Following Jimmy Valentine by Jeff Flaster
My Thoughts + Author & Artist Information
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Following Jimmy Valentine
Performed by stage icons Hadley Fraser, Kerry Ellis, David Hunter, Celinde Schoenmaker and George Blagden, and jazz legend Jacqui Dankworth, author Jeff Flaster’s bold reimagining of O. Henry’s classic short story “A Retrieved Reformation” combines world-class performances with a score that blends classical, jazz and classic rock influences into melodic storytelling that stays with listeners after the final note.
Blending melodic music, noir comedy and a timeless tale of reinvention, “Following Jimmy Valentine” reinvents the musical experience for the 21st century. Never before staged or filmed, it’s an audio-first creation where dialogue and song are fully integrated — a book that sings.
Notorious jewel thief Jimmy Valentine (Hadley Fraser: “Phantom of the Opera”, “City of Angels”) swears he’s going straight this time. But Jimmy has baggage that won’t fit in his suitcase of burglar’s tools. Soon after his release from prison, he’s back to his old habits.
Disillusioned New Orleans detective Jen Price (Kerry Ellis: “Wicked”) wants to catch Jimmy Valentine—and feel like a hero again. But Jimmy isn’t the villain she’d hoped he’d be. While hiding in a small town, Jimmy falls in love with Annabel Adams (Celinde Schoenmaker: “Guys and Dolls”). For the first time, Valentine dares to believe in a new life.
But is it too late?
Starring:
Hadley Fraser as Jimmy Valentine
Kerry Ellis as Jen Price
David Hunter as Reflection
Celinde Schoenmaker as Annabel Adams
Jacqui Dankworth as Collette Adams
George Blagden as Emil LaRue
Alison Arnopp, Simon Shorten, and David Beck as additional roles
Creative Team:
Director – David Beck
Producer – Sarah Golding, Wireless Theatre
Casting – Fiona Thraille and Sarah Golding
Broadcast Assisting – Liis Miik and Teresa Milewski
Music Director and Orchestrations – Patrick Stockbridge
Musicians – Patrick Stockbridge, Jamie Stockbridge, Abigail Jackson, Miranda Lewis-Brown
Sound Design – Ross Burman
Recorded at Jukebox Studios with Steven Kobong
To purchase your copy of Following Jimmy Valentine, click the following link: Amazon
My Thoughts on Following Jimmy Valentine
A light, fun romp through an easy story with echoes of a vintage radio show.
While Following Jimmy Valentine may not dig deep into the big questions facing humanity, it is filled with solid singing, excellent sound effects, and a clear storyline.
One of the conventions of musical theater is that a character begins to sing when their emotions become too intense for dialogue to convey. While the songs in Following Jimmy Valentine come at a consistent pace, and often at turning points in the story, they don’t add as much to the emotional arcs of the characters as I might have wished.
Despite that, the strongest aspect of this unique audiobook is the inclusion of sound effects, music, and singing. Though Flaster could have gone much deeper into the narrative possibilities provided by the O. Henry original, it’s still an enjoyable experience, primarily for the close attention to building an environment that listeners can picture. From knocks to footsteps to trains and planes and crowds, the creative team does a fantastic job of creating an immersive experience.
There are a few standout songs, with my favorites often sung by the female voices, especially: “The Line,” a snappy tune with a great beat and a noirish feel. And “You or Me,” a duet which carries the most emotional content, the singers heartfelt, the lyrics touching, and the music sweeping.
Flaster, an MIT alum and former a cappella director, says his modern take on the O. Henry story explores pride, identity and emotional recovery: “You’re not stuck, even if you feel like you’re locked into a loop of endless repetition. You have the power to change who you are.”
A message that remains valuable in any era.
Fans of musical theater will enjoy this unusual audio book, and find their fingers snapping and their toes tapping along with the talented cast.
Following Jimmy Valentine Creator Jeff Flaster
JEFF FLASTER is a New Yorker by birth whose parents were both mathematicians. They had saved since Flaster was born so that they could send him to MIT, and were not pleased when college-aged Flaster asked if he could major in music instead of math. So Flaster made music a minor, but it remained a major in his life. The fact that he is a tenor gave him easy entrée into choirs and ensembles, and he performed regularly in a group at MIT, The Chorallaries. He has also performed at The Kennedy Center with the Choral Arts Society of Washington, and at Tanglewood with the Tanglewood Festival Chorus.
Flaster produced three recordings of his original compositions, available on Apple Music. Recently, inspired by O. Henry’s sunnier version of “Les Misérables,” Flaster wrote a full-length musical now called “Following Jimmy Valentine.” The 2021 version of this musical, called “Shell Shock,” was directed by Lennie Watts and can be seen on Melodic Music’s YouTube channel. Flaster’s interest in cabaret was sparked by his father, and by a course he took at 92Y with the late Collette Black. Find out more about him at https://www.melodic.com.
Follow Jeff Flaster on social media:
Facebook: @FlasterTunes | Instagram: @Flaster_Tunes | YouTube: Melodic Music
Elena Hartwell | Elena Taylor
