The Burt Bacharach Discussion Forum

I was going to post comments on the new PROMISES, PROMISES cast album, but theatre critic Peter Filichia sums it up wonderfully in his column here:

http://www.masterworksbroadway.com/broa ... ises-lands

Enjoy!

I have not yet seen the revival. Have been trying unsuccessfully to get tickets on the days I get into the city. Yesterday, I bought a copy of the revival cast album. Unlike the reviewer referred to above, I was not too well-impressed. All my observations are offered as a comparison with the original cast album.

First of all, the absence of a full orchestra is noticeable. Jonathan Tunick did a swell job trimming down his orchestrations, but to me, they are noticeably trimmed down.

I found the songs often recorded at a slower pace and that, to me, does not improve on any of them.

The opening of the overture itself, playing where the words, "but however you are" would go, seems to leave out the "-ver you are" syllables. And the injection of "I say a little prayer" seems without punch, in the overture at least.

I didn't care for the rearrangement of either "The Grapes of Roth" or "Turkey Lurkey Time." The latter song, particularly, suffers from the trimmed down orchestra. It lacks the drive, the punch, the brass riffs, and, I think, the vocal arrangements are inferior and sung too slowly.

Sean Hayes' performace on the stage is winning rave reviews, and I couldn't be happier. I'm anxious to see him in the role. But his singing, on the album at least, sounds amateurish. On the first song, "Half as Big as Life," he tends to clip the notes, especially the higher notes, too short. Particularly the word, "life" which is essential to the song.
All this may add up to small potatoes for those who have seen and liked the revival on stage, and I may alter my comments here regarding the recorindg after I've seen it. But for now, I'm not thrilled.