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Rating:  -
This wasn't a commercial sucess, in fact few people have heard of it. While it's not for everyone Ricky Ian Gordon's musical based on sections of Proust's "Rememberence of Things Past" is a hidden gem especially for fans of Sondheim's "Sundays In the Park With George". Like "Sundays", "Albertine" is about the relationship between the artist and the muse. In this case an older Proust recalling his early love affair with the enigmatic Albertine. Marcel's relationship with Albertine is revealed as a play within a play as his older self looks on.
Most of the musical numbers have a sense of sadness and longing to them as a reflection of fact that Marcel and Albertine never make a connection in life: it is in art, and in Proust's rememberece that the connection exists. But songs such as "The Different Albertines", "Lullaby", or "Talk About the Weather" have a deep sadness and a grasping quality while the more upbeat numbers like "Balbac By the Sea" and "The Ferret Song" have an almost mocking quality.
Kelli O'Hara is wonderful as Albertine, a character whom we only see through the eyes of Marcel. As a result there is something ephemeral about her- we never see the real Albertine only the different ideas that Marcel has about who she is. O'Hara's clear soprano reveals the girlish Albertine, the sensous libertine, and the confused woman. Many people will know O'Hara as Clara in the OBC of "The Light in the Piazza". We hear shades of Clara's innocence and childishness in the early Albertine, but then the prism shifts and we see a different Albertine and a different aspect of O'Hara's performance.
If your tastes run strictly towards big splashy commercial musicals (which I enjoy as well)this is not for you. But if you're one of those people who constantly complains that there is nothing new in theater, this is for you.
Rating: -
I am a big fan of the so-called "saviours of musical theatre" or Post-Sondheimian or modern musical or whatever you call them composers like Michael John LaChiusa, Jason Robert Brown, Jeanine Tesori, Andrew Lippa and my all-time favourite, Adam Guettel, whom I worship. But on my constant search for these composers, I found Ricky Ian Gordon here on amazon.com and I listened to the 30-minute song previews of Bright Eyed Joy and just from hearing those little sections, I knew I had to get one of his CDs. I couldn't get my hands on Bright Eyed Joy but I grabbed My Life With Albertine instead and I'm sooooooo glad I did. However, I must say for anyone considering this purchase that this score is not for everyone. At first, I was a bit unsure but after a few more times listening to it over and over, I was able to appreciate and adore it. But in no way do I think this musical is for anyone who loves the common showtune crap that has plagued Broadway for decades (ex. Andrew Lloyd Webber...yuck!). But for others, Gordon is an amazing, unique and intricate composer that creates melodies that stick in my head all day long. Also, I really enjoy the amazing performances on this CD like Kelli O'Hara, Brent Carver, Chad Kimball, Donna Lynne Champlin (I love her lullaby) and my favourite, Emily Skinner's I Want You is in a word, awesome. Gordon offers some interesting songs such as Balbec-by-the-Sea which almost seems like a mockery of cheesy showtunes with the except of the dream-like segment, "Purple light beneath a curtain". As well as the charming Ferret Song, the beautiful But What I Say and Carver's wonderful Song of Solitude. While, I Need Me a Girl and The Street remind me of Oliver's Oom-Pah Pah and Who Will Buy?. And who could forget the powerful exchange within The Letters. I will cherish this score and I really really really hope Gordon writes another musical for our listening pleasure!
Rating: -
I rarely make decisions about whether or not to see a show or a movie, read a book or listen to a CD based on critical response, but sadly, I made one fatal error-I skipped "My Life with Albertine", Ricky Ian Gordon and Richard Nelson's beautiful adaptation of the Albertine sections of Proust's "Remembrance of Things Past" at Playwright's Horizon, simply because it got mostly negative reviews. To this day, almost two years later, I kick myself every time I listen to the cast album.
Brent Carver is chilling as Proust, and Chad Kimball is very good as Young Marcel. Kelli O'Hara is a real find as Albertine. Her "If It Is True" is one of the best musical theatre compositions this side of Sondheim. Uberdiva Emily Skinner stuns as Mlle. Lea, a sassy lesbian chanteuse. Ever since we saw "Side Show" in 1997, I've had a major crush on her, and my wife has hated her guts (just kidding!). The rest of the cast is also splendid.
As the title of my review suggests, I agree 100% with Eric Glover, soon to be musical theatre critic extraordinaire. Anybody who can't see the beauty in this marvelous show is not only deaf, but blind.
Rating:  -
MY LIFE WITH ALBERTINE is a new musical from the promising duo of Ricky Ian Gordon and Richard Nelson. It debuted at Playwrights Horizons to mostly-favourable reviews and featured a cast of bright young Broadway talent.
Based on incidents in 'Remembrance of Things Past' by Marcel Proust, ALBERTINE features a lush and evocative score (very European in its presentation) with standout numbers including "Is it Too Late?", "My Soul Weeps", "But What I Say", "Sometimes" and "If it is True".
The youthful cast is headed by Kelli O'Hara as Albertine, with Chad Kimball (INTO THE WOODS) as Marcel. Also featured are Donna Lynne Champlin, Brent Carver, Emily Skinner and Brooke Sunny Moriber, among others.
Rating: -
I'm a great fan of Broadway music in general, but most particularly of the more artistic (as opposed to commercial) composers, such as the new generation of artists know as the "Post-Sondheim Composers," which include Adam Guettel, Jason Robert Brown, Michael John La Chiusa and Ricky Ian Gordon. I came to know and very much enjoy Gordon's work with the CD BRIGHT EYED JOY, and if you're looking for an introduction to his music I'd suggest starting there rather than with this CD.
MY LIFE WITH ALBERTINE is the first musical by Gordon I've heard. The singing is good, not stellar, but enjoyable. There are a few songs here that I love to listen to, including the lovely soprano ballads "Is It Too Late?" (reprised by the tenor lead) and "If It Is True." There are a few songs, such as the more odd/perky "Ferret Song," that I find a bit annoying. A lot of the music takes on more a narrative tone, making them less self-contained out of the context of the score. While I enjoy music from Broadway show because it tells a story, I still think that a really great song should be able to stand alone, yet be enhanced within the context of the story, and such is not always the case here. However, one piece that is particularly impressive is "The Letters" in which friends of the lovers advise them what to write to one another. It's one of those great ensemble songs that has everyone singing over one another (think Sondheim's "Now Later Soon" from A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC).
Overall, I think this is an interesting CD for those who are great collectors of musical theater as a whole and enjoy discovering obscure productions or up-and-coming composers. But for the average Broadway listener whose tastes run to Andrew Lloyd Webber or Disney musicals, this might not appeal as much.
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