The theme development [was] quite impressive!! I dislike the 4 Jane Eyre movies I've seen because I believe they mess up the theme. I was very impressed with this production's understanding of the story!!

In terms of theme development: they establish early on that Jane is a very principled young womam, something that you don't get from Paul Gorden's Toronto CD, and having the show end with "I Am An Arrow" was extreamly effective. And then the way they used the "temptation scene" where Rochester trys to make Jane his mistress was the test of Jane's morals. So many versions of Jane Eyre miss this point,and don't do this final moment of temptation where Jane almost falls. I view this as one of THE most pivital scenes; and they handled it well.

As for darker music, I think there is a balance: I like "Vantiy" which is completely light and yet it makes it's point. But "Never Before" seems really out of place, and so did "One Love Two Hearts" (whichever order). Both of them were good song and the lyrics generally speaking were really good, but they just seemed to "happy" for the moment.

And in the diologue their were several light moments that worked quite well; this was one of the reasons I felt that the writers had the right idea of how to tell the story dramaticly and make it work right, in terms of flow and not get the story stuck in places.

I haven't heard the whole score but to some extents I agree. I think Gorden has some great tunes. But I really wish he would push the envelope in places! Some places just where the music seems to be going for this big climax Gorden lets off early and I'm thinking "Paul! Buddy! What happened!?" And then I never liked Mrs Fairfaix as the comedy relief! It's too much like something out of Jane Austen, and Bronte hated Austen!

But lyricly Paul has a much greater understanding of the charcters. My case in points are 'As good as You' and 'Painting her Portrait.' 'As good as you' tells you more about Rochester than anything in the Thompson and co. musical does. I see this all the time when people have a hard life they ususally say that any desion that they made that effected the out come wasn't their choise. And that "any" other person put in similar circumstances would have done the same thing. This presumption is of course wrong; and Jane proves him wrong. When she resists similar temptation. I found that I couldn't take most of the lyrics to Thompson's show deeper. Instead of "As Good as You" Rochester sings "Begin Again" what if I could begin again; I think Gorden is closer to what Rocherster is really like. "Begin Again" assumes that Rochester would have acted differently, "As Good as You" assumes that Rochester would have acted the same. He is trying to justify his life at least in his converstaions with Jane; maybe inside some place he is really thinking "What if I could begin again." But that's not the side of Rochester an audience should see first, that should come out MUCH later.

"I am An Arrow" is probably the best song in the show, although it needs lyrical expansion the words and the reprises to it are extremely effective; and the song itself is symbolic. Most of the other songs could not be held well in a symbolic light. The way most of Gordon can be.

Remember, this is a work in progress; the show Sheyna Watkin's saw is only the beginning of it.