John & Jen (1995 Original Off-Broadway Cast) [Cast Recording]

Andrew Lippa (Artist), Tom Greenwald (Artist), Carolee Carmello (Artist), James Ludwig (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 20, 2003)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Cast Recording
• Label: Varese Sarabande
• ASIN: B000095J96
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #265,163 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Prologue/Welcome to the World

2. Think Big

3. Dear God

4. Hold Down the Fort

5. Timeline

6. It Took Me a While

7. Out of My Sight

8. Run and Hide

9. Epilogue

10. Old Clothes

11. Little League

12. Just Like You

13. Bye Room

14. Talk Show

15. Smile of Your Dreams

16. Graduation

17. The Road Ends Here

18. That Was My Way

19. Every Goodbye Is Hello

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant Beyond Belief, March 13, 2000

By 

Jason D. Witte (Kansas City, MO) - See all my reviews

This review is from: John & Jen (Original Cast Recording) (Audio CD)

I had never heard of this musical until I did a search here on Amazon.com for Carolee Carmello, whom I consider one of the finest female vocalists in theatre today. When I began to read the description of "John & Jen," I was intrigued to see whether a two-performer show could be pulled off. I figured, "What the heck?" and purchased the CD. Am I ever glad I decided to take the chance.

"John & Jen" may very well be one of the most emotionally ravishing stage soundtracks I have ever heard. Andrew Lippa's score is gorgeous beyond words, enhanced by the simple but effective orchestrations of Jason Robert Brown (composer of "Parade," another Carolee Carmello starrer) for piano, cello, and percussion.

Carolee Carmello, as expected, delivers a knockout performance -- in fact, I consider it her best recorded performance that I have ever heard. And she is exquisitely matched by the astounding James Ludwig, for whom this is the first recording. Both of their voices are strong and assured, with abundant emotional nuance to distinguish the various songs.

And the songs themselves -- one mind-boggling gem after another. But a select few stand out as superior, which is impressive considering the entire line-up: the 'chin up' encouragement "Hold Down the Fort"; the confident "It Took Me A While"; the bitterly confrontational "Run and Hide"; the sarcastic "Talk Show"; the painful "Graduation"; and the final, cathartic sequence of songs, "The Road Ends Here," "That Was My Way," and "Every Goodbye Is Hello."

Those who would accuse the new generation of composers of being overly cold and cerebral must experience the strong emotional texture of "John & Jen." It is a score rich in melody, harmony, and orchestrations; they are lyrics of depth and power; and they are performances of exceptional vocalists.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Completely Personal, October 4, 2000

By 

"acting4aliving" (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: John & Jen (Original Cast Recording) (Audio CD)

For anyone who has a younger brother or an older sister, this is the recording to buy. In such simplistic ways, it tells a beautiful story of a sister and brother who grow up together, lose their way and find themselves again in the future. The cast numbers only two. Carollee Carmello plays Jen, lending her thrilling voice (the best in New York, I say) to some beautiful tunes penned by composer Andrew Lippa. James Ludwig has a slightly more difficult task: he must portray Jen's brother, John, in the first act, reaching up to his teens...and must play Jen's SON, John, in Act II. It is a rather remarkable journey to simply listen to on recording and it shows the amazing promise of composer Andrew Lippa (now represented by the off-Broadway Wild Party recording)

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An absolute delight, May 15, 2000

By 

Daniel Bauman - See all my reviews

This review is from: John & Jen (Original Cast Recording) (Audio CD)

I first saw this show because Andrew Lippa had been a music teacher at my middle school. At that point in my life, I had only just started getting involved in theater, and my experience was limited, nevertheless I loved the show. The songs express a wonderful childlike naivity and enthusiasm in the earlier stages of both acts (Think Big, Going to Camp) and are acted wonderfully by both stars. In addition, it is simply a pleasure to listen to, and although it is not necessary to leave a musical humming a tune, I recall leaving this one humming Think Big for a day or two. As I write this, Andrew Lippa has just won a Drama Desk award for his newest work, The Wild Party (To avoid confusion: The Manhattan Theater Club one. It is infinitely confusing to have two shows with the exact same name on Broadway at once...) and from what I've heard of the score of that one (One song, performed at the Drama Desks)it is just as much of a treat. Also, if you enjoy his music, pick up the new cast version of You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, for which he wrote Beethoven Day and My New Philosophy, which are my two favorite songs on the recording. Enjoy the music!