Original Cast – 1995 / Music
by Alan Menken and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens
Starring: Walter Charles, Nick Corley, Ken Jennings,
Jeff Keller, Joseph Kolinski, Michael Mandell, Robert Westenberg, Andrea
Frierson Toney, Joy Hermalyn, Michael X. Martin, Michael Christopher Moore,
Bill Nolte, Darcy Pulliam, Emily Skinner, Mary Stout, Gerry Vichi, Theara J.
Ward, Christopher Sieber, Natalie Toro, Walter Willison
Rate: 6 (from 1 to 10)
Review: Just in time for Christmas, we have the
reissue of the cast recording of Madison Square Garden´s production of the
musical adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic. This big musical played on that
avenue for several Christmas,
from 1994 through 2003.
The first time I heard this
score it didn’t conquer me immediately. But I fall instantly in love with one
of the songs, “Abundance and Charity”; this one became one of my favorite
Christmas songs and if we close our eyes we can easily imagine Susan Stroman’s
choreography (I never saw the show, so I just use my imagination). Alan Menken
came up with a very British score and probably this is his most different score,
far from his usual pop flavor emotional musical style. There’s good big numbers
like “Mr. Fezziwig’s Annual Christmas Ball” or “Christmas Together”. The song
“Dancing on Your Grave” sounds like a premonition for Menken’s THE HUNCHBACK OF
NOTRE DAME. And of course it has a romantic song, “A Place Called Home”, a nice
ballad “The Lights of Long Ago” and a beautiful emotional song, “God Bless Us,
Everyone”.
Walter Charles is an
excellent Scrooge and the rest of the cast give him strong support. The
orchestrations by Michael Starobin and Douglas Besterman keep it alive and we
can feel the spirit of Christmas in the end result. So go into your Christmas
and enjoy this score!
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