Does anybody else miss BKLYN?

[Swiftynifty15]

Posted: 6/14/09 at 9:09pm

I still find myself listening to the soundtrack. I thoroughly enjoyed Brooklyn and think it closed way too early. I know it didn't get the best reviews, but am I the only one who misses this show? The CD's aren't sold in stores anymore, its ITUNE rating is so low, and it has always been so under appreciated.

[ZONEACE]

Posted: 6/14/09 at 9:11pm

...

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 6/14/09 at 9:13pm

Marc Schoenfeld.

[ljay889]

Posted: 6/14/09 at 9:13pm

oh my....

[ZONEACE]

Posted: 6/14/09 at 9:15pm

i miss In My Life more than Bklyn

[Dollypop]

Posted: 6/14/09 at 9:15pm

Oh yeah. I miss it. I miss it about as much as I'd miss a bad case of shingles.

[emo_geek]

Posted: 6/14/09 at 9:20pm

I adored Brooklyn. I miss it greatly.

[PiraguaGuy2]

Posted: 6/14/09 at 9:21pm

Dollypop is the only old New York Catholic I know with the sense of humor of an old New York Jew.

[AndAllThatJazz22]

Posted: 6/14/09 at 9:22pm

There's a SOUNDTRACK for bklyn!

[AndAllThatJazz22]

Posted: 6/14/09 at 9:23pm

There's a SOUNDTRACK for bklyn!

[James885]

Posted: 6/14/09 at 9:27pm

I can honestly say that I do not miss Brooklyn. The show was garbage. Literally.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 6/14/09 at 9:30pm

I remember sitting front row center for that show and feeling like my head was going to EXPLODE and being PISSED I couldn't just get up and walk out. I'd never gotten such a headache from such sh*t music before. It was that show that made me hate Eden Espinosa and every role she's screeched her way through afterwards. I just can't forgive her for that migraine.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 6/14/09 at 9:30pm

>>>"Dollypop is the only old New York Catholic I know with the sense of humor of an old New York Jew."<<<


Why thank you, PG2! I appreciate that comment. It comes from listening to so many SOUNDTRACKS!!!!!!!

[dramamama611]

Posted: 6/14/09 at 9:36pm

Miss it? No. What I miss is the peacefulness I had BEFORE you brought it up again. Now I miss the serenity.

BKLYN = Horrors.

[Drunk Chita Rivera]

Posted: 6/14/09 at 9:40pm

I never saw it but I like the music.

[Rentaholic]

Posted: 6/14/09 at 9:57pm

I would still like a refund for my tickets.

[Rudy2]

Posted: 6/14/09 at 10:41pm

Swiftynifty, I'm 100% with you. I loved this show with all my heart and still do. I miss it terribly. Everyone is entitled to his or her opinion, and each opinion on its own is certainly valid, but the collective hatred (not dislike, hatred) this show has received not only confounds me, it disgusts me. In a small way, it also wounds me. Lower-case 'w'.

If I may borrow from a very recent PM I wrote:

It was highly unusual, and it was not high theater, but I will always love Brooklyn the Musical. I can see why others did not, however. What I can't understand is why people didn't at least cite that Ramona Keller was outstanding.

A portion of the singing had the voice but lacked the soul (mostly Eden Espinosa, but even she impressed because the actor/role dynamic happened to work - she was playing a very young woman who was rather naive), but the story was allegorical and spoke to something larger than simply its characters. It was about idealism clashing with the real world, and the multifacted portrayal of the antagonist (Paradice) was so wonderfully handled by Keller. Paradice's actions were downright evil, but she was thoroughly humanized ("Raven") to the point that one could not wish for her downfall and had to concede she had overcome a great deal to make it to the top. That's more emotionally complex than it sounds, but either people were not prepared to dig that deeply or, more likely, came in with set expectations/decided 15 minutes into the show that it was too offbeat or lowbrow.

Many of the songs had bite, spark and verve, and in the end, while the protagonist did end up reunited with her father, her idealism did not win out. That is how life usually is, even though we would love for that not to be so.

I'll never understand why people did not rave about the opening number, "Heart Behind These Hands." What a melding together of terrific signing over a rapturous, tremendous melody with soul-searching lyrics. Ka-boom!

The show may not have told us anything we did not already know, but it expressed its ideas in a profoundly beautiful way. Cleavant Derricks - what a singer. If I stay away from the cast recording for a while and let it play he and Ramona Keller give me consistent chills. I must specifically cite Cleavant's voice as it rings out from backstage before "Streetsinger" - "you can change the world by changing someone/and maybe that's what we're put on earth for/I know that's what I'm on earth for..." Absolute chills. The show dug very bravely and deeply into the depths of the soul ("Sometimes," "Brooklyn In the Blood") without losing entertainment value ("Love Me Where I Live"). A sociologist could have a field day with this show.

I think perhaps many did not fancy it because it was chiefly driven by soul/R&B numbers, and this genre has always driven my senses wild when the singing is top-notch.

Yes, more than one person was profoundly touched by this show. Perhaps it wasn't groundbreaking or Earth-shattering, but it was earnest, sincere and brilliantly performed. And it was not formulaic or emotionally vacant or vapid, which a great deal of productions more lauded certainly are.

Updated On: 6/14/09 at 10:41 PM

[dancingthrulife04]

Posted: 6/14/09 at 11:19pm

Great cast, odd material. I do kind of miss it, though.

[SNAFU]

Posted: 6/14/09 at 11:38pm

I was comped tickets and want my money back tenfold! What a steaming pile of dog sh*t! I saw it there were about thirty people in the orchestra and everyone felt too self conscious to get up and leave. They were smart to not have an intermission.
Painfully horrid show!

[TimesSquareRegular]

Posted: 6/15/09 at 12:40am

I remember sitting there thinking: "OMG - if anyone is seeing this as their first Broadway show, they will never want to see another!"

Everytime I see bubble wrap, I wonder if it was one of the costumes.

[uncageg]

Posted: 6/15/09 at 12:48am

To the original poster...it is not a "soundtrack" it is an "Original Broadway Cast Recording".

I saw Brooklyn's world premiere in Denver twice. What got me about the show were the songs and the voices. What ruined it for me was the Cast Recording. It should have been done in a studio without the "audience response".

[Rudy2]

Posted: 6/15/09 at 12:52am

^ I know what you mean, but in a way, the audience is part of the show. Their applause is acknowledged at least once that I can recall. You become the audience at Madison Square Garden during the big showdown. It's just hard for me to imagine those particular scenes coming off right without claps and audience cheering. I would certainly have been interested in a typical recording done without an audience, however. It is a bit distracting and gives it a sometimes-unpleasant bootleg aura.

[uncageg]

Posted: 6/15/09 at 12:55am

In Denver I was lucky enough to see it in a much smaller venue than on Broadway. The theater held about 400 or so.

Updated On: 6/15/09 at 12:55 AM

[Pianolin717]

Posted: 6/15/09 at 12:58am

I never saw this, but I do love some of the music. The cast is def. a highlight of the show.

[ClumsyDude15]

Posted: 6/15/09 at 12:59am

I saw it on Kids Night on Broadway and a little girl who was sitting next to me was asked by her mother if she liked the show.

Her response: "No, Mommy! I hate this show, it's boring! I hate it! I want to go home." This lasted for about five minutes and the actors had stopped and listened as she went on.

I liked the music, but the show was really strange! However, I must say, I've never seen trash look so good than their costumes.