CD Review: & Juliet Original Broadway Cast Recording

I find myself in an unusual position with this cast recording: I have not yet seen the show preserved here. Nonetheless, & Juliet's OBCR is full of pop tunes from recent decades (all written by wunderkind Max Martin), is worthy of review from purely a music point of view. That said, I reserve the right to adjust my assessment after I see the show in a couple of weeks. 😎 Grade: A

What I Liked: 

So, where to start? Well, given that it's a jukebox musical...

1. The familiarity of the songs, coupled with the theatricality of the orchestrations and vocal arrangements. There really isn't a weak song in the 29 tracks on the disc, and unless you live under a rock or a hundred years old, chances are you have heard most, if not all, of them. If all of these recent decades of jukebox musicals have taught us anything, it's that such familiarity is a double-edged sword. They can get messed up by significantly changing lyrics, or the sound of the song being almost unrecognizable. They can also be a problem if they aren't changed at all, with no attempt to match the show they are in. Conversely, a creative arrangement and clever, natural use within the context of a production can be excellent. To that end, with recent shows like Head Over Heels, and more significantly, Moulin Rouge!, the jukebox genre has evolved into something more substantial. Fortunately, the "score" of & Juliet excels on all fronts in these regards. Orchestrators/arrangers Bill Sherman and Dominic Fallacaro have done a wonderful job of keeping what we know and upping the ante with dramatic strings, tempo changes, and vocals that must threaten to shake the walls of the Sondheim Theatre nightly. One thing is clear without even seeing the show: the musicians and ensemble are working their asses off from curtain to curtain!

2. The principal cast is uniformly superb. An amazing blend of seasoned Broadway veterans, London transplants, and first-timers, the entire company is truly diverse. Their energy can be felt through the ear buds or speakers. As I expected, Stark Sands, Betsy Wolfe and Paulo Szot are magnificent, treating each song as if it were a Sondheim (or Kander & Ebb, etc.) piece. They belt and emote and exude joy. Then there's the utterly charming West End star, Melanie La Barrie, who, as Juliet's nurse threatens to take over the whole show! And just from the recording I cannot wait to see all of this new Broadway talent - Philippe Arroyo, Ben Jackson Walker, Justin David Sullivan and the star of the show, Lorna Courtney. I am trying very hard not get too excited...

3. The standout numbers.  Here are the songs that are so vibrant and theatrical, I can just tell that the live staging of each must be spectacular and emotional!

• "I Want It That Way" - Betsy Wolfe, Stark Sands & Company
• "Blow" - Betsy Wolfe, Lorna Courtney, Melanie LaBarrie, Justin David Sullivan, Nicholas Edwards & Company
• "I'm Not a Girl/Not Yet a Woman - Justin David Sullivan & Lorna Courtney
• "I Kissed a Girl" - Philippe Arroyo, Justin David Sullivan & Company
• "Since U Been Gone" Lorna Courtney & Company
• "Roar" Lorna Courtney & Company

The CD:

• 16 page booklet with full credits and more than a dozen full color production stills (by Matthew Murphy). Note: the image above is the booklet's centerfold.
• Has a Parental Advisory label - there's a little bit of swearing, mostly in P!nk's "Fu**ing Perfect."
• There's a bonus track of "Since U Been Gone" featuring Lorna Courtney and Kelly Clarkson.

The Broadway Bookshelf: Tony Voter FYC Books

The Broadway Bookshelf:

Tony Voter FYC Books

So, I was dusting off my shelves the other day, and I came across my small, but inevitably growing, collection of For Your Consideration booklets sent out by the P.R. firms who represent shows at Tony Awards time. Over the past couple years at the Broadway Cares flea markets, I've picked them up, and I really love them. Why, you might ask?

Well, it's simply because I love the particular shows. I also get them because they are usually full of reviews and articles from all over the country. I don't know about you, but I don't have the time to look up such things. So having them all in one place is great. 

But in two cases, I also picked them up because the producer of those shows, Scott Rudin, is skimpy with production photos. I love production photos. I do not love Scott Rudin. (And for every conceivable reason you are thinking of, too.) And so, because I am a fan of both The Humans and To Kill a Mockingbird, when I saw them, I quickly bought them.

The three I'm sharing my thoughts on today, the aforementioned The Humans, To Kill a Mockingbird, and Fun Home, all really fit the above criteria - great reviews/articles and production stills. And each also includes things unique to their production.

The Fun Home edition features an original Alison Bechdel comic strip that originally appeared in New Yorker magazine. It is a wonderful addition to my Fun Home collection because it offers a rare glimpse into the impact of a dramatization of an author's original work. (Above. Tap to enlarge.)

The Humans' book, a large, spiral-bound tome, is full of enormous production photos and up close portraits of the characters. In addition to dozens of pull quotes (as one might expect) and reviews, there are a number of full articles that offer commentary on the play as a reflection of the times, particularly during the Trump era.

Finally, the play that has the stingiest supply of production photos, To Kill a Mockingbird, made this $5 purchase worth a few hundred to me. Nearly every page has artistic photos of the show and the characters from unique angles. They are presented in sepia tones and color, captioned with the expected pull quotes, but also with quotes from the original Harper Lee text. Even better, throughout the book are photos and brief articles on the era depicted in the play that offer provocative context. (The cover letter that came with the book is to the right. Tap to enlarge.)

In any case, I look forward to adding to this collection. Even more so, I look forward to joining my fellow theater lovers at events like the flea market. I miss all of you.

📸: J. Kyler

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The Broadway Magazine Rack: Encore Monthly

I'm old enough to remember looking forward to getting theater magazines in the mail. It was always a thrill when my Playbill Magazine and TheaterWeek would show up in the post box. I'd run up to my room and devour both in one sitting, cover to cover. You know, there really is something to be said for snail mail. Don't get me wrong - I do love the instant gratification of the internet. But I do love holding a magazine (or a book) in my hands. So, you can probably imagine my delight when a complimentary issue of a new theater magazine showed up in my mailbox last week!

It is called Encore Monthly, and it is wonderful. Just what this theater lover in this stay-at-home-no-live-theater world needed.

Theater Magazines: A Partial History

The Broadway Magazine Rack:

Encore Monthly

Where to start? Well, the physical magazine is high quality, from the laminated cover to the heavy, large sized pages the booklet feels substantial. Each page is full-color with large photographs.

Then there is the staff, a terrific mix of seasoned professionals - Robert Viagas (formerly of Playbill) serves as Editor-in-Chief, Harry Haun (also from Playbill), and theater reviewing legend Peter Filichia - and new voice contributors like David Nimh, Christine Pedi (of Forbidden Broadway fame) and Marcus Scott. This spectrum of writers allows for historical perspective and a look to the future. I look forward to seeing what comes from them in future issues. Even the photography comes from an expert point of view with theater legend Joan Marcus as Photography Editor, and the list of contributors reads like a who's who.

The organization of the issue is even set up like a theatrical experience, with sections like "Curtain Up," "Backstage," "In the House," "Intermission," and "Curtain Speech."

In the current issue, March/April, there is an emphasis on Broadway backstage, including a photo essay about life in the dressing room, and the rituals, superstitions and traditions in theater all over the country. Among the familiar is a section on The Legacy Robe, while there is a fascinating bit about a theater that was rebuilt. The company installed small sections of the original stage deck by the stage door so that all who enter touch the history of the place.

There's an article about how theater schools are adapting to the Covid situation, and a sweet article about a 13 year old kid who, inspired by the recent revival of On The Town, has become an expert on all things Broadway. To end the issue, there'a crossword puzzle and a vintage photograph that invites us to guess in what year the photo was taken.

All of the above doesn't cover the amount of information and fun there is to be had here. Currently, issues are bi-monthly, but the editor assures us that the magazine, like its name, will be monthly once Broadway returns. In addition to the print copy - a wonderful keepsake in quality and content - each subscription comes with access to each article online. I didn't need to think twice about signing up. A year's subscription is under $30, and I am confident I'll get my money's worth.

Grade: A+

📸: J. Kyler

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