Search - Michelle Nicastro :: On My Own : Contemporary Songs from Broadway

Contemporary beauty

efrex | New York, NY USA | 06/10/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I long ago wore out my cassette (remember cassettes?) of Michelle Nicastro's "Toonful" album, one of my favorite Varese Sarabande releases, so I guess it was only natural that I finally got around to picking up this album. Considering her success in Les Miserables on the West coast, it's not surprising that Michelle's tastes turn towards the contemporary "big" broadway sound, with Les Mis, Miss Saigon, Chess, Phantom and Jekyll & Hyde (what, no "Cats?") represented. While these are not my favorite shows by any stretch of the imagination, Nicastro demonstrates that even a pop sound can be a lovely one. The musical arrangements are, appropriately, heavily pop-influenced (half these tracks sound like something you might hear on top-40), and in this case it works. Highlights include a fantastic version of "Waiting for Life to Begin" (a truly theatrical pop number from "Once on this Island"), and the hidden final track, a powerful rendition of "Disneyland" from the Hamlisch flop Smile. The major negative for me is hearing the money note from "Unexpected Song" sung as a simple pop plaint, rather than the death-defying finale that Bernadette Peters and others give it, and the fact that I'm simply not fond of a lot of the tracks, no matter who sings them ... . To see and hear what a lovely thing Nicastro's become (A glance at the eye-popping liner photos might turn any red-blooded he-man into a fellow musical theater fan), however, is worth sitting through much worse."

Great Songs, Great Singing, Great CD...

John Cardona | Chicago, IL United States | 05/07/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Ms. Nicastro style might not suit all, but true fans of stage music will truly apreciate the magic that flows from this cd...fav songs include Sun and Moon, On My Own, Second Chance, Loving You(for me the Best version ever recorded...period!), Last Night of the World, Unexpected Song, This is the Moment, All I ask of You(you'll never hear a more moving version as this one), I Dreamed a Dream and Seasons of Love...plus the hidden track of Disneyland is beyond priceless...a must have cd for all music collectors...Jon C, Chicago,IL"

A unique voice & style!

Ray | Glendale, Arizona | 12/28/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Michelle Nicastro is a marvel. She doesn't sound like every other Broadway ingenue; instead, she's got a sound that's uniquely her own. There's a "pop" feel to her voice. She's a bit breathy and intense, and sings with a youthful exhuberance that is hard to resist. She's also got great taste in songs, opting to sing modern tunes from shows like "Big" and "Jekyll & Hyde" instead of overly familiar numbers from the '40s and '50s. This disc also features bright, imaginative orchestrations, especially Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Come Back With the Same Look In Your Eyes," which sounds like something recorded at a blues club. Definitely check this disc out."