After much consideration, I finally coaxed the 20 dollar bill from my wallet [reluctantly, oh so reluctantly... we college students are of necessity stingy], and purchased "The Fix."  Although no one is visiting my site... I have posted my initial thoughts on the London recording, which of course features the lovely Philip Quast as Grahame Chandler.  Images are interspersed with the text, while sound clips and links can be found following my review. | Review | Soundclips | Links |

     Authored by west-end newcomers John Dempsey and Dana P Rowe; The Fix, which is amicably produced by Cameron Mackintosh, and joined by Philip Quast’s amazing baritone, undeniably sports the backbone of a successful and brilliant musical. Does it deliver? That is a different matter altogether, and one with which I continue to wrestle even while penning this review… 

     Indubitably, "The Fix" has panache; spinning witticisms cleverly into its harsh critique of the American Dream, and the first act is admirably funny at times— Cal’s entirely cliché “I See The Future” and Grahame’s tongue-n-cheek instructions “America’s Son,” amusingly reflect the sickening redundancy of American politics, even quoting the horrendously stereotypical  “I see the future… in the faces of the young,” which has become a veritable  calling card of faux-politics & opinion. However, while the score certainly demonstrates potential, particularly in its trademark ballad ‘One Two Three’ and genuinely intelligent political satire, it ultimately suffers from immature writing and poorly developed, pathetically destitute characters.
 

Before I go on to justify my last comment, since this page is primarily dedicated to Philip [more specifically, Javert of course], I must briefly  discuss his character, Grahame Chandler. Grahame is the intellectually promising, polio-stricken brother of Reed Chandler: politician extraordinaire, who reluctantly takes on the daunting task of tutoring Cal in the circuitous traditions of politics, after his father dies following an adventurous night on the town. Though not without fault, His is the only personality I fully  connected with on the London Cast Recording, and Grahame’s background [which is elaborated upon in the accompanying insert, but only touched upon in song] is likely the sole reason I would want to see 'The Fix' live. His is a serious character, involved with the mob, and diligent in his efforts to reform Cal. Grahame is also, however, ravaged by some of the more complex emotions & relationships explored in this musical. Indeed, one of the primary reasons he consents to assist Violet is his [bordering on incestuous] attraction to Cal. Now, regardless of whether or not you condone his feelings, it is heartbreaking to see him manipulated and cowed by them; after all, who can honestly claim to hold dominion over emotion? Attractions are certainly one of the more inexplicable aspects of humanity, and most mature individuals can sympathize with Grahame’s humiliating & self-defeating  desire for  someone he can never feasibly have. When he begs ‘mercy’ during “The Upper Hand,” as Cal successfully seduces the drugs from his crippled uncle, it would be a cold heart indeed that did not twinge with empathy & shared betrayal. Likewise, in Philip’s only solo, “First Came Mercy,” Grahame delivers one of The Fix’ few truly emotional numbers. Though it could have been better written, FCM is nevertheless moving, and in some respects Grahame resembles  Philip’s interpretation of Javert, in that the audience is likely inspired to jump onstage and hug the man for oh… just about a year or two… Actually, I really ought to stop listening to him for awhile, as Philip’s characters inevitably depress and infuriate me—why? Not because his performance is lacking, certainly, but because I can never save them! It is exasperating to watch Javert’s suicide over and over again, without a chance in the world of altering its outcome.

All right, now after complimenting the boots off Philip, there are faults in his character as well—most of which can be attributed to the script itself, and not Mr. Quast’s acting. (1) He only sings in six numbers: three in act one, three in act two. This may seem sufficient at first glance, but most are cameo appearances, and Grahame is only prominently featured in perhaps half of the six. So, if you would purchase the CD based on Quast’s involvement alone [as I did :p], your money might be better spent elsewhere. (2) Grahame allegedly stutters, but I never heard this in Quast except when explicitly demanded… even then, I don’t think he can sing and stutter at the same time. Perhaps it was merely a childhood impediment, but if that is the case, then the tasteless humor of “Two Guys at Harvard” doesn’t make a wit of sense. Lastly, (3) Violet is said to choose the ‘good looking’ Reed over a less-handsome Grahame…  but, Philip Quast is Grahame, so Reed would need to be nearly inhumanly beautiful to fill the requirement! 

Ehm, getting away from Philip for a moment. The supporting cast is equally talented, and do quite well with their respective roles:  John Barrowman as Cal Chandler and Krysten Cummings as Tina, easily top the list. Despite the superb casting, solid story, and renowned producer, The Fix nonetheless still feels like a half-finished product; a concept album, that could be truly great if competently edited. As previously mentioned, it does include a few excellent songs, and the story itself is both creative and refreshingly cynical… But it lacks cohesiveness, and most of the lyrics are either stilted or redundant. There isn’t anything truly ‘new’ in The Fix, and however sincerely written, the entire CD sounds ‘familiar:’ there isn’t anything that really inspires, moves, or invigorates. Perhaps the story would flourish as a play, but musically it mainly falls flat…

     I hate to insult this CD, because I genuinely  admire its intelligence. Later I may revise my opinions, especially since it is improving with each subsequent play-though [3 in a row now]. Please do not think I hate “The Fix.” Its merits are many, and if you just need to hear Philip sing… then I do recommend it. Try to preview the CD first, if you can—this is not going to be for everyone. Moreover, it may indeed be music that ‘grows’ on a person with time… so if you find yourself with a copy that’s gained a coat of dust, wipe it clean and try listening again. 

Sound Clips  1. First Came Mercy: "You can jam it up your own ass today Richard, I'm busy."  2. First Came Mercy: "Never-ending roundabout in laying the blame. Never-ending woe, never-ending blame, never-ending pilgrimage from mercy to shame."  3. First Came Mercy: "Show me no mercy, show me no mercy."  4. Embrace Tomorrow: "All those pointless years, the spirit and the soul diminished. Let it go accept your losses, if nothing else at least it's finished."  5. Embrace Tomorrow: "Sanity's expected in the White House, or at least the mere facsimile thereof."  6. Upper Hand: "... mercy..."  Please visit Philip's official site, The Philip Quast Continuum, for additional sound clips. I decided not to copy any .wav files from other sources, so while mine are all unique --  so are theirs !

THE FIX:Links

1. The Philip Quast Continuum: Listed above as well, this is Philip Quast's official site. 
2. The Fix-- A New Show From Dempsey/Rowe : Excellent site, wonderful resources. Although it is predominantly dedicated to Zombie Prom: an earlier show by Dempsey and Rowe. 
3. THE FIX-- A featured musical page: Updates and info on both the UK and US casts.