Bonnie and Clyde (2009)
Original Broadway Cast Recording (2012)
Music: Frank Wildhorn
Lyrics: Don Black
Synopsis: The musical is based on the lives of outlaws and lovers Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow who, in 1930's America, robbed stores and killed people while travelling around to avoid being caught.
Music
This is the most recent musical of my project so far. I have much love for the completeness of musical theatre soundtracks nowadays due to the technological advances allowing more tracks to fit onto discs and this makes it possible to often piece together the story just by listening to the songs.
It is a shame that the stage show of Bonnie and Clyde flopped as I enjoyed the soundtrack. It is not a box-standard Broadway musical score even though Wildhorn being the composer does not come as a surprise to someone who is familiar with his other work (e.g. Jekyll & Hyde, The Scarlet Pimpernel) . Broadway pop is variably mixed in with western (particularly You're Going Back to Jail), blues and gospel music (e.g. God's Arms Are Always Open). Despite the many different styles featured, the soundtrack comes together well as a whole.
I spotted a great female duet, You Love Who You Love. How 'bout a Dance was a song I had heard out of context before and that is a lovely track for a female singer with a jazzy voice. There are also some great male solos.
Productions
After two smaller productions in the USA, Bonnie and Clyde went to Broadway but closed after only a month and a half after a generally negative reception from the critics and tickets sales being worse than expected even though the audiences seemed to like the show. This might end up being one of those shows that will get rediscovered in 10 or 20 years time and successfully revived.
Lyrics: Don Black
Synopsis: The musical is based on the lives of outlaws and lovers Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow who, in 1930's America, robbed stores and killed people while travelling around to avoid being caught.
Music
This is the most recent musical of my project so far. I have much love for the completeness of musical theatre soundtracks nowadays due to the technological advances allowing more tracks to fit onto discs and this makes it possible to often piece together the story just by listening to the songs.
It is a shame that the stage show of Bonnie and Clyde flopped as I enjoyed the soundtrack. It is not a box-standard Broadway musical score even though Wildhorn being the composer does not come as a surprise to someone who is familiar with his other work (e.g. Jekyll & Hyde, The Scarlet Pimpernel) . Broadway pop is variably mixed in with western (particularly You're Going Back to Jail), blues and gospel music (e.g. God's Arms Are Always Open). Despite the many different styles featured, the soundtrack comes together well as a whole.
I spotted a great female duet, You Love Who You Love. How 'bout a Dance was a song I had heard out of context before and that is a lovely track for a female singer with a jazzy voice. There are also some great male solos.
Productions
After two smaller productions in the USA, Bonnie and Clyde went to Broadway but closed after only a month and a half after a generally negative reception from the critics and tickets sales being worse than expected even though the audiences seemed to like the show. This might end up being one of those shows that will get rediscovered in 10 or 20 years time and successfully revived.
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