Customer Reviews

Marie Christine (1999 Broadway Cast)

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

First, a confession. I have never been able to appreciate music, except in rare instances, on a first listen. Almost all of the music I love, from symphonies to songs to movie scores to musical scores, I have fallen in love with on third or fourth hearings. Then the melodies and harmonies coalesce for me into great music. So it was with great anticipation that I awaited the release of Marie Christine. Having seen the musical on Broadway and been intrigued by the fleeting bits of melody my defective ears could find, I was dying to hear the score again. Well, now I have, and I can say it's a stellar one. Quite contrary to many reports, the musical is full of melody, bouncing playful melodies that sit alongside more dissonant and rangy ones. From the very beginning the score impresses, the simple repetetive melody of "Before the Morning" quickly evolving into full choral harmonies dancing with counterpoint. One gets the impression that this score would impress no matter who is singing the title role (OK, maybe not Bea Arthur, but still) but Audra McDonald continues to dazzle. This, her first Broadway leading role, affords her the opportunity to show off both vocal and acting talents in a way much fuller than she's done before. She sings with beauty, with passion and with pain and we're carried along. Anthony Crivello, while quite good, pales slightly next to his castmate; perhaps the role should have been balanced with someone with as big a presence as Ms. McDonald; Mandy Patinkin perhaps? (while thousands shudder audibly, other thousands get giddy at the idea). Nonetheless, this is a must-have CD for any fan of modern musical theater. Full of beautiful, thrilling music and a intensely tragic story, Marie Christine makes for a visceral listen.

Every composer should be as lucky as Michael John Lachiusa; he gets the amazing Jonathan Tunick to orchestrate his work, the incandescent Audra McDonald to sing it, the brilliant Graciela Daniele to direct it, and a superb recording staff to make the cast recording come to life.

What's more amazing is that his own talent is deserving all of this. Marie Christine is a fascinating concept: "Medea" told in turn-of-the-century New Orleans and Chicago, with sounds of African voodoun, intriguing melodies, and poweful dissonances. It's an amazingly ambitious work, and it almost succeeds.

Starting with the good points: The cast is top-notch. Audra McDonald does her usual jaw-droppingly amazing job (the woman is a national treasure), and her performance is matched in intensity by Anthony Crivello (who manages to project power, insecurity, and narcissism; sometimes simultaneously). The supporting cast includes the magnificent Vivian Reed, the boisterous Mary Testa, and wonderful choral work. "Before the Morning," "Way Back To Paradise," "C'est L'amour," and "Tell Me" are powerful, unique, and stunning songs.

The most serious flaw with this work as it comes through on CD is that LaChiusa seems uninterested in writing a simple melody when a dramatic one will do... "Nothing Beats Chicago," "Cincinnati," and "The Scorpion" are all light moments, but you'd never know it from the music, which LaChiusa imbues with as much complexity as the stunning "Way Back to Paradise" and "I Will Give". LaChiusa's most obvious predecessor is Sondheim (although it's hardly fair to compare them; LaChiusa is his own voice), but he lacks the latter's lyric ability. The words in general serve more as soliloquies and dialogue rather than musical lyrics (although he does come up with some nice turns of phrase, they are too few and far between for my taste), which is probably why this sounds more like an opera than a musical.

LaChiusa is incredibly exciting, though: He's prolific, creative, talented, and devoted to re-inventing musical theater. I'm looking forward to what comes next. Look at this recording as part of the start of the future, and maybe this insane world of musical theater has some post-"Footloose" and "Saturday Night Fever" hope after all.

There are some who say that Michael John LaChiusa's music is "difficult." These are undoubtedly the same people who think that because Sondheim is difficult to whistle, he's a poor melodist. LaChuisa's score for "Marie Christine," an updating of the story of Medea, is a beautiful and sensual work that captures the emotional intensity of this very troubled character perfectly. Audra McDonald is wonderful in the title role; she wraps her voice around such soaring ballads as "Way Back to Paradise" and "Beautiful" as if she had discovered singing and realized what a glorious thing it was. In general, while not as enthusiastically hummable as the scores of, say, Rodgers and Hammerstein, LaChiusa still manages to create something that is both memorable and evocative of the locale and time.

Many reviewers and critics have declared LaChiusa the Next Sondheim: while I don't necessarily agree with this judgement, I can certainly see how they have arrived at this conclusion: LaChiusa, like Sondheim, creates unorthodox characters and weaves them complex melodies that require more than one listening in order to appreciate fully.

Fans of Sondheim, and even the works of Flaherty & Ahrens ("Ragtime," "Once on This Island") are almost certain to enjoy this CD -- even if you're not, Audra McDonald is reason enough.

After seeing Marie Christine on Broadway, who would have known that it was as fantastic as it is? Michael John LaChiusa is a genius! His mastery of melody, harmony, and African drum beat is truly noteworthy. As Marie Christine, Audra McDonald is flawless. While it is difficult to be judged on the same standard as Audra, it is a shame that Anthony Crivello is much less impressive, but one can soon forget about that when caught up in the euphoric state of the recording. I can't even list all my favorite tracks; there are so many! If you are looking for a show that's not run of the mill, you must buy this recording.

I'll be brief by saying that I disagree with most of the posted reviews that claim LaChiusa's music to be cold or unncessarilly complicated. After speaking with Marc Kudisch (from LaChiusa's "Wild Party")after a performance of "See What I Wanna See"--an equally moving and stimulating piece--he recommended that I listen to LaChiusa's works multiple times to appreciate their subtle genius. I've listened to the recording of Marie Christine well over 50 times and am still discovering subtle patterns and recurring melodies that provide moving links to the characters' respective emotional journeys and memories at the time. More importantly, however, LaChiusa is unafraid to tackle dark subject matter and present it in an honest and raw way--seemingly unchained by the expected commercial value recquired of most Broadway shows today. Because of this, he is able to tap into some of the most primal of human emotions through his music, which is likewise butressed by the fantastic Audra and supporting cast. Perhaps its the actor/musician in me that finds this piece intriguing, but I believe that anyone who is willing to listen to this ablum without any pre-conceived notions about what it is or should be, can benefit from not only the beauty and insight of the music, but also the thoughtful presentation of the raw elements of the human experience that are, in some ways, universal to all of us. In other words, I highly recommmend this CD as one of LaChiusa's exemplary works.

To faithfully translate the story of Medea to the musical stage could never result in a simplistic production or score, and as a result, Marie Christine is not an easy listen. It has taken four years for me to properly listen to the whole CD and understand the music. Slowly, in each listening, I found something new to appreciate.

The show is by necessity very dark in tone, and the heightened passions that are expressed can only be properly explored in a chamber opera format. The result is that there are no clearly defined songs, hooks or choruses, but rather a series of tunes (some memorable, most not) which are cleverly intertwined to tell the story.

Audra McDonald is superb in the title role and LaChiusa's music gives her voice full reign. She and he co-star, Anthony Crivello, completely immerse themselves in their roles and bring a terrifying intensity to the recording. They are matched by the rest of the cast who provide support as both individual characters and as the 'Greek chorus' who comment on the action as the story progresses.

As a side note, the audio production on this CD is stunning - every nuance of voice and instrument comes across clear as a bell.

As someone else has said, this is an easy score to admire - it's very cleverly written, with an interesting density mostly lacking from musicals. However, it's the performances of the actors that give the show what little heart is has. It's very hard to actually feel anything but horror at Marie Christine's actions, and her descent into madness doesn't make her sympathetic (if that was what the authors intended). Maybe only seeing a live production would bring this clever, complex, but ultimately cold score to life.

The heartrending story of how Medea was used by Jason to obtain the Golden Fleece and then was tossed aside so that he could marry one of his own kind has been told so well by Euripides that subsequent opera librettists who that play could find little to change. But every truly great myth has something to say to and for all ages, and it is no surprise that a recent Lincoln Center musical is based on this one.

<Marie Christine>, with words and music by Michael John LaChiusa, tells the story of a Creole beauty of the 19th century who is seduced by a white sea captain named Dante Keyes (read whatever symbolism you wish into that one) and then abandoned when she bears him children so he can marry into power up north. The framing device is taken from "Man of La Mancha": Marie Christine is reliving the events in a prison with her fellow inmates acting as Greek Chorus.

Again we have the problem of being able only to hear the score without seeing any of the staging beyond that which is contained in the few photographs in the booklet. Again we also have the problem (a problem to me, at least; many of you might find it a virtue) of a lack of memorable melodies. On the other hand, this is closer to music drama than to a musical (if you follow the distinction), and perhaps such melodies might have cheapened the effect of what LaChiusa was after. (Try to think of Strauss' opera "Salome" rewritten with Puccini-type melodies, if you see what I mean.)

So while I have some reservations about hearing the score alone, I have none about the fine performances by the cast, especially Audra McDonald in the title role and Mary Testa as the northern entertainer Magdalena. Anthony Crivello has a good voice but not at all imposing--as is the case with almost every other masculine lead in recent musicals. Where have all the bass baritones gone?

I am going to give this set a high recommendation despite my two or three reservations, especially since it has done something very few recent original cast recordings have done: make me want to see the full production.

The "Beautiful" motif fits this show well... the music is beautiful. And arrogant. And lonely- Except for Audra's sake, I can't see how anyone went to see this.

My biggest complaint with with music is that LaChiusa refuses to allow his melodies to develop fully, which is unfortunate, because he's written some of the most beautiful music to come to New York since Adam Guettel's Floyd Collins, or even Sondhiem's Passion. In too many songs, he allows the song to build much too quickly; "Tell Me" for example, moves in suddenly, which, while striking, fails to fully develop the rage Marie Christine feels. Also, it seems LaChiusa feels that no chord, or even rhythm can be anything less than confusing. There doesn't need to be three melodies within the chord at the end of "Finale", nor does he need to follow the one truly melodic song in the entire show, "I Will Love You", with a jarring and, frankly painful, chord that seemed to assault my ears. This certainly doesn't help the hummable factor.

On another note, Audra McDonald is astoudning. She owns every note of LaChiusa's amazingly complex score. Her presence fills up the air from the moment you hear her voice. Anyone else in this role would have resulted in a complete wreck of a musical\"chamber opera". The rest, with the possible exceptions of Mary Testa and Darius DeHaas, are adequate and have their moments.

Ultimately, LaChiusa's music leaves a powerful impression; For all it's faults, I can't stop listening to several songs from Marie Christine: "Tell Me," "Your Name," "Paradise is Burning Down," "Prison in a Prison," and of course, "Beautiful" all enter my mind and won't let go, much like Marie herself.

The Great White Way has really become The Pathetic White Way in the 1990's and that looks to continue in the new millenium. London's West End has, and deserving so, become the premiere center for theater in the world. I have to ask LaChiusa why he even bothers with Broadway? Why did he not set this masterpiece down in London, where true musical art is appreciated and awarded above popularity.

This album showcases entirely what a masterpiece Marie Christine is. Before I saw the show, I didn't think I would like it after all the horrid reviews I've read and the fact that Monday the Outer Circle Critics Awards completely dissed Marie Christine while rewarding a complete piece of crap like Saturday Night Fever a nomination for "Best Musical." I don't understand it. Critics, Awards givers, and the senseless incapable of recognizing good work public let masterpieces like Ragtime and Marie Christine go, while rewarding garbage like Cats, The Lion King, Jekyll & Hyde, Titanic, Saturday Night Fever, Footloose, The Scarlet Pimpernel, and 90 percent of the other shows on Broadway. Since Miss Saigon hit Broadway, only three shows of any merit have opened: Rent, Ragtime, and Marie Christine (this excludes revivals). Yet the mindless public, the critics, and the awards givers let two of these great works fall, notibly Ragtime which is arguably the greatest American musical of all time. Yes I am STILL bitter over a cartoon beating Ragtime out for Best Musical.

If you can appreciate a beautiful, magnificant work, then I highly recommend this cd. Marie Christine is not just orchestral writing at its greatest, it is also very entertaining- something I was not expecting. This disc is packed with one great number after another, notibly "Beautiful," "Way Back to Paradise," "The Storm," "Danced With A Girl," "Miracles and Mysteries," "Cincinnati" and the rest of ACT II!

The score is brilliant and LaChiusa utilizes many different styles, the "typical" musical repitition so evident, and rightly so, in most musicals isn't present here. Repeating themes is fine and makes sense, but it is refreshing to hear a score that (along with Ragtime) is the most original I have heard in years. If he does not win the Tony for Best Score I will vow never again to watch the Tony Awards, because this the best score I have heard on Broadway that is eligible for the 2000 Tony's... I'm sure like the Outer Circles (who I admire much more than the Tony's as they had the courage to do what was right in '98 not what the majority wanted) the Tony's will diss Marie Christine also. I was VERY surprised by this weeks nomination announcements.

Performance wise, WHAT CAN BE SAID? Audra McDonald...you don't need me to say how incredible this woman is and her three Tony's are just the beginning. It's great to finally have a musical that was written for her. It is great to hear her wonderful voice (equally beautiful and moving in dialogue as is in song) have the largest part. She will move you and knock your socks off. Anthony Crivello is also marvelous and the two compliment each other so well. Then there is the marvelous Mary Testa who treats us to "Cincinnati." The supporting cast is wonderful as well.

I guess the only weakness about this recording is it is not the complete show....When you hear this you will wish you had every word that was uttered and every note that was played and sung.

A miraculous piece that will grab you from the beginning.....let it happen.

Broadway should have fought to keep Marie Christine going, but she didn't. Broadway may have let her go, but she won't let you go. It's been a bad decade for great musicals with only Ragtime, Rent, and now Marie Christine.

Also- I have read a lot about and heard a lot about the now known debate: Is Marie Christine a musical or an opera? Well, as being a huge opera lover, Marie Christine is certainly in NO WAY an opera. I have no idea how that debate even got off the ground. Although the score is unique and very different from the main, NONE of the vocals are sung in an operatic nature...it certainly is a musical.

I have seen Marie Christine on broadway. I came home that night wanting to sing the songs, but not knowing the tunes. Now that my friends and I have a copy, we can reflect on how beautiful the songs were. Audra, much more so than Anthony, has truly outdone herself, with this vocally exhausting work of genious. Others who have exhibited excellence in their craft are Mary Testa as the outgoing Magdalena, Vivian Reed as the wise mother of MC, the three prisoners who serve, more or less, as narrators, and Kimberly JaJuan who plays Marie's innocent first soprano maid. A special BRAVO to David Evans who, by some work of magic, musically directed this brilliant piece of art. I personally recommend "There is a Way Back to Paradise" A mix of traditional African beats and brassy creole sounds, Marie Christine made for a good broadway musical, would've made for an excellent concert, and therefore makes for this flawless CD. Well done LaChuisa! Dansez Calinda!