The Count of Monte Cristo: The Musical

You will NOT find a project more ambitious than this in the festival this year. The actors obliterate the singing competition of this festival with their Broadway-level chops. Some of the material is still in devopment (as most shows are) but that is NO reason not to see it and be inspired by it. Even as I see more shows this one has stayed with me as being a singularly mature and professional effort. Congrats Kelly and the Cristos!... full review

With book and lyrics by Kelly D’Angelo and music by Matt Dahan, the team who also produces, directs and musical directs the production, the WORLD-PREMIERE of THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO: THE MUSICAL is based on the novel by Alexandre Dumas centering on the story of one man, Edmond Dantès, and his dark transformation into the antihero known as the Count of Monte Cristo who seeks against his enemies after serving 14 years in prison. The musical expands on the many motifs raised in the novel while offering a fresh perspective on the nearly thousand-paged piece of literature. Originally written as a three-hour production, thankfully the Fringe show has been edited down to two. Those not familiar with the novel, however, may find themselves a bi... full review

If this is the "abridged version," (according to creator, Kelly D'Angelo) I CAN'T WAIT to see the entire thing, Kelly! This classic story came to life beautifully - even with the restrictions of space and time! And I LOVED the music, Matt Dahan! It was perfectly matched in mood and tone to tell this story! What you two have created is just wonderful - and KUDOS to your performers! There was some SERIOUS talent on that stage. Bravo!... full review

Amazing show, and totally worth driving the four hours there and back to see it. I loved it!! Some of the singers could have been louder but otherwise I was in awe. The singers had wonderful voices!! Thank you for an amazing show!!!... full review

I was very impressed with the cast of this Fringe Show. Most of the cast was superior in their vocal range and quality.Initially I was concerned that it was going to be uneven and boring, but as it went along it got better and better. I am so looking forward to Kelly tweaking and getting more investors to put on a well funded show so that all elements, stage scenery, costumes, orchestra , are in place to present it at a big venue. It definitely deserves a future. The entire cast including one personal friend, knocked me out with their talent. good luck and keep truckin'... full review

It was a Shakespearian experience: The story's the thing. I am inspired to go back and read Dumas' story of jealousy, greed, betrayal and revenge. The sets and staging were simple, yet effective. Musicals are meant to have large stages and this was no exception, but the intimate nature of this production in the small Lounge Theatre was very nice. Though the recorded music was at times too loud to hear and some of the songs and story were lost, I very much enjoyed that the singers had no mics. The pre-recorded music displayed the colors of a large scale production though I think a smaller ensemble of musicians would have been the ticket in this intimate setting. (But then, I am a bass player so I will admit to my prejudice against canned mu... full review

[See the full writeup, with links, at http://cahighways.org/wordpress/?p=10393 ] Fringe festivals serve many purposes, all centered around the notion of having a low cost, short run production of some form of show. Sometimes the show is mature and just can be produced inexpensively. Sometimes the show is a simple artistic expression. Sometimes the show is the first step in a long journey for a production, allowing for audience and reviewer feedback as part of the maturation process. Understanding these varied goals is important to assessing a show, and particularly relevant to the show we saw Sunday afternoon at the Lounge Theatre (FB) as part of the 2015 Hollywood Fringe Festival (FB): “The Count of Monte Cristo: The Musical” (FB) (Kelly... full review

According to Wikipedia, there have been nine musical adaptations of Alexandre Dumas’ The Count Of Monte Cristo in the past fifteen years alone, leading one to wonder… Do we need a tenth? The answer, at least for Hollywood Fringe Festival-goers, is no, not if it’s Kelly D’Angelo and Matt Daman’s well-intentioned but ultimately unsuccessful attempt to transform the 1844 tale of revenge into a musical for 21st Century tastes. Click on "Original Review" to read my complete review at StageSceneLA.com.... full review

Best show I never saw ... That will teach me to "scan" rather that "skim", when buying tickets. David Zack told me the dates and I chose opening night! However, it turned out that there was no opening night, only an opening "afternoon", which I only discovered when I really look at the ticket purchase. I've been in show biz since my first chorus job at the Sacramento Music Cirus, in 1956; one would think I would take nothing for granted! I understand a "parade" kept one of the principals from being on stage at the beginning and some adjustments had to be made. Maybe I dodged a bullet! I just felt bad that there were two empty seats that I could have given to David to fill, had I looked earlier at the receipt. All is not lost, however as I h... full review

Rather than merely give us another shortened movie version of this literary classic, writer Kelly D’Angelo, who has read over six versions of the story including one in French, has no less than attempted to put as much time into creating the musical and include as intact a narrative as could be possible for stage — as did Dumas put into the actual literary writing. Only thing is, all that pre-study didn’t quite translate. Read the full review at Gia On The Move (official press) http://giaonthemove.com/2015/06/19/gia-hff15-reviews-the-count-of-monte-cristo/... full review