Customer Reviews

Lucky Stiff (2003 Original Off-Broadway Cast)

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

 

 

Having never seen this first show written by the now-famous Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, I wasn't sure what to expect buying this soundtrack - a small, comic murder mystery musical with a cast of ten seemed a hard sell. Well, I can safely say that this is one of the smartest, tightest pieces I've ever listened to. From the opening song, "Something Funny's Going On," the show moves at a rapid, crazy pace and pulls you in. From fast paced numbers involving the whole cast to beautiful, touching ballads ("Times Like This" is one of my favorite ballads in all musical theatre), the soundtrack allows the listener to get a pretty picture of the story. Performance-wise, the cast is wonderful! Malcolm Gets is excellent as the insecure Harry Witherspoon. I recommend this soundtrack to any musical theater fan.

Such a clever piece! It's one of those musicals that has just about everything - crazy characters, outlandish scenarios, and charmingly catchy tunes that are ever so clever. It'll make you smile, make you laugh out loud, and make you bounce along to the music. There are beautiful ballads as well as wonderfully upbeat songs that paint such a colorful picture for the listener. The entire cast does a great job. Even though Malcolm Gets stumbles a bit on his accent, the warmth in his voice instantly captivates and charms. And Mary Testa is a hoot! Wonderful stuff!

I've been a fan of this show for a long time. I'm a fan of Flaherty & Ahrens in general. This recording just doesn't seem worth it. The performances are certainly no better than the original recording. Malcolm Gets is definitely not better than the original Mr.Witherspoon (how did he get away with that accent?). The most glaring absence for me is the orchestra. A piano-only accompaniment sounds like "rehearsal." The inclusion of material that was cut from the original album is not reason enough to buy this CD. My advice...buy the original.

I stumbled upon "Lucky Stiff" as a fan of Malcolm Gets. His performance in "A New Brain" was simply brilliant. I was hesitant to get this because I have not been a fan of much of what I have heard from Ahrens and Flaherty. Yet with Malcolm Gets and the solid reviews below I finally decided to risk it. Not the worst decision ever, but not the best either.

As for plot, Rita is married to a casino owner, Nicky (not really a character in the musical). She has an affair with the casino manager, Tony. She embezzles millions from her husband and gives them to Tony. She then finds him cheating on her so she shoots and kills him. In his will, Tony leaves all his money to Harry Whitherspoon, his British nephew. However, Harry will only inherit the money if he takes his dead uncle to Monte Carlo for a last fling. If he refuses, the money goes to a charity for dogs. Harry is a rather depressing chap who leads a humdrum joyless existence and is averse to adventure and fun (Malcolm Gets seems to gravitate to such characters). As a side note, Rita tells Nicky her brother Vinnie stole the missing money. So Rita, Vinnie, Malcolm, dead Tony, and even a representative of the dog charity (Annabel) are off to Monte Carlo.

There is nothing particularly memorable about the show. While some of the songs were okay, none appeal for repeated listening. A few songs were actually grating. The story itself is not very entertaining. The characters are not developed enough to elicit any emotional tie to the audience. Neither was it humorous enough to satisfy on that merit alone.

Malcolm's accent is a bit off-putting but he does a nice job with the part. Rita is overbearing and very annoying. Her character actually drains enjoyment out of the show for me because she is so abrasive and unlikable. Vinnie is a small part but probably was the highlight for me. Annabel is pleasant enough.

There is a bit of a twist at the end to mix things up. The final lyrics are, "It's good to be alive." Sounds like it could be a crescendo to a musical drama, but here it just falls rather flat.

The accompaniment is piano only. So there is no lush or beautiful orchestration. I enjoyed the piano, but do miss the diversity and fullness of an orchestra.

It has a bonus track (21) that had been cut from the show which I hoped would be a nice find. As with the rest, it was just okay. Nothing I'd care to hear over again.

Overall, it is just okay. I really wouldn't recommend it. If someone is a fan of Malcolm Gets and is interested in a light and fun musical, I would suggest "Amour" instead.