Friday, October 4, 2013

MT Soundtracker: Day 4

Chaplin the Musical original Broadway cast album


Chaplin the Musical (2006)


Original Broadway Cast Recording


Music and lyrics: Christopher Curtis



Plot outline:The musical tells the story of the iconic Charlie Chaplin, focusing on his path to stardom from London concert halls to Hollywood. 

Music
I really liked this soundtrack overall and I will definitely keep coming back to it. Already the first song, Look at All the People, made me want to listen to the rest of the recording. There are a number of catchy tunes such as Watcha Gonna Do?. The music in style is a mixture between that in a modern Broadway musical and something you might find in a Charlie Chaplin film. The current Broadway sound is more dominant - even listening to the songs not knowing the year of production, it is obvious this is a new musical.
All the songs are well worth listening to but I would like to bring attention to the gorgeous What Only Love Can See, which Charlie's wife Oona first sings solo but the reprise is a duet between the couple. It has pleasant, fairytale-like melody patterns and it fits the voice of Erin Mackey, who sings the part of Oona, brilliantly. 

Production
The show had its Broadway debut in 2012 but it was short-lived and it did not gain much critical acclaim. I would imagine making a musical out of Charlie Chaplin's colourful life to be a huge challenge. I salute anyone who has managed to cram his achievements into 2,5 hours. 

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