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?

 

The Closing of Here Lies Love: A Few Thoughts

The Closing of Here Lies Love:

A Few Thoughts

It is always sad when a show closes. Years of work and hundreds of jobs gone with a producers' notice and a notice taped to the door. Sad but true, it happens more often than not. It is particularly hard to take when it's a show you really like and its run is short. 

Such is the case with Here Lies Love, scheduled to close November 26th after 33 previews and 149 performances. Tradition dictates that the producers announce with a message of gratitude, remorse and optimism. I found this one to be all of that and more.

They are correct that the production was a very creative, boundary-pushing enterprise. The design team really went above and beyond, basically creating a new space in an old one. They even found amazing ways to make the immersive experience completely immersive no matter where your ticket put you in the theater. And even if the creative team is about as white as you can get, the fact that they made sure to 100% cast Filipinos to tell a Filipino story is not only authentic, but very laudable.  They proved it can be done.

But after all of that, they offered a statement of... blame? excuse?

"But the reality is, succeeding on Broadway means not only producing excellent work with artistic merit—it also means creating the audience for it. And how much time it takes to find and grow new audiences is out of sync with the tight time frames for audience-building and awareness."

We all know what they mean. You have to have a big and growing audience before the money runs out. Now, I'm no producer, and I'll admit that I don't know all of the ins and outs of opening and running a Broadway show. Still, I have to wonder what the decision-makers thought about. 

Was it

• the fact that they were peddling a show that was 10 years old already?
• the fact that the story involves a controversial figure, whose family is again making headlines for coming back to power - is it timely or out of date?
• the fact that the show might resonate with US audiences facing a fascist crisis, and those audiences might be weary of the whole mess, or worse are offended by it because they might see themselves in it?
• the fact that the whole live musicians thing got more press than the show itself did, and painted a negative picture of the production?
• the fact that it cost an estimated $22 million dollars with a rumored $700K nut (That nut was surpassed only 7 times since opening night, and they've never had a sold-out full week.)?
• the fact that upwards of $200 - $300 a ticket for "the ultimate way to experience" is pricey, but on top of that, you either have to stand, packed like sardines, while constantly being moved around, watching out for your feet being run over or being trampled to death, or sit in the "the gallery" where you look straight out at the action, with limited views of anything not right in front of you, thereby missing a great deal of the action?
• the fact that the best actual seats cost over $500 (you get twice the show at Hamilton, and you are definitely closer there!)?
• the fact that going to even the most exclusive clubs is still cheaper and lasts more than 90 minutes?

I know, I know. Supply and demand, blah blah blah. Well, there isn't much demand. Let's be honest. The audience for a show about the rise and fall of Imelda Marcos performed as a nightclub act in a musical idiom that is not the most popular currently is a hard sell to begin with. And she's no Eva Peron. And didn't the people who are really interested in that history already see it in a more intimate venue ten years ago? 

As a child of the 70s and 80s, who grew up when all of this happened and Studio 54 was the be all and end all of entertainment, it would seem that  I'd be the target audience. Add to that I am part of that shrinking demographic: frequent attendance at Broadway shows, willing to travel to do it. I make a decent income. Now I always fill out those surveys when they ask, so someone on Broadway knows I'm out there ripe for the picking. I've yet to receive any special mailers, emails, anything to court me to see this show. 

Who are/were the producers "audience-building" to? Were they trying to get younger, hipper people to turn out in droves - I'm pretty sure they were, hence the "guest DJ after-parties." Again - clubs where you can stay longer (and not see what color Arielle Jacobs' underwear is up close) are considerably cheaper.

All of this is to say they have a supply. There isn't a demand. The price hasn't changed. Of course, they've painted themselves into a corner. By grossly overestimating the demand and price of "the experience," they can't really do much with the prices now and have any hope of making their nut. 

It is always sad when a show closes too young. And it is sad that there won't be many more chances to see this extraordinary production. If you do have a chance to see it, you really should. It's worth every penny.

"The Merrily Effect": Flops Deserving of Revival

With the epic success of the current Broadway revival of Merrily We Roll Along, I've been thinking about other big Broadway Flops that could possibly turn around with the right team behind it. Let's call it "The Merrily Effect."

"The Merrily Effect": 

Flops Deserving a Revival 

From the 80s:

Grind (1984-85 season; 25 previews, 71 performances) With its themes of racial, economic and sexual tensions set against the show-bizzy world of burlesque, I think modern audiences are ready for a revival. Dark and unrelenting, yet optimistic and powerful, the right director and someone to tighten up the book could make this the hit it deserves to be.

Wind in the Willows (1985-86 season; 25 previews, 4 performances) Despite a cast full of future Broadway stars (Nathan Lane played Toad), and Tony nominations for book and score, this was a fast flop. But I suspect that Broadway audiences are much more accepting of clever, fanciful, "family-friendly" shows featuring actors as animals. This classic tale has easy to digest plotting, while still tackling important themes. I wonder what Tina Landau might do with this property?

From the 90s:

   

Shogun: The Musical (1990-91 season; 18 previews, 72 performances) I actually saw this show more than once, and I am confident there is a hit musical to be found in there. A contemporary re-look at the show - a deeper focus on Japanese culture and history, with less stereotyping would be a great place to start. And, while I loved the spectacle of it all, maybe a "less is more" stylized approach would heighten the story and conflicts. A show doesn't have to be overwhelming to retain an epic feel.

The Capeman (1997-98 season; 59 previews, 68 performances) Considering how it turned out for him, I doubt Paul Simon would be willing to revisit his score. To be honest, the score wasn't the issue here. It was the book that felt busy, muddled and either too one-sided or too undecided, depending on your point of view. Today's audiences are much more willing to engage with real-life stories of injustice (see Parade). Some tightening, along with the right director (Lin-Manuel Miranda, maybe?) could make this important work a success.

REVIEW: The Frogs

Review of the Saturday, November 4, 2023 matinee performance at The Rose Theater at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City. Hosted by Nathan Lane. Starring Douglas Sills, Kevin Chamberlin, Peter Bartlett, Dylan Baker, Chuck Cooper, Marc Kudisch, Jordan Donica and Candice Corbin. Featuring the MasterVoices Chorus. Choreography by Lainie Sakakura. Directed and conducted by Ted Sperling. 90 minutes, no intermission. The production closed following the evening performance on November 4, 2023.

Grade: A-

Any chance to see a professional presentation of a rarely performed Stephen Sondheim musical is a must-see. Despite a Broadway outing nearly 20 years ago, The Frogs is one such work. Closest, perhaps, to his early A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, this show is a romp, more fun than serious, but certainly not without its serious political themes. In fact, the opening number, "An Invocation and Instructions to the Audience," is a trunk song from an early draft of Forum. Based on a 405 BC work by Aristophanes, it certainly supports the idea that art is timeless.

Sondheim students and fans will certainly find plenty to enjoy from this score, and I heartily recommend getting the Broadway Cast Recording. Aside from the fun word play featured in the opening number, highlights include the title number, the witty "I Love to Travel," a pithy number for Pluto and his minions called "Hades," and the lovely ballad, "Ariadne." The orchestra and 130 member-strong MasterVoices Chorus, all under the baton of Tony-winner Ted Sperling sounded beautiful in this charming space. Perhaps the biggest surprise of the evening was the deft, athletic choreography of Lainie Sakakura, as danced by a fair-sized ensemble. When was the last time, outside of West Side Story, you really left a Sondheim show a-buzz about the dancing? 

The cast, stacked with A-list talent, did the score justice and were mostly in good form acting-wise, too. Hosted by co-writer and former star of the piece, Nathan Lane, did what he does best - self-deprecating humor with an unparalleled droll delivery. He summarized several scenes in the show in order for a full representation of the entire score. Kevin Chamberlin and Chuck Cooper were a riot as a slave and boatman to the underworld, respectively. Dylan Baker was a delight as the uptight George Bernard Shaw, and Candice Corbin was lovely in her brief appearance as the late wife of Dionysus, Ariadne. As Pluto, Peter Bartlett was delightful as the world-wearly host with the most of Hades. Boy, can he deliver a dead-pan joke! Marc Kudisch was hilarious (and, um, limber) as the self-absorbed Heracles in his ode to style and flare, "Dress Big." As William Shakespeare, Jordan Donica nearly stole the show - his sexy, understated turn ensured that all eyes were on him - and he nailed the pomposity "Shakespearean acting."  I'm loathe to call anyone out is this terrific event, but Douglas Sills as Dionysus gave the impression of being less than fully prepared. To be fair, he carried the lion's share of the evening, and had the most to do by far. Whether it was an acting choice or lack of rehearsal time got a little blurry as he seemed to incorporate dropped lines and losing his place later in the performance. Even with all that, he was still pretty terrific.

We were new to the venue, and were really impressed by the whole place. It reminded me of a smaller version of the Kennedy Center. The Rose Theater is a lovely, intimate space with outstanding acoustics and sight lines. In fact, we sat about as far away from the stage as you can, and the view was perfect. We could clearly even see facial expressions! Don't hesitate to see something at this space. And when The Frogs comes around again, don't miss it.

Broadway Games: The 2023-2024 Season Musicals (To Date)

Broadway Games:

The 2023-2024 Season Musicals (To Date...) 

Broadway hasn't seen this busy a musical season in many years. As of today, the 2023-2024 season will have seen 13 new musicals and 5 musical revivals!How much do you know about them?

Directions: Match the descriptions with the show or shows that fit. They will all be used at least once, and many will be used multiple times. Good luck!

A. Back to the Future   B. Cabaret   C. Days of Wine and Roses   D. Gutenberg! The Musical

E. Harmony   F. Here Lies Love   G. How to Dance in Ohio   H. Lempicka

I. Merrily We Roll Along   J. Once Upon a One More Time   K. Spamalot

L. Suffs   M. The Heart of Rock and Roll   N. The Notebook   O. The Outsiders

P. The Who's Tommy   Q. The Wiz   R. Water for Elephants

1. Of the 5 revivals, which represent their very first revival on Broadway?

2. Of all 18 shows, which have scores written by pop &/or rock artists?

3. Which of the above shows feature real-life people as characters?

4. Of all 18 shows, which are based only on a film?

5. Of the 13 new musicals, which are billed as being based only on a book?

6. Of the 13 new musicals, which are billed as being based on both a book and a subsequent film version?

7. Of all 18 shows, which come from an off-Broadway staging?

8. Of all 18 shows, which have already been made into a musical feature film?

9. Of all 18 shows, which come from a previous West End staging?

10. Which two shows will feature some of the same songs?

STOP NOW!

Proceed only if you are ready for the answers!

1. Of the 5 revivals, which represent their very first revival on Broadway?

I. Merrily We Roll Along   K. Spamalot    Q. The Wiz

2. Of all 18 shows, which have scores written by pop &/or rock artists?

E. Harmony   F. Here Lies Love    J. Once Upon a One More Time    

M. The Heart of Rock and Roll   N. The Notebook

3. Which of the above shows feature real-life people as characters?

E. Harmony   F. Here Lies Love   G. How to Dance in Ohio   H. Lempicka

L. Suffs

4. Of all 18 shows, which are based only on a film?

A. Back to the Future    K. Spamalot

5. Of the 13 new musicals, which are billed as being based only on a book?

N. The Notebook    R. Water for Elephants

6. Of the 13 new musicals, which are billed as being based on both a book and a subsequent film version?

C. Days of Wine and Roses    O. The Outsiders

7. Of all 18 shows, which come from an off-Broadway staging?

C. Days of Wine and Roses   D. Gutenberg! The Musical    E. Harmony   F. Here Lies Love 

8. Of all 18 shows, which have already been made into a musical feature film?

B. Cabaret    P. The Who's Tommy   Q. The Wiz 

9. Of all 18 shows, which come from a previous West End staging?

A. Back to the Future   B. Cabaret    I. Merrily We Roll Along

10. Which two shows will feature some of the same songs?

A. Back to the Future    M. The Heart of Rock and Roll

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!