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Post by Deleted on Aug 5, 2020 9:48:43 GMT
Very much one of the mega musicals I wish I had seen. And such a short run and such an expensive production it really fascinates me.
Just wondered if anyone on here had seen it and what was it like?
I guess at the time we were truly spoiled for mega musicals so they didn't necessarily stand out in the way they would now. There were of course quite a few very expensive flops in that era.
Do like the score. Not quite as good as Wicked but I personally prefer it considerably to Godspell.
Also, does anyone own the OLC CD? I recently acquired it, twice in fact, but both copies have decayed and lose their clear sound midway through act 2 becoming unlistenable by the end. According to Wikipedia this is a known problem with most batches of CDs that were made. Does anyone have one that works all the way through? It's a great CD and IMO the orchestrations are much better than the Paper Mill double CD (although very much of their time). Also Frances Ruffelle sounds sensational.
I did finally get to see it at the Union. A very small production but most enjoyable.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 5, 2020 10:26:08 GMT
I was a teenager at the time and I saw it three times, which is a big level of commitment when you're a child in the north having to get to London! I have the cast album on LP signed by the cast including of course the magnificent Brian Blessed. I look back and cringe slightly at the level of my devotion, but having seen it at the Union I still think it stands up...
You can download the recording if you're ok with that rather than a CD - it's on Google Play.
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Post by viserys on Aug 5, 2020 10:42:22 GMT
I have the CD, a vinyl maxi single of "Stranger to the Rain" and even a programme.
The score is wonderful (even though Frances Ruffelle squeaks too much for my liking in some parts) and so much better than most of what's around today. Would still love to see it live on stage, ideally in a slightly bigger version than the Union. Maybe something the size of the Menier or Charing Cross Theatre....
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Post by robertb213 on Aug 5, 2020 10:47:50 GMT
Just a reminder that there will be a concert version of this at Cadogan Hall in London, in Spring 2021 😀
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Post by Deleted on Aug 5, 2020 10:48:46 GMT
I was a teenager at the time and I saw it three times, which is a big level of commitment when you're a child in the north having to get to London! I have the cast album on LP signed by the cast including of course the magnificent Brian Blessed. I look back and cringe slightly at the level of my devotion, but having seen it at the Union I still think it stands up... You can download the recording if you're ok with that rather than a CD - it's on Google Play. Amazing. That is a good level of commitment! Not sure why I didn't see it at the time though I was at the age when I had to persuade my Dad to take me to London! Download would be fine. Though I can't find it currently on Google Play! |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 5, 2020 10:53:16 GMT
@dom Ah, I downloaded it about 18 months ago in a slightly drunk and nostalgic mood so maybe it's not there anymore. Could actually have been back in the days of my brief foray into iPhones so might have been the Apple store (or whatever it's called).
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Post by jasper050 on Aug 5, 2020 11:54:12 GMT
I was a teenager at the time and I saw it three times, which is a big level of commitment when you're a child in the north having to get to London! I have the cast album on LP signed by the cast including of course the magnificent Brian Blessed. I look back and cringe slightly at the level of my devotion, but having seen it at the Union I still think it stands up... You can download the recording if you're ok with that rather than a CD - it's on Google Play. Was Brian Blessed in the cast? I thought it was Kevin Colson. |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 5, 2020 12:14:48 GMT
Oh my god, I suddenly realised that I'm getting Metropolis and Children of Eden completely muddled in my head - which should be quite a hard thing to do!
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Post by Deleted on Aug 5, 2020 12:27:41 GMT
Score easily outstrips the book as far as I can remember.
The CD is notoriously a very dodgy pressing. My first copy had become unplayable so I got another and this one seems okay, still, although I can detect some roughness in the audio compared to the digital copy I made when it was pristine.
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Post by sf on Aug 5, 2020 12:46:19 GMT
Some nice songs, some great voices, but overlong and self-important and the dialogue was often terrible (my un-favourite memory is of Eve saying to Adam, "Was that another dinosaur, dear? They're getting to be such a nuisance!"). Overall, my memory of it is that it was very, very dull with a few nice things in it.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 5, 2020 16:46:17 GMT
Oh my god, I suddenly realised that I'm getting Metropolis and Children of Eden completely muddled in my head - which should be quite a hard thing to do! LOL - well that is another famous very expensive mega musical that wasn't around for long. Although unlike Children of Eden I don't know the music. What was the Metropolis staging and score like? Wish I'd seen that too! |
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Post by d'James on Aug 5, 2020 17:37:11 GMT
I’ve got the CD and have put it on my phone so I don’t notice any sound problems. I also have all the singles in multiple formats (because it’s Frances).
I wish there were more pictures to see what the production was like.
I love the single of Children of Eden. Also I wish Shezwae Powell was still doing her thing over here because she has such a lovely voice.
I’m sure someone has said the answer before but why is Jacqui Dubois singing Ain’t It Good instead of the person who played the role in the show?
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Post by Deleted on Aug 5, 2020 18:07:01 GMT
I’ve got the CD and have put it on my phone so I don’t notice any sound problems. I also have all the singles in multiple formats (because it’s Frances). I wish there were more pictures to see what the production was like. I love the single of Children of Eden. Also I wish Shezwae Powell was still doing her thing over here because she has such a lovely voice. I’m sure someone has said the answer before but why is Jacqui Dubois singing Ain’t It Good instead of the person who played the role in the show? I also love Frances' voice, stunning and unique. I wish there were more OLCs with her on. Also loved her as Dinah and then as Eponine in Les Mis. Did Shezwae Powell do Starlight as Belle? Have the same question re Jacqui Dubois! |
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Post by d'James on Aug 5, 2020 18:09:43 GMT
Yes Ms Powell did quite a long stint as Belle I believe (from 1985 to 1990ish). There’s also a grainy video of her as Grizabella.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 5, 2020 18:10:48 GMT
Yes Ms Powell did quite a long stint as Belle I believe (from 1985 to 1990ish). There’s also a grainy video of her as Grizabella. Thought so - she would have been the first (and possibly only as she did that long) Belle I saw :-) |
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Post by frankubelik on Aug 6, 2020 3:36:45 GMT
Saw this multiple times and there was always much to enjoy despite the overblown production. Martin Smith was a charismatic Adam and Ken Page a commanding Father. Sonia Swaby, Anna-Jane Casey, Ruthie Henshall and Matthew White (before he started directing) were also featured in the large cast. I seem to recall that Earlene Bentley (Mama Noah) was under contract to another record label so couldn't take part in the recording so that's why Jacqui Dubois sings it (she was the understudy).
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Post by crabtree on Aug 6, 2020 9:18:50 GMT
The first half of Children of Eden was brilliant, and very cleverly staged - the dove and the rainbow particularly. The whole idea of God as a foreman on a building site seemed to make sense. The rainbow was tipped out of buckets. But Act two was pretty grim - I seem to remember deviants dressed in hundreds of CD's. So decadent. But martin Smith - indeed.
Metropolis was epic but played to tiny houses. Those of us who saw it were rewarded by the site of Brian blessed being blown up!
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