(Image Source: MTIShows.com)
This is an album that I have not watched the film of, or never listened to before now. Based on a movie that I do not know but starring a couple actors and actress I recognize, will the album sell me on this show or is this cast album enough as it is? Let's find out.
I did not research the plot of this show, I decided to jump in head first and try to piece the plot together with the music. Some shows you can almost see the story painted out through the music, some using song to explain the plot or some conveying enough emotion to do so. This show seems to be about dreaming, finding love, deals, coming out of your shell and changing, finding what is important in life and living in Hollywood, some people have money, some don't. So a nice little romantic comedy show. Without seeing the film it was pretty fun trying to piece together an outline. A plot we have seen on stage time and time again, probably loyal to it's film, but will the music have the power to make it stand out when it's ideas are ones we have seen before.
The style of music has a little bit of typical Broadway flare, but is mostly a rock musical, with slow rock ballads, and upbeat jams, basically all sorts of styles of rock and roll with a wide variety of instrumentation. Sometimes they swap up the instrumentation and deviate from the rock style and it can be quite grand. It feels like I have heard some of these songs done time and time again in other shows, from the " Am I in love?" songs, to the " I don't want to be here" songs. Some of them stood out and were great even if I have heard these ideas before in other shows. Some of them on the other hand, I was okay hearing just once, knowing other shows conveyed these ideas better. Some songs have excellent lyrics, and some of them sound like they may or may not have needed a rewrite (They did in my opinion). So the songs were a mixed bag, some of them had heart, and some of them were a ton of fun, but others left me wondering when they would end. I found myself pressing repeat on some, and tempted to press skip on others. A times the tone feels a little all over the place, some of the songs feel like they belong in other shows, as if this show had a set identity but not every song fits that.
Having a identity in a show is important the music will fit it like a glove, and when a musical picks on specific genre and sticks to it, it can help make that show stand out, but if it strays from that, you could leave audiences feeling mixed. When you rely heavily on genre and explore all areas of it, you could not only make a show that covers a great story but represents a genre of music well.
In terms of a ratio I found it being close to 50/50. Some of the rock songs had me banging my head, and some others left me indifferent. The songs about dreams were great, but I found myself straying from the love songs after they ended, I did not feel a ton of chemistry in them. In terms if I would see this romantic comedy play out on stage, I would potentially see it on tour depending on budget and what shows would be in the my local tour line up. But I could definitely see myself seeing this in a civic theater, this show has the feel that it would be really fun in a civic theater line up. The cast is decently sized like many shows based on movies, and it has great use of ensemble, so I would definitely see this on a smaller scale, and potentially see it on tour, maybe.
Score: Finish The Hat (Not every song was a winner but would see this in a civic theater. There are some fun songs, great use of ensemble, some are really great jams, some skippable ones, generic plot points that have been played out in other shows, by the number musical number themes)
Before I close today's post, here are the songs I really enjoyed and would like to recommend, that I did enjoy.
Welcome To Hollywood
Anywhere But Here (And Reprise)
Rodeo Drive
Don't Forget To Dance
You're Beautiful
Welcome To Our World(More Champagne)
This Is My Life
Never Give Up On A Dream (My Favorite Song)
Together Forever
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