24 posts
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Post by paulwat on Jan 8, 2017 17:08:02 GMT
Like a few, I have watched the recent Disney Albert Hall concert this Christmas. I really do have the feeling that I have left my eye off the ball and lost Mr Menken on my radar over the years and missed lots of material. I've just ordered 'Newsies' CD as a result. I just wondered if anyone had any info in any shape or form regarding King David. The material sounded lovely. Anything at all regarding past/ future development/ recording/ performances would be appreciated! Thanks!
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3,057 posts
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Post by ali973 on Jan 8, 2017 17:18:51 GMT
TBH I never liked the score save the songs sung by the female characters (Bathsheba and..?) aka Judy Kuhn and Alice Ripley. They've done a concert version of it in Jerusalem when it was first written, and if I'm not mistaken at Carnegie Hall. NYU also had a production some years ago starring its musical theatre students.
Heidi Blickenstaff (Freaky Friday, Something Rotten, Title of Show) sings a killer version of Never Again which she does in cabaret.
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2,676 posts
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Post by viserys on Jan 8, 2017 18:19:10 GMT
A concert series of King David opened the refurbished New Amsterdam Theatre on Broadway in 1997 before a proper musical moved in. The concerts were recorded on CD. I still have said CD which is fairly rare now, though the only song I recall is the rather nice "Warm Spring Night". May have to dig it out again.
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227 posts
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Post by ukpuppetboy on Jan 9, 2017 1:24:43 GMT
TBH I never liked the score save the songs sung by the female characters (Bathsheba and..?) aka Judy Kuhn and Alice Ripley. They've done a concert version of it in Jerusalem when it was first written, and if I'm not mistaken at Carnegie Hall. NYU also had a production some years ago starring its musical theatre students. Heidi Blickenstaff (Freaky Friday, Something Rotten, Title of Show) sings a killer version of Never Again which she does in cabaret. The piece was originally conceived as an oratorio for performance in Jerusalem to commemorate the 3,000th anniversary of the city, however that production never went ahead (Tim Rice is quoted as saying it "..proved logistically and financially impossible to do it" there). Disney expressed an interest in producing the work as a concert staging to open the newly restored New Amsterdam theatre. To my knowledge it remains unperformed in Israel - though other US performances are listed on wikipedia. I spoke to Tim Rice in 1999 during Lion King previews at The Lyceum where he expressed a hope to have it performed in London - though unfortunately this also has yet to come to pass. Prior to this I'd interviewed Alan Menken and asked him which of his past projects had he been the most disappointed, in terms of the result and/or public reaction? Interestingly his answer included King David (as well as God Bless You Mr Rosewater, Newsies (movie) and Weird Romance). He said in future "I would scale back the ('King David') concert to avoid having it look like a finished piece of musical theater when, in fact, it was a staged concert of a work-in-progress". I will get around to posting the full interview with Alan Menken hopefully. It maybe from 1999 but is still interesting (and surprisingly relevant). His answers were very open and honest about everything from his numerous collaboration since Howard Ashman (including the dynamic with fellow composer/lyricist Stephen Schwartz), future projects (most of which have still yet to be produced) to his early influences. |
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227 posts
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Post by ukpuppetboy on Jan 9, 2017 1:50:18 GMT
For anyone interested who hasn't got a copy, the cast recording is up on youTube. I haven't dug my CD out in a while (and rarely listened to it in it's entirity) but back when it was new to me "Psalm 8" and "Sheer Perfection" were played as often as anything else in my Menken back catalogue.. www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1153B001DAD9196E |
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