Customer Reviews

Elegies for Angels, Punks and Raging Queens (2001 New York Concert Cast)

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

 

 

Wow oh wow... what I wouldn't have given to be in the audience that wonderful night this amazing cast gave what appears to be one of the most amazing one-night performances EVER!

With a cast with many of my favorite performers (Alice Ripley, Emily Skinner, Amy Spanger, Bryan Batt, Veanne Cox, Mario Cantone) how could I resist buying it.

I knew I would love it... but I didn't know I would be so moved by this cd! The songs are melodic, yet clever-- a rare combination! And the musical performances are moving and funny (especially Alice Ripley and Norm Lewis-- awesome!) And for once it is a Fynesworth Alley cd with decent orchestrations. But the best musical performance award goes to a woman I sometimes find a little pushy: Emily Skinner. Wow. Her "My Brother Lived in San Francisco" is wonderful. It is irresistable and lovely. Emily Skinner now has a place in my heart!

The monologues (though seemingly abbreviated) shine just as much as the songs. While I found Steve Burns awkward (not his fault, the monologue's fault)I found Bryan Batt and Mario Cantone absolutely hilarious. I was expecting 6 heartbreaking, perhaps over-dramatic monologues but Bryan's and Mario's provide wonderful comic relief, and Chris Durang and Erin Torpey are wonderfully emotional. But Veanne Cox takes the cake. Veanne, usually a wonderfully bright-eyed comedienne, has transformed herself into a desperate junkie, and it's amazing. She shows how versatile she is once again!

This a must buy! I promise you'll adore it!

Live recordings don't always capture the feelings of an event. This one does. And anyone not familiar with "Elegies" should get this CD. Songs like "My Brother Lived in San Francisco" and "Holding on to You" and "The Rain Keeps Falling Down" make this one of the most unusual and moving modern theater pieces in memory. And this cast is top notch. Ripley, Skinner, Lewis, d'arcy-James... all theater performers of the first rank.

All in one?! An incredible cd with gorgeous ballads, fun beats, and hilarious, touching monologues. Buy it for Brian and Alice. They're completely worth it.

Over the years, I have grown accustomed to the usual musical landscape. Then, one day, I heard Sally Mayes' album The Story Hour (if you like Elegies, you will also love Sally Mayes album), in which she jokingly refers to "Dr." Kimmel. Since the revelation of Bruce Kimmel as a producer with vision, my musical world has exploded. I have purchased almost every album he has produced, at least those I can find. Elegies for Angels, Punks and Raging Queens is another jewel in his crown. Of course, much of the credit for this inspirational and moving work goes to Bill Russell and Janet Hood without whose vision we would all be on the darker side of the world. Then there is the matter of the artists on the recording itself. As a fan of Side Show, I am always pleased to hear not only Emily Skinner and Alice Ripley, but the always impressive and thrilling Norm Lewis. When is he going to get a show of his own? I can't get enough of his voice: it is filled with such texture, color and emotion. I could mention everyone in the cast, but that might go on forever. Needless to say, each and every performer from Brian D'Arcy James to Alton Fitzgerald White to Stephanie Pope each deserve a round of applause for their contribution and devotion to this project.

I think people have a tendency to underestimate the potency of concert performances, especially in a world where television cop shows struggle to be even more realistic than last week. Although I was not present at the performance, this recording captures the feeling and energy of a live performance. And a final thanks to Bruce Kimmel: As a professional stage manager, I am very impressed that both the production stage manager and the assistant stage manager are listed on the title page of the CD booklet. Once again, thanks for a great recording!

This is a terrific live concert recording of the show, and it's great from start to finish. I'm a huge fan of Bill Russell's music, as well as Alice Ripley and Emily Skinner, and they do a great, hilarious duet on this CD called "Celebrate", and that's just one of the standouts. Emily also performs the moving 'My Brother Lived in San Francisco' and some other great moments are Stephanie Pope's 'I Don't Know How to Help You' and Brian D'Arcy James' 'And The Rain Keeps Falling Down', although wonderful things could be said about every song on this CD. One of the other major highlights is Alton Fitzgerald White, Orfeh, and the amazing Amy Spanger's 'Holding on To You'. The first half of the CD is the songs from the show, and the other is some of the monologues, and they are performed by people like Christopher Durang, Steve Burns, Veanne Cox, and Erin Torpey. The monologues range from very moving, like Durang's 'Walter' to hilarious, as in Mario Cantone's 'Joe'. One of the standout tracks here is Veanne Cox's 'Charlotte'. I'm giving this CD a four, but only because they didn't include even more material!