Randy Newman's "Harps and Angels" Musical Proves "A Sure Cure for Wintertime Blues," Says Variety

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Harps and Angels, the new musical featuring the music and lyrics of Randy Newman, officially opened at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles this week and runs through December 22. Variety calls the play "a sure cure for wintertime blues ... a showcase for his whiskey-soaked melodies and incisive poetic gifts." The Hollywood Reporter says: "All in all, it's a journey as simple, complex, contradictory and confounding as life itself—just what you'd expect from a fellow with the temperament of Huck Finn and the soul of a poet."

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Harps and Angels, the new musical featuring the music and lyrics of Randy Newman, officially opened at the Music Center's Mark Taper Forum in downtown Los Angeles on Sunday, following previews. The show runs through December 22, and tickets are available now at centertheatregroup.org, where you can also watch video clips from the show.

The new production includes songs from throughout Newman's rich catalog, up to and including his latest Nonesuch release, from which the show gets its name, 2008's Harps and Angels. Katey Sagal and Michael McKean lead an ensemble cast that also includes Ryder Bach, Storm Large, Adriane Lenox, and Matthew Saldivar.

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Variety calls the play "a sure cure for wintertime blues." Reviewer Bob Verini says that "as a showcase for his whiskey-soaked melodies and incisive poetic gifts, this revue slips by artfully and painlessly to leave—in the words of his anthemic hometown shout-out 'I Love L.A.'—evvuh-body/Verruh happy." Read the complete review at variety.com.

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The Hollywood Reporter finds much to recommend in the show. "Newman's rebellious and mischievous nature is on full display in the new musical revue Harps and Angels," says reviewer Jay Reiner. "But the composer-songwriter's Huck Finn side is by no means the only perspective we're drawn to in this amusing and engaging evening."

Reiner continues: "All in all, it's a journey as simple, complex, contradictory and confounding as life itself—just what you'd expect from a fellow with the temperament of Huck Finn and the soul of a poet."

Read the review at hollywoodreporter.com.

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To purchase an album from Randy Newman's Nonesuch catalog, with high-quality, 320 kbps MP3s included at checkout, head to the Nonesuch Store.

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Randy Newman: "Harps and Angels" [poster]
  • Tuesday, November 23, 2010
    Randy Newman's "Harps and Angels" Musical Proves "A Sure Cure for Wintertime Blues," Says Variety

    Harps and Angels, the new musical featuring the music and lyrics of Randy Newman, officially opened at the Music Center's Mark Taper Forum in downtown Los Angeles on Sunday, following previews. The show runs through December 22, and tickets are available now at centertheatregroup.org, where you can also watch video clips from the show.

    The new production includes songs from throughout Newman's rich catalog, up to and including his latest Nonesuch release, from which the show gets its name, 2008's Harps and Angels. Katey Sagal and Michael McKean lead an ensemble cast that also includes Ryder Bach, Storm Large, Adriane Lenox, and Matthew Saldivar.

    ---

    Variety calls the play "a sure cure for wintertime blues." Reviewer Bob Verini says that "as a showcase for his whiskey-soaked melodies and incisive poetic gifts, this revue slips by artfully and painlessly to leave—in the words of his anthemic hometown shout-out 'I Love L.A.'—evvuh-body/Verruh happy." Read the complete review at variety.com.

    --

    The Hollywood Reporter finds much to recommend in the show. "Newman's rebellious and mischievous nature is on full display in the new musical revue Harps and Angels," says reviewer Jay Reiner. "But the composer-songwriter's Huck Finn side is by no means the only perspective we're drawn to in this amusing and engaging evening."

    Reiner continues: "All in all, it's a journey as simple, complex, contradictory and confounding as life itself—just what you'd expect from a fellow with the temperament of Huck Finn and the soul of a poet."

    Read the review at hollywoodreporter.com.

    ---

    To purchase an album from Randy Newman's Nonesuch catalog, with high-quality, 320 kbps MP3s included at checkout, head to the Nonesuch Store.

    Journal Articles:Artist NewsReviews

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