Customer Reviews:
  Surprising and Subversive June 30, 2008
This is easily the most satisfying and interesting musical theater score of the year, emerging from the best musical to arrive in New York this season. The show itself is a wonder, and the CD captures much of what's great about it. This is a score that confounds expectations, although it does include a few pastiche numbers, for dramatic effect. But for the most part, composer Joshua Schmidt, along his libretto collaborator Jason Loewith, have created something totally new, while certainly reflecting the influence of Kurt Weill, Marc Blitzstein, and others. Anyone interested in the future of serious musical theater will want this CD.
A strange and addictive show June 17, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This is a wonderful recording for the strange and addictive off-broadway musical, Adding Machine. It gets better and better with each listening. Possibly the most interesting new show of the year, on or off Broadway. A well-done musical adaptation of the play, it deserves its place in every serious musical theatre collectors library.
 A must-have for any fan of intelligent musical theatre! June 10, 2008
When I first heard about ADDING MACHINE, I felt the need to purchase the cast recording. Little did I know that the score is disturbingly lovely and the performances are brilliant. The subject matter is dark and somewhat twisted - I must confess, I am usually attracted to such storylines, and here is no different. The score is just as dark but manages to be touching and heartwarming at times. Particularly noteworthy - at least, for my own personal tastes - are the songs "Zero's Confession," "The Gospel According to Shrdlu," and "Daisy's Confession." Overall, the show is both smart, striking, and beautiful. This recording is certainly a must for any serious theatre lover.
What do our lives add up to in the end? June 3, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
From start to finish, I loved this recording of "Adding Machine," the new musical by Joshua Schmidt and Jason Loewith. Strikingly original, the show offers further proof that any subject, with the right approach, can be turned into an effective musical. This will certainly be high on my list of the decade's best new scores.
Based on an expressionist play by Elmer Rice, "Adding Machine" is social commentary wrapped in a surreal story about a working-stiff accountant, Mr. Zero (Joel Hatch), who, when not berated by his wife at home, performs mind-numbing work--thoroughly unappreciated, except by an assistant who longs for him from afar. Things get even bleaker when, after learning he's being replaced by new adding machines, Zero snaps and kills his boss.
The plot gets plenty twisted (and darkly funny) from there, and it's all represented vividly on this recording by a fine cast, who act and sing with the gusto of a live performance. From the grating of Mrs. Zero (Cyrilla Baer) at the beginning as she lashes out at her docile husband, to the truly satisfying conclusion to Zero's oddysey, "Adding Machine" holds you in its grip.
Of course, that grip comes in large part from the music by Joshua Schmidt, which is fantastic. Consisting of percussive rhythms and keyboards (regular and electronic), the score is ominous and forceful, and complements the bizarre story perfectly. Only a couple numbers sound "traditional," used effectively in the few touching moments amid all the bleakness (featuring Amy Warren, poignant as Zero's assistant). But this isn't a show meant to put a bounce in your step. It's meant to knock you on your a--. Schmidt and Loewith achieve that brilliantly.
A unique score that is well worth having. June 3, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
The recording of Adding Machine perfectly captures the entire musical with its wonderful performances and unique score that is unlike anything else currently running in New York. If you have had the good fortune to see this production on stage, you will know what a unique theater experience it is. When I saw the show I knew that my appreciation for the score would only grow in repeated listenings, which it has. The musical performances both define the characters and further the plot and are true to the original Elmer Rice play. Once again PS Classics has identified and recorded a show that will not be forgotten once the original production has ended.
|
