Musicals you must listen to: Ordinary Days
With one of Sydney’s finest theatre companies, Squabbalogic, performing the musical Ordinary Days I thought it fitting that I introduce my readers to a new show that we actually have the chance to see. In my opinion, Ordinary Days by Adam Gwon is one of the most exciting new musicals in recent history.
Without giving too much of the show away for those of you who do manage to get to see the Sydney production, the show follows the lives of four young New Yorkers whose lives all begin to intertwine after Deb (who loses the notes to her thesis) sets in motion a chain of events which sends these four ordinary young lives down some very different paths – all in search of their immediate futures.
The four characters are: Deb, Warren, Jason and Claire. Throughout the show the couples (Deb and Warren, Jason and Claire) never interact which in my opinion is a reflection of how anonymous one can be in city life today. It also demonstrates how you can change other people’s fate without ever actually meeting them. The show unfolds via a series of cleverly constructed songs and a script to rival any other modern musical theatre script. This is definitely one of my new favourite musicals.
The score to ordinary day is extremely clever, featuring a lone piano for accompaniment. Although, as with many musicals of today, you can’t exactly leave the theatre humming a theme from the show, the score is still extremely enjoyable and brings something fresh and clean to the musical theatre lover’s repertoire. The show cleverly captures the moment that everyone has in life when reality seems to override the desire of one’s dreams and that in itself makes for an absolutely brilliant show.
Ordinary Days made its debut in New York City at the roundabout theatre company – renowned for discovering a nurturing new talent – and immediately a cast album was recorded by ghost light records. Not long after the Ney York premiere, productions of Ordinary Days were being mounted in many of the musical theatre hubs around the world staring with London’s West End and most recently here in Sydney starring Rachael Beck and Michael Falzon in the roles of Jason and Claire.
Adam Gwon, a relatively new composer on the musical theatre scene has an uncanny ability to write crisp and funny lyrics as well as poignant and beautiful melodies. Gwon has been named one of the “50 to watch” by the dramatist magazine who boasts Gwon to be an “extremely talented composer and lyricist who is seriously going places”.
Although Ordinary Days is the first musical that has really taken off for Gwon it is by no means his first show. Gwon a graduate from the prestigious Tisch School Of The Arts in New York City has written several other shows including, the boy detective fails, Cloudlands and Bernice Bobs Her Hair – all of which have clips on you tube for those who wish to listen to some of his other material.
Gwon has also won numerous awards during his career which include the kleban, ebb and Loewe awards for excellence in musical theatre writing, the ASCAP Harold Adamson award and the MAC John Wallowitch award. Gwon has also been privileged to have his material performed in many of the world’s most famous concert venues including Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy centre.
I really do hope you all enjoy the music of Ordinary Days and that it encourages you to listen further to the other works by Adam Gwon, all of which is equally as clever. And for those of you in Sydney don’t forget that Ordinary Days is playing at the Darlinghurst theatre until the 19th of February (starring Rachael Beck, Michael Falzon, Jay James-Moody and Erica Lovell) and is presented by one of Sydney’s finest new musical theatre companies Squabbalogic.
Until next time Happy Listening!!!
HELPFUL LINKS
Ordinary days is available on iTunes:
Composer Adam Gwon’s Website
Sheet Music
Sheet music for Ordinary days is available at www.NewMusicalTheatre.com
(You can also find lots of sheet music by other up and coming composers at this website. REALTED VIDEOS
Adam Gwon talks about his musical Ordinary Days
Adam Gwon’s YouTube Channel
Here you will find videos of Adam performing himself, as well as videos of performances of songs from Ordinary Days. You can also find performances of some of Adams other pieces from some of Adams other musicals including, The Boy Detective Fails, Cloudlands and Bernice bobs her hair!!
