Editorial Review:

Amazon.com:
Harry Connick Jr.'s Tony-nominated score for his 2001 Broadway debut, Thou Shalt Not, sounds a lot like, well, Harry Connick Jr. Transplanting Émile Zola's dark novel of passion, adultery, and murder, Thérèse Raquin, to 1940s New Orleans allows Connick to operate in his element, with songs that don't need to move the plot along among the most interesting: Debra Monk's saloon song "My Little World," a traditional funeral march ("Won't You Sanctify"), the lively ensemble numbers "Light the Way" and "Take Me to the Mardi Gras," the numerous jazzy instrumentals, and Tony nominee Norbert Leo Butz (The Last 5 Years) sounding like the crooning composer-lyricist himself on "Oh, Ain't It a Shame" and "It's Good to Be Home."

Connick plays piano but doesn't sing on this 77-minute original cast recording, but other cast members include Kate Levering (Peggy Sawyer in the 2001 revival of 42nd Street), Craig Bierko (Harold Hill in the 2000 revival of The Music Man), and Leo Burmester. Director-choreographer Susan Stroman couldn't duplicate her phenomenally successful run of Contact, The Music Man, and The Producers--Thou Shalt Not was generally panned, and the show closed after a three-month run. That makes this CD a historical document, and thus it's great to have the full lyrics, but for those not up on their Zola, a plot synopsis would have been nice. --David Horiuchi

I honestly think that this score shows a lot of merit. "Oh! Ain't that Sweet" and "Take Her Two the Mardi Gras" are the very best from the score. However, this cast album of the show lacks a really good cast. The ensemble sounds like something along the lines of a chorus from The Carnival Cruise Line production of "Hooray for Hollywood!" The other performers aren't exceptional with the exception of Norbert Leo Butz who is in his element.

Average Rating:

Rating: - Thou Shalt Not
I honestly think that this score shows a lot of merit. "Oh! Ain't that Sweet" and "Take Her Two the Mardi Gras" are the very best from the score. However, this cast album of the show lacks a really good cast. The ensemble sounds like something along the lines of a chorus from The Carnival Cruise Line production of "Hooray for Hollywood!" The other performers aren't exceptional with the exception of Norbert Leo Butz who is in his element.

Rating: - Songs do little to develop story or character
THOU SHALT NOT was a disappointing show because the source material (THERESE RAQUIN) has the potential to be a powerful musical.

Harry Connick Jr. penned the words and music for this show, yet it seems he has never studied some of the Broadway classics (from OKLAHOMA! thru RAGTIME) to learn how to use songs to develop character and advance the story. He has come up with some great tunes here, but rarely do they seem to have much in common with the tragic story. One notable exception is "The Other Hours" which is perfectly suited to the moment. "Take her to the Mardi Gras" is a geat up-tempo dance number, but much of the rest plays like a collection of songs rater than numbers which are part of an integrated story.

Connick says he hopes to continue to work on Broadway and as I write this in March 2006 he is starring in a smash-hit revival of PAJAMA GAME. Broadway can certainly use a composer of his talent, and we can only hope that he learns how to weave story and character into his songs for a future musical.

The cast on this CD is first-rate: Nobert Leo Butz, Craig Bierko, Kate Levering, Debra Monk are all fine. The CD is well-produced but the booklet contains only the lyrics and no notes about the show or a synopsis. Also no label or catalogue number. It seems to be a private release. Copies were sent to Tony voters when the score was nominated (it lost to URINETOWN)and then with little fanfare the CD started showing up on Amazon and other web-retailers and in speciatly shops like New York's Footlight Records, but it has never been given general distribution.

Was this prduction jinxed? Previews had to be delayed a week because of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Opening night Craig Bierko was accidently hit in the throat durring a fight scene and was out of the show for 2 weeks. Kate Levering spained an ankle and was also forced out of the show for a spell.

Maybe the ghost of Camille Raquin is more powerful than we thought.

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Rating: - For collectors only!
"Thou Shalt Not" is the kind of show that the cast and creative team could dine out on for years. That is, if they want to admit or even remember that they were involved in it. The show got terrible reviews when it opened on Broadway in October 2001, and barely cleared three months at the Plymouth Theater. It is pretty much a miracle that an entire cast album was recorded.

I saw this show late into its run, and must agree with almost all of the criticism that has been said towards this show. The book is so bad that it is practically non-existant; the music-though it can be rather splendid at times, definitely borders on clunkiness; and the lyrics are frequently ackward. The score, however, did earn a Tony nomination, and at times it is possible to see why.

With the exception of the wonderful Norbert Leo Butz and the ever-terrific Debra Monk, the performances are rather pedestrian. Craig Bierko doesn't have the right intensity for Laurent LeClaire, and Kate Levering is totally devoid of the appropriate sensuality required for Therese Raquin. Rumors has it that the two were lovers during the production, but there is less than zero chemistry between them.

This definitely falls in the "for cast album collectors only" category. If you have a large collection of musical theater CDs, this is the kind of item that can nicely round out a collection. However, if you are knew to musical theater, skip to Sondheim, Kander and Ebb and R&H, before visiting this legendary folly!

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Rating: - Thou Shall Listen to This ;-)
This Broadway musical is somewhat unusual, because of Harry Connick's jazz fever.
So don't wait for some childish stuff here, it's a very serious fine musical, with much enjoying jazz band and with some truly remarkable orchestral and piano music.
First, I'm astonished by Harry Connick's ability to orchestrate. I'm a big symphonies listener, and Harry's orchestral work (like his orchestrations on the album `Song I Heard') is very impressively subtle. Everything on this album proves again what a gifted composer, and lyricist he is.
Harry sort of adapted the romantic wagnerian music to jazz, with this jazzy tragedy, because of the dramatic plot which convokes some very touching chromatic harmonies throughout the musical.
Singers are enough talented, lyrics are just like french poetry and the melodies are pure Connick shiny, entertaining or darkly moving ones.
This album is a very rare and precious experience, which won't surely please every Broadway musicals fan, but which will simply content listeners wishing for some refined narrative tragic and poetic music.

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Rating: - A surprising and complex work
Unfairly overlooked -- I bought this CD as soon as it was available but didn't much enjoy it on first listen. I popped it in the CD player today and -- whoa! -- it's got lots of forboding layering, some stunning showstoppers, and great voices throughout. Highlights are "The Other Hours," and the upbeat numbers set in Mardi Gras. This is one of those CD's that pays rich dividends on repeat listenings -- and Norbert Leo Butz is fantastic as always. Percolate with this CD, and you won't be disappointed -- it's a stark and suprising addition to any Broadway collector's set!

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