LaChiusa--Does he never sleep?

[EricMontreal22]

I had no idea LaChiusa, besides doing music for that song cycle Les Otres that was just in LA, working on Giant more, and doing who knows what else, also just had in LA a bizarre horror comedy about two stoner nurses who are terrorized by a demon Raggedy Ann (no, not a musical...) And I think there's something else in the works. Did anyone see it? It sounds like it was kinda a mess, though the reviews all seem to say it was enjoyable enough (and Nick Ballard was shirtless in his underwear in it which can't be so bad). I'm not really complaining--he's one of my favorite composers, who already has a few shows (Nutcracker in Japan, Highest Yellow, Lovers and Friends, Petrified Prince, etc...) I wish we'd get recorded.

Sukie and Sue: Their Story http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSaDqVyK7E4&feature=plcp

An interview about it with Michael John: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPUvnRHY9VU&feature=endscreen

and some reviews http://laist.com/2012/05/05/dazed_and_confused_nurses_duke_it_o.php
http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117947472

[newintown]

It's not really difficult to churn out that much material when it all sounds the same and you never revise.

[GavestonPS]

I think it's LOS OTROS, Eric. We speak Spanish down here. From the descriptions of those who saw it, it didn't sound like a full-scale musical. More like a couple of long monologues with music.

(ETA Not that I mean to disparage LaChiusa's work ethic. I'm sure he works very hard.)

[EricMontreal22]

LOL, obviously I speak French, not Spanish...

No, Otros does come off as very much partly sung monologues--less full on songcraft (he didn't do the lyrics this time).

I will disagree with LaChiusa sounding alike--I think most of his scores have vastly different soundscapes (I mean just compare Marie Christine--whose first act I think is near perfection, particularly the last 20 minutes or so on CD, but then a mess in the second--with Wild Party written around the same time). I think it could be fair to say he doesn't revise the way he should (though he has returned to some works like First Lady Suite and made changes), and probably needs a stronger director or collaborator than he often gets to reign him in.

[Owen22]

Well, perhaps..He processes so much mediocre work he might as well be...

[iluvtheatertrash]

Mediocre? Can you do better?

LaChiusa's an extraordinary talent. And a damn nice guy, too.

[After Eight]

At his shows, does the audience ever stay awake?

[iluvtheatertrash]

Yes. BERNARDA ALBA remains, to this day, one of the most exhilarating experiences I've ever had. The second of SEE WHAT I WANNA SEE is a terrifically moving piece of work. His score for MARIE CHRISTINE, albeit truncated, is stunning.

I've never seen FIRST LADY SUITE, but the cast recording is terrific. And LITTLE FISH, probably his weakest, can still be very moving.

I sadly missed QUEEN OF THE MIST. I enjoyed the cast recording, moreso with each listen. But I know I would've loved it more had I seen it.

[RippedMan]

Queen of the Mist, while the score was lovely, the show just went nowhere. Act II was a mess. It should have a One Act.

[newintown]

trash, your loyalty to your friend is admirable, but the LaChiusa oeuvre is a bag of the most boring musical theatre imaginable, which is why none of it has ever made a cent - there are maybe 50 people who will happily pay to sit through it.

[Mattbrain]

^ Oh gee whiz, never heard you say that before, newintown.

[iluvtheatertrash]

He's hardly my friend. I'm not loyal to him for any other reason besides loving his scores. We've chatted before in passing, but I have not seen or spoken to MJL since SEE WHAT I WANNA SEE.

I don't find it boring at all. His scores thrill me. I listen to MARIE CHRISTINE at least once a week, covered in goosebumps.

To each his own.

[GavestonPS]

I must admit I don't really "get" LaChiusa. But I mostly know his work from HELLO, AGAIN and WILD PARTY. I'll have to check out some of the other recordings mentioned here. Thanks.

[iluvtheatertrash]

SEE WHAT I WANNA SEE is perhaps his most accessible. LITTLE FISH has a couple of wonderful songs, but I really hate the quality of the recording Sh-K-Boom released. Was not crazy about the cast.

MARIE CHRISTINE is chill-inducing, but really must be listened to full through and focused on. It can be very rewarding that way.

FIRST LADY SUITE is fascinating, but probably his dullest.

BERNARDA ALBA blew me away in the theatre. It's still very listenable, but you should know: a lot won't make sense to you. Using stomping and clapping as their percussion, the cast became the Stallion and Mare that mate. It was truly extraordinary to see, but only about half of the score truly translates to CD. The other half gets a bit lost without Graciela Daniele's amazing staging.

[newintown]

I think that judging a show (or even a score) upon a recording alone is like sticking your hand in a box and guessing what you're touching.

No matter what enjoyment you might derive from a LaChiusa cast recording, the shows move more slowly than the glaciers, and rarely explore more than two dimensions of the (already familiar, usually) story.

[Mattbrain]

Is it like your mission to convince people that they're wrong about liking something?

[michellek45]

I think both newintown and iluvtheatertrash have made good points. While I love LaChiusa's scores, he needs to hire a book writer. The shows themselves meander and never really have much of a direction. I'm hesitant to say that he needs to hire a lyricist because some of his songs have truly brilliant lyrics, but for every brilliant song, there are at least three clunkers (the whole of the First Lady Suite, for starters). He's a good composer, yes, but he needs to realize that he's not one of the people who can do everything alone.

[guettboy]

not that I think LaChiusa's shows are perfect, but I would say this -

I disagree with the prescription that he "needs" a bookwriter, or "needs" this or that collaborator. Though some may feel his shows wander or this part or that part was a mess, perhaps, to LaChiusa, his shows are accomplishing exactly what they set out to accomplish.

The only thing he "needs" to do is keep writing and offering up more work that we can love, disdain, and think about.

[hyperbole_and_a_half]

LaChiusa's Wild Party is amazing with the right talent and energy level. Marie Christine has some beautiful moments, too. His other work, however, feels a bit student-y (unfocused, unfinished, more concerned with doing something "new" rather than something "good"). It's pretty telling that his most successful (artistically and commercially) work has been based on the writings of other people. Therefore, I do think he could benefit from a critical collaborator.

[Skip2]

HELLO AGAIN and BERNARDA ALBA are my 2 faves of his.

I also really like WILD PARTY.

Not crazy about FIRST LADY'S SUITE, MARIE CHRISTINE and SEE WHAT YOU CAN SEE.

[iluvtheatertrash]

I've seen some of these, but was responding to Gaveston.

I've seen: two productions of The Wild Party, See What I Wanna See, Little Fish, Bernarda Alba (3x) and Hello, Again. I enjoyed them all thoroughly. The others, sadly, I've missed.