Let's Talk About The SIX Opening Night Album

Some shows last so long that we get original cast albums, revival cast albums, and sometimes covers or compilation albums. Sometimes we might get an album of a show when it is in previews and get a new one with updated songs or different instrumentals. But in this case a live performance album, something that is not the most common thing, one of my favorite Broadway albums of all time is a 25th Anniversary live performance of Les Miserables. I talked about SIX recently and it is one of favorite shows from the new season, I hope to see it live someday but until that day comes, I have this album so let's talk about it.

This album was recorded on opening night of SIX, for those who do not know this is the tale of ex-wives of Henry the 8th but through the lens of pop and showing the world that they were more then just their marital status to the monarch. I have praised already and how the musical is relatable, has great moments of humor, historical importance, while also being songs that reflect real feelings in a fantastic way. I love SIX and now we have another album, and it is fantastic. But the only question is, do we need this album as well when we already have the cast recording?

The answer is a resounding of course we do! This album is incredible and it is awesome for people like me who do not get to see the show to get a peek into what it is like live. Hearing the audience reaction to the parts I laughed at, hearing moments that made me cheer as well made me feel connected to a show that I hope to see someday.  Live albums are not the most common but whenever we do get one it is a real treat, and this is no different. This album was a blast start to finish, making the listener feel as if they were in the theater hearing it themselves. 

This album also has a ton of things the first one didn't, jokes, spoken lines and transitions. This adds so much and does not take away from the other album but rather stands alongside it. I loved this and now having a complete version of SIX has me hoping other shows will follow suit. Such as the Les Miserables album mentioned earlier, that one is essentially the whole show from start to finish in album form. Some of the jokes, improvised bits and more are on here and it makes this experience very much worth going through these amazing songs again.

Hearing the transitions and character introductions are the icing on the cake, adding so much life to the album. This and the first SIX album are not comparable but rather stand side by side, they are both worth the listen for different reasons. This when you want something extra, and the first if you just want the songs without any jokes or audience reactions undisturbed. Both are great for their own reasons and worth at least one listen. But trust me, they each are filled to the brim with bops and are easily to listen to over and over again.

The songs have this great feeling of this historical figures singing about real emotions, heartbreak, betrayal, self-doubt, identity and more bring these queens out of the history books and into our lives today. These songs are easily relatable to anyone who has been hurt by someone they are dating and filled with comedy and empowerment on such an outstanding scale that shows why we love theater. 

Thank you so much for reading, take care and I hope your day is a showstopper!

The Tony Awards 2022 Nominees, And My Predictions

 As of this morning the Nominees for the Tony Awards have dropped, and I am excited, as we approach June 12th where I will be covering the Awards, I will be looking into the cast albums of some of the shows given. It brings me great joy and excitement to see my favorite award show return and in full form, being hosted by the one and only Arina Debose. Seeing her as a host will be nothing short of an amazing treat, and I am counting down the moments to hearing her opening song.

In terms of plays, I will not be able to see any of them, for new and for revivals. That being said I have not been looking into the stage play scene as much as the musical scene. Stage plays are fantastic and are a cornerstone of the world of theater, but I do not have ready access to New York staged productions, I will mostly be going off of the cast albums I have access to, the buzz around each show I have seen, and any reviews.

That being said from what I have been listening to I think "A Strange Loop" is going to sweep, most years one show sweeps the entire time, and this seems to be the one. In terms of best revival, I will be pooling for, and I am predicting that "Company" will be triumphant. I am hoping that "Six" earns at least one award as that show is fantastic and deserves due recognition. 

I am ready for Cast Album releases but until then I am using West End Production recordings or older Recordings for shows like "Mr. Saturday Night". This is a very stacked year in terms of nominees from historical pieces, jukebox musicals, and original shows, I will be looking into many of the shows I can before the awards, and after the night is done. 

I am beyond excited to see not only who wins but the performances, wondering what songs are going to be picked to showcase each show, and it seems unlike last year all the content will be from this current season. I am excited to see the performances as they are peeks into shows that some, including myself might not yet have access to until a proshot or a tour come our way. The Tony awards always brought me excitement, and this one is no different. This time of year is always one of my favorites, new shows to discover, new albums, the awards, and the beginning of Summer. 

Who do you think is going to win? Do you think it will be a sweep or the awards will be spread out? And are there any performances in particular you are looking forward too? Who knows what surprises, jokes, and more will be waiting for us all, but it won't be too long until we find out. Thank you so much for reading and I hope your day is a showstopper.

Musical Memories: Mama Mia

 With Mother's Day coming up this weekend, why not talk about a show I have seen live, via local production, which is the jukebox musical "Mama Mia". Not to mention there is a movie adaptation, and a sequel to the film but not on the stage. The show featuring the work of ABBA but tied to an original story is one of the biggest smashes in terms of jukebox musicals and has also had a long run in term of public productions. When I saw it back in 2018, I remember it being goofy fun, with fun music, so for this post I will be focusing on the stage version, I am sure I will come across the film versions sooner or later. And the first one which I have seen can wait, oh it can wait.

 This show follows Sophie, who is soon to be married and is holding the ceremony at her mother's nice island resort, but there is one problem, Sophie wants her father to walk he down the isle but she doesn't know who her biological father is. So she reads her mom's old journal and invites three of her old boyfriends to the wedding and whacky shenanigans ensue. With the wedding, the mothers friends visiting, past romances, current flings, and tons of flirting, all the while Sophie tries to solve this mystery leads to a zany, light hearted, sometimes touching show. There are so many characters that backstory is minimal as is character growth, leading to a conclusion that left me confused but indifferent. This show focuses on being comedic and as an outlet to play some of ABBA's greatest hits, and in terms of the narrative sometime I laughed, and other times I laughed for the wrong reasons. 

This show is a musical romantic comedy, so this is not some deep think piece, it's more akin to a Hallmark Christmas movie with a much larger budget and set during the summer.  When I saw it live, I found myself enjoying the music, sometimes laughing at how ridiculous things got on stage, and other times laughing because some of the punchlines were actually funny. The song choice is really good, and the performance that I saw was well acted. The slower moments were a tad hit and miss because there are so many characters that I found it hard to grow attached to them, but sometimes I found them sweet and a tad touching.

This show is mostly high energy, the temptation to stand up and dance along was indeed there, but the slower songs were a nice change of pace and gave a little bit of character development. This show is packed to the brim with songs, with very little time before the next one begins. That being said if you are an ABBA fan then this show is great, a goofy plot with fun music numbers. For example there is a scene both on stage and in the film where a group of scuba divers form a chorus line, I just had to accept it and laugh because I could not fathom why we needed it, but it was still hilarious. It just appeared out of nowhere and was done and that was it, as are many aspects of this show. From the romances, to even the backstories, everything in the plot just comes and goes.

The music is beyond fun, there are many high energy picks, with a few slower songs to stand out. They pull many songs from ABBA, so I ended up finding a couple songs I did not know about and enjoyed. The songs many of us know such as "Take A Chance On Me" and "Dancing Queen" are present and they lead to fun group numbers and choreography. The music fits into the plot and works well with it, and the way the production I saw used the title song "Mama Mia" was very well staged and a pure delight.

This show is still enjoyable, as long as you are fine with ABBA music, because if not then unfortunately that is basically seventy-five percent of the show. Tied together with a plot we have seen many times before, but it is so goofy and at times beyond random that is harmless. It can make for a lighthearted and very fun night at the theater. I did not regret going as it left with tunes to hum along too, a story that had me laughing, and stories to tell. It was not boring which is the worst experience one can have in the theater, and I have been bored before. This show is filled to the brim and if your civic theater is playing this show, it is an enjoyable time. The music is light and fun with a plot to match, a good time.