All Things Disney Music Discussion Thread (1 Viewer)

[Mike Frezon]

I'm good with it...for all those reasons you mentioned, Jake!

 

[Jake Lipson]

Yeah, it doesn't bother me either; it's just contrary to their usual practice of shipping the discs out as soon as they get them from the manufacturer. It would have been nice to get the CD in time for Topsy Turvey Day though. (Did anybody else watch the film on that day?)

 

[Jake Lipson]

"Hellfire" is here -- and it's streaming, so unlike the other advance tracks, you don't have to pay anything to listen to it now. Oh, and holy cow, it's GREAT.


http://www.theatermania.com/new-york-city-theater/news/exclusive-patrick-page-hunchback-of-notre-dame_75564.html


Edit 1: And here also is "God Help the Outcasts."


http://www.broadway.com/buzz/183468/exclusive-listen-to-ciara-renee-sing-god-help-the-outcasts-from-the-hunchback-of-notre-dame/


I have never seen so many tracks being released in advance.


By the time the album gets to us, will there be anything new left?


Edit 2: A new song, "Esmerelda," which is the finale for act one: http://playbill.com/news/article/exclusive-listen-thrilling-act-i-finale-of-disneys-hunchback-of-notre-dame-cast-album-379455.


Edit 3: Early shipping after all! I just got my shipping notice.


Edit 4: "Someday" - http://www.broadwayworld.com/videoplay.php?colid=1220230. This was written for the film and included on the credits as a pop track, and makes its way into the body of the score here.


All of these are streaming, not paid...

 

[Jason_V]

I got the shipping e-mail this morning, too, Jake. The tracking number doesn't work quite yet, but I expect to have the CD in my hands either tomorrow (based on Aladdin's shipping) or Monday next week.

 

[Jake Lipson]

I've never actually been able to track CDs from them, but they always get here. Monday next week is MLKJ Day, so no mail...but I do think we'll have it prior to the next Friday release date for sure.

 

[Jake Lipson]

Yet another preview track, Out There: http://www.buzzfeed.com/louispeitzman/hunchback-of-notre-dame-musical-out-there#.ktE0kkO6B

 

[Jake Lipson]

The tracking information works now and says that the item arrived at a USPS facility in New York yesterday and that last week was only the "pre-shipment info sent to USPS." So, it appears that it actually went in the mail today, as opposed to last week, and the estimated delivery date is Friday (which is the official release date for the CD anyway.) I guess that's what they meant by "no early shipping for this one."

 

[Jake Lipson]

A nice article from Playbill about Adam Jacobs, who stars as Aladdin on Broadway and released that Alan Menken solo CD I mentioned a while back: http://www.playbill.com/news/article/dad-by-day-disney-star-by-night-aladdins-adam-jacobs-talks-about-doing-double-duty-380808.


Also, a new making-of featurette for the Hunchback album including interviews and recording session footage. I hope mine gets here today. Just saying. .

 

[Mike Frezon]

I got my CD of Hunchback in today's mail!


And I pulled the trigger on the Adam Jacob's CD yesterday.

 

[Jake Lipson]

How is Hunchback in full? Tracking says mine arrived in town right after my mail was delivered yesterday, which unfortunately means I won't get it until Monday.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Jake:


It is incredible!!!


Was just going to sample some of the songs last night and could NOT turn it off.


Sonically excellent. An awesome re-imaging which takes the original Disney film script closer to the Hugo novel. I actually followed the included libretto all the way through to the conclusion (this was NOT a casual listening!). The only minor confusion for me is that this version includes both Frollo brothers and without the full story it is sometimes hard to keep track of which is which.


But they stayed consistent to the musical themes and integrated many of the existing themes into the new songs. I would travel quite a distance to see a production of this musical. I am SO glad they made this recording. It is destined to become a classic. It is so strong, I would hope it actually leads to a Broadway production in the future (or at least a national touring production).


If I didn't mention it before, a Hunchback production which used to run at the Disney-MGM Studios at Disney World was a family favorite. I cannot say how many times we saw it but it was heads above the live production of Beauty and the Beast which continues to run there. There are liner notes included from Menken as well as the show's producer (who tips his hat to Disney's German production of this musical from the late '90s).


This is going to be one of my favorite Disney music recordings of all time. And Patrick Page, who plays Claude Frollo, has a voice for the ages--right up there with Jeremy Irons and Alan Rickman.

 

[Jake Lipson]

I stil haven't received my disc yet (hoping it comes in the mail this afternoon) but I can say that Disney has no current plans for a Broadway production or tour. They have developed this show to be produced on a regional level, and the cast recording exists to help be an ambassador for the show, in that shows are easier to convince regional/community theaters to do if there is a recording available which they can listen to in order to consider the score. The cast of this recording did the first two regional productions, one in New Jersey at Paper Mill Playhouse and another...somewhere else that I forget, but it probably says in the booklet.


Of course, Newsies was also originally developed for regional theaters but ended up such a hit at Paper Mill that they took it to Broadway. This did not happen this time, although if the recording is as good as you say I wonder why not.


I would guess that confusion regarding the two Frollo brothers is probably resolved by the book scenes in the show in between songs, which naturally would not be on the recording, but I'm guessing it would make sense if you were to see a production.


I believe there are several regional productions already set up for this year (although none around here that I know of.)

 

[Jason_V]

Mine is sitting on the corner of my work desk, waiting patiently for this afternoon when I get to go home...


Two people have already asked about it, so there's certainly some interest with the folks I work with.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Too funny.


Mine is also sitting on the corner of my desk at work today. But nobody in my office has said a word!

 

[Aaron Silverman]

Sonically excellent. An awesome re-imaging which takes the original Disney film script closer to the Hugo novel. I actually followed the included libretto all the way through to the conclusion (this was NOT a casual listening!). The only minor confusion for me is that this version includes both Frollo brothers and without the full story it is sometimes hard to keep track of which is which.


But they stayed consistent to the musical themes and integrated many of the existing themes into the new songs. I would travel quite a distance to see a production of this musical. I am SO glad they made this recording. It is destined to become a classic. It is so strong, I would hope it actually leads to a Broadway production in the future (or at least a national touring production).


. . .


This is going to be one of my favorite Disney music recordings of all time. And Patrick Page, who plays Claude Frollo, has a voice for the ages--right up there with Jeremy Irons and Alan Rickman.

Wait. . .what is this album you guys are talking about? Is it a complete "show," like the original Jesus Christ Superstar and Evita concept albums?


I saw Patrick Page as the Green Goblin in Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark about a week before he left the cast. I've been to a lot of Broadway shows over the years, and I have to say that his was one of the best performances I have EVER seen. He had the audience in the palm of his hand every time he took the stage. (You can get a taste from the Spider-Man cast CD.) Whoever won the Best Featured Actor Tony that year stole it!

 

[Mike Frezon]

It is branded "A New Musical," Aaron.


It is a re-working of the Disney animated film for the stage...much like Beauty & the Beast, Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, Mary Poppins, etc. This one, though, as Jake explains a couple of posts above here, didn't make it to Broadway. But they recorded a cast album (THANK YOU!) and will be licensing it out for local productions.


It is changed. For example, the comedic gargoyles are gone. It is more serious. And includes different characters from Hugo's work and follows his plot arc a little more closely. So it's the same, but different. Longer. More music.

 

[Jake Lipson]

I don't think Disney ever intended for this production to reach Broadway. If they wanted it to go there, it certainly could have, but it seems like it was intentionally developed for regional productions. I wonder almost if the fact that they are not taking it to Broadway is what allowed them to go for the adult audience in such a dramatic fashion, since "Disney on Broadway" is so strongly branded with family-oriented shows. (Then again, they did produce Aida under the Disney Theatrical banner, so there's that to figure out.)


But anyway, I got the CD yesterday and agree it is phenomenal. I grew up on this film, so re-experiencing it in this way was/is extremely emotional for me, and I am thrilled that it is so good. I'll want to let it settle with me a little more before I decide this definitively, but it might just be Alan Menken's best score of his career.


On another note, Andrew Samonsky (who originated the role of Phoebus in the first two regional productions and recorded it on this disc) is currently playing Robert, the male lead, in the musical version of The Bridges of Madison County, which I am going to see next month. (Incidentally, that show also has one of the most gorgeous scores written for the musical theatre in the last several years.) Anyway, I'm already incredibly hyped up to see that show, and I couldn't imagine being more excited than I was, but after hearing Hunchback, my anticipation just blew up. He really sounds sensational on this disc.


Aaron: go here -- https://www.sh-k-boom.com/hunchback-of-notre-dame -- for information about the recording from Sh-K-Boom Records, the releasing label. (Depending on where you live, it might be cheaper to buy it from them than Amazon, as they don't charge shipping or tax, ever.) You can listen to several preview tracks which I linked in earlier posts prior to the album's release, so look above for those. And I would say to you, especially since you already know you like Patrick Page, that i you have any interest at all in this CD, or think you will, it is worth pulling the trigger and adding to your collection.

 

[Aaron Silverman]

Thanks for the tip! The album is on Spotify, so I'll check it out.


Aida was sixteen years ago now, so I don't know if the same folks are still in charge of deciding what qualifies as "Disney" Broadway material.

 

[Aaron Silverman]

Dang, that's good!

 

[Mike Frezon]

Dang, that's good!

You got the Hunchback disc?