Customer Reviews

Title of Show

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I saw [title of show] this past Wednesday in Union Square, and it was one of the best theatre experiences of my life. Sidesplittingly funny, self-referential and raunchy, yes, but also a bold and moving statement on and tribute to theatre and art, and the struggles one must go through in pursuit of artistic success in order to stay true to one's vision. The music and lyrics are clever and catchy, and some of the songs are absolutely beautiful. The cast (two of whom are the authors of the show) is top-notch, and the script is hilarious and, in the end, poignant. A truly wonderful piece of theatre, and a great cast album. The only caveat I would add is that, if you are not already a musical theatre fan, this show will completely go over your head.

The music is catchy and lyrics are irreverently witty. You will like the recording more if you are a musical theatre fan as much of the lyrics poke fun at past flops shows in Broadway History. Everytime you listen to the album, you find another flop show hidden in the lyrics. It's akin to counting the Ninas in the Hirschfeld drawings.If you know what I am talking about (the Ninas in the Hirschfeld drawings) run and buy this albu. If you are a musical theatre buff, run and buy this album. The rest, I'm afraid, might not get it. Super witty material for the Theatre Lover. Look forward to more shows by this duo.

Wow! What can I say? This show is amazing!! Even though the set is minimal (four chairs), no big orchestrations (a piano) and the cast is sparse (four people), the music, acting and lyrics more than make up for it. The bond of the cast is extremely tight and it shows through their harmony. I have hundreds of shows in my collection, and usually I pick one or two songs to put on a mix on my ipod, but i think it speaks for itself when I put the entire last half of the show on my mix. Don't get me wrong, I love the first half as well, especially "Monkeys and Playbills!!" It's brilliant! When Susan and Heidi are meeting for the first time, it's very reminiscient of the meeting of cinderella and the baker's wife in "into the woods" right down to the line "i need your shoe!" I would love to fund for Hunter, Jeff, Heidi and Susan to come perform this show for my group of friends, since it's our favorite thing....and there are more than nine of us. :)

What a funny, original musical this is. The simple story of two guys writing a musical about two guys writing a musical about two guys writing a musical is written by two guys, stars those same two guys, and co-stars two girls. The writing is a mix of poignancy, biting sarcasm, parody and just plain old wit. The song that convinced me to buy the recording was "Die Vampire, Die" which is an exhortation to ignore those things in our life that threaten to derail our dreams and artistic endeavors. However, after a few listens, my favorite song became "An Original Musical." Which is an extremely funny parody of "I'm Just a Bill" from Schoolhouse Rock. The song pokes fun at the lack of originality on Broadway these days, but doesn't do it in a mean way. Some of the lines in the song are laugh out loud funny.

If you've ever done anything artistic, or dreamed of doing anything artistic, then get this cast recording today.

I bought this CD to hear the music and see what all the buzz was about. Like many of the critical reviews have said, the material on the CD is just too generic and slight. I honestly feel that this probably played alot better live, when you saw the performers with the material. There is no doubt that Jeff and Hunter are talented, but they are also very, very kitchsy which gets very dated very quickly and will rub many people the wrong way. This show flopped on Broadway for a reason. The ideas and themes were never fleshed out enough to resonate with a larger audience who were not "kitschy" themselves or "in the know." The whole show has an irritating "wink" that grates after the first few tracks.

It's very much a show for folks who know the theatre world or the creative process, which is why it flourished off Broadway. It probably could have played for years Off Broadway.

As other reviewes stated, the songs are very slight, likened to cabaret or an open mike night. The only song that draws out real emotion is "Die Vampire Die", so download that one. It's an incredibly smart and moving piece. The rest is just glued together camp and kitsch.

It feels really crummy to criticize this CD knowing the spirit in which it was created and the themes that it covers, but the songs just arent very memorable, nor is the dialogue that was preserved on this CD.

I fell in love with [title of show] as soon as the first track was over and by the time I had listened to the whole soundtrack, I didn't want it to be over and I had to play it again. It's unique and new and unlike anything else I have ever listened to. It truly is an original musical. I have listened to this musical over and over and over again since I purchased it and I still am not sick of it.

Jeff Bowen does an excellent job of portraying the difficulty of creating a new musical, putting the show they worked so hard on out there to be scrutinized and the ups and downs of the theatre world. He shows the difficulties of creating something truly new in a seemingly rather closed-minded theatre community. He shows the development of friendships and the realization of dreams from childhood. He shows the defeat of the dissenting thoughts and people that try and hold you back. And he does all this with a healthy helping of satire and sarcasm that keeps you laughing all the way through.

If you are looking for something new and different, this is the show for you. If you looking for a good laugh and maybe even a few tears here and there, this show is for you. If you are looking for a musical you won't be able to stop listening to, this is the show for you. Be prepared to be amazed!

First I need to preface this with the fact that I have never seen this show. I bought the download album in consideration for production. I have to say, this music bores me to tears. It has a couple of interesting melodies and harmonies, but talk about tacky and self-absorbed. I ordered the perusal script before I listened to the music, and now I'm not even sure I want to read the script. I guess I'm one of those strange theatre people who does not like shows about theatre. The one good thing I can say is that the recording quality is good.

This is one of the most creative and different musicals that I'd heard in quite some time. As is predictable when a show takes as many risks as this show does, it doesn't hit 100% of the time. The ones that do hit, however, make it entirely worth your time.

Now, allow me to say before I get too into the show, that this is meant for theatre lovers and followers. There were a few times where I was running to Google to try and get the joke that was being said. There are multiple mentions of Broadway flops and actors who are out of the mainstream consciousness. If you include the show and not just the soundtrack, that list triples at the very least.

But, as I said, this show hits so often and is so different that it has leaped to the front of my CD collection. The soundtrack starts off with the Untitled Opening Number, which is a mediocre number. However, if you think of it as a critique of how many shows start out in the same manner consistently, it adds a level of humor, and you're going to enjoy the show. The second song is based on a conversation between the two writers and stars of the show (Jeff Bowen and Hunter Bell), discussing what to write about. They decide to write about what they are talking about, no matter where it goes (Wonder Woman for President, indeed, good sir!). But, will anybody listen to their ramblings, considering they are just two nobodies in New York.

The third song is entitled An Original Musical, detailing Jeff's writer's block. A little warning on this song that it is exceptionally vulgar. The vulgarity really doesn't have a purpose in the song, but on repeated listenings, it does add a small amount of humor. This is followed by Monkeys and Playbills, discussing the influence in writing this show. Monkeys and Playbills is a tough song to follow without significant theatrical knowledge. It dips into numerous flops and in NYC topics, that took some Googling for me to understand.

After a brief stop, A Part of it All comes on, which again dips into the NYC knowledge and hits and misses a little. Finally, we get to some of the female led songs. Heidi Blickenstaff (The Little Mermaid) starts us with I Am Playing Me, a realization of what the role exactly is and where is could(n't) take her. Its a very funny song that fits in well and livens up a mildly slower period of the show. This is followed by What Kind of Girl Is She, a song where the two female leads are trying to feel each other out for their personalities and how they fit in with one another.

Finally, we come to a song that any person who has tried to write/sing/dance/pain can relate to entitled Die Vampire, Die!. The song is about fighting through your vampires (people who tell you that you can't do something) and becoming a success. I imagine the song might not play well to all, but to some it will have a profound impact.

We are then lead to a series of lighter songs (Filling Out The Form, September Song, Secondary Characters) that move the show along, provide comic relief, and are worth listening to. These three are not the songs that you are buying the CD for, however.

That comes from the next two songs. Starting of is Ms. Blickenstaff's phenomenal A Way Back To Then. Its the most heartfelt song in the show, a slower paced plea to get to the time of a greater innocence. Seeing it in person is even more dramatic. Then, the most well known number entitled Nine People's Favorite Thing. The song basically tells us that the writers realize that this isn't going to play well to everybody. They tell us that this is a niche show, a word-of-mouth show. Its a realistic song, a song that tries to wrap up the show and explain what they were striving for in your listening experience.

The bonus track, entitled [title of show], is a song that is just touched on in the staged version, but expanded for the soundtrack. Also, an additional piece of a throw-away song is tossed on at the end of it (same track) as bonus material.

The show is very aware that this isn't going to be everybody's favorite thing. This doesn't have the wide appeal and broad feeling of a Wicked, Lion King, or even Legally Blonde. This doesn't have the sterling critical record of a In The Heights or Spring Awakening. Looking at the previous reviews, the separation is apparent. This would be the 38th review. Of the first 37, 22 are 5-stars. However, 14 are 3-stars or under. This show knows what it is, plays that card well, and gives a select group of people a very enjoyable experience.

It is clearly not for everybody though. Joe Sixpack is not going to like this. Its vulgar enough that your average Little Mermaid fan isn't going to like this. However, most true theatre fans, in my estimation, will like this. This is a show/soundtrack for us, for this niche.

i saw the show in new york on a whim because the premise sounded interesting, and was absolutely blown away. for such a little show with 4 characters, 4 chairs, a keyboard and an "underappreciated" musician, this show (AND the cast recording) have more heart than anything else i'd seen or heard in quite a while! the song styles range from the showstopper to "schoolhouse rock" to ballad... this show is about chasing your dream, doing what you love. i was truly inspired afterward, so much so that i gathered up some friends to drive 5 hours to see it again. i've never reviewed anything on amazon before, but after reading some of the previous reviews i'd have to say that some of the listeners missed the boat on this one. DEFINITELY recommended to anyone who's ever heard of "henry sweet henry" or "oh, brother!" or anyone who thinks they can't do it, because after listening to this CD you may change your mind. THUMBS WAY UP!

There seems to be one consistency among all the bad reviews.

They didn't see the show!

Sure it's really simple music and one keyboard can't compare to the orchestras of some of the shows on Broadway now, but within the context of the show the music really works. My advice to anyone would be to go see the show and then judge the music. It is truly original, creative, and hilarious. And there are definatly memorable songs in this score.