Album Review: "Losing My Mind: A Sondheim Disco Fever Dream"

Album Review: "Losing My Mind: A Sondheim Disco Fever Dream"

Mark Robinson
Music That Makes Me Dance

This month marks Stephen Sondheim’s 90th birthday, and there is much to celebrate regarding his music, his lyrics, and his influence over the shaping of musical theatre for the last sixty-plus years. As Mr. Sondheim becomes a nonagenarian, Broadway Records provides us with a unique way to explore his music. The new album “Losing My Mind: A Sondheim Disco Fever Dream” offers an “off-the-beaten-path” assemblage of many of his well-known (and lesser-known) tunes dished up in a decidedly clever format that evokes mirror balls, Donna Summer, and Studio 54.

Remembering Jerry Herman and the Joyous Music He Made

Remembering Jerry Herman and the Joyous Music He Made

Mark Robinson
Music That Makes Me Dance

On December 26, 2019 we lost one of Broadway’s greatest composers, one who infused every song he penned with emotion and a deep understanding of the character for whom he was writing. Jerry Herman, with his melody and lyrics, brought to life some of musical theatre’s most colorful and unforgettable characters, reminding us to celebrate life. One should not underestimate the joy, pure, unadulterated joy that he brought to us through songs for characters like Dolly Levi, Mame Dennis, Georges and Albin. This kind of fun, melody and embrace of the human spirit is rare in the contemporary musical theatre, something that is sorely lacking. Though he hadn’t written for the musical stage in some time, with Herman’s passing, we have lost a one-of-a-kind voice from a time where musical comedy scores were joyous, infectious, warm, and, most importantly, illuminating without being starkly literal. 

Women Who Wrote for the Stage and the Book You’ll Want to Own

Women Who Wrote for the Stage and the Book You’ll Want to Own

Mark Robinson
Music That Makes Me Dance

Fans of theatre and those with a respect for the women who have created it will want to add the book From Aphra Behn to Fun Home: A Cultural History of Feminist Theater to their collection. Written by theatre historian and journalist Carey Purcell, the book is an essential read for anyone who knows that women have struggled to be heard in the male-dominated profession of playwriting. Purcell walks us through history, pointing out the places where women’s voices have shown through, shaping and redefining the art of playwriting. 

Let’s Talk About Cats the Movie

Let’s Talk About Cats the Movie

Mark Robinson
Cinematters, Music That Makes Me Dance

Reviews for the film adaptation of the long-running West End and Broadway musical Cats have been brutal, even blistering. From the creepiness of the CGI effects to the ridiculously choppy editing and camera work that detracted from the choreography, Cats on the big screen has proven to be... well... a “cat” astrophe, bringing-in well under its projected box office receipts during its premiere weekend. Sure, the film was up against one of the year’s most eagerly anticipated films The Rise of Skywalker, but Cats failed on its own terms, and the force just wasn’t with it. That is not to say that there aren’t some things it got right. A few of them splendidly so. 

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