The last recording I will cover that has been released so far in The Michael Friedman Collection is a recording of The Abominables. As much as I enjoyed listening to the other two recordings in this series, This Beautiful City and The Great Immensity, I have to admit that The Abominables is my favorite to listen to so far. It is fun and the lyrics are witty, and I enjoyed the satire found in the lyrics. Michael Friedman wrote the clever lyrics and wonderful music. If you are not familiar with his compositions please take some time to listen to one of the many recordings of his work. His pieces are unique and smart, and listening to his music and lyrics over the last three weeks in The Michael Friedman Collection has been a pleasure.

The Abominables is about a youth hockey team in Minnesota and it is a satire about the high stakes of suburban youth hockey. The story revolves around Mitch, who wants to play professional hockey, but first he must make the school’s A team. However, all his friends are placed on the A Team and he ends up on the B team. The music from this show is insightful, humorous and charming. It was a delight to listen to and I have to admit I laughed out loud at a few of the songs.

The Abominables recording has a lot of highlights, and I truly enjoyed the music from it. One of the songs I need to mention is the song “Minnesota Nice.” The song tells of how the people of Minnesota are always nice, but that there is also something boiling under that niceness. This song is full of humor and crafty lyrics. I found myself smiling while listening to this song. Another highlight from this score is the song, “Hockey Rules.” I really love the melody of this song and I love the lyrics especially “The great things about rules is that they give everyone a fighting chance/ in the eyes of the rules everyone is equal.” Plus the vocals by Mia Jenness makes this a wonderful number. The last song I want to mention on The Abominables recording is the song “We Are All Yeti,” which is the hockey team’s song. I really enjoyed this song about everyone being a Yeti and supporting their team. It is simply a fun song, like all team songs are meant to be. There are so many highlights on this recording that I could go on and on. Do yourself a favor and listen to the music. It is fun and humorous, and definitely worth a listen.

I am really thrilled that The Civilians and Ghostlight Records have released Michael Friedman’s wonderful music. The Abominables is a show I probably would not have had a chance to listen to otherwise. To purchase The Abominables visit  www.ghostlightrecords.com/the-abominables.html.

Photos courtesy of Ghostlight Records

Kelli Curtin is founding editor and writer for theatresensation.com. She has maintained a love of the performing arts since a very early age and she is excited to share her passion about theatre and the Arts with her readers. Kelli can be found on Twitter, Facebook and on Instagram.

Music Review Ghostlight Records