![]() ![]() ![]() The book, originally written by Emerald Fennell, the Oscar winning screenwriter of “ Promising Young Woman,” and adapted for Broadway by the playwright Alexis Scheer, is an illogical head-scratcher, despite being based on a story most everyone knows. Composed by Webber and with lyrics by David Zippel, it is a muddled and momentum-less retooling of the familiar fairy tale in search of a coherent point of view as if it were a glass-slippered foot. To clear up the obvious question, “ Bad Cinderella,” which opened at the Imperial Theater Thursday night, isn’t good. ![]() Was it preemptive self-defense against Broadway reviews like this one, that would apply aesthetic judgment to the musical’s gauche bonanza of too-muchness? Would its version of Cinderella be - you know, a bad girl, but in a sexually liberated (and feminist!) way? Or was it a rare bit of truth in advertising? To purchase the album, please click here.The addition of “bad” to the title of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s latest maximalist spectacle, formerly known simply as “Cinderella” when it premiered for a short-lived run on the West End in 2021, would seem like a cleverly self-conscious move. There is something for everyone in this show. Overall, Besties, this cast recording is a really enjoyable listening experience, and I would recommend it to anyone who is a fan of Andrew Lloyd Webber or not. For example, the beginning of ‘Unfair’ is very reminiscent of Love Never Dies, as well as a hint of a Sondheim influence as well! This is not necessarily a negative thing, but rather an observation. There are nods to his own works, which pulls the attention of listeners away from this new story because they immediately think “oh, I’ve heard this before”. From Rodgers and Hammerstein to the rock era and many others, this is very telling with this musical album. As previously mentioned, Andrew Lloyd Webber had several influences when he was growing up. The orchestrations are sweeping and beautiful, however it feels like many of them have been heard before. This is where it gets a little bit conflicting. Andrew Lloyd Webber and his orchestrations. The lyrics feel so original and new and tell an incredible story. But the opening number features brilliantly funny lyrics like ‘We keep our dirty laundry out of sight/The town of Belleville is perfection/There’s not a villager with cellulite/There’s not one blotch on one complexion.’ Rhyming ‘sight’ with ‘cellulite’ has defiantly never been seen before. The lyrics behind ‘I Know I Have a Heart’ are beautiful - it is a true breakup song. ![]() The lyrics, written by David Zippel (who is also responsible for the lyrics for City of Angels and the 2019 adaptation of Hercules), are incredible! There is perfect blend of comedic lyrics, matched with some beautifully tender and emotional moments. And yet, very relevant in its own way.īut something that is so frequently forgotten is that although they are termed “Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals”, there are other people behind the musical which is something that will be considered here. The story makes a mockery of perfection – the very fact that Cinderella undergoes an…extravagant change (no spoilers today!) and the prince does not recognise her is cynically funny in itself. The reviews so far are mixed however, I am leaning towards calling it a hit. You can hear this in the track ‘Bad Cinderella’, with the chord progression of the chorus being similar to ‘In My Own Little Corner’ from the R+H version.īut Besties, when it comes to the musicals of Andrew Lloyd Webber, they are commonly considered either hits or misses but this musical seems to be in limbo. Growing up, Lloyd Webber found inspiration in the musicals of Rodgers and Hammerstein. But more on this later.ĭespite the Andrew Lloyd Webber key identifiers and motifs, there is an influence of Rodgers and Hammerstein which is not surprising. And the most incredible thing about this soundtrack is that (for the most part), the story is clear and really comes across. The sweeping orchestrations immediately capture and entice you into this magical world that has been created for us. When the cast recording begins, the first collection of notes is VERY Andrew Lloyd Webber. Despite the news this week of a further delay to Andrew Lloyd Webber’s new show Cinderella, my words to you Besties are fear not, because the album is a fantastic way to get to know this show. ![]()
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