Customer Reviews

Forbidden Broadway Goes To Rehab [The Un-Original Cast Album]

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

 

 

As usual, I savored the humor, the music and the performances. I particularly enjoyed the Mary Poppins, the Equus and the Young Frankenstein, but my favorite is "My Musical Comedy Smile." The adroid lyrics are a pleasure.

I have about four or five previously published Forbidden Broadway albums. I like the fun and wit they convey; and on first hearing I found myself anticipating each oncoming track of this edition. But once the CD was finished, I had no desire to hear it again. Why? Because it was just like hearing a rehash of earlier outings. The singers are very talented, and the production values are just fine; but overall I felt I was listening to an "also-ran" production rather than to a masterpiece.

The Forbidden Broadway CDs are among the jewels of my collection (I'm missing one, but that's about to be rectified), and this latest one is a worthy addition. Gerard Alessandrini, the mastermind behind the long-running show, has proved himself the best song parodist in America, and his show is the stage equivalent of Mad Magazine in its heyday. The ever-changing performers, too, are gifted mimics, as good at lampooning the performers as Alessandrini is at spoofing the songs. Of course, it helps to get the jokes if you're familiar with the Broadway shows under discussion, but the CDs are funny even if you've never seen the plays.

My friend gave me this last week, and I can't stop listening to it. It is brilliant and hysterical. Not just spoof. And the more you listen to it, the more you pick up. My "favorite" changes daily. But the South Pacific and Gypsy "skits" are so funny and clever. (My friend and I keep reciting bits of them to each other...and we are too old for that). The Sondheim and Kurt Weil bits are simply brilliant. Actually I love it all. This may be a little more "insider" (personality-driven) humor than some of the other CDs, so maybe that's why some people don't like it as much. If you are a "broadway-holic", "celebrity addict", or "sondheim-ite" you will LOVE it.

Lots of fun to listen to, excellent voice mimics. It's a shame they are closing down Forbidden Broadway.

Many's the time I have been at a performance of Forbidden Broadway over the years.
And as many times I have been laughing so hard that it was difficult to remain in my seat. I Sleep with Everyone, the mockery of Aspects of Love was so spot on it was hilarious and scary at the same time. He read my mind! The Mandy Patinken version of Somewhere Over the Rainbow in Alessandrini's hands was just too perfect for words. And Into the Words - Wow!

This version has a couple of tracks that got me going. I didn't get to see this show, only listened to it. Two of my favorites were the Bernadette Peters one and the one about the musical of A Tale of Two Cities. I especially loved the ending of the album which displayed reverence for Sondheim.
Surely Alessandrini is one of our national treasures. How does he come up with these perfect blends of the familiar and the new to make his amazing spoofs? I think he is a genius.

This version of the show is excellent with many amazing performances and writing but too many insider jokes (which I just didn't get. I understand the show is closing soon and is going to take a breather which might be a good thing. I have been a follower of FB since the first recording.

The quality of the songs of this cd are quite average. Not funny either. Just trying to be funny but not funny at all.