Queen of the Mist [Original Cast Recording]

Release Date: June 19, 2012
Label: Razor & Tie
Time: 75:24
Music and Lyrics: Michael John LaChiusa
Main Singers: Mary Testa, Andrew Samonsky, D.C Anderson, Julia Murney

1. Act One Opening - 3/5 - The first thing I did was check to make sure I didn't actually put on my Ragtime soundtrack. Really, this song is so derivative of Ragtime's style. It is essentially a quick a summary of the musical. (Which, if you're curious, is about the first person to successfully go over Niagara Falls in a barrel.

2. There Is Greatness In Me (Pt. One) - 4/5 - I have never heard of Mary Testa before this musical, but she sounds like she's imitating Pattie LuPone. Her voice, accent, and distinctive vibrato are almost right on. The song is comical; Testa's character tends to get confused and blabber on in a humorous fashion. Everyone is asking her to pay the rent, overdue bills, stuff like that. Pretty good.

3. There Is Greatness In Me (Pt. Two) - 3/5 - The only reason this gets one point lower than its predecessor, it's because it is really the same song without the dialog of the former. Her voice starts to wear thin at the end of the song, but that's understandable, because it's a difficult song.

4. Letter To Jane/The Tiger - 3/5 - This reminds of an odd exchange between Meg Giry an Christine Daae from Phantom of the Opera. It has the same feel as too good friends reminiscing like they do in Phantom. The same tone as well. 'Tis a strange track.

5. Charity - 4/5 - The bums come around to sing a rousing, funny song about how charity is a cop out. The middle section has a really neat acapella section. A humorous song. Testa then reprises "There Is Greatness In Me". Let's hope this is not a pattern.

6. Glorious Devil/The Waters - 4/5 - If I didn't know any better, I'd think Stanley Bahorek was at one point the Emcee from Cabaret. He could definitely pull it off. The song talks about how the first person to go over the Falls died of suffocation (because of their humorously-named dog Oopsie-Daisy). Not a catchy song, but it is quite funny.

7. The Barrel/Cradle or Coffin - 3/5 - The first part of the song is about Testa's character building the barrel to go over the Falls in. It ends on a really strange note and doesn't sound quite right. The second part of song is about her asking herself whether it will work or not. At the end she ends the barrel "The Queen of the Mist", hence the title of the musical.

8. Types Like You - 3/5 - A lilting little number about how Samonksy's character is having doubts about Mary's character's decision to go over the Falls. He thinks that she will die. She doesn't. This number doesn't really stand out in the album. It's your standard "I sing one song, you sing another, then we combine them" song. Just meh.

9. Do The Pan - 4/5 - When you think of a stereotypical Broadway tune, you should think of this piece. It's bouncing and syncopated and just all around good fun. The tune is reminiscent of "Make 'Em Laugh" from Singing in the Rain. It then switches to a scene in a bar with Testa and Samonsky's character where they are arguing about selling merchandise. Really. It's just a typical back and forth. An average part of the song. Then back to the original bouncy part, and all ends well (except for President McKinley, who is assassinated at the end of this song).

10. Floating Cloud - 5/5 - A beautiful duet between Murney and Samonsky. Simply stunning. The harmonies are perfect, the mood, everything is wonderful about it. The only problem is that it's too short, only 2:34. The best piece on the album so far.

11. Laugh at the Tiger - 2/5 - This is fall after the peak. The previous song was wonderful, and this is just not. You can't even hum it. If I heard the word "hater" one more time, I was going to flip. Just bad.

12. On The Other Side - 3/5 - A solo for Samonsky. Pretty average. His voice is thin and stretched at parts and a little odd, but it goes away pretty quickly. Another flat song.

13. Act One Finale - 4/5 - Basically a rehash of "Act One Opening". Very Ragtime-esque. The ending is a little strange. You hear Niagara Falls getting louder and louder while the chorus tries to sing over it. Very odd, indeed.

14. The Quintessential Hero - 3/5 - A generally confusing number. At first, you think the song takes place after the fall off the Falls. But then, some reporter asks "You went over the Falls two years ago, but you never told us the sensation!" It was weird. I assume then there is a flashback, and then it pops back into the present (I think). It's just a mess. The music is okay, but not showstopping.

15. Million Dolla' Momma - 4/5 - A comical little piece with a person imitating Testa's character. This piece has smutty lyrics and it's jarring but fits with the rest of the piece. A catchy little tune. Samonsky's voice is a little strange, but it's mainly for the piece.

16. Expectations - 4/5 - A quaint little solo for Samonsky Nice rhymes. A "safe" song.

17. Bookings (Pt. One) - 4/5 - A song about how Testa's character's story is uninteresting and has been repeated in the same way for a long time now, but she's still trying to make money off of it. The music makes the song interesting and easy to listen to.

18. Break Down The Door - 5/5 - A happy little march. Murney can definitely hit some high notes in this piece with ease. A nice change of pace from the strange syncopations and keys of the previous pieces. Definitely a high point.

19. The Green - 2/5 - Another strange tune by Testa. She seems to be shouting instead of singing. Really weird. The last line "And have a nice day" is really strange and out of place. Perhaps it makes sense when you watch it.

20. Bookings (Pt. Two) - 3/5 - They took out the company and now it's basically Testa, which isn't bad, but it's not good either. It's slower than the first part. You could call it a dark reprise, but only slightly.

21. Postcards - 5/5 - A very interesting piece. It starts with a very dark reprise "There Is Greatness In Me". It then seems as though the cast, talking in typical modern day dialect, will describe all the attempts other people have made to go over the falls. And failed. This piece is a very wonderful piece. Thoroughly entertaining. The ending is a tad depressing. It talks about how Testa's character died a pauper.

22. The Fall/Act Two Finale - 4/5 - The first part talks about how Testa's character has no regrets about the whole thing. It then turns into another reprise of "Act One Finale". All the while, Testa's character is recounting her thoughts when she was going over the Falls. The only reason for it gets a 4 instead of a 5 is that Testa's voice hits some really weird notes throughout the piece, and they just don't seem right. The whole piece ends softly and beautifully.

Conclusion: This album has some high and low points, but most of the songs are pretty good. Although, only about 2 or 3 of the tracks stick out, I would recommend this album to listen to at least once.

3.9/5

Lysistrata Jones [Original Broadway Cast Recording]

Release Date: May 6, 2012

Label: Broadway Records

Time: 66:12

Music and Lyrics: Lewis Flinn

Main Singers: Patti Murin, Josh Segarra, Liz Mikel

1. Right Now: Opening - 2/5 - A very (sadly) deceptive opening. The first minute sounds like this musical will be intense and awesome. But apparently, that was just the exposition. It was saying that this was musical based off a Greek play. This reminds me of another track I've heard before. Then it turns into a cheerleading cheer. Apparently we are at Athens University where the basketball team is the Spartans. Get it?! Har har har har!!!! Well, anyway. The song wasn't much of a song, mainly a bunch of cheap jokes about dumb blonde cheerleaders. Also, if I heard "Right now, right now! Go, Athens, go!" one more time, I was going to throw my laptop across the room.

2. Right Now: Party Time - 1/5 - You mean there's a second part to this song? Well, the term "song" isn't really a way to describe this. They're still chanting "right now" over and over again, but now it has a weird Black-Eyed Peas feel to it. Apparently the song is about the Spartans not winning against the other team, but partying anyway. Why? I don't know. Hopefully it gets better.

3. Just Once - 3/5 - Okay, good. Here we have a nice slow song about Lysistrata wondering what it feels like to win. Sadly, all subtlety is thrown out the window when one girl goes, "Hey, Lysistrata. You should join our book club and read the play 'Lysistrata'!" Lysistrata then proceeds to look up the SparkNotes version (because she's a dumb blonde) and proceeds to show us how blatantly they are going to rip-off the play "Lysistrata."

4. Change the World - 3/5 - So this song is a tad strange. The bass line is doing that typical funk bass thing. Patti Murin (Lysistrata) sounds she's trying (and sometimes failing) at doing that growling female voice thing. The song is a bit too big for Patti. I feel like it should be sung by a black woman. It just has that gospel/soul feel to it.

5. No More Giving It Up - 1/5 - My first reaction to this song. So this song starts out as hip-hop. Okay, you see that in musicals nowadays. Nothing too bad. Then, they start singing. I could have sworn that I've heard this song before. I don't know where, but I know I have. And it was not in this musical. Then, they start speaking Spanish. This song is so convoluted and strange that I almost stopped listening halfway through. The main lyrics of this song "No, no more giving it up/'Til you give up giving it up." I assume they mean that none of the basketball team is getting any sex until they stop giving up playing basketball when they are losing. But the lyrics are confusing. It sounds like "no more sex until you stop having sex."  Welp, on with the album.

6. Lay Low - 4/5 - Finally. A good song. Sure the lyrics are wonky (They rhyme "patiently" with "philosophy"), but the Latin rhythm is really nice and the harmonies are solid. So far, the best in this album (though that's not saying much).

7. I Don't Think So - 1/5 - This what I'd like to call musical porn. This is a song about having sex. And it's not clever or subtle either. One of the lyrics is "Baby, baby, you're so fine/How about we intertwine?" That is dumb. Lyrics in musicals are supposed to be clever. That is not clever.

8. You Go Your Way - 4/5 - An interesting song. It's the boys versus the girls in this ensemble number. The lyrics are actually clever and witty. At first, it sounds like a pop song. But then when the girls join in, it sounds like a Broadway musical again. Very nice.

9. Where Am I Now? - 3/5 - A little boring. Slow, but nice lyrics. Not much to say about it.

10. Writing on the Wall - 2/5 - You know a song is going to be bad when a white guy imitates a black lady. It's an awfully strange sound. Sure, he's actually pretty convincing. If his voice were higher, he would probably be able to pull off a pretty good Aretha Franklin. Sadly, this song is just boring. There's nothing interesting about it. 

11. Hold On - 3/5 - Really not sure about this song. On the one hand, it has a nice beat and tune. The lyrics are okay. The problem is that Jason Tam has a weird nasally voice and a very subtle, but noticeable, New York accent. If it were sung by someone else, it would a perfectly good song.

12. Don't Judge A Book - 1/5 - This song is awful. It's kind of reggae, but kind of not at the same time. The song is sung mainly by a girl named, and I am not making this up, La Quet Sharnell. This song also contains the single stupidest line in all Broadway history: "Once you go Jewish, you don't go back." I actually face-palmed when I heard that line. Why did they have to put that in? Why?

13. Right Now: Operetta - 4/5 - Surprisingly, a very nice rendition of this song. All the different characters sing something different, and then they all come together at the end. Reminds me of something. Full of fervor and passion, this song is one of the best on the album.

14. When She Smiles - 3/5 - Doesn't sound like a musical number at all. It sounds like something a modern soft rock singer would sing. Josh Segarra sounds pretty nice and doesn't push too much with his voice. A "safe" song.

15. Hold On (Reprise) - 3/5 - Oh look, children! It's the fake black lady again! Let's poke him with a stick! But in all seriousness, this song is basically the same as its original, except slower.

16. The Final Game - 3/5 - A musical rendition of the final game (obviously.) It's interesting that they use the squeaks of the shoes on the court in the song. It think it's a nice touch. All in all, an okay song.

17. Give It Up! - 4/5 - The magnum opus of the musical. It's featured in all the commercials and ad banners for this musical. It's actually not that bad. The Spartans have apparently won their game and can now have all the crazy, wacky sex they want. Yay. About halfway through the piece, there is less singing and more chanting, then it changes styles to a strange gospel sound, then back to normal for the rest of the piece. Not that bad.

18. Never Say Never (Curtain Call) - 3/5 - It's really too short to form an opinion. It's not that bad, but it's not that good either. Just average.

19. Hold On (feat. Jennifer Holliday) - N/A - The song "Hold On" sung by Jennifer Holliday.

Conclusion: When I first saw the ads for this musical, I was really looking forward to it. Sadly, it did not live up to my expectations at all. For some reason, it reminded me of "Legally Blonde - The Musical," which is a far superior musical.

2.4/5

The Newsies [Original Broadway Cast Recording]

Release Date: April 10, 2012

Label: Ghostlight Records

Time: 50:18

Music: Alan Menken

Lyrics: Jack Feldman

Main Singers: Jeremy Jordan, John Dossett, Capathia Jenkins, Kara Lindsay

1. Overture - 4/5 - Quite upbeat. Surprisingly short for an overture. Very pleasant to listen to.

2. Santa Fe (Prologue) - 2/5 - Not to be confused with the amazing song with the same name from a different musical, this piece is weird. Jeremy Jordan's voice cracks intentionally during the course of the song, which I thought was a peculiar. The faked New York accent is very grating, and it feels very angsty. Not a great start to an album.

3. Carrying the Banner - 4/5 - I like this song. It's peppy, very neo-Broadway, and kind of funny. This is the way the album should have started. I actually chuckled at some of the lyrics in this song. A good beginning. Let's hope there's more.

4. The Bottom Line - 2/5 - Nothing interesting to see here. This song is mainly here for plot advancement. Nothing novel about it. Only about 50% of it is actual singing. Blah.

5. That's Rich - 3/5 - The cliched introduce-the-female song. Catchy, bland, not very exciting. The whole song is really just one large, beige, boring, pun.

6. I Never Planned On You/Don't Come A-Knocking - 3/5 - This song is confusing. The first part of the song is Jeremy Jordan doing his best Ewan McGregor impression, the second is him still singing but to a strange chorus of girls who come out of nowhere. I guess you have to see it to understand.

7. The World Will Know - 3/5 - The revelation song. In the beginning, it sounds promising, but fails to deliver. Also, the accents are still there, sounding as fake as ever.

8. Watch What Happens - 3/5 - Kara Lindsay's voice strongly reminds me of Kristen Chenowith. A quirky song with syncopation out the wazoo. Interesting, with a touch of humor.

9. Seize the Day - 4/5 - This is the by-the-book showstopper. It starts of slow, gradually builds into a whole ensemble romp, complete with a dance break. Surprisingly, it's not half bad. 

10. Santa Fe - 3/5 - Oh look, we're here again. A little better than the prologue. His voice still does that cracking thing. Also, it seems like his accent is getting in the way of his diction. The only thing better than the prologue is that the ending is very solid and resolute.

11. King of New York - 4/5 - I remember seeing this song performed at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. I really liked it and nothing has changed: it's very catchy, something you can really snap your finger to. The only real problem is that 80% of it is tap-dancing, so you can't really whistle it.

12. Watch What Happens (Reprise)- 3/5 - I preferred it a bit more when it was just the girl singing, but what are you going to do. It's boring and doesn't stand out in the album at all.

13. The Bottom Line (Reprise) - 4/5 - A great villain song (though Disney is pretty good at that sort of thing). Dark reprise of the original song, though short, it's a good addition to the album.

14. Brooklyn's Here - 4/5 - We seem to be on a roll here as far as good songs. A rousing rebellion song. Similar to "Do You Here The People Sing?" from Les Miz, this song is all about the rallying.

15. Something to Believe In - 3/5 - A boring ballade that breaks the mood of the album. Since they took out the love interest in the musical, I have no clue who he's singing to. It seems to be the reporter, thought that doesn't make much sense.

16. Once And For All - 5/5 - It seems like they're all singing about murder. Very fast-paced, interesting, anger-filled, and overall, the best song on the entire album.

17. Finale - 4/5 - This piece is also a by-the-book finale. It starts off slow and quiet and quickly ramps up to the entire cast singing a reprise of "King of New York". Feels like the end of the album. Warps up nicely.

Conclusion: I am no fan of Disney musicals, but this one is pretty okay. It's better than some others I've heard (*cough*Tarzan*cough*)

 3.4/5