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The Fix
Original London Cast
Starring John Barrowman, Philip Quast, Kathryn Evans
Music by Dana P. Rowe
Lyrics by John Dempsey
19 Tracks
Read an off-site Synopsis of the show. (This is also an excellent link for info about the show in general.)
I was extremely skeptical when I first took a real listen to The Fix. I'd heard some clips from it before, and they hadn't impressed me at all. However, as part of my continuing love affair with Philip Quast ;) I felt obligated to give the CD at least one full listen. I managed to download it from a very nice person, plunked it into WinAmp, and hit play - all the time expecting to hate it.
How foolish of me.
The Fix is exactly the sort of thing I love - a bitingly sarcastic satire. It has some great music, insightful lyrics, and really wonderful performers. I'm surprised it isn't much more popular or successful than it is - it deserves a lot more.
Dempsey and Rowe's caricature of an American political family is outrageously funny - and at the same time, frighteningly accurate. The Chandlers actually do reflect some of the nation's leaders, and it isn't a very comforting thought. And yet, every time I describe the plot to someone, they burst out laughing - because on some level it rings true.
John Barrowman is a perfect casting choice as Cal Chandler, the spoiled druggie son of the leading presidential candidate. He hits all the emotional levels just right, and makes the changes in Cal's character both sympathetic and believable to the listener. In the hands of a less capable actor, the slow transition throughout the show from the utter cynicism of "One, Two, Three" to the bitter wisdom of "Child's Play" would be flat and chaotic. Barrowman does it marvelously, and has a beautiful singing voice to boot.
As Cal's self-centered and power-hungry mother Violet, Kathryn Evans puts a remarkeable twist on things. Again, another actress could easily have slipped up. Somehow, Evans takes a character that is inherently dislikeable and draws in a tiny note of sympathy; instead of being a cardboard stand-up, Violet becomes human. Instead of seeing her as the piece's villain, I am able to view her as mostly her own victim. The credit for this goes partially to the actual lyrics & score of the show, but an unusually large amount of it goes to the actress. And while I've heard better voices in a purely objective sense, I can think of nobody whose voice would be more suitable for this role. I can't picture anyone else singing "Cleaning House" or "Spin" with the same kind of ferocious energy.
Philip Quast, who was the only reason I bothered listening to this CD in the first place, was equally stunning. He seems to do well in rather angsty roles, and this one is perfect. Grahame Chandler, Cal's uncle, is a brilliant man whose bright future was thrown off track by the crippling polio he contracted in childhood. He furnished the brains behind his brother Reed's campaign. For the majority of the CD, Grahame's lines are various combinations of sarcasm and bitterness, and Quast comes through with flying colors. He has me rolling on the floor in "America's Son" with his matter-of-fact (and all too realistic) explanation of how to win an election. In "Two Guys at Harvard" you can feel him radiating a sort of contemptuous self-pity. Yet he still makes it work when he pours on the emotion in his big solo number, "First Came Mercy," and the result is fantastic. Grahame is an interesting character, and Quast really manages to bring him fully to life.
As far as the songs go, this album has some real gems. Favorites include "Child's Play," which has to be one of the most plaintively beautiful songs ever; "America's Son," a hilarious look at politics; and of course "One, Two, Three," the chillingly cynical opening number. However, there are also a few songs I don't like - namely, those sung by Cal's mistress Tina. I suspect it has something to do with my dislike for slow, twangy jazz - something that certainly describes "Lonely is a Two-Way Street." In addition, I didn't enjoy Krysten Cummings's voice. I suspect this is largely a matter of personal taste, however, and there may be many people out there who enjoy both Cummings and her songs.
To sum up...The Fix is a wonderful CD. Just so you realize how wonderful it is - I downloaded the entire album, burned it, and then loved it so much that I went out and bought the actual CD! And it was worth every penny of that $17.99.
