High Fidelity (musical)
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| High Fidelity | |
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| Pre-opening advertising | |
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| Music | Tom Kitt |
| Lyrics | Amanda Green |
| Book | David Lindsay-Abaire |
| Based upon | Novel by Nick Hornby High Fidelity |
| Productions | 2006 Broadway |
High Fidelity is a musical with a book by David Lindsay-Abaire, lyrics by Amanda Green, and music by Tom Kitt. Based primarily on the Nick Hornby novel rather than the subsequent film version it inspired, the plot focuses on Rob Gordon, a Brooklyn record shop owner in his thirties obsessed with making top five lists for everything, always observing rather than participating in life. When his girl friend Laura leaves him, he goes through a painful re-evaluation of his life and lost loves (with a little help from his music) and he slowly learns that he has to grow up and let go of his self-centered view of the world before he can find real happiness.
Kitt, a graduate of Columbia University, recognized the material's potential for musical adaptation when he first read the book, long before the film was released and became a cult hit. He approached Green (daughter of famed lyricist Adolph), with whom he had attended the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theater Workshop, with the idea, and she too saw the possibilities. Their score runs the gamut from pop music to rhythm and blues to romantic ballads, with each song in the style and musical vocabulary of a different pop or rock artist, including Bruce Springsteen, The Beastie Boys, The Indigo Girls, Talking Heads, Aretha Franklin, The Who, Guns N' Roses, Billy Joel, George Harrison, Percy Sledge, and others.[1]
In a move reminiscent of the days when Broadway musicals routinely tested the waters out-of-town first, the show had a one-month run at Boston's Colonial Theatre before heading to New York City. After eighteen previews, the Walter Bobbie-directed production opened on December 7, 2006 at the Imperial Theatre, where it closed after fourteen performances. The opening night cast included Will Chase, Jenn Colella, Christian Anderson, Kirsten Wyatt, Rachel Stern, J.B. Wing and Jay Klaitz.
An extensive background and analysis essay about the stage show is online at http://www.newlinetheatre.com/hifichapter.html [1]
In his review, New York Times critic Ben Brantley said, "High Fidelity definitely deserves a place in my own catalog of Top 5 lists. That would be on the roster of All-Time Most Forgettable Musicals."[2]
The show received a much warmer reception in its first regional production by New Line Theatre in St. Louis, Missouri in the summer of 2008, directed by Scott Miller, and with a cast including Jeffrey M. Wright, Aaron Lawson, Zachary Allen Farmer, Kimi Short, and Nikki Glenn.[3] Paul Friswold, said in his Riverfront Times review, "The music is sharp and clever, and the New Line Band performs it all quite rockingly.. . . The tough little coming of age story is now allowed to shine, and it's very bright indeed."[4]
Mark Bretz, of the Ladue News gave it a 5 on a scale of 1-to-5 and wrote, "Sweet and charming while also faithful to its raw rock roots, New Line's rendition of High Fidelity soars on the energy of its solid music and consistent comedy. Highlights abound throughout, from the entertaining and pulsating opening number, "The Last Real Record Store on Earth," to the poignant ballad, "Laura, Laura". . . New Line's High Fidelity can be cherished as fondly as Rob's coveted collection of old 45s. What a rewarding sound it is."[5]
Richard Green, of TalkinBroadway.com, said "The stars are in perfect alignment for the regional premiere of Tom Kitt and Amanda Green's musical, based on the novel by Nick Hornby. Director Scott Miller has put together a fine cast of actors and singers (in an interesting new venue), to stage the lives of young men in a used record shop, and the women who love them. Individually, and in delightful groups, they blaze through a series of power ballads, make-up songs, break-up songs and more, covering musical idioms from the soulful sixties to the acrid eighties."[6]
Chris Gibson of KDHX-FM, said, "In the spirit of author Nick Hornby, I'm presenting the top five reasons you should go see New Line Theatre's production of the musical High Fidelity, in reverse order. Number five, because it features catchy songs from composer Tom Kitt and lyricist Amanda Green. Number four, because David Lindsay-Abaire's script captures the novel's flavor better than the film adaptation did. Number three, because this is the Midwest premiere, and you'll want to see this in it's purest form before it gets de-fanged for mass consumption. Number two, because it features a terrific cast, and a crack band. And number one, because New Line has put together an incredibly entertaining show that deserves your attendance."[7]
[edit] Musical numbers
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[edit] References
- ^ a b Miller, Scott (2008-07-10). ""Inside High Fidelity"". New Line Theatre. Retrieved on 2008-07-10.
- ^ Brantley, Ben (2006-12-08). ""Lost at the Record Store"". The New York Times. Retrieved on 2008-03-31.
- ^ ""New Line Theatre website"". New Line Theatre. Retrieved on 2008-06-03.
- ^ Friswold, Paul (2008-06-19). ""Review: High Fidelity"". The Riverfront Times. Retrieved on 2008-07-03.
- ^ Bretz, Mark (2008-06-26). ""High Fidelity"". Ladue News. Retrieved on 2008-07-05.
- ^ Green, Richard (2008-06-16). ""High Fidelity"". TalkinBroadway.com. Retrieved on 2008-07-03.
- ^ Gibson, Chris (2008-06-16). ""KDHX-FM Theatre Review: High Fidelity"". KDHX-FM St. Louis. Retrieved on 2008-07-03.
