Customer Reviews

The Frogs (2004 Broadway Cast)

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

 

 

I happen to love stephen sondheim. that does not mean that every production of sondheim is going to be golden. to prove that, he gave us Bounce. but seriously. The Frogs has some really intelligent music, which is quite apparent. But when you buy this soundtrack that I am reviewing, you are buying the final stop in a devolution of a good piece. It was mentioned that The Frogs was first performed in a swimming pool at Yale, and now it became this Broadway spectacle but now you can buy that original version that starred not only Nathan Lane, but also Brian Stokes Mitchell and Davis Gaines, who, as many of you know, are phenomenal. This talented trio brings the show home, something that Lanes later on with a weaker cast and plodding additions can not do. By buying the earlier version (also sold on amazon), you will acquire a soundtrack that just sounds a whole lot better.

But wait. There's more. When they released the original Frogs, they slapped Evening Primrose on as well, another obscure Sondheim. Luckily for us, it is one of the better ones. Some of Neil Patrick Harris' songs are really incredible, and ones' only regret about Primrose is that it only lasts for four songs. Yet these four songs stand out so much, that they have established Primrose as one of the stronger Sondheim works.

Here is what it comes down to. When you buy this version of The Frogs, the 2004 recording, you get a show that closed early, its ticket sales were so poor, with additional mediocre music. BUT. If you purchase The Frogs/Evening Primrose, you get a better cast, better songs, and an additional amazing Sondheim.
As Captain Planet would say: The Choice Is Yours.

I'm astounded to see most people's reactions to this curiosity, which I stumbled across entirely by accident and immediately fell in love with -- until, reading the other reviews, I realized that the other reviewers are all Sondheim fans. Well, I am, too, and I recognize that this a remarkably atypical piece for him -- *and that's not a bad thing*.

Most people's criticisms seem to revolve around the fact that this is a failure as a Broadway musical -- and they're right. It's not hard to see why it folded early: for the simple reason that this piece was being marketed to entirely the wrong audience. As a purely musical, Sondheim piece, it's mediocre.

As an adaptation of Aristophanes, it's *inspired*.

Yeah, it's preachy. Yeah, it's juvenile. You know what? So was Aristophanes. People complain that the final confrontation -- a verbose battle between two poets -- bogs the play down. Sure, if you're hoping for a laugh-a-minute slapstick farce in the spirit of "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum." But Aristophanes isn't Plautus, and that more thoughtful, intellectual comic twist is exactly what he would have approved of -- this is the kind of comedy that you don't laugh at, but rather the kind of comedy that makes you step back and go "Wow. That's really *masterful*."

In other words, not the kind of comedy that's going to be a hit on Broadway. But also not something that deserves to dismissed.

I listened to this album twice while driving in the Nevada wilderness. Nathan Lane is always a charming person to spend some time with, even if he's just a voice coming out of my CD player. The problems the critics identified in the Lincoln Center production are vaguely apparent on the recording: With the exception of "Shaw" and "Ariadne," the songs sound like Sondheim using half his considerable brain -- the songs are clever, but they're not tied to the passions or thoughts of complex characters. The final song really is a letdown -- it's a call to action, but to do what? And the humor presented in the dialogue is pretty routine. Still, you should by this if you're either a Sondheim or a Broadway score completist, and there are several minor rewards.

Up front admission: I love Stephen Sondheim perhaps above all other muscians in the world (runners up include Pat Metheny/Lyle Mays, YellowJackets, Keith Jarret). That said, I am completely delighted with Frogs. It has, in full quality, both things I always love about all Sondheim's work: the rich musical composition, and the perfect rhyming and delicious wit of the lyrics. I would mention that the wit, in this case, is even greater than his past works, though I would fear you might think that is why I love it so much, and that would be wrong. It's not the wit, it's the music. But the wit is great in this one. You can tell the actors love it too, and they are all in prime form in this recording. My advice: get it.

Being a Sondheim fan is a chronic exercise in exhiliration and frustration, and the newly refurbished score of "The Frogs" provides no exception to the rule. Stretched to 2 1/2 hours on the stage of the Vivien Beaumont, last summer's lumpen production exposed a slight effort collapsing under the weight of its own ambitions. What is preserved here, for better and worse, is also the best of what was offered. It's a mixed bag, for sure, with a handful of floppo numbers surrounded by beautiful examples of Sondheim at his best. The famous opening "Instructions to the Audience" is cute rather than funny, and that's no compliment. In addition, Sondheim continues his 20-year tradition of composing over-rhymed patter songs with the lyrics laid across note clusters in rhythmic cadences. "Dress Big" and "Hades" are the culprits here. In these songs, the words run away with themselves in true "Gilbert and Sullivan" fashion and you get riffs instead of melodies. Worse, they both sound VERRRY familiar. And "It's only a Play" is downright irritating, with Nathan Lane's broad liberal polemics juxtaposed with another annoying Sondheim jab at "critics" (didn't he exorcise this demon twenty years ago with "Merrily..." and "Sunday in the Park"?). Still, there's a lot of good stuff here. The jaunty "I Love to Travel" has a delightful swing to it and is very "atypical" Sondheim. The gourgeous "Ariadne" is equal to any of his classic ballads, once again proving that this talented composer is a true melodic master, and the moving "Fear No More" strikes just the right note of melancholy mixed with longing. The march-like title song, so over the top on stage, here preserves its ominous, foreboding tension and frames the score with chilling intensity. The cast is a bit of a mixed bag, though mostly they do just fine. Nathan Lane is, as usual, Nathan Lane. However, his comic timing remains exquisite and his singing voice is rather better than some would have it. Peter Bartlett brings zest to his every word and Michael Siberry, in particular, shines in his showcase "Fear No More". No, this isn't a masterpiece. However, there's enough here to more than satisfy any musical theater fan. Of course, Sondheim fans will be delighted that an almost new, fullblown work from the master is now available for public consumption. All aboard.

I suppose it depends on how you feel about Sondheim in general, but I think that this recording- while far from his masterwork- does showcase the Sondheim tunes that made him famous. Certain songs are forgettable- "Shaw" I could do without- while others really are well done. "Ariadne" is utterly gorgeous, wrenching, and altogether perfect. The title song is really incredible, and at one point a five-part counterpoint is done with different famous songs pieced together. It is at the same time jaunty and eerie, not an easy mix to acheive. "Dress Big" is an example of what Sondheim has been criticized of in the past- tying together rhyming lyrics without a real melodical pattern. "I Love To Travel" is, however, a good example of Sondheim at his best. It's fun, fast-paced and catchy, with the lyrical style that made him famous. Other songs, like "Fear No More" are surprising, but in the best possible way, beautiful ballads that catch the listener off guard. It is easy to see where the new songs were written and which ones were preserved from the version he did at Yale, so certain songs, no matter how good, seem out of place. Over all, the music is very good, but it's the kind of cast recording where you have to skip tracks.

As for the performers, I really must say this was well cast. Nathan Lane does a great job of being a robust and energetic Dionysos, and even proves his vocal versatility in "Ariadne", although it would be nice to hear that particular song recorded by somebody else with a less distinct tone. Because Lane's voice is so easily recognized it is very hard to get past on songs like that. (I never saw the show on stage, by the way. I am just saying what I understand from listening to the CD.) In addition, I was disappointed that Roger Bart didn't have a larger singing role. He's a fabulous performer, immensely talented in both his singing and acting, and he did the best he could with the little solos he had. Lane and Bart were actually the two biggest reasons I bought this CD, being a huge fan of The Producers. I don't feel they let me down. The other actors do a good job, most notably Michael Siberry as William Shakespeare. His "Fear No More" is soft and despairing, a true delight. Peter Bartlett was just so perfect for the role of Pluto, and he's very fun to listen to. It is hard to gauge Daniel Davis' performance from listening to the recording, but I saw him recently in La Cage Aux Folles, so if his performance in The Frogs was anything near as good as he was in that, he must have been amazing.

Over all, a very good recording. Poignant at parts and redundant at others, it has higher amitions than it can live up to- perhaps if it hadn't taken itself so seriously, it would have really been superb. A worthwhile recording to listen to, I recommend this for any Sondheim fans or general musical theatre enthusiasts looking for a good time. It hits the mark, even if at times it fails to remember "It's only a play".

Folks,

There would be no Broadway musicals without Aristophanes. He was the granddaddy who gave birth to Gilbert and Sullivan who fostered all we know and love on the Great White Way. This imaginative reconstruction is brilliant, the greatest recreation of an Aristophanes original ever done. The production was brilliant but the critics had no idea who Aristophanes was or what he did; fortunately, Sondheim and Lane, true men of the theater, did, and they delivered the goods. Audiences loved the show, which sadly vanished under the lilypads. BUY THIS RECORDING! Read up on the original, enjoy the brilliant transformation and be grateful to the "gods of the theater" that they continue to grant us such great talents.

I saw this show on broadway a year ago, and I found it amazing...except for the 2nd act. The 2nd act had a lot of problems, but the first act made up for it. The songs are beautiful, and are beautifully executed, especially Nathan Lane's songs including my favorite; "Ariadne".

If you are a Sondheim or Lane fan, this CD is definitely worth a listen.

Originally, "The Frogs" was a small theatre piece, best remembered for its performances in a Yale swimming pool in the mid-seventies. Thirty years later (and at the suggestion of Nathan Lane), Stephen Sondheim added some additional music to his score for its Broadway debut.

Headed by the always terrific Nathan Lane and Roger Bart (whom I wish had a larger role), Mr. Sondheim's score is interesting, but shines brightly in "I Love To Travel" and the heart-wrenching "Ariadne", both added for the Broadway premiere.

On the stage, this was a pageant of spectacle and low humor -just what Aristophanes would have wanted. Sondheim and Lane, in their effort to do the ancient playwright justice, may have shot themselves in the foot - but their show remains a fascinating rollercoaster ride through imagination, politics, and mythology. Sondheim provided a number of new songs, including the haunting "Ariadne" which is destined to become a classic. That song alone makes this the indispensable version of the show (as opposed to the concert cast with Lane, Brian Stokes Mitchell, and Davis Gaines, which is wonderful, but a completely different animal). Unlike the previous concert recording, this is a real cast album -and it sounds like one. The cast is energetic and the orchestra brash and exciting. The score is bouncy and melodic -and wickedly funny.

As is typical of Aristophanes, the show is extremely political, with satirical jabs thrown at the Bush administration and its policies (though not by name). It asks the audience to demand more from its leaders while celebrating the power of art (especially drama). Those who would cry "leftist propaganda" simply don't know their theatrical history. The Frogs without leftist propaganda wouldn't be The Frogs at all!

Other reviews have mistakenly referred to the show's Broadway run being cut short. Just the opposite is true. It was scheduled for a limited season at Lincoln Center (not an open-ended run) and it was extended. Far from playing to empty houses, it was a hard-to-get ticket and a crowd pleaser. I had to fight to get in, but it was worth it.