Search - David Shire, Richard Malbty Jr. :: Starting Here, Starting Now (1993 Original London Cast)

Strong show, suffers from too cute production

mikemccafferty | Sherman Oaks, CA United States | 11/18/2003

(2 out of 5 stars)

"Maltby and Shire are the overlooked masters of the 'story song' genre in musicals. Their strong melodies and clever topical lyrics create self-contained monologues for the singers and audiences to bask in. This is both their blessing, and their curse. For while individual songs of theirs stand alone better than any other, when placed in structured musicals (Baby, Big) they tend to suffer from the surrounding source material. As a result, they are better known for their reviews which surface off-broadway.
"Starting Here, Starting Now" is the first of these ventures and it bristles with energy and vibrancy. A cast of two women and one man command the stage from the the opening with the title song and then launch into the evening. This review was created earlier in their career and it reflects the optimism and youth the two had toward the world (where as their second effort 'closer than ever' is a darker and more reflective work) extolling the virtues of love and 'being pleased with myself' under a New York backdrop. While the themes may seem trite to today's audience, it reflected the times it was written and pointed always toward 'A new life coming' that was overall, a happier one.
My major qulams with the 1993 London productions lie in both the voicing and the interpretation of the material. All three are able to hit the money notes when called for, but they sound shrill and experience phrasing issues. Additionally, the male singer produces a very nasal sound which serves to distract. They also seem to be uncomfortable at times and don't fully commit.
The other problem is the interpretation. They have treated this much like a period peice; and oddity of a past time that they have uncovered for us to see how strange people were. Rather than chacters, they create charactures which overplay all emotions to lampoon the era. Additionally, a group of Londoners affecting New York accents in song is tricky feat to which they fail miserably. For this musical to work, it must be embraced whole-heartedly, not with an eye toward sardonic wit. Buy the original cast version first, and then this one if only for the three extra songs on this version."

Many fantastic songs, many mediocre songs...

JustMe123 | Boca Raton, Florida USA | 12/09/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Starting Here, Starting Now is a revue kind of musical, with only three cast members. Each has extremely fantastic vocal technique. There is a lot of vibrato in this show. While certain standout songs include 'Pleased With Myself', 'Today Is The First Day of the Rest of My Life', and 'I Don't Remember Christmas', there are a few mediocre melodies thrown in. I enjoy this CD often, but there are always songs that you have to skip through. There is another version of Starting Here, Starting Now from 1977. If you like this CD and this show, I can guarantee you will love 'A...My Name is Alice', another revue musical."