Search - Various :: Adding Machine: A Musical

It all adds up

Richard LeComte | Tuscaloosa, AL | 07/14/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"On this recording, the remarkable score comes off even better than it does in the theater. Joshua Schmidt employs a range of styles, from minimalism to 1930s pop, and to great effect in this harrowing work about a man named Mr. Zero who is replaced by an adding machine. Joel Hatch's nearly anti-musical vocal performance brings out the depth of the score as he croaks his way through an essentially untuneful or anti-tuneful life as underscored by the brilliant singing of the support ensemble, particularly Joe Farrell as the matricidal fellow inmate. Of course, the score can't capture the stunning break in visual style the stage production employs, but the last third of the music really goes many unexpected places, just as the characters do. Each listening brings fresh insights."

A unique score that is well worth having.

M. Grossberg | Montclair, New Jersey United States | 06/03/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The recording of Adding Machine perfectly captures the entire musical with its wonderful performances and unique score that is unlike anything else currently running in New York. If you have had the good fortune to see this production on stage, you will know what a unique theater experience it is. When I saw the show I knew that my appreciation for the score would only grow in repeated listenings, which it has. The musical performances both define the characters and further the plot and are true to the original Elmer Rice play. Once again PS Classics has identified and recorded a show that will not be forgotten once the original production has ended."

What do our lives add up to in the end?

Steven Valenti | Cleveland, OH | 06/03/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"From start to finish, I loved this recording of "Adding Machine," the new musical by Joshua Schmidt and Jason Loewith. Strikingly original, the show offers further proof that any subject, with the right approach, can be turned into an effective musical. This will certainly be high on my list of the decade's best new scores.



Based on an expressionist play by Elmer Rice, "Adding Machine" is social commentary wrapped in a surreal story about a working-stiff accountant, Mr. Zero (Joel Hatch), who, when not berated by his wife at home, performs mind-numbing work--thoroughly unappreciated, except by an assistant who longs for him from afar. Things get even bleaker when, after learning he's being replaced by new adding machines, Zero snaps and kills his boss.



The plot gets plenty twisted (and darkly funny) from there, and it's all represented vividly on this recording by a fine cast, who act and sing with the gusto of a live performance. From the grating of Mrs. Zero (Cyrilla Baer) at the beginning as she lashes out at her docile husband, to the truly satisfying conclusion to Zero's oddysey, "Adding Machine" holds you in its grip.



Of course, that grip comes in large part from the music by Joshua Schmidt, which is fantastic. Consisting of percussive rhythms and keyboards (regular and electronic), the score is ominous and forceful, and complements the bizarre story perfectly. Only a couple numbers sound "traditional," used effectively in the few touching moments amid all the bleakness (featuring Amy Warren, poignant as Zero's assistant). But this isn't a show meant to put a bounce in your step. It's meant to knock you on your a--. Schmidt and Loewith achieve that brilliantly.

"