Favorite Menken/Ashman musical score?

Post by **Meg** » December 5th, 2006, 8:11 pm

I admit I still haevn't seen or heard Hone on the Range--shoudl I bother?

Don't know about the music, but as far as the movie goes...You're not missing much.

Post by **Daniel** » December 5th, 2006, 9:32 pm

Charlie Angels: Cows editions

(The joke is, towards the end of the film the cows take part in a fight. Which of course is simmilar to Charlies Angels

)

Post by **Ben** » December 6th, 2006, 8:17 am

Home On The Range is Menken-Lite but still a must see if you're a fan. Did you ever hear Weird Romance? That was an interesting one.

Nice to see another musical theater freak on the boards - I'm seeing Wicked here in the UK's West End on Thursday evening.

Post by **Daniel** » December 6th, 2006, 4:25 pm

Ben wrote:I'm seeing Wicked here in the UK's West End on Thursday evening.

Oh, that Oz prequel thing! Your so lucky Ben... I've seen commercials for it and it looks so cool

Wicked.....

....Wicked

....Wicked...(echo)

I Love that part of the commercial!

Post by **EricMontreal26** » December 7th, 2006, 5:06 am

Wicked is good though I don't quite get the phenomena it's become with certain primarily younger female audiences (think the "Rentheads" at Rent) Good Schwartz score, solid book by Winnie Holzman (who created the tv classic My So Called Life) and great direction and deisgn by the team who did Ragtime's direction and design--you should have a lot of fun.

So back to Stephen Schwartz who wrote it--I am a big fan and ish they had kept his score for Mulan by the track I have.

Thanks guys for the warm welcome

glad to see others who love musicals and animation and realize animated musicals aren't necesarily a bad thing

Post by **EricMontreal26** » December 7th, 2006, 5:10 am

Ben wrote:Home On The Range is Menken-Lite but still a must see if you're a fan. Did you ever hear Weird Romance? That was an interesting one.

.

Ya I bought Weird ROmance way back when I was 13 or so--I see the CD is now worth a bit to some people as it's out of print. I love it even if some of the lyrics are awful (not quite as awful as Jack Feldman's lyrics in Newsies but...) It's quirky and Ellen Greene is amazing in it.

besides Home (which I'll rent Ipromise) the only commerically released Menken I don't know is King David which I always intend to buy. I do know a bunch of his odd offBroadway shows though--the New Orlenas modern Midsummer's Night Dream "Dream on Royal Street" and his musica of Duddy Kravitz. the best by far was his first moderate hit with Ashman the Off Broadway adaptation of Vonnegut's God Bless you Mr Rosewater--there were rumours of recording it but they fell through only a few years back. It's a brilliant, fun score that captures the book perfectly and was a great lead up to Little Shop

E

Post by **Ben** » December 7th, 2006, 8:37 am

Never heard Rosewater but would dearly love to. Did you hear Christmas Carol with Lynn Ahrens? Not his best, it has to be said, but some sparks, a bit like Weird Romance.

King David is also out of print now, and hard to find. Luckily I picked mine up when it came out as I had a "feeling" even then that nothing would come of it. The only thing "wrong" with it are some of Rice's (ouch!) lyrics...

Post by **EricMontreal26** » December 8th, 2006, 7:59 am

Yah rice is very hit or miss--Schwartz with his biblical leanings in musicals anyway (Children of Eden, Prince of Egypt, Godspell) woulda been a better fit. I saw some copis online for faily reasonable so will have to get it...

Ya Christmas Carol is alright but I don't play it much--it comes off better on CD though then on the almost campy TV movie version.

E

Post by **EricMontreal26** » December 11th, 2006, 1:57 am

Ugh I chekced on King David and they wanted 90 bucks for it on Amazon-=-may be a while yet till I hear it...

I see the German cast album of Hunchback of Notre Dame (for which Schwartz/Menken wrote a lot mor emusic) is outa print too and goes for over 100 bucks. Now that the English tv movie version of it looks indefinetly on hold I wish I had bought it...

E

Post by **Ben** » December 11th, 2006, 2:20 pm

Yikes!!

Post by **ShyViolet** » December 11th, 2006, 7:43 pm

Wasn't there a King David film back in the 80's starring Ricard Gere?

Post by **Daniel** » December 12th, 2006, 12:23 am

If I'm not mistaken, the only film he appeared in that year was American Gigolo.... So don't know if that helps..

Post by **EricMontreal26** » December 12th, 2006, 2:11 am

Ya back in 85--i think the movie was meant to be decent actually

Post by **Ben** » December 12th, 2006, 6:02 am

But not a musical. Might have been better.

Post by **EricMontreal26** » December 14th, 2006, 11:18 pm

Nah Chicago was enough--I never wanna hear Gere sing again

Favorite Menken/Ashman musical score?

What is your favorite musical score from the team of Alan Menken and Howard Ashman?