We're Closer Than Ever
May 26, 2017 3:42 AM Subscribe
Cherry Lane Theater, November 1989: Lyricist Richard Maltby, Jr (Miss Saigon) and Composer Davie Shire (Saturday Night Fever) open their "bookless book musical" Closer Than Ever, a two act musical revue without dialogue that ran for 312 performances; a grown-up collection of song performances, each an individual story that all echo and reflect on each other. The original cast album is available to listen to on YouTube [23 tracks]
The show has held up well across time, I actually find the show to be more progressive now than I did when I listened to it when the CD set first came out.
The song to skip that some might find creepy is "What Am I Doin'". It can be read as an indictment against stalker behavior but given the time during which it was written, it is likely a product of that time. But still, if you listen to it, you can see that it's possibly as forward thinking as the rest of the show, as the singer is acknowledging that he's acting like an insane person.
If you only listen to one track, I'd suggest Life Story, which is a feminist anthem from over a generation ago that mixes female strength and accomplishment with acknowledgement of basic human emotion.
The show has held up well across time, I actually find the show to be more progressive now than I did when I listened to it when the CD set first came out.
The song to skip that some might find creepy is "What Am I Doin'". It can be read as an indictment against stalker behavior but given the time during which it was written, it is likely a product of that time. But still, if you listen to it, you can see that it's possibly as forward thinking as the rest of the show, as the singer is acknowledging that he's acting like an insane person.
If you only listen to one track, I'd suggest Life Story, which is a feminist anthem from over a generation ago that mixes female strength and accomplishment with acknowledgement of basic human emotion.
We did some numbers from this show in high school; fun to revisit! I love the opening number.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 6:38 AM on May 26, 2017
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 6:38 AM on May 26, 2017
This is a wonderful musical. I'm so glad you posted this. Thank you, hippy bear.
posted by Modest House at 3:04 PM on May 26, 2017
posted by Modest House at 3:04 PM on May 26, 2017
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posted by hippybear at 3:44 AM on May 26, 2017