I wouldn't say the book is pretty terrible, although I think it needs work. I've definitely seen worse, on Broadway. I actually don't think In the Heights has a very good book. And I know you were concerned about the score; I think that most of the songs are really pretty good, even if none of them are anywhere near as good as, "The Old Red Hills Of Home," say. They're certainly much better than the High School Musical songs, and like I wrote to Lauren below, several of the new songs are MUCH better than the songs they replace.
Not really, actually, about the score. "Hey Kendra" is very R&B flavored, "All Hail The Brain" is almost country (like his Urban Cowboy songs), Lucy's big number is kind of seductive in a way JRB's music usually is not, and "Bad Bad News" is very 1950s gospel/doo-wop. It's actually an interestingly varied score.
I was trying to figure out why I was getting such a sense of deja vu while reading your post, and then I realized OH! I read it on ATC earlier.
After reading all the bitching and moaning on BWW, I'm glad to read a review that is optimistic about the show, rather than taking glee in the things they found wrong with it. I'm interested to hear the new songs (only 6 songs from the LA production remain, 7 if you count "Brand New You" at curtain call). Too bad about the first 20 minutes, though. Nothing kills a show like too much exposition (hey, SOMEONE had to go there.).
I'll probably have a boot of the show soon, I think a friend recorded the invited dress. I'll definitely send it to you. Some of the songs are FAR superior to the ones they replaced. Like that terrible Bloodmaster song, or whatever that was called.
And yeah, I'm hoping they can fix the first 20 minutes. It's certainly not unfixable.
Also thanks so much for the offer to help me out. I think a lot of the stuff that I'm missing (I saved everything that was on my ipod) I got from you. And Garrett.
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After reading all the bitching and moaning on BWW, I'm glad to read a review that is optimistic about the show, rather than taking glee in the things they found wrong with it. I'm interested to hear the new songs (only 6 songs from the LA production remain, 7 if you count "Brand New You" at curtain call). Too bad about the first 20 minutes, though. Nothing kills a show like too much exposition (hey, SOMEONE had to go there.).
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I'll probably have a boot of the show soon, I think a friend recorded the invited dress. I'll definitely send it to you. Some of the songs are FAR superior to the ones they replaced. Like that terrible Bloodmaster song, or whatever that was called.
And yeah, I'm hoping they can fix the first 20 minutes. It's certainly not unfixable.
Also thanks so much for the offer to help me out. I think a lot of the stuff that I'm missing (I saved everything that was on my ipod) I got from you. And Garrett.
Reply
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