Emily begin their lives together making a new start when John attends a Hiring Fair and is taken on as a Hired Man or Farm Labourer for Pennington, a landowner. His dedication to his work and his rapid adjustment to settled life leaves his young wife feeling discontented and vulnerable to the attentions of the landowners raffish son Jackson. She fights her growing attraction, but finally succumbs to his advances, only to have him leave her and sign up for the Army, leaving her marriage in tatters. Meanwhile, John's brother Seth is working for Miners Rights and the struggling trade unions while his other brother Isaac lives the life of a gambler and hunter.

In the second act we see John now working in the Mines and his young family is now grown. His daughter May works in the local shop and his son Harry has just signed on at the Mines. War comes and John, Seth and Isaac leave for the front. Their letters home are a comfort and a constant worry to Emily, that is only worsened when Harry announces his intent to sign up as soon as he's of age. Inevitably, he does, and is killed in action. Jackson Pennington, Emily's erstwhile lover is also killed while saving Isaac's life. The final scenes show the true depth of love that John and Emily truly carried for each other even after all the hurt and loss they have suffered together.

If you ever get the chance, see this show.

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Iavas_Saar
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Posted: Mon 07 Mar , 2005 4:26 pm
His Rosyness
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Alatar, that does sound like an interesting show. I have to admit I don't have much knowledge of lesser known musicals. How did you discover this show? What is the music like?

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Posted: Mon 07 Mar , 2005 4:44 pm
of Vinyamar
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Iavas, I'd love to link some MP3s for you but I'm not sure what the situation would be regarding that so I've posted a question in the Business Forum.

Cheers,
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Iavas_Saar
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Posted: Mon 07 Mar , 2005 4:49 pm
His Rosyness
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I would love to hear some clips. If it's not allowed here you could always email me. :)

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Posted: Tue 08 Mar , 2005 12:17 pm
of Vinyamar
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Here's one of my Favourite songs from the show. This is sung by John when his son announces that he wants to work in the Mines, where the seams run out beneath the ocean.

What would you say to your son
If you were me?
Would you want him to go down there
And try to agree?
Would you tell the truth
When he asked for proof
Of the danger?

What would you want for your son
If you were me?
Would you put him down a mine shaft
Under the sea?
Would you fill his breath
With a dust like death
Would you take him
Under
Under?...

Would you cage him till you break him
And condemn him to the black rock?
Cage him till you break him
And condemn him to the black rock?

Would you say that to your own son
If you were me?
Would you allow him his own choice
Would he be free?
Would you shake your head
After all you’d said
Knowing he’d go
Under,
Under?...

Down there where there’s no air
And you’re locked up with the black rock
Down there where there’s no air
And you’re locked up with the black rock.

What would you say to your son
If you were me?


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Iavas_Saar
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Posted: Tue 08 Mar , 2005 4:08 pm
His Rosyness
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Those are very interesting lyrics. I would really like to know the melody that goes with it - what did you decide about posting clips?

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Posted: Tue 08 Mar , 2005 4:15 pm
of Vinyamar
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It's under discussion here

I don't think it's something I can make a judgement call on without some more input.

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Posted: Wed 09 Mar , 2005 3:04 pm
of Vinyamar
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Since the discussion regarding licensed material is still unresolved, I have contacted Howard Goodalls representatives and recieved permission to share a few songs on MP3
Quote:
Hello,

That's okay, Howard is happy to give you permission to share an MP3 file of a couple of songs from 'The Hired Man' with your friend. Thanks for asking!

Kind regards,

Thea von der Heyde
Assistant to Howard Goodall
I'll post them later tonight.

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*Alandriel*
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Posted: Tue 15 Mar , 2005 12:02 pm
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Please do :D
I love musicals too and take every opportunity to go (a bit a very expensive 'hobby' here in London :roll: and with familiy members very young as well as very old this is somewhat restricted).
Fantastic that you contacted them and got an ok :cheers
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Posted: Tue 19 Apr , 2005 8:31 am
of Vinyamar
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Well I've just been to see another anateur production of "Hired Man" and it reminded me to come back and post the MP3s I promised. I'll have them up later today.

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Iavas_Saar
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Posted: Tue 19 Apr , 2005 2:40 pm
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Looking forward to it :)

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Posted: Tue 19 Apr , 2005 4:35 pm
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I couldn't decide what to put up. Here's a selection anyway. If you are interested in the background for these songs let me know and I'll try to give a synopsis.

Song of the Hired Man

What Would You Say To Your Son

Farewell Song

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Iavas_Saar
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Posted: Sun 24 Apr , 2005 4:01 pm
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Sorry it took me a little while to get to listen to the clips, I'm checking B77 from work now and obviously can't use sound there!

Song of the Hired Man - I like the old-fashioned mood created by this song. I can definitely picture Cumbria in 1900. Parts of it remind me of something else, but it has its own style which I like. I've heard a few smaller modern musicals, usually adaptions of classic novels, that all seem to have the same style. My favourite musicals are those which have their own sound. It's why I prefer Lloyd-Webber's musicals to things like Les Miserables and Jekyll and Hyde - both have amazing music, but not a unique style. You could put a Les Mis song into Martin Guerre and it would fit right in.

What Would You Say To Your Son - I can see why this would be one of your favourites. The melody sticks in my head after it's over. It's quite moving too.

Farewell Song - This is a very nice song. I would really like to hear the whole show after hearing this selection, definitely impressed! :)


I don't know why this particular show popped into my head, but have you heard "Kiss of the Spider Woman"? I personally think it's one of the most unique musical scores written, and at times deeply emotional.

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Posted: Sun 24 Apr , 2005 9:12 pm
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I have the CD of "Kiss of the Spiderwoman". Kander and Ebb I believe? The same guys who wrote Cabaret and Chicago if I recall correctly. I've listened to it once or twise, but I think I would need to see the stage production. I've listened to the CD and mentally tied it to the Movie with William Hurt but stage and cinema are very different media and the "Spiderwoman" is a much more potent force in the musical. There was a highly acclaimed amateur production in Dublin about 5 years ago but I missed it. I must try to track down a video.

Glad you enjoyed the clips.

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Posted: Thu 05 May , 2005 5:27 pm
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This weekend I'll hopefully be seeing a touring production of Miss Saigon. I say hopefully because we plan to turn up and try to get return tickets - it hasn't failed for me before. I've seen the show 3 times before in the UK - I'll see how the US performers match up.

Re: Spiderwoman. I guess it's good I haven't seen the film version, so that I can have my own images of the story. I never really cared much for the show until a friend introduced me to it. He had just recently come out as gay, in his 40s. Musicals were his life, he performed in them and produced them. Anyway, Spiderwoman had a very special meaning for him, particularly the song "She's a Woman". While we were going to a show once he sang it, and I could tell what it meant to him. It really made me understand the emotion in the show. I would love to see it some day.

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Posted: Thu 05 May , 2005 6:39 pm
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The only two musicals I can stand are West Side Story (childhood nostalgia) and Chicago had good music.

A couple of shows I've built were musicals (one gospel and the most recent a rock opera).

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Iavas_Saar
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Posted: Sun 08 May , 2005 10:44 pm
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Miss Saigon was excellent today. The cast seemed to put their hearts into it a lot more than their British counterparts (I've seen it 3 times before, all in the UK). They made it more moving than before, I got teary several times.

The sound was very loud and powerful, and the singing superb. The only slight let down was a couple of scenes with different staging. Notably, in "American Dream" the glitzy dancing boys and girls and the cadillac had been replaced with multiple Elvis and Marilyn Monroe impersonators. Nowhere near as good (but probably cheaper).

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Posted: Mon 09 May , 2005 12:18 pm
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I hope that Miss Saigon returns to the West End also. I saw it in the initial run and was very disappointed. One on the few occasions where the stage show was a let down after the recording. I absolutely adore the soundtrack but the stage show simply left me cold. I didn't have any emotional investment in any of the characters. I could understand that it was tragic, but it never actually pulled me in. I found the soundtrack far more emotionally draining.

I've always put it down to bad casting the time I saw it. The guy playing Chris just came across as smug and cocky.

Glad you enjoyed it Iavas.

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Iavas_Saar
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Posted: Mon 09 May , 2005 4:39 pm
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I had the same experience as you. Seeing Miss Saigon in the West End was quite a big letdown after falling in love with the recording. The music is wonderful, but just like you the characters left me cold.

It wasn't until my 3rd time, which was the UK touring production, that the show really clicked and got me emotionally invested. And I can't really pinpoint why that was.. perhaps it's something to do with touring productions, where the cast put more energy in and the show feels fresher because it's always moving?

I had a similar experience with Phantom, where it didn't truly click until I saw a touring production.

I do know that Chris can border on smug and annoying when not played well. But the guy I saw yesterday was awesome. He really made me care for him. His anguish during the dream sequence before having to board the chopper was heart-breaking. And the girl playing Kim really gave it everything. I never realised how emotional her confrontation with Ellen in the hotel room could be - she was totally breaking down singing the lines "Then my child has no future like the dust of life" - it was amazing.

I think the performances are a very big part of it for this show.

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Posted: Mon 09 May , 2005 6:48 pm
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I would have to agree about the performers needing to be strong for this show to work. It's part of the reason why I think Les Mis is a far stronger show. Les Mis as a show works even when performed by schoolkids. The writing is simply that strong. Miss Saigon demands a higher price of it's performers because the writing doesn't do all the work for them. Maybe that's not a bad thing but it certainly leaves more room for disappointment.

Incidentally, which recording do you have? I own the Double CD Original Cast Recording but I'm planning on getting the Complete Symphonic version next time I see it.

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