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Maiden, "The Likes of Us" was the first full musical Lloyd Webber and Rice wrote together, but it was never produced, which is why it's not well known. It basically sat on the shelf and a lot of its melodies were used by Lloyd Webber in his later shows. This is the first time it's been recorded.

As for "The Woman in White", I know every ALW show I don't just know of it, I saw it in London not long after it opened (front row seat). I'm pleased that it's going to make it to Broadway.

I'm currently listening to a little Phantom although it's not my favourite musical by a long shot. I've been asked to sing for a benefit concert for a friend who's been accepted to Mountview School of Performing Arts in London. I'm hoping to do a selection of different pieces. Currently I'm looking at "The Song That Goes Like This!" from Spamalot, "Lonely Rooms" from Oklahoma, "Stars" from Les Mis and "All I Ask of You" from Phantom. It all depends on what we can put together in the time. I prefer duets and ensemble pieces to solos where possible. I just think they're more interesting.


I went to see the Amateur Irish Premier of "Jekyll and Hyde" on Friday. It was a good amateur production but it's a very ambitious show. The demands on the leading man are phenomenal. The show itself is a little mixed. It has some fabulous moments and some dreadful filler. I still wonder if Lucy would have so many songs if Linda Eder hadn't been sleeping with Frank Wildhorn.

Anyway, for your pleasure:

I NEED TO KNOW

JEKYLL
I need to know
the nature of the demons that possess
man's soul!
I need to know
why man's content to let them make him less
than whole.

Why does he revel in murder and madness?
What is it makes him be less than he should?
Why is he doomed not to reach his potential?
His soul is black
when he turns his back
upon good.

I need to find
a way to get inside the tortured mind of man.
I need to try
to separate the good and evil - if I can.

One thing is certain - the evil is stronger.
Good fights a hopeless and desperate fight.
I must find ways of adjusting the balance
to bring him back from the empty black
edge of night!

I need to go
where no man has ventured before
to search for the key to the door
that will end all this tragic and senseless decay!
But how to go?
I need to know!

I need to learn
the secrets of the mind that we cannot discern.
I need to learn
the things that make men pass the point of no return.

Why does a wise man take leave of his senses?
Where is that fine line where sanity melts?
When does intelligence give way to madness?
A moment comes
when a man becomes
something else ...

I need to know
why man plays this strange double game!
His hand always close to the flame!
It's a deal with the devil he cannot disclaim!
But what's his aim?
I need to know!

Dear God, guide me!
Show me how to succeed!
With your wisdom inside me,
Henry Jekyll will follow wherever you lead!

I need to see
the truth other men cannot see
to be things that others can't be!
Give me courage to go
where no angel will go!
And I will go!
I need to know!

Iavas_Saar wrote:

Maiden, "The Likes of Us" was the first full musical Lloyd Webber and Rice wrote together, but it was never produced, which is why it's not well known. It basically sat on the shelf and a lot of its melodies were used by Lloyd Webber in his later shows. This is the first time it's been recorded.

How interesting. I wasn't aware that they had written a show before Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dream Coat. I'll be interested

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As for "The Woman in White", I know every ALW show I don't just know of it, I saw it in London not long after it opened (front row seat). I'm pleased that it's going to make it to Broadway.

Yeah, that was a bit of a rhetorical question I suppose. I really wanted to see it in London but didn't get to, so I'm also pleased that it's opening here. What'd you think of it?

ETA, having read Alatar's post.

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I've been asked to sing for a benefit concert for a friend who's been accepted to Mountview School of Performing Arts in London.

That's very cool!

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"The Song That Goes Like This!"

Wonderful song.

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I still wonder if Lucy would have so many songs if Linda Eder hadn't been sleeping with Frank Wildhorn.

I've never seen or heard J&H, but that struck me as really funny for some reason.

I'm listening to Wicked... again.

One of the view cds that I hate to turn off when I get to work.

I found a few mp3s I have of Wicked if anyone wants to PM me their email addy. I don't mind sharing...

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Anyway, for your pleasure:

I NEED TO KNOW

Thank you! I'd forgotton how much I like the music for Jekyll and Hyde. Have you ever seen the DVD of the show with David Hasselhoff?

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How interesting. I wasn't aware that they had written a show before Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dream Coat. I'll be interested

Actually, it wasn't before Joseph, I think it was next. But when they first wrote Joseph it wasn't a full musical, it started at around 15 minutes and grew into a stage show several years later.

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I really wanted to see [The Woman in White] in London but didn't get to, so I'm also pleased that it's opening here. What'd you think of it?

I really enjoyed it on stage, even though it's not up with ALWs best like Phantom. The video projection scenery helps make it an interesting experience. It has a nice dark atmosphere and some lovely songs, one of which, "All for Laura", is one of the most beautiful ALW's written, it brought me to tears each time it was used. It was also cool to get to see Michael Crawford on stage. I've read that they've reworked the show a bit since I saw it, and some of the changes are bad For example, an entire song, a very pretty one, has been cut. Sometimes they need to leave well enough alone - look at what they did to Martin Guerre for example.

TheMary you're wearing my song in your pic ... True I did sing Eponine's On my Own last year in the musical I played in...

Les Mis is one of my favourite if not the one, though I first heard it in French. Gavroche's song "La faute à Voltaire" is one of the best known song in France though most people don't know it's part of a musical.

But the first musical I ever saw was West Side Story... or the Wizard of Oz, I don't remember. For those I saw the movie before the stage version of it... Just like Phantom, though I knew most of the songs before, being a HUGE fan of Sarah Brightman .

I saw Fame in a stage version (by a German company). It was fantastic. And a couple of months ago I saw Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde on TV (stage version with D. Hasselhoff, I didn't know he could sing).

But the first show I ever went to and which actually made me fall in love with music and decide that it would be part of my life was Hello Dolly with Nicole Croisille and it was in April 1991. I was just 10 years old and we went to the Théâtre du Châtelet with my music teacher; this is the day my "musical destiny" was set . And for that reason I will always have a special fondness for that particular musical.

Not sure I will change my sig though since I've had the phantom in there for a little while

Edit: listening to "Time Warp" from Rocky Horror. For that one I must thank Dindraug and Leoba . It was the discovery for me of the year 2004 .

Next April in NYC, friends of mine have decided to go and see a musical (we'll be there on the eve of my Bday so ). I'm hesitating... I've heard so many things about Smokey Joe's Cafe (which I already know by heart since I have the CD ) but I want to see so many. I guess Les Mis will be the one cause I've never actually seen it

Iavas. Thank you for that. I had tried to block out the Hoffs bastardisation of Jekyll and Hyde. Care to give me a nice paper cut and pour some lemon juice on it?

Eari, don't even consider missing Les Mis for Smokey Joe. Smokey Joes Cafe is a piss poor half-assed cabaret pretending to be a musical. Les Miserables is a genuine classic. No contest.

Besides, you can always buy the DVD of SJC if you want.

Alatar

I've decided I'm going to try my hardest to see Wicked when it comes to Toronto next year. Somehow I got false information that the tickets went for $200, but on checking again I see that they're between around $70 - $100. Maybe that other price was for a dinner-hotel-ticket deal or something.

I'm going to see if I can bring my nieces too - I'll ask my brother about that this weekend.

I saw the movie version of the Phantom this past Saturday with some friends. I don't think much of Andrew Lloyd Weber's music (don't kill me!) but the movie as a whole was pretty good.

*kills Jude*

Eari, that's awesome that you were Eponine. She's one of my favorite characters of all time. Her love for Marius is so one sided and tragic *sighs* *wipse tear away* I love it. Actually I've been singing On My Own in my head all day.

Woman in White was slated to do a pre-Broadway run for this season's Broadway in Chicago but due to casting disputes they pulled it and are moving it straight to New York. We were pissed since that was the main reason we renwed our tickets again!!! Oh well it was replaced with Martin Short's show so...

Get to see Joseph and the Amazing Tech again at the end of November. I do so enjoy that play, although I'm not sure anyone can beat the version I saw in West Yellowstone, Montana at the Playmill.

ADD: Phantom was the first big production I'd ever seen and I was excited when the movie came out but never saw it. Then I listened to clips from the movie soundtrack and was disapointed with Rossum and Gerard's voices so I'm hesitant to see the movie.

What was so special about that version of Joseph, TM?

I have one in mind that is very close to my heart... our local theater did an amazing job with some very hot men doing the *best* version of "There's One More Angel In Heaven" I've ever seen!! Hee hee!

Added: I don't care much for the vocals in the movie version of Phantom... Mary, just see it for the smolderin' Phantom!

The first musical I saw on stage was Jesus Christ Superstar. It was very good. I saw it for a second time a few years ago, performed by very young actors. "Jesus" was to die for and he was only the understudy.

I also saw "Hello Dolly" and a horrible version of Charles Dickens´ Christmas Carol.

I didn´t like the Phantom movie very much. I never got why some people thought Butler to be "sexy" in that. The Phantom isn´t meant to be sexy, is he? Now you can kill me.

Iavas wrote:

I've read that they've reworked the show a bit since I saw it, and some of the changes are bad For example, an entire song, a very pretty one, has been cut.

That's dissappointing. I look forward to seeing it, but I'm sorry to have missed those. Are the cut songs on the OCR, or are they just gone?

Eari, I love Sarah Brightman! She's got a wonderful voice.

Also, I don't think that Les Mis is currently showing in NYC. It's only in Toronto and London, as far as I know. Of course, there are still scads of good shows here.

TM, don't see the movie. It's very well done visually, but Rossum and Butler aren't up to it vocally. Much better on stage. (On an unrelated note, I loved your last sig. Sara Ramirez was brilliant.)

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Woman in White was slated to do a pre-Broadway run for this season's Broadway in Chicago but due to casting disputes they pulled it and are moving it straight to New York. We were pissed since that was the main reason we renwed our tickets again!!!

You do know what this means, right?

Yay for Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dream Coat! Still one of my favourite shows. I saw a community theatre version when I was 10 and loved it.

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The Phantom isn´t meant to be sexy, is he?

Absolutely not, which is one of the problems with Butler is that he's too good looking, and they made minimal effort to hide that. It's just weird.

Jesus Christ Superstar is a wonderful show. I saw the movie version when I was 12, maybe, and then my mum took me to see the stage version for my birthday one year. It was fabulous. I've always wanted to play Judas. And the Phantom, actually. Although, my dream role right now is probably Elphaba in Wicked. Wow, that was some serious train of thought.

Well LoR the Playmill is a very intimate theater where the cast sold concessions walking up and down the side aisles. They did cute little skits before hand and since it was my birthday so I had a fella stand me up hold my hand kiss my cheek and everyone sang to me. I blushed like a school girl as people starring at me terrifes me, he was a cutie too. I loved how small the production it was all about the ambiance. There were two narrators that were really good, females played male roles (since Jacob had many sons), and it turns out John Peter Lewis who was on American Idol played Joseph (he did AI after we saw him).

Don't get me wrong Donnie was good and all, but the small production was in Montana was special. And what's with Mormon's playing Joseph? Not that there is anything wrong with that

Mossy wrote:

You do know what this means, right?

OOooooh does that mean I have to come to New York Mossy!??!?!

Les Mis...

Saw it in Queen's Theater, London this summer and had my American friend sing songs from it in the street with her opera voice in the middle of the night when we walked home. An experience for life.



Red - the blood of angry men!
Black - the dark of ages past!
Red - a world about to dawn!
Black - the night that ends at last!

TheMary wrote:

Well LoR the Playmill is a very intimate theater where the cast sold concessions walking up and down the side aisles. They did cute little skits before hand and since it was my birthday so I had a fella stand me up hold my hand kiss my cheek and everyone sang to me. I blushed like a school girl as people starring at me terrifes me, he was a cutie too. I loved how small the production it was all about the ambiance.

My first live musical experience was in a similar place. I saw Meet Me in St Louis at a dinner theater in Virginia when I was touring Washington, DC. Our waiter was "Lon" & he was hilarious! It was so great to be able to talk with the cast between scenes & the music & acting was superb!



Guess I'm the only one who likes the Phantom movie in this thread. I just happen to like being able to pop my dvd in whenever I feel the need for a little PoTO. Nothing can surpass the last production I saw of it in Chicago. We were in the front row... and I still get chills when I think of the finale. But I like the movie too...

Oh, the movie was fine. I just don't think much of the music.

And Minnie Driver was superb as La Carlotta!

I don't like the music either.

But I still like the movie.

TheMary wrote:

Well LoR

LMAO!!!! YES!!!! The confusion hath begun!!!

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I look forward to seeing it, but I'm sorry to have missed those. Are the cut songs on the OCR, or are they just gone?

Thankfully the song is on the OCR.

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TM, don't see the movie. It's very well done visually, but Rossum and Butler aren't up to it vocally. Much better on stage.

Well, I think Emmy Rossum sings wonderfully (I'm a big Sarah B fan too, but I definitely prefer Emmy's Christine!). And I also think Gerard does a pretty good job. If you just listen to his voice alone, it's not up to stage Phantoms, but it just works in the movie.

But even if you don't like the voices, anyone interested in Phantom must STILL see the film, if only for the beauty of the story brought to life, and for the added plot elements.

TM, you must atleast give it a chance. I absolutely adore it (would be my favourite all time film if not for LOTR), and plotwise the additions make it even better than the stage show. SEE IT!!

(and TM, you owe me a reply in the High Tension thread! )