One of the most heartfelt, beautiful musicals to come out in
V. Arkhangel | NYC | 08/15/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Marguerite is a beautiful new musical with a story from the creators of Miss Saigon - Alain Boublil, Claude-Michel Schönberg and Jonathan Kent, and music by the triple oscar winner, Michel Legrand. The story is a retelling of Dumas' "La Dame aux Camélias," set in Paris, during World War II. Marguerite, is a 40 year old ex-singer, who is living with a Nazi officer. She falls in love with a young pianist half her age, and they have an affair, which is doomed from the start. The cast is fantastic with Ruthie Henshall playing an absolutely brilliant Marguerite, the super talented Julian Ovenden as Armand, her young lover, and Alexander Hanson as Otto, the Nazi general.
The score features gorgeous, haunting music with such unforgettable ballads as China Doll, The Face I See and How did I Get to Where I Am - all sung by the multi-talented Ruthie Henshall. There are passionate duets and great commentary by the chorus. Julian Ovenden as Armand isn't only a wonderful actor and singer - he is also a brilliant jazz piano player rousing the audience with his jazz trills in Jazz Time, and his sensitive accompaniment in China Doll.
This amazing musical brought tears to many an audience member's eyes with the highly charged, emotional performances from all the cast members. This recording does a great job of capturing that feeling!"
From the creators of "Les Miz" (sort of)...
Steven Valenti | Cleveland, OH | 10/15/2008
(4 out of 5 stars)
""Marguerite" is the first Boublil and Schonberg musical to have, well, little to do with Boublil and Schonberg. Despite the attachment of the creators of "Les Miserables" (they came up with the idea and worked on the book), the score of "Marguerite" is by French composer Michel Legrand and the English Lyrics are by Herbert Kretzmer. Still, there is a similarity in the sweeping theatricality here to the best of Schonberg's music. This is a lavishly melodic, frequently ravishing score.
The musical takes place in the 40's, in Nazi-occupied Paris, and details the affair of a 40-year-old former singer, Marguerite (Ruthie Henshall) with a much younger man, Armand (Julian Ovenden). The French setting, and the age difference of the principals, are sort of reminiscent of Lloyd Webber's "Aspects of Love," and indeed both scores share the same kind of lushly romantic tunes. But while "Aspects" sort of lags in its meandering soap-operatic plotlines, "Marguerite," based on this recording, feels a lot more focused and urgent in the storytelling. You see, Marguerite is the mistress of a Nazi, and Armand is a member of the Resistance. Awkward! And interesting.
The music is of high caliber-- songs like "China Doll," "Waiting," and "I Am Here" are some of the most melodically satisfying show tunes I've heard in some time. At times the score feels operatic, with fantastic orchestrations and the impressively soaring voices of Henshall and Ovenden leading the way through what's got to be an incredible vocal challenge. As is sometimes the case with this kind of unabashedly romantic score, there are times where it skirts corniness, and one could, if he wanted, point out that Kretzmer's lyrics tend towards the simplistic. But there is so much right on this recording, including a transporting sense of time and place (there's also a nifty jazz song, and a recurring marching motif emphasizing the war), effective bits of dialogue, and fine supporting performances, that exceptions can most certainly be made. At its best, "Marguerite" is downright spine-tingling. Don't skip this one."
Absolutely Gorgeous
Nick | Mishawaka, IN | 12/26/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I love this cast recording. The music is breathtaking. I wish it was coming to broadway. I highly reccomend this if you like les miserables."
