Can't embed it so I thought I would post a link. This clip is by far the best piece of press put together for our show. Check it out. It's wonderful. I love the part with our producer Tom reading the letter. I'm sure all of The Guilty Ones reading this have seen it 20 times...but for everyone else...Check it out! ;)
I love Leonard Cohen. Some people find his low baritone a bit hard to listen to after a few songs...but that's sad...because his songs are stunningly written.
For those of you who may not actually know who he is...the easiest thing to say is: He wrote "Hallelujah", which was later masterfully covered by Jeff Buckley and Rufus Wainwright.
But there is a song he wrote that absolutely kills me when I hear it. It's called "If It Be Your Will." It's quite possible one of the most chilling songs I have ever heard. But Cohen is a lot like Dylan...the covers are sometimes better than the originals.
Antony covered "If It Be Your Will." You can hear it on the "Leonard Cohen I'm Your Man" soundtrack. It randomly popped up on my iPod while I was walking home tonight. I cried. It is a stunning cover. Antony has an exceptionally haunting voice that demands to be heard.
But you shouldn't just listen to it...WATCH IT. Here.
He's so inspirational. His entire body is in the music and song. He's such an odd looking guy and has such a strange physicality, it makes it that much more gut wrenching to watch as the music pours out of him.
Sorry about the lack of updates. I have been insanely busy. I'm writing this entry at 1:20 in the morning and have some blocking to go over before I head to bed. It's been a wild ride at Spring Awakening so far. I learned and rehearsed Melchior in 2 weeks and am learning the other boys right now. It has been the most remarkable experience of my life.
Every year, there are some great pieces of musical theatre that get lost in the midst of the big budget crowd pleasers. Last year it was Light in The Piazza...and way before then it was another Adam Guettel musical that never got past cult status.
Floyd Collins was a spectacular musical based on the actual events of the trapping and death of a cave miner in Kentucky. The story was hardly a Broadway sell, and I cannot say anything about the staging (since I didn't actually see the piece in 1996) but the music is truly astonishing. Like most of Guettel's music, it's not easy listening and demands to be performed. However, it is so meticulous and emotionally driven, I am floored every time I listen to the soundtrack. Guettel's music honors every single note that is written in the score.
If you ever have the chance to listen to the soundtrack, check out the shows most famous song "How Glory Goes." Sung by the character of Floyd, it is the final song in the show. Floyd accepts his fate and lets out a final cry before passing away. It is one of the most incredible ballads I have ever listened to and by far the most heartbreaking. Another heartbreaking ballad is...go figure...The Ballad of Floyd Collins...The reprise sung in the second act is particularly special.
I hope this musical gets another breath of fresh air in the future. The score is quite special.
For more Adam Guettel songs worth checking out...look into his album "Myths and Hymns." It's based off of his show Saturn Returns. "Hero and Leander" is one of my favorite songs.
