Good Morning, All and One.
Currently in my car, I am listening to the cast CD's of "Starting Here, Starting Now" and "Birds of Paradise." I had never heard "Birds of Pardise" until I ran across a lovely Chorus recording of "Imagining You" (which may have even been arranged by our beloved Elmore). I love that version. Unfortunately the show verions are not as pretty, and I'm not impressed with the rest of the score. It might be a nice show, but the score does not stand on its own. Oh no, it does not stand on its own. It teeters precariously. And if anyone knows about precarious teetering, it is I.
DR Kerry, I'm sorry to hear that a chorus has been performing my arrangement of "Imagining You": several years ago, someone with the San Francisco Men's Chorus computerized the arrangement with neither my knowledge nor the composer's and when I saw it - full of rewrites and wrong notes - I demanded all copies be destroyed. Unless the chorus you heard performing it learned it from a photocopy of my handwritten score, I dread what they're singing and wonder if they ever paid me for its usage. I'm glad you thought it was lovely; I just hope it was my authorized arrasngement. Incidentally, as you already know, there is a huge difference in something conceived as an ensemble of seven actors and a large chorus. I had to think about where the number was going chorally as opposed to what it was doing as an Act One finale.
As to the show BIRDS OF PARADISE, I saw about half the performances of its too-limited run at the Promenade Theatre, and I disagree with your feelings on the score. I think it's a show that deserves productions, but it may be too smart for most audiences since it assumes the audience coming into the theatre has a working knowledge of Chekhov's SEAGULL, and I think David Evans' score is quite lovely. Perhaps you'd think better of the score if you saw a production.
The cast for the original production had a lot of young actors who went places: Barbara Walsh, Christa Moore, J K Simmons, Todd Graf, Donna Murphy.
I love "Starting Here, Starting Now" but one of the reasons I think it's so fantastic is the fact that it's a compilation of the best unknown Maltby and Shire at the time. "Travel" what a great number. Are you listening to the wonderful New York cast (incomplete) or the complete London recording which isn't as good?
