NY CAST ALBUM: PRETTY FACES - The Large & Lovely Musical

NY Cast Album

PRETTY FACES - The Large & Lovely Musical

© 2005 Robert W. Cabell (801026804425)

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Musical Comedy NY Cast Album

notes

In PRETTY FACES the "other girl next door" finds fame and glamour at a beauty pageant for plus-sized women in this backstage musical. Dubbed "a size XXL Chorus Line" (NY Post), Pretty Faces follows each contestant's Cinderella transformation, from day one of rehearsals to the crowning moment of truth. Complete with two feuding stars, a love-struck stage manager, a baton-twirling rich Southern belle, and a spoiled rich girl, this show pays tribute to the large and lovely.
Author/Composer Robert W. Cabell based this witty and gutsy new musical on real-life people, giving voice to the talented actresses perpetually cast in secondary or character roles because of their ample size. " I decided what if people could see them dressed up and looking gorgeous, and get to know them as the sexy, sensual, desirable women that they are? And that's how 'Pretty Faces' was born." The result was a triumphant Off Broadway run that was greeted enthusiastically by both audiences and critics. Show Business noted that "Cabell keeps the tunes short 'n'bouncy, winning us over with the amusing "Too Plump for Prom Night", the recurring "The Sleepwalkers Lament" and Bobby Joy's star-spangled, baton twirling song "I'm Twirling for Jesus". Leave the calorie-counter at home and check out this hilarious and life-affirming take on an All-American tradition.

reviews

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  • warm and energetic cross between A Chorus Line and The Full Monty
    author: Andy Propst for American Theater Web

    From the 2004 New York Musical Theatre Festival comes the recording of Pretty Faces. This show takes audiences from the start to finish of the "Miss Global Glamour Girl Beauty Pageant" – a beauty contest for "plus-size" women. The show, which boasts book, music and lyrics by Robert W. Cabell, comes across on the recording as warm and energetic cross between A Chorus Line and The Full Monty, a blend of "the I hope I get it" sentiment of the former show with the "overcoming stereotypes" throughline of the latter. Cabell's written a pop-infused score which often can be a true charmer. Some highlights on the disc include the poignant ballad "What's Missing in My Life," delivered smokily by Erica Jean, the comic, if slightly obvious, "Twirling for Jesus" (one of the talent numbers from the second act pageant) that Amanda Fackerell puts over with charming brashness, and the final triumphant "This Moment is Mine" which is delivered by all of the contestants. Although there's no synopsis for "Faces" in the sharp color booklet that accompanies the disc, listeners will have no problem grasping who's who and what's what in this show, which sounds like it might be come a very popular attraction in the country's regional theaters.

  • comedy, innocent, bawdy and snide. There's cleverness here.
    author: Rob Lester of SOUND ADVICE

    In this cast album of Pretty Faces, writer Robert W. Cabell seems to reject the idea that "less is more" and opts for "more is more." I'm not referring to the size of the cast (8) or the size of the cast, meaning the dimensions of the plus-size women who are the focus of this show. It's that there are 27 tracks and that's a lot!....Cabell wrote book, music and lyrics. He's also the album producer. I think his strong suit is comedy, innocent, bawdy and snide. There's cleverness here....The musical is set at a beauty pageant for overweight women, and the constestants are madly rehearsing for the high-pressure event. Among the character song highlights are the Southern gal practicing with her baton that she is "Twirling for Jesus," and "Too Plump for Prom Night" for a character named Pleasure....The cast works well in the ensemble numbers, and their songs about getting ready for a show have fun, frantic energy that people used to putting on any kind of show will appreciate. Despite the subject of scale-tipping ladies, this is a lightweight show that is most entertaining when it stays entertainingly so. Like its main characters, it has potential to be a winner. (See Website for full review)

  • Tuneful, humorous and upbeat
    author: John Kenrick for Musicals101.com

    Pretty Faces – Original Cast Records Nurtured by the Actors Cabaret of Eugene, this musical comedy about a beauty pageant for "large & lovely" ladies won acclaim at the 2004 New York Musical Theatre Festival. Tuneful, humorous and upbeat, the weight-friendly attitude of this show is reflected in songs like "42-32-42," "Too Plump for Prom Night" and Midnight Munchies." Theatre groups looking for a new musical that showcases female performers will want to consider this off-beat charmer (2 men, 6 women required)

  • Pretty Faces expands the boundary of what is beautiful
    author: Ned Sontag - DEMENSIONS MAGAZINE

    Pretty Faces the "Large & Lovely" Musical expands the boundary of what is beautiful ... The show boasts 26 new songs, great singing, awesome harmony.

  • Novel entertainment
    author: Bill O'Connell - APPLAUSE MAGAZINE

    “The Subject matter is dealt with a direct and appealing forthright way. . . novel entertainment, maybe even a "Nunsense" waiting to be born.

  • Move over Miss America
    author: Moses Schonfeld - WRTN FM WVOX AM

    Whatever their story, one really feels for these women... Move over, Miss America, here come the women of the Miss Global Glamour Girl Beauty Pageant.

  • Pretty Faces Is A Pretty Show
    author: Adele Furman - QUEENS CHRONICLE

    "Pretty Faces Is A Pretty Show" . . . Robert W. Cabell is both the author and composer. His music is snappy, familiar, and the lyrics are clever. Outstanding is the "Don’t Talk Dirty" . . The girls sing Spotlight Solos throughout entitled "42-32-42" and the melody goes with you after the curtain goes down.

  • Think of "Pretty Faces" as a Size XXL "Chorus Line"
    author: Jerry Tallmer - NY POST

    "It's an oddball premise, a show about a 'Global Glamour Girl' beauty pageant in Paris, Ohio, for your ladies of, shall we say, girth ... You might think of "Pretty Faces" as a Size XXL 'Chorus Line."

  • 'Pretty Faces' provides considerable entertainment
    author: Michael Sander - LA, DRAMA-LOQUE

    'Pretty Faces' provides considerable entertainment. . . Cabell's book is efficiently crafted, with enough laughs and human-interest details to keep the story perking.

  • Spirits run high and the stage rocks
    author: Glenda Frank - CHELSEA CLINTON NEWS

    "From the lyrical fantasy 'Furs, Fortune, Fame Glamour' to the randy girl talk of 'How Do You Like Your Men' and the tongue-in-cheek 'Twirling for Jesus" spirits run high and the stage rocks with generously endowed talent.

  • There is a nourishing amount of good songs
    author: Stuart Wise - NEW YORK LAW JOURNAL

    “This spunky mini-musical is to be commended for avoiding the path of obvious fat jokes in the beauty pageant for "the large and lovely". . . there is a nourishing amount of good songs and commentaries for the calorie conscious as well."

  • Cabell keeps the tunes short 'n'bouncy
    author: David Lefkowitz - SHOW BUSINESS, NY

    "Cabell keeps the tunes short 'n'bouncy, winning us over with the amusing "Too Plump For Prom Night," the recurring "Sleep Walkers' Lament," and Bobby Joy's star spangled, baton twirling, song "Twirling For Jesus".

  • An infectious score
    author: Elias Stimac - BACKSTAGE

    "Pretty Faces“ offers solid performances, smooth direction, an involving plot line, and an infectious score. It appears to be poised to become a theatrical staple on the regional circuit, a la “Nunsenses.”

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