Just discovered that Spotify has 2 songs from HPH's Hedwig. Gotta say I was very disappointed. Seems that it is too tame and he's singing to "pretty". Nothing at all like the raw energy of his show. Pity they didn't record it live... My favorite is still the original recording.
LOVE the new version of "Sugar Daddy." (Loved it when I saw the show, too, and was probably most excited to hear that song recorded.) I'm not crazy about "Wig in a Box," though. The audience participation part just sounds silly.
Didn't love Sugar Daddy nearly as much as I did onstage. Wig in a Box remains a great song, but the trouble is we already have a great recording of it. Yes, a production with NPH was guaranteed a cast recording, but the song I'm most excited to hear recorded is The Long Grift. It's a man that sings it on the original recording and I'd love to remember it in Lena's voice.
I agree about the Long Grift. That and Sugar Daddy are why I am grateful for this recording. Otherwise, we really do already have definitive versions of the songs from Hedwig. NPH is not a particularly distinctive singer and brings very little to role vocally. That said, his performance will go down as one of the most unexpected and thrilling I've seen in the theatre.
I really dislike the new arrangement on Sugar Daddy. I don't like the background vocals. I don't know why they're constantly changing that song, They did a different version for the film too. Leave it alone.
I think any Hedwig is better than no Hedwig at all, but I find NPH's voice kind of thin. I just don't think he has the depth or range of JCM or Michael Cerveris, but I can always listen to the original.
I didn't care for either one, really. I like the more country sound of Sugar Daddy as done by JCM, and with the new Wig in a Box, I missed the crazy-good piano at the end. But I do think the band sounds great on both, and I look forward to Lena's recording of The Long Grift (which I enjoyed when I saw the show last week).
I like the updated orchestrations for Sugar Daddy. I also love Harris' delivery of "Wig in a Box". His pronunciation and diction are actually really good. I also think he captures the change in tone of the song (it is about finding yourself). (I always thought Hedwig wasn't really supposed to be a great singer, but more of a 'stylist' and writer.)
I love the new arrangements of "Sugar Daddy." They don't replace the original (which I also love), but they're a fantastic new spin on one of the best songs in the show.
"...everyone finally shut up, and the audience could enjoy the beginning of the Anatevka Pogram in peace."
I happened to love both of the tracks, however, there is something lost (IMHO) going from live performance to CD. The only issue I had was Neil's dialogue surrounding the sing-along during "Wig In A Box"...He sounds like a cross between Willy Wonka and the Emcee from CABARET (which, in concept, is very creepy)
Check out my eBay page for sales on Playbills!!
www.ebay.com/usr/missvirginiahamm