ReDISCoveries: Kiss of the Spider Woman (1994 Broadway Cast Recording) Part 2

ReDISCoveries: Kiss of the Spider Woman

(1994 Broadway Cast Recording) Part 2

Jeff has kindly invited me to revisit and review some of the older cast recordings in my collection. Every other week or so, I’ll write about a new CD, offering some general impressions followed by my thoughts about each individual song. This week’s entry is about the 1994 Broadway recording of Kander and Ebb’s Kiss of the Spider Woman.

One of the most striking things about Kiss of the Spider Woman is how much of it revolves around the fantasies of its two main male characters. Molina, of course, has organized his entire life around his memories of all those Aurora movies; it’s how he has survived a barren life both before and after being imprisoned. Although Valentin’s fantasies are less flamboyant, he, too, gets through life indulging in memories of his girlfriend Marta, his first lover, and his political rallies - all vividly recounted in musical numbers.

In fact, until the very end of the show, there is little traditional plot development and there are very few “real” characters aside from the prisoners and the warden. Not only Aurora but also Molina’s mother, his friend Gabriel, and Marta are seen almost exclusively through the cellmates’ dreams and fantasies (each one does appear for a few seconds during Molina’s brief moment of freedom late in the show). In the grand tradition of Kander and Ebb’s highly conceptual musicals, the show builds vibrancy, excitement, and momentum not through sophisticated plot but through the dramatic interplay of corporeal characters and ethereal memories.

When I was talking about this with Jeff recently, he pointed out how Molina and Valentin essentially switch roles during the course of the show with regard to the importance of fantasy vs. real-world action. At the start of the show, of course, Molina is entirely engrossed in his movies, while Valentin is a political radical imprisoned for his active engagement in the outside world. This begins to shift as each of them share their dreams and experiences. By the time we get to the “Russian movie” scene, each one has come to fully appreciate the other’s perspective: Valentin is a willing participant in one of Molina’s movie fantasies, but the theme of the movie itself reflects Valentin’s own political identity. 

By the end of the show, the transformation is complete: it’s Molina who, inspired by Valentin’s affection, goes out into the world to accomplish something concrete; upon Molina’s return, Valentin betrays his own romantic fantasies when he begs Molina to save himself by telling what he knows. When Molina refuses to do so and is killed, Valentin’s spontaneous memorial (“his name was Molina”) precisely reflects Molina’s first words in the show (“her name is Aurora”).

THE SONGS

I use a star (*) to mark the songs I particularly like, and my overall favorite gets two

stars (**). This CD includes a few brief dialogue scenes, some with small bits of music; these aren’t listed separately below.

*I Do Miracles: With its leaping central motive (repeated by singers and orchestra alike) and its fitful chromatic melody, this song is another one of my favorites. (I sometimes forget how many favorites there are in this show!) Here, Aurora (Vanessa Williams) comes to Molina (Howard McGillin) to promise help for Valentin (Brian Stokes Mitchell), who then hears the same promise from Marta (Kirsti Carnahan). When the two women sing the tune together, it’s pure heaven.

Gabriel’s Letter/My First Woman: The cellmates each reminisce about their past, Molina about a straight retail worker (Jerry Christakos) he became enamored with (and who we will learn later is not as tolerant in reality as in Molina’s memory), and Valentin about his first sexual experience.

Morphine Tango: In what is surely K&E’s trippiest song, medical aides administer morphine to Molina, who has eaten poisoned food intended for Valentin. This little song leads directly to…

You Could Never Shame Me: In this gentle foxtrot, we hear the pure distillation of maternal love, as Molina’s mother (Mimi Turque) - or his image of her - assures him of her affection and pride. This quickly gives way to…

A Visit: The return of the cascading Spider Woman chords tells us that Aurora is appearing to Molina as his most dreaded character. Tellingly, she makes death seem like an erotic experience to be warmly anticipated - but it’s not time yet.

She’s a Woman: I’m not sure what to say about this song, which means of course that I’ll say a ton about it. On the one hand, the song itself is evocative and engaging, and it gives McGillin his clearest shot to show off his incredible skills as an actor-vocalist (that’s reason enough to justify its existence). On the other hand, it stops the plot cold just when the tension is starting to build. 

I’ve gone through several phases with this song: as a 20-something, I thought it was just a pleasant bit of fluff that should be cut; somewhat later on, I thought it was emblematic of the widespread public confusion about the difference between gay people, transgender people, and cross-dressers (which I now realize is implausible given the show’s creative team). These days, I think it was an attempt to flesh out Molina’s tacit self-identity as a transgender woman, which I understand was fairly clear in Manuel Puig’s novel (which I haven’t read). That’s an awfully big weight to put on one song, and I still don’t think it’s necessary for the show to do that, but I’m glad it’s there nonetheless.

Gimme Love: Aurora states her personal credo in the title of another raucous “imaginary” number for her and her men. Its conclusion leaves Molina in a state of turmoil as the first act ends. It is a nice bonus that this song is more complete than the original, providing more of the thrilling dance music in the score.

Russian Movie/Good Times: Aurora plays against-type as a Russian countess in this long, complex number. As Molina nurses Valentin after a murder attempt, he narrates the plot of his favorite movie, with appearances by the cellmates themselves in a story that will presage the show’s final moments. Valentin, about a dying Aurora: “this is not death; this is ecstasy.” 

The Day After That: In return for Molina’s kindness, Valentin opens up to him about his life and what has led him to be a political radical, in this stirring song that develops into an imagined workers’ rally. 

Mama, It’s Me: The warden (Herndon Lackey) allows Molina to speak on the telephone to his mother, whose health is failing, which he does in this short and sweet little song. He learns he will be freed soon.

Anything For Him: The Spider Woman and her chords are back, as the warden and Valentin begin to ensnare Molina in their separate traps, which she knows will lead him into her web for a final kiss. The melody here is obsessive and repetitious as the scheming unfolds, culminating with Valentin’s offer of sex that he knows will help persuade Molina to deliver a message for him when he’s released.

**Kiss of the Spider Woman: This song, which finally brings together musical themes that have been heard separately earlier in the score, gives the star her best opportunity to show off her vocal and physical abilities. The evocative and pliant accompaniment, the dramatic pauses, the surprise modal shift at the end - not to mention Williams’ bravura performance - gang up to make this a title song for the books.

Lucky Molina/Over the Wall: The prisoners express their jealousy over Molina’s escape as the warden watches him fulfill his own scheme to use Molina to discover Valentin’s secrets. Molina visits his mother, his work friend, and Gabriel, but finds his old life unsatisfying after his intimate encounter with Valentin; finally, he calls an unreceptive Marta with an encoded message from her lover. (This song was not included on the original recording, and its presence helps significantly in clarifying the show’s climax.)

*Only in the Movies: Molina is caught and brought back to prison, where the warden threatens to kill him if he doesn’t tell what he knows. Despite Valentin’s exhortations, Molina refuses to betray his beloved and is shot. Suddenly Molina himself is in a cinematic pastiche as he recalls what he’s gained and lost by living his life as if it were a movie, and how Valentin’s affection has redeemed him at the last possible moment - all with his own Hollywood ensemble for accompaniment. Who would have thought something so fanciful would be the perfect ending to such a brutal story?

 

ReDISCoveries: Kiss of the Spider Woman (1994 Broadway Cast Recording): Part One

ReDISCoveries: Kiss of the Spider Woman

(1994 Broadway Cast Recording): Part One

Jeff has kindly invited me to revisit and review some of the older cast recordings in my collection. Every other week or so, I’ll write about a new CD, offering some general impressions followed by my thoughts about each individual song. This week’s entry is about the 1994 Broadway recording of Kander and Ebb’s Kiss of the Spider Woman. (Note from Jeff: I decided to divide Mike's thorough work into two parts, though it is not divided by acts.)

Although I played Herr Schultz in a college production of Cabaret, it wasn’t until I first listened to my Kiss of the Spider Woman CD that I truly became a Kander and Ebb enthusiast. Almost every song was exhilarating, positively buzzing with energy, dripping with pathos, or both at the same time. Not only that, these songs formed a cohesive and satisfying whole, making it easy to follow the story of the show just from the songs. (This is a credit to Terrence McNally’s carefully plotted book, even if little of his snappy dialog is on the recording.) A little later I got to see the Broadway show on stage and was not disappointed, despite the vocal struggles of the actress then playing the title role. Since that time my appreciation for the show, and for its iconic writing team, has only grown.

For the record, the CD that so impressed me back then was the original cast recording,  made in London and featuring Tony-winner Chita Rivera in the title role. Today I’ll be taking a look at its New York successor, made after Vanessa Williams took over the role, instantly making the show her own. To be honest, both are amazing recordings and fine representations of the show, and in some ways very similar of course, but definitely two separate listening experiences. Both interpretations of the main role include moments of bulldozing menace as well as sweet manipulation, but Rivera leans much more heavily towards the former and Williams the latter. 

In the end, I chose to take another look at the Williams version because I’ve listened to it a lot less than the original, so it’s a little easier to hear things with a fresh brain. It’s also a more definitive account of the show itself, since it includes an additional song and incorporates small changes that were made to the show for Broadway. 

The plot centers on two cellmates in a South American prison: Molina, a queer window-dresser, and Valentin, a political radical. Molina survives through memories of his favorite movie star, Aurora, though he hates the role of the Spider Woman, whose kiss is inevitably fatal. After a difficult start, the cellmates eventually bond. When Molina is released, Valentin manipulates him into delivering a message for his collaborators, but the warden has set a trap that leads to Molina choosing to give up his own life rather than betray Valentin. Molina finally accepts the Spider Woman’s kiss without objection.

THE SONGS

I use a star (*) to mark the songs I particularly like, and my overall favorite gets two

stars (**). This CD includes a few brief dialogue scenes, some with small bits of music; these aren’t listed separately below.

Prologue: A beguiling sequence of diaphanous chords, which will characterize the Spider Woman throughout the show, alternates with the seductive exhortations of the title character herself (Vanessa Williams), and we immediately know we’re in expert hands with the score and with its leading lady. The bliss doesn’t last, though: we’re quickly thrown into the jagged musical terrain of the prison, where the screams of inmates give way to the warden’s (Herndon Lackey) introduction of Valentin (Brian Stokes Mitchell). A brief long-distance preview of the title song concludes this swift but highly evocative opening sequence.

 

I don’t know if anyone else has ever noticed this, but those downward-cascading chords from the start of the Prologue have always reminded me (a lot) of a similar sequence of chords in the Presentation of the Rose scene from Richard Strauss’ opera Der Rosenkavalier (heard at about twenty seconds and repeatedly throughout). In that scene the music is meant to evoke the feeling of love at first sight, and the chords are shimmering rather than disorienting.

Her Name is Aurora: Molina’s (Howard McGillin) lyrical and prayer-like verse introduces us to his cinematic heroine, Aurora, leading directly to her first production number with her male retinue. This one is sultry and lithely flowing; the lyrics promise love but also something less pleasant, a mysterious “loud piercing sound.” (There’s a brief, sexy-sounding viola solo that I’ve always loved in this number.) 

Over the Wall I: The three different songs with this title all function to give us a look at things from the prisoners’ perspective. Here, they list the things that they loved on the other side of the prison wall, with increasingly exalted music - until it all stops, and a solitary, unaccompanied voice wonders if he’ll ever see any of this again. It’s a very succinct way to musicalize the inmates’ misery and isolation.

And the Moon Grows Dimmer: This is another little snippet from the title song, foreshadowing the web that will slowly entrap Molina.

Bluebloods: Molina uses this little ditty as an icebreaker, trying to get his cellmate to talk to him; he’s rebuffed but keeps trying.

*Dressing Them Up: This ridiculously catchy song makes it impossible not to root for Molina as he tries to win Valentin over. Ebb’s clever wordplay and striking rhymes are a great match for Kander’s tunefulness here. (This might be a good time to point out one thing I do prefer about the original recording, which is the orchestral sound. I’m not sure, but I think it’s a combination of the orchestration itself and the sound engineering; either way, as is particularly apparent in this song, the wind accompaniment “pops” on the original recording in a way that it doesn’t on this one.)

I Draw the Line: Valentin, however, continues to resist Molina’s charms, rebuffing him again by dividing up the cell à la I Love Lucy.

**Dear One: The cellmates have discovered that they do have something in common: they each desperately miss the woman in their lives. In this ravishingly beautiful quartet, Molina, his mother (Mimi Turque), Valentin, and his girlfriend Marta (Kirsti Carnahan) bare their musical souls in an outpouring of loneliness and longing. This may not exactly be a quintessential Kander and Ebb song, but it is my favorite among the many that I’ve heard (there are still many that I haven’t). 

Over the Wall II: Earthier and more spirited than the first song of this name, the prisoners here wonder if their friends and family are remaining faithful or screwing them over in various ways. 

*Where You Are: This bouncy and brassy number for Aurora and her men is another contender for one of K&E’s best (and one which is much more typical of their style). With its rangy melody and surprise dynamic shifts, its energy is infectious - which is exactly why Molina is able to use it to help Valentin share in his favorite form of escapism. 

Marta: Valentin finally gets his own solo with this slowly simmering torch song. The simple, affecting melody gradually builds up steam with a dramatic key change, crescendos, and help from the chorus of prisoners, ending, like the first “Over the Wall,” with the plaintive observation: “I wonder if I’ll ever see them again.” With its booming climax and soft ending, the melody really gives Stokes an opportunity to shine, and he does not disappoint. 

Look for Part Two of this article in two weeks!

#TBT: The "New" Broadway Cast Recording of Kiss of the Spider Woman

When I really love a show, I tend to go all in. I see it many times, with as many casts as possible. On Broadway, off-Broadway, on tour, regional and local. Kiss of the Spider Woman is one of those shows. After seeing the great Chita Rivera four times on Broadway (and later on national tour), I was definitely excited to see the next Aurora/Spider Woman. That happened when Vanessa Williams took over the role. And, as much as I loved Chita, I must admit I loved Ms. Williams even more. Sacrilege? Maybe, but it is true nonetheless.

The full truth is that I enjoyed her co-stars even more than their original, Tony-winning counterparts. At the time, I had long been a fan of Howard McGillin, going back to his Drood days. And I only knew Brian (pre-Stokes) Mitchell from TV (Trapper John, M.D.). Why I preferred this trio is multi-faceted. With Chita (and this isn't really a negative), I never felt like I wasn't seeing Chita Rivera. I mean, she's so awesome it doesn't matter. But with Vanessa, I saw a silver screen siren and a menacing harbinger of death. She was sexy, funny and dangerous. With Howard, I preferred his more grounded performance which was considerably less flamboyant, with his effeminate qualities more of a defense shield against the horrors of his life. Brian proved to be the yin to Howard's yang, making their initial division understandable and their eventual dependence on each other more inevitable.

Similarly, I prefer all three of their performances on their version of the cast recording. What a treat that a second recording was even made, let alone with this marvelous company! There are better sounding arrangements here, though it may just be the quality of the recording. There are little bits of extra music here and there, too.

While there isn't a song in the Kander and Ebb score that I don't love (how many scores can you say that about?), there are several tracks in this New Broadway Cast Recording that really stand out for me. From act one, the dramatic tension between McGillin and Mitchell is palpable in the counterpoint of "Dressing Them Up" and "I Draw the Line." And Williams' sassy, confident "There You Are" elevates an already great number. Then there's "Dear One," which features both gentlemen and a perfectly matched Kirsti Carnahan and Mimi Turque. What surprises me most about the whole album is how much I enjoy all four tracks of "Over the Wall."

Act two is just as good here, with a funny turn by Williams in the opener "Russian Movie/Good Times," and later, her brilliantly building rendition of the title number. Mitchell delivers the best version of one of the best anthem songs in the Broadway canon, "The Day After That." But the absolute pinnacle of this recording is the entire finale sequence, where the acting is as superb as the singing. McGillin is simply riveting and inspiring as he face death with such defiance. I swear I can close my eyes and "see" the entire thing play out.

If you haven't heard this version of the score, I highly recommend it. And how about a revival? Soon.

Grade: A+

#2214

The Friday 5: 5 As Good or Better Replacements

There's something special about seeing the original cast of a Broadway show. But seeing replacement casts (and/or individual replacements) can be great, too.  In fact, over the years, we've seen replacements that were as good or better than the originals. This week's Friday 5 celebrates the Broadway second stringers, who are really first stringers.

The Friday 5

Our 5 Favorite 

Broadway Replacements

5. Rachel York as Christine Colgate in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

If I'm being completely honest, she was better in every way... funnier, sexier, better singer than her predecessor, Sherie Rene Scott.

4. Petula Clark as Mrs. Johnstone, David Cassidy as Mickey, Shaun Cassidy as Eddie in Blood Brothers

By the time the show closed, I saw pretty much every iteration of the cast. I loved the show each time, but there was something truly special about this mother/sons combination. Just devastating. And so wonderful.

3. Michael C. Hall as Hedwig in Hedwig and the Angry Inch

We saw three Hedwigs: Neil Patrick, Darren and Michael. All three brought something different and terrific to the Belasco Theatre stage. But Hall was the best. Can't put my finger on the specifics, but with NPH, I never really forgot it was NPH, and with Criss, as great as he was, he seemed a shade too young. Hall was the right age, and best of all, he disappeared in the role.

2. Vanessa Williams as Aurora/Spider Woman, Howard McGillin as Molina, and Brian Stokes Mitchell as Valentin in Kiss of the Spider Woman

As much as I loved the original cast (I mean, c'mon...Chita Rivera!), I have to say this replacement cast was better all the way around. Williams was dangerous and so tempting and was Aurora. Mitchell was a tower of strength and defiance, but had a wonderful undercurrent of warmth and empathy that made his Valentin somehow accessible. McGillin was just sublime as Molina - he didn't overwhelm the production with affected histrionics. This trio hit the perfect, compelling and riveting notes from overture to curtain call.

1. Marin Mazzie as Diana, Jason Danieley as Dan, Kyle Dean Massey as Gabe, and Meghann Fahy as Natalie (the Goodman Family) in next to normal

As you know, if you read this blog with any regularity, n2n is one of my all-time favorite shows. I loved each and every original cast member (I mean, c'mon...Alice Ripley!), but there was something positively electric (no pun intended) about this company. In light of recent events, this memory is all the more special, but it has been my opinion since seeing the closing night performance. It was just so real...

#1916