I haven't listened to the OBCR in years. And I don't know why, but I feel guilty, lol. I feel like I'm being unfaithful to Sondheim by listening to these cheesy melodies and awful lyrics.
I mean a lot of this is catchy, but it just sounds like 90's pop, with absolutely no substance.
Ok. Don't kill me for making this thread. Updated On: 1/24/09 at 02:30 PM
The score is not very strong but it's just very cleverly written in that while it's not perfect, it's still catchy and really addictive to hear Idina and Kristin (and a great ensemble) belt the sh*t out of the songs. It's a mediocre score but a really well-produced OBCR.
Beware. I hadn't listened to it in about two years and then when I finally did, I did the lotto that night and won and now I'm sucked back into the world of it again. It's a drug. You get addicted to it, you break the habit, go through a rehabilitation period, stay clean for a while, and then all it takes is that one bit of it to suck you back in.
I've always hated the song "Defying Gravity," just because it sounds so shrill. But then I heard Raul Esparza's ridiculous version, and I'm so addicted-- I've listened to it like nineteen times.
There are some songs I really like, though-- "What Is This Feeling" and "Dancing Through Life" are my favourites, along with the opening number. The songs are catchy, but while I borderline-liked the cast recording, I really didn't like the book/plot/characters/production/etc.
In my pants, she has burst like the music of angels, the light of the sun! --Marius Pantsmercy
I listened to it constantly for a year. I got it when it was released and listened to it constantly before seeing it in New York. I was kind of obsessed with seeing the Original Cast (Which I did). When the tour started and got to Denver, I was very excited. After seeing the 1st nationl tour, I for some reason just lost interest in it. I didn't really care for the touring production. I stopped listening to the CD right around that time and just popped it in once about 2 weeks ago and put it on my Zune. It is an addictive score but now I can just listen to it peridically.
I've seen Wicked at least 4 times - 3 times in Boston and once on Broadway. I'll probably make a return trip with my mom in the future. Don't be ashamed...
"We like to snark around here. Sometimes we actually talk about theater...but we try not to let that get in our way." - dramamama611
Am I the only one that hears a woman screaming the last "WICKEEEEDDDDDDD!" in the finale on the CR? You hear it for about 4 seconds, and then they fade it out. It's REALLY ugly sounding! D: But besides that, I really enjoy the OBCR (and it holds a special place in my heart because it was the first cast recording I'd ever bought). And ColorTheHours, I agree! I hadn't listened to the CR in a long time, and then I listened to it again, and I became obsessed all over again!
My friend tried to get me into Wicked, and failed.
That's not to say I don't admit to liking a few songs.
Overall, it's not my cup of tea but listening to a score chock full of lyrical gems such as "Nessa/I've got something to confess, a/reason why I brought you here tonight" really can brighten up a day sometimes.
"I am and always will be the optimist. The hoper of far-flung hopes and dreamer of improbable dreams." - Doctor Who
"Yes, the brutalities of progress are called revolutions. When they are over, men recognize that the human race has been harshly treated but it has moved forward." - Les Miserables
"Lucky. I only saw it once and I actually vomited."
LMAO! As much as I love it, the more I see it, the more I realize how bad some parts of it all. I've always hated the choreography, and some parts of the book are just as bad. "It's not lying. It's looking at things another way." Blech.
I was raised on Rogers and Hammerstein-Lerner and Loewe. I love and admire Sondheim. But I still believe that the score for Wicked is fabulously clever. I've seen the show only once and that was enough but I listen to the soundtrack quite often. IMO the the jumping off song The Wizard and I fleshes out a character as well as anything ever written
Dented146, just to clear things up, I don't mean to be cruel, and I'm sorry if I offended you. You seem like a really intelligent person. It's just, you might want to rethink using the word 'soundtrack' instead of 'cast recording.'
In my pants, she has burst like the music of angels, the light of the sun! --Marius Pantsmercy
I am a big fan of Stephens,too, but I would never feel I was betraying him to listen to somebody else. Wicked is a great show and Stephen has written some bad shows too. Passion? I will listen to Wicked 10 times in a row before I listen to Passion one time.