BWW CD Reviews: Ghostlight Records' SOMETHING ROTTEN! (Original Broadway Cast Recording) is a Gorgeous Capture of a Simplistic Musical

Pretty much all of New York is absolutely in love with Something Rotten!, a new musical comedy with music and lyrics by Wayne Kirkpatrick and Karey Kirkpatrick and a book by Karey Kirkpatrick and John O'Farrell. The show takes audiences back to the 1590s, introducing us to Nick and Nigel Bottom as they create the world's very first musical in hopes of besting England's playwriting hero-William Shakespeare. Now, Ghostlight Records release of the cheerful Something Rotten! (Original Broadway Cast Recording) shares the merriment with the world.

SOMETHING ROTTEN! Is a dizzying and glitz-filled musical comedy that is reminiscent of THE PRODUCERS, a previous tenant of the St. James Theatre. With overblown production numbers and typically simplistic melodies and motifs, the toe-tapping score from Wayne Kirkpatrick and Karey Kirkpatrick has one aim: to entertain. And it does so with abundance before it gets tedious to listen to, which ultimately makes the recording mostly a bore with a few standout tracks.

In the theatre, the up-tempo songs leave you grinning from ear to ear. Yet, on the album, the simplistic styling of the music without the book to interrupt makes it a chore to listen to the record straight through. Every song sounds like an endless parade of elementary chords and time signatures, and they rarely take a risk to strike a complicated key signature, unusual time signature, or a complex chord that might make the music more satisfying to the soul. Likewise, the numbers that stick with audiences the most have nothing to do with the original writing for the musical. Instead, it is the mash-up of instantly recognizable showtunes underscoring "A Musical" and "Something Rotten!/Make an Omelette" that audiences and listeners are likely to remember once the CD ends. And if they do carry one of the original melodies with them, it'll be the hummable and often repeated one from "Welcome to the Renaissance."

Just as it was when I saw the show on Broadway, the most exhilarating performances on the disc are delivered by Brian d'Arcy James as Nick Bottom and Brad Oscar as Nostradamus. In songs like "God, I Hate Shakespeare" and "Bottom's Gonna Be on Top," d'Arcy James never misses an opportunity to show off his impeccable vocal instrument, its brightness, and its ability to be incredibly evocative. Oscar's energy and enthusiasm soars on "A Musical," a comedic send-up of Broadway's most iconic musical moments.

As Nick's wife Bea, the score woefully underutilizes Heidi Blickenstaff's delightful voice, and she does the best she can with "Right Hand Man" and its reprise. Singing Portia, Kate Reinders sweet soprano sounds beautiful on the recording. John Cariani as Nigel Bottom lends his charming tenor instrument to the score and sounds great on songs like "I Love the Way." Lastly, Christian Borle, who won the Tony Award for his William Shakespeare, is surprisingly forgettable on the album (and I felt the same way when I saw the show on stage). His big numbers, "Will Power" and the Queen-esque "It's Hard to be the Bard," are wholly uninteresting in their writing, and his devastatingly underutilized animated presence isn't enough to elevate the songs.

Ghostlight Records release of Something Rotten! (Original Broadway Cast Recording) is a pitch-perfect and gorgeous capture of the score and the talent that performs it at Broadway's St. James Theatre. Unfortunately, Something Rotten! doesn't offer the audience anything more than fast laughs. Furthermore, each successive listening peels back the layers to expose just how straightforward and uncomplicated the music and lyrics are, making the experience of listening to the album leave you feeling emptier and emptier.

Ghostlight Records released Something Rotten! (Original Broadway Cast Recording) digitally on June 2, 2015. Physical copies of the record were released on July 17, 2015. It can be purchased from Ghostlight Records' online store, iTunes, Amazon, and elsewhere music is sold.

SOMETHING ROTTEN! is currently running on Broadway at the St. James Theatre, 246 West 44th Street, New York, 10036. Tickets are currently on sale through January 3, 2017. For tickets and more information, please visit http://rottenbroadway.com or call Telecharge at 212-239-6200.