Love the cast Recording but hate the show?

[Bob30]

Although i have never found this, i do often find that im disappointed with some numbers on stage which i love on the recording, has anyone had this with an entire show?

[theatrepaul]

Yes for me it was Chess. I loved (and still do) the orginal cast recording but when I saw it on stage back in the late 80's, it just seemed rather dull and flat and I failed to connect with it in any way.

[ClapYo'Hands]

Agreed with Chess. It has some good songs, but it is a terrible musical.

[mallardo]

Jekyll & Hyde. I listen to it all the time but in the two productions I've seen of it the show came off as embarrassingly silly. Maybe they were simply bad productions but it struck me both times that this wonderful score should have been written for a better - and more contemporary - show.

[rockyhorrorfan]

Cabaret. I have 7 recordings of the show and love the score (all versions of it as in the original Money song, The Telephone Song, Maybe This Time etc. but I don't love every recording) but when I finally saw it on stage (the Rufus Norris production) I didn't enjoy it at all. There didn't seem to be any flow with jumping back and forth between the Kit Kat Club and scenes outwith the Club. It just seemed so disjointed.

I loved the original concept recording of Chess and the original London production but hated the actor/musician production that toured the UK.

[ClapYo'Hands]

I'm the opposite with Cabaret. I think it's a masterpiece, but I never listen to any recordings. I think it's perhaps because I saw for the first time without listening to any of the records.

[bob8rich]

The Rufus Norris Cabaret is not a good example to judge the show by - it was dreadful! The book was restructured into a mess that did not work (and Joe Masteroff's original Book is a masterclass in dramatic writing) - plus Norris destroyed Prince's original vision for the show. Shame you did not get to see the Sam Mendes production - that was stunning. I would rate Cabaret - its score, book and original concept - as one of the ten best musicals of all time.

As for the original question - usually if I love the score, I will love the show whatever its flaws - though obviously I will love well crafted and well directed shows even more. Also, I generally try to avoid listening to a score before seeing a new show anyway as I prefer to hear the songs for the first time in the context of the show whenever possible.

There is one show though where I can say I love the songs but hated the show - Rock Of Ages - horrible book and I found it torture to sit through all the bits in between the songs lol.

[rockyhorrorfan]

And the next revival of Cabaret is the same production.

I usually try and listen to a score before I see a show mainly so I know the lyrics. When I went to see Miss Saigon in London the sound during The Morning of the Dragon was terrible so I didn't have a clue what was going on. It looked interesting but I didn't understand what the song was about. After listening to the CD I understood what the song was about but wish I'd known before I saw the show.

Mind you I bought the score to Love Never Dies and hated it then went to see the show (which I'd already booked tickets for) and hated the show even more (probably not helped by doing a double bill with Phantom).

If I love a particular score I will try buying different versions (English language only) just to see how others interpret it (although sometimes I regret it if I end up not liking a particular recording).

As for RoA, hated 90% of the songs and all of the show (except Simon Lipkin who stole the show).

[ChiChi]

Jekyll & Hyde
Jesus Christ Superstar
Cats

[jaqs]

Spring Awakening. Not sure I outright hate the show, i like it in parts, very small parts, but really love the cast recording.

[Taboolie2]

RENT - love the CD but just felt no emotional attachment to any of the characters on stage.

P.S. Those of you who said Jekyll and Hyde obviously didn't see the recent, contemporary Morphic Graffiti production at the Union Theatre with Tim Rogers and Madalena Alberto. Wow!

[mallardo]

Actually I did see The Union Theatre production of J&H - it's one of the two productions of the show I have seen. I thought the cast was exemplary and I loved the songs (as always) but I thought the show remained dramatically inert and silly.

Updating it didn't help.

[Sean2]

'The Baker's Wife'. Still some of the most stunning music, but I've never seen it work.