RATING: ★★★★★
When I first heard people on Twitter talking about a new album that was a blend of an Irish fairytale and a Disney musical, I knew I had to check it out. I vaguely remembered hearing about the Off-West End production of The Clockmaker's Daughter back in 2015 and was thrilled to see the names of some of my favorite performers on the cast list for the album.
Not to be confused with the book of the same name, The Clockmaker's Daughter is an original musical with all new music by Michael Webborn and Daniel Finn. It ranges from light comedy to a love story to a tragedy about discrimination. It takes place in a fictional Irish countryside town called Spindlewood and explores the origins of the odd ritual they perform every year. It's a story about love and loss, prejudice and the fear of the unknown. In other words, it's a perfect folk tale with music to match.
The cast give beautiful vocal performances and really bring the story together so well with just their voices you almost feel like you can see it. The ever-wonderful Ramin Karimloo is great as the Clockmaker, while Christine Allado (well known for Hamilton in the West End) is lovely as his daughter Constance. Hannah Waddingham is absolutely hilarious in an almost Madame Thenardier-like role and Fra Fee shows off his abilities as a romantic lead.
The music itself blends a more traditional musical theatre sound with influences from Irish music which gives it a really timeless feel. The musical excels at its large ensemble village songs like the opening number, "The Turning of the Key," or my personal favorite, "Spindlewood." "Keep It To Yourself" is my favorite 'gossip song' I've ever heard in a show.
Ramin Karimloo does what he does best -- beautiful, longing angst -- in "You're Still Here" while Christine Allado's "A Story of My Own" is a ballad worthy of any Disney princess full of that optimistic longing that characterizes a show like Beauty and the Beast. "If You Could See My Heart" is one of the best love song duets I've heard in a musical in some time. The composers did a great job of having a lot of varied songs on the album making it impossible to feel bored while still preserving a cohesive sound.
If you like Disney musicals, Irish music, fairytales, or traditional musical theatre, I feel confident in saying that you'll love this album. And if you love Irish accents even half as much as I do, you're guaranteed to enjoy it. While I still do have a few questions (and I'm eager to see this musical on stage), it does a great job of guiding you through most of the plot through the songs alone. I have to admit, there's something about walking through a crowd while listening to "Spindlewood" that has me ready to pack up and move to a small village in Ireland.