Heresy! Last week in rehearsal, during one of the breaks, Aaron and I randomly started singing Jekyll and Hyde's "Dangerous Game." Of course, as I learned all the lyrics from the studio album, we got to a point where neither of us knew what on earth the other was singing, because the lyrics for the OBCR are so different. I asked him if he would mind sending me a few of the tracks so that I could learn the "real" lyrics along with the studio version I so adore. Anyway, he went ahead and burned the entire CD for me and gave it to me last night as a "get well soon" token, and I'm just now listening to it.

My question is: What was the creative team ON? I know the studio recording is far too long to be feasibly staged, but why did they have to cut some of the most awesome stuff? I know "Bring On the Men" has nothing to do with your precious theme of good vs. evil, but its replacement, "Good'n'Evil," is downright obnoxious. And "Bring On the Men" is so much fun to sing! The audience needs a bit of a break from the incessant pounding into their heads of a ridiculously oversimplified theme. Also, do they have to reprise "Facade" four times? And I never saw the show staged, but it seems like the "Board of Governors" sequence accomplished all the necessary exposition succinctly and dramatically enough. I don't want to know what they put in its place. Also, the overall acting is so much better in the studio version. In fact, the only change I actually like is the new voice for Lisa/Emma. It seems more age-appropriate than the studio cast version.

I could whine more, but I'll give it more of a chance of grow on me. Then, once I've given it a fair shot, I'll decide how much more complaining I can get away with before someone slaps me in the face with a haddock.