Customer Reviews

Captain Louie (2005 Studio Cast)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

When I first heard about the family musical CAPTAIN LOUIE, based on Ezra Jack Keats children's book THE TRIP, I blindly purchased the album having not seen the musical, hoping I'd enjoy it as much as Stephen Schwartz' CHILDREN OF EDEN, WICKED, THE PRINCE OF EGYPT, and his two solo albums RELUCTANT PILGRIM and UNCHARTED TERRITORY.

The album finally arrived, and I stuck it in my CD player while at work. What impressed me the most about the disc was after listening it, I couldn't get the songs out of my head! They would pop up from nowhere, and I'd end up humming along with them. When there's a song you just can't escape and it pesters your brain like how a bee can't resist honey, then you immediately *know* it's good! My favorites are "New Kid in the Neighborhood," "Trick or Treat", "Looza On the Block," "Captain Louie," and "Home Again".

In the song "Trick or Treat", for instance, Stephen Schwartz has captured that joyful feeling kids get when they go Trick-or-Treating at nightime on Halloween. (There are even lyric homages to POCAHONTAS, E.T. and STAR WARS.) (Ironically, I first heard this song the day Revenge of the Sith premiered, which was really cool!)

And what's also great about the album is that Schwartz' music has a slight, poppy/motown quality to it a la WICKED, PIPPIN, and CHILDREN OF EDEN.

My congrats go to Schwartz for making another good musical, not only enjoyable for kids but also for people who still have some of there child-like innocence and remember what it was like to be a kid -- with the exception of piloting a Big Red Plane! ;-)

How has the, in my opinion, often underrated Stephen Shwartz followed up his massive success of 'Wicked'? Another big budget Broadway blockbuster? Another high-profile movie? No. Instead he has given us a truly beguiling score for a small-scale family musical with a young cast.

The quality of his writing (and, indeed, the performances on this cast recording) is of just as high a quality as 'Wicked', 'Children of Eden' and the neglected gem that is 'The Baker's Wife' (check it out if only to hear the absolutely magical 'Meadowlark').

There are elements of his previous work in 'Captain Louie' (even going back to 'Godspell'), so it is guaranteed that if you like his writing in any way, you will get a huge buzz from this new show.

By the way, don't think that, because this is a cast of young people, the complexity of his writing is in any way compromised - these young people are challenged and more than rise to that challenge!

Superb listening!

I have to admit that I can't take this cd out of my cd player......and I am an adult! What I like most is that this was written by a master theater composer that understands the middle school voice. Although they scream a little on the cd from time to time--it is true to style and it is still ( even though Schwartz is older) fashion forward in many ways. The best songs are: New Kid, Big Red Plane, Trick or Treat, Look Up Above You. From what I understand, he started writing this years ago and it was shorter. Schwartz makes musical references to his old musicals........themost obvious reference I can hear is from Baker's Wife ( Meadowlark).

I hope the story is as good as the musical writing here!

Brought to you by the composer of Wicked, Pippin, and Godspell, this CD has a few especially wonderful songs - Trick or Treat, New Kid in the Neighborhood, and Home Again. The Finale is also excellent, and combines the first two I mentioned in a new way. Big Red Plane is pretty good too, the others are just OK in my book but overall it's worth it for these few songs. And while some songs may not be "five star", these few are such strong five star songs that it makes for a five star CD to me. If you choose to download the album you could consider just opting for those four or five.

We loved this cd, me, my 5 yr old & my 2 yr old. We bought it just before seeing the play and love both.

Being a Stepen Schwartz fan, we decided to see what his children's musicals are like. We were delighted.

Great music, acting and singing. See the tour now, I saw
it right before Halloween in Oneida, WI! Excellent length
for children with bright songs. Good job Steveoreno!