Listening to the OCR vs. Live Theatre

[phantomvegas2]

Posted: 11/22/09 at 12:23pm

Do you feel that it ruins the experience if you listen to the original cast recording of a show before you even see the show live? I was wondering what people thought of this because I'm not sure if I wanna order a CD yet or just buy it at the show.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 11/22/09 at 12:56pm

If it's a plot heavy show you aren't that familiar with, I would say that listening to a recording might spoil it. If it's sung through or has a lot of recitative, listening might be a good idea before. I don't think it's a hard and fast rule.

[Hest882]

Posted: 11/22/09 at 1:14pm

Unless there are large chunks of book in the OCR which might give away the plot (which I've never found to be the case), I actually find it helpful to be familiar enough with the score so you don't miss lyrics.

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 11/22/09 at 1:19pm

Considering I am a CD-buying whore, there aren't many shows that I go into 100% cold. I usually know at least 1 or 2 songs. So, no, I don't think it spoils it.

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 11/22/09 at 1:22pm

Depends on the show. What show is it for?

[dshnookie]

Posted: 11/22/09 at 2:52pm

I do find going into shows with some knowledge of the lyrics allows me to better understand/enjoy it. If I go into a show cold and like it, I'll buy the recording and that allows me to really enjoy/appreciate it more after-the-fact and in subsequent re-viewings.

Two examples in which I went into the show cold and think listening to the recording would've been helpful were RENT and Hair. Yet, whereas Hair doesn't reveal the end in its recording, RENT does.

[wickedfan11]

Posted: 11/22/09 at 3:07pm

I've been only been to one show cold. It was 9 to 5. The cast recording was released that day, and I felt that it would have been helpful to listen to it beforehand.

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 11/22/09 at 3:15pm

Cause you would have known to get rid of your ticket?

[Mark_E]

Posted: 11/22/09 at 3:23pm

Hmm I don't know really.

I've seen alot of shows without knowing ANY of the music beforehand or even the story (Tale of two cities, Gypsy, Xanadu, [title of show], Young Frankenstein, Imagine This)

The some where i've heard only 1 or two songs like Sister Act and what it will be for Love Never Dies (and I think this is the best way because it gives you a sort of feel for the show before you see it).


The other's ive listened to the full recording, and while it is sometimes nice, it does take away from the experience abit, but then atleast you can follow the story easier since sometimes I miss alot of the lyrics if they are sung fast.

When I saw Spring Awakening the first time id listened to the music months previous, and throughout the show it was good to hear some tunes i vaguely remembered.

Posted: 11/22/09 at 3:28pm

Ideally, I'd like to see it first "cold", then familiarize myself with the recording and go back. But of course it's pretty rare that that can happen (even if you can afford to see it twice...)

[phantomvegas2]

Posted: 11/22/09 at 5:58pm

Love Never Dies and Finian's Rainbow

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 11/22/09 at 6:02pm

I'd recommend listening to Finian's first. Love Never dies is a new musical so go in fresh.

[After Eight]

Posted: 11/22/09 at 6:22pm

I prefer not knowing a note of the score before I see a musical. Knowing it already removes the element of surprise, and that element is invaluable.

I also prefer not knowing any opinions of a new show before seeing it. Those too precondition one's expectations, and hence one's response.

Let a new show be experienced entirely fresh and new.

[poeticmelody]

Posted: 11/22/09 at 8:36pm

I prefer watching the short preview videos of the show that are posted on here and other Broadway/media sites and listening to snippets of songs as well as seeing if the plot will interest me. Then I decide if I want to spend money that I usually don't have haha to see it. I have a tight knit group of Broadway friends that I trust their judgment and if they tell me to see something, I will even if I don't know anything about it but other than that, I don't like going in blind.

[Demitri2]

Posted: 11/22/09 at 9:24pm

Having the good fortune of growing up a few train stops from Manhattan I would work small jobs as a teenager to enable me to buy Original Cast recordings.
I'd collect as many as I could buy or weasel from those generous around me (one aunt and my grandparents of course). I would carefully listen to my joyous conquests and would decide on what show would most appeal to both myself and my parents. Forgot to mention I usually bought only those shows that were playing on Broadway at the time.
I would then go on a campaign playing the same show's tunes day in and day out until everyone in the house knew the score. If I REALLY wanted to see a show (if available) I'd get the piano/vocal score from the show and sing up a storm. I think my parents caved in more out of a sense of shutting me up.
By the time I saw the show I knew the songs inside out. Choosing the best there was to see at the time, I was usually just as moved hearing the number performed LIVE as I was playing the cast album at home. As an adult I can go both ways. I like being surprised by a good score but if it's good to begin with it by no means spoils anything for me hearing the score beforehand.

[TonyVincent]

Posted: 11/22/09 at 10:26pm

I like to hear the recording first, but not listen to it (e.g., listen to it while I work out or am doing something else). That way I can build a familiarity with the score, since songs are often more enjoyable if they're already vaguely familiar to you, but I don't wreck the surprises of the show at all.

I find that subconscious absorption is most effective for me.

[AwesomeDanny]

Posted: 11/22/09 at 10:48pm

I like to know just one or two songs and a basis of the plot before seeing the show. When I saw "Drowsy Chaperone", I had just heard "Show Off" once or twice a month before and I loved hearing the music for the first time. When I saw "Rock of Ages", I had only heard three or four songs and I liked the show. I only heard two songs from "Spelling Bee" and I loved it. Then again, I saw "In the Heights" only knowing two songs and I found it boring, but I did like the experience of hearing the music for the first time. I didn't know one song from Billy Elliot and I absolutely loved the experience. When I saw Rent, I had already listened the cast recording to death and seen tons of videos from it, so I found myself a little distracted because hearing the songs had become very natural and nothing special. I have ultimately decided it's best to just listen to a couple of songs once or twice because I love hearing the music for the first time in the show it was written for.

[Gypsy9]

Posted: 11/23/09 at 8:00am

As a teenager, I was very excited to be going to the original production of GYPSY and my father bought the OBCR ahead of time--he was a great fan of Ethel Merman. I listened to the score minus "Roses's Turn" which the liner notes said was the climax to the musical and I wanted to be surprised by that number. Listening to most of the score beforehand did not spoil the experience of seeing GYPSY for the first time. The OBCR remains the finest recording of GYPSY for me.