Reflections From Broadway

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
On the heels of his Broadway appearance in Stephen Sondheim's Putting It Together in November 1999, John Barrowman makes his solo debut with Reflections from Broadway, and it's a beauty. He provides plenty of Sondheim, of course, as well as numbers from other shows he has performed in both New York and London, including Sunset Boulevard, Miss Saigon, Beauty and the Beast, Anything Goes, and Michael Leander and Chris Seago's Matador. Barrowman's voice is sweet on ballads and rings bright and clear on the big numbers, and the orchestra and piano accompaniments sound just as good. Also on hand are some rarities, William Finn's delightful "I'd Rather Be Sailing," and Marvin Hamlisch's "Dreamers," which disappeared quickly in 1983 as part of the critically lambasted Jean Seberg but is becoming something of a standard for lighter voices. --David Horiuchi

Tracks:

Beauty And the Beast: If I Can't Love Her
Anyone Can Whistle
Miss Saigon: Why God Why?
I'd Rather Be Sailing
Whistle Down the Wind
Dreamers
Can You Feel the Love Tonight?
Red Red Rose
Good Thing Going
Easy to Love
Boy from Nowhere, The
Tell My Father
Being Alive
I Chose Right
Try to Remember
Proud of Your Boy
Sunset Boulevard

Amazon.com

On the heels of his Broadway appearance in Stephen Sondheim's Putting It Together in November 1999, John Barrowman makes his solo debut with Reflections from Broadway, and it's a beauty. He provides plenty of Sondheim, of course, as well as numbers from other shows he has performed in both New York and London, including Sunset Boulevard, Miss Saigon, Beauty and the Beast, Anything Goes, and Michael Leander and Chris Seago's Matador. Barrowman's voice is sweet on ballads and rings bright and clear on the big numbers, and the orchestra and piano accompaniments sound just as good. Also on hand are some rarities, William Finn's delightful "I'd Rather Be Sailing," and Marvin Hamlisch's "Dreamers," which disappeared quickly in 1983 as part of the critically lambasted Jean Seberg but is becoming something of a standard for lighter voices. --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews:

Not overly impressed.......2007-01-27

I am upset to say that I was not overly thrilled with this CD. I really like John Barrowman as a performer but I didn't like the style of the work on this CD. I think that some of the songs sound great, however I think the orchestrations for it could be a lot better. I would say buy this CD to have in your collection, but if you like to hear songs done the way they should be, don't expect them all to be done that way.

He is gorgeous.......2007-01-16

John Barrowman is gorgeous and he has the sweetest voice ever, im always talking about him to my friends and they get annoyed so much...

I have loved John since... not the christmas we just had, but the one before... 25th December 2005.

He has an amazing voice and an amazing acting talent, everyone should love him as much as i do...

From John Barrowman's absolute no.1 fan!!

[...]

Easy to Love... Mostly.......2007-01-05

His voice is gorgeous. Clear and bright, he can sail through a number as well as an A above middle C. It just floats! John Barrowman likes to show what he's got, and on this album (a collection of songs with personal meaning to John), he's got what it takes. He introduces us to his voice first with a nice ballad from Beauty and the Beast: If I Can't Love Her. It is a nice ballad, not a great one. There are far better songs in Beauty and the Beast, but Menken wrote those for Belle! That said, by the end of the song, it is clear that John has taken center stage and turned a nice song into an exciting opening number. It's powerful and says, "Hey! You there! I'm a 'belter'." We move forward to the first of a few Sondheim standards, "Anyone Can Whistle." This tender song may have been written with a woman's voice in mind (Lee Remick sings it on the original cast album), but John takes it and makes it his own, showing us here that he can float up to high notes with ease and comfort. Beautiful! (although, I'm wishing for Jonathan Tunick's orchestrations!) Soon we arrive at one of the most exciting treasures on this album. It may be about halfway in, but "Red, Red Rose" is stunning! Possibly one of the most beautifully orchestrated numbers on here, the lyrics intertwine so effortlessly with the music, that a tear is easily lost for that lost love we all have. This song is not to be missed. Soon after, we finally reach some Cole Porter! (and it's about time, considering he had just starred in "Anything Goes".) "Easy to Love" has long been one of my favorite standards, and there is nothing more that I could want than John singing this so effortlessly. The orchestrations are beautiful, his voice delicate, and the mood just right for that night out on the terrace with a bottle of Chandon and an extra pair of hands. There are some other great numbers on here, such as William Finns "I'd Rather Be Sailing", two Sondheim Standards ("Good Thing Going" is fantastic; "Being Alive" will make you wish you weren't however. Who suggested such orchestrations? Terrible!), "I Chose Right" is fun, and "Why God Why?" enthralls as more exciting than any Cast Album. As much as I love these songs, there are some major issues I have with this CD. One of these issues lies in "Proud of Your Boy." I love this song. It is possibly the best song Menken ever wrote, and when done right will reduce an audience to tears. His interpretation is rushed and the bridge feels like he paid no attention to what he was singing. The emotional journey is completely lost here to the point at which each additional listen makes me cringe, because it could have been so much better. "Tell My Father" is just boring; we knew Frank Wildhorne started losing it during "Scarlett Pimpernell," but why do people continue to sing his music Post-Pimpernell? Additionally, "Can You Feel the Love Tonight?" is a bad Elton John ballad, and I won't go into "Whistle Down The Wind" but if you press the skip button on it, you'll be much happier to have those few minutes of your life without that song.
Having flushed that out, I have to point out that this album is definitely a must-have for any fan of musical theatre. The treasures on here (and again, I mention "Red, Red Rose" and "Easy to Love") are worth every penny. Buy this album now!

perfect.......2007-01-03

i was given this cd whilst recovering after ''911''- a perfect voice -perfect delivery -wonderful orchestrations- a marvelous selection of little known and famous songs -most worth while ,mr barrowman is the male counterpart to barbara cook in his crystal clear delivery and command of his beautiful voice

Charismatic.......2006-08-13

This has become one of my all-time favorite CDs. Whether the simplicity of a selection like DREAMERS (piano and voice) or the full ferocity of showstoppers like the songs from MISS SAIGON or SUNSET BOULEVARD, Barrowman excels. It is also wonderful to have someone who has played the parts in various London and Broadway productions have his signature tunes from those shows replicated here: and unlike someone not tooled in the productions there are no distracting (clever! bah) new arrangements, this is more a snapshot of how the song would have been played/portrayed for the production itself, so the lyrics that need to be stressed to convey the emotion, and how they are stressed, are per the instructions of the composer and director of the productions who hired Barrowman in the first place.

TRY TO REMEMBER, a signature tune for another artist, is presented here, and the only questionmark I have re this CD: It's like anyone but Garland doing OVER THE RAINBOW, it can't but suffer by comparison. However, for all that, Barrowman has a beautiful voice and the arrangement is true; he provides a real lilting quality I never heard in it before.

For anyone seeking new arrangements for Broadway standards - this isn't the place to get it. This is about re-creating arrangements from shows so they live again on a recording placed next to other songs, with only one vocal interpreter (the only thing missing is the audience applause).

Another reviewer declares Barrowman to be requiring voice lessons, as he is "untechnical," personally I detected no flaws here, as Barrowman's voice is vigorous, able to lull or pontificate as per the arrangements, so either sweet or bombastic, the full range is offered here.

It is true Barrowman is more pop/showtune vocalist (though not weak-voiced at all) than sublime operatic tenor in the way of Patrick Wilson (who can also sing rock; a great versatile and strong lyric tenor - where is his solo CD? I keep asking myself). But other "untrained" excellent singers of the past have been Sinatra and Garland, and they managed to convey great emotion, and that shines over technical brilliance in what stands the test of time. In re "technique" Barrowman is obviously superior to Sinatra, with much greater range, which is showcased here, which is not a putdown of Sinatra, who was never a Broadway-based performer, or required that power or range.

On this CD, it would be surprising if someone couldn't find a favorite selection amongst this collection of gems; as Barrowman chose wisely, so little known songs are in competition with show signature tunes, yet they all have equal pride of place.

One puzzlement: The surprise closing number, supposed to be a duet between Barrowman and his mother, is missing on my CD, so perhaps it was deleted on later issuings.

If I had to steer someone to Barrowman's voice and music I would steer them in this direction, rather than the Swings Cole Porter, as here his vocal talents are more showcased.

Music:

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