Review: PRETTY FILTHY (Original Cast Recording) is Humorous and Heartfelt

The hilarious, sexy, and surprisingly touching musical PRETTY FILTHY made a splash Off-Broadway in early 2015. To create the musical, The Civilians interviewed porn stars and used those interviews to build what can be best described as a documusical. The plot follows 18-year-old Becky and her boyfriend Bobby as they move to California to become porn stars. Along the way, the audience is introduced to other players in the Adult Entertainment Industry and witnesses the strains that working in the business have on the young couple.

Ghostlight Records' PRETTY FILTHY (Original Cast Recording) perfectly captures the humor of the show. Michael Friedman's often blunt but always-relatable lyrics are uncompromised on the recording. Listeners are sure to chuckle listening to songs like "Squirting 101," where a porn actor recounts his discovery of the female G-Spot and how he turned it into something lucrative, and "Waiting For Wood," where male porn stars discuss the logistics of working in straight porn. Likewise, the show's vibrant heart is on full display through songs like "What If I Life It," "Becky & Bobby & Taylor & Dick," and even the rather raunchy "Applesauce."

The cast's voices shine across the 13-track album. Alyse Alan Louis as Becky / Taylor charms on "What If I Like It," makes her disillusionment tangible on "Becky & Bobby & Taylor & Dick," and forces audiences to truly contemplate the objectification versus the humanity of porn actors with "Pretty Filthy." MarRick Smith as Bobby / Dick conveys the wide-eyed innocence of his character on "What If I Like It," explores the depths of his own pain on "Becky & Bobby & Taylor & Dick," and plumbs the depths of how conflicted the psyche can become when some male porn actors experiment with gay-for-pay porn on "F**k the World."

The most poignant and riveting performances on the album come from Luba Mason's portrayal of Georgina Congress. Singing "The First Video Stars" she exposes the listener to the struggles that her character faces, namely battling her own aging and the countless startup websites with their endless access to young starlets. Then, Mason's performance on the show's 11o'clock number "Beautiful" is the album's brightest and most significant moment. In this one song she perfectly humanizes the industry, singing about her past and her future hopes. Mason's heartfelt performance and Friedman's lyrics combine to masterfully alter the hearts of the audience and change perspectives.

In many ways PRETTY FILTHY is like the musical equivalent of HBO's documentary Pornucopia, but it's also something more. Through the magic and exuberance of musical theatre, the cast and creatives showcase the humanity, the wants, the desires, the losses, and the wins of those who work in the industry. And, all of this is present on Ghostlight Records' PRETTY FILTHY (Original Cast Recording). Yet, if they haven't seen it performed, I worry that listeners may find it harder to be captivated by the album.

Ghostlight Records released PRETTY FILTHY digitally on November 18, 2016. Physical copies were released on December 2, 2016. On February 21, 2017, Feinstein's/54 Below is celebrating the release of the album with their PRETTY FILTHY Album Release Concert. For tickets and more information about the concert, please visit https://54below.com/events/pretty-filthy-album-release-concert. The album can be purchased from Ghostlight Records' web store, iTunes, Amazon, and elsewhere music is sold.

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