There were a *lot* of extenuating factors already at work in deciding what my opinion of this show was going to be before I saw it. First of all, I had the concept CD, and enjoyed parts of it quite a lot and other parts not so much. Second, it was a Frank Wildhorn show. Since Pimpernel's my favourite show, that plays a part. Third, I had seen parts of the show before and had not been overly impressed. But, I was curious enough to want to see more, and so Melanie and I got rush seats - front row. :-)

I have to say that overall I wasn't really that fond of the style that was chosen for this show. I am well aware of all the benefits that may come from keeping it general, from not having a specific story. But I think that, for *me* anyway, I would have been more moved by the whole thing if there had been a little more character development, and if I had really started to care about the people on stage, rather than seeing them as a representation of any number of people.

Anyway. I just *loved* most of the songs the soldiers sang, especially "By the Sword/Sons of Dixie", and "How Many Devils?", which Melanie and I both were completed awed by, and agreed that we wanted to see the whole first act again if it meant we could see that scene once more. It's a very powerful song, and the staging fit it well. Other songs that did not do as much for me would have to include "Greenback" (one of my least favourite musical theatre songs ever), and both of Sarah's song, which, though lovely songs, seemed to lose a lot from having Irene just stand there and sing them.

Me and Gilles Chiasson

"Tell My Father" is a great song, and Matt does a wonderful job of it, but again, I thought it could have been more moving if there had been some more character development before he died. "I'll Never Pass This Way Again" and "Virginia" were two songs where it *did* work for me just having them stand there and sing them...I enjoyed both of them. "Sarah" was nice, though, as many people have pointed out, the shadow-dancing thing is not quite as fresh as it might have been since Ragtime has a very similar scene, even with a character named "Sarah". :-) "The Glory" is a great ending.

As for songs like "Freedom's Child", "If Prayin' Were Horses", "Father, How Long?", "Someday", "River Jordan", etc...I thought most of them were very nice songs, but, and I don't mean to be offensive in the least, but how often do we need to hear the same theme repeated? By the third song, I think I understood that they were slaves and they wanted their freedom. I thought it really slowed the pace of the whole show to keep returning to that idea over and over and over again.

Melanie and Gilles Chiasson

But, when it comes to the cast, there is just no criticism I can make there! :-) They were *phenomenal*. I have never seen such a talented group of people!! It's really hard to pick favourites, but some of the ones that stood out were Gilles Chiasson, Michael Lanning, Gene Miller, Matt Bogart, Cheryl Freeman, Michel Bell, Keith Byron Kirk, and many more. I think the overall feeling I left the show with was one of sadness...not necessarily from the show, but *for* the show. I think it *could* have been spectacular. As it is, it's a decent show, which some people will like and others, obviously, won't. But, as the song goes, "Don't cry for what might have been..."