Customer Reviews

The Gift - Live from the Tiffany (2000 Hollywood Cast)

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

 

 

I bought this CD because I like James Barbour's voice. I didn't see the show at the Tiffany, but the synopsis inside the CD sounds like a born failure: we're supposed to sympathise with 4 guys, most of whom are married or in committed relationships, who apparently sleep with the SAME prostitute on the SAME night. That's just nasty! They lost me right there.

As for the music - it's okay. Not great, but not awful. The recording quality, as has been mentioned before, is poor. Mr. Barbour was in fine voice on the night of the recording, which just makes me want to bash my head against the wall because I could learn to like a lot of these songs, even the ones he's not included in, if I could hear them.

Well, the concept behind The Gift, was to mix acoustic pop music with musical theatre, and create a big success. In my opinion it didn't work... This show makes a better CD to listen to out of context. The music is good, but I could in no way put the story together if it weren't for the synopsis in the liner notes. I'm assuming there is a lot of dialogue in the show that is not recorded. The story as I understood it, was very much like the movie Very Bad Things, but a little more complex and less grotesque content. Five friends go through college together. Everyone has a dirty secret, but no one is telling. Life goes on they all get together again later in life, there's a hooker (played by Alicia Witt(Gertrude Lang from Mr. Holland's Opus))she dies, they panic... they eventually tell their dirty secrets and realize their friendship is still there, and the "Gift" is the unending friendship they all have together.

I saw this show when it played the Tiffany Theatre (LA). Though it needed some work, I felt it had more pluses than minuses. I was certain that when they released the CD they would replace the weak voices, rework a song or two, and leave the rest. Unfortunately, that didn't happen. The 'big' voices are here (though not always miked right), but the 'strugglers' were included as well. Also, while several songs are strong, others beg to be tweaked a bit to release their potential. I can't believe the producers just dropped it 'as-is' on a soundtrack and walked away from the project. Someday, someone is going to revive this...casting powerful voices in all the roles and coaxing some almost-numbers into their full potential.

Buy it...just for the listening to JAMES BARBOUR. Move over Josh Groban...you've got some stiff competition.

When I first sat down to listen to The Gift I was surprised by the *rock* sound of the music, but the simple message that each day is a gift to be treasured really touched my heart. The CD arrived shortly after the sudden passing of a dear friend and I found the music reinforced the message that life is precious and what is right here in front of us is often what we've been searching for. Initially I wasn't excited about the story, but it's grown on me and I've learned a lot from it -- including the fact that the real gift is just having those you love around you.