Great day...
I am constantly amazed at how much talent exists in the world...especially in New York...and especially with the cast of Tale.
Many of them were in the Monte Cristo reading and I have to say...we all learned a ton of material in just 3 days. That's a lot given this score.
The story, well the story is just incredible (good news is that I get to live in this one). I always seem to die or get brutally maimed in all the Broadway shows I do. Jack Murphy has adapted the novel wonderfully and his lyrics are poignant and often funny at the same time.
Frank score..I think it's some of the best work I've heard of his to date. There are the powerhouse signature Wildhorn songs but there are also these amazing pieces that have a musical delicacy and an incredible musical intricacy that takes the score to another level.
Conceptually the director (who also directed Frank's Dracula in Europe) has some amazing ideas. I wish I could see this production. It opens in Switzerland in March.
The way these reading usually work is that a small cast will be gathered to learn the show sitting around in a rehearsal room and then we do one or two presentations standing behind music stands. Generally these readings are not open to the public because it's a "work in progress" and not ready to be seen by the masses.
It would be like building half of a house and then bringing in prospective buyers way before it's complete. Some readings are much more together than others, it varies. That's also the reason there is no recording of the show. There are union guidelines as well that prohibit the recording of the show for much the same reasons.
I did speak with Frank and the goal is to indeed bring Monte Cristo to Broadway. As always its a question of timing. I'll definitely keep you posted as I know more.
Thanks for the Holiday song suggestions!
