I don't know if androids dream (of electric sheep or anything else for that matter), but Brent Spiner sure can dream, and he can make them come true. Most fans know of Brent's work in the theatre, and we also know of his love of musical and pop standards from the 30s and 40s. Last month, the CD “Dreamland” was released, and it is a combination of musical theatre and classic radio theatre, creating an audio story woven together by songs of love and dreams.

The CD starts with a short musical number that reminds me of a traditional theatrical overture, but then  we find out very quickly that this is not a typical CD. Much more than a collection of songs, we are treated to a story about a young man who dares to dream of romance, and we are invited into his dream. The story is complete with dialogue and sound effects, and the best way to describe it is a musical audio drama. As with any good musical theatre, the songs advance and help tell the story. While the songs are not originals written for this CD, the arrangements were especially created for this production by John “Mac” McKinney, with whom Brent had previously worked. The arrangements include not only vocals but also instrumental parts, and you truly get the feeling that you are listening to a Broadway production.

The story is very well told so that even though it is audio only, you can easily imagine the image that the scriptwriter, John Logan, and the actors are portraying in their work. The dialogue is perfect for the “dreamy” state of the story, and works perfectly with the chosen songs. Even though the CD is short (approx. 50 minutes), I felt that I got the whole story of the dream, and I became invested in the two main characters, wanting to know what happened as the story unfolded.

Naturally, we've all heard Brent sing before, and his wonderful voice is no surprise to fans, but the arrangements allowed him to show his vocal range. The combination of Brent with his co-star, Maude Maggart is perfect. Their voices compliment each other, and their style works well with the dream world that has been created. Maude has a broad vocal range also, and when she did have to change her vocal tone for the “nightmare” portion of the story, she showed even more of her talent. Many vocalists could have performed these songs, but with Brent and Maude, they have voices that are well-suited to perform these “standards”. I truly had the feeling that I was listening to a work from the 40s.

The story also included a number of additional male characters, all of whom were played by Mark Hamill. Yes, THAT Mark Hamill, the very talented voice actor who in recent years has almost become more famous for voicing The Joker than for...that other part. As with any good voice actor, Mark does a great job being each different character, and I would not have realize it was him had I not looked at the credits.

To order (or download) this CD, or to see more information about Brent and his career, visit his website, www.therealbrentspiner.com which is very nicely done. If you visit the site, I encourage you to check out the “Dreamland Teaser”, a behind-the-scenes video about the making of the CD. Informative but funny, Brent, Maude, Mark and others involved in the production give insight but also laugh at themselves and each other. There is a scene in the video that shows clips of Brent and Maude recording  the last song on the CD, “To Know You”, and we see that Maude recorded all of the vocals for that number, and that is an accomplishment that not all vocalists can achieve. Fans and reviewers who have talked about this CD have said they think that it should be made into a stage show or a movie, but I'm not sure I agree. I highly recommend this CD, and throughly enjoyed it, but I think it might take away from the special creation that is this CD. I will say this...if “Dreamland” ever does evolve into a version that includes video, I will look forward to seeing it, but I hope it does not diminish the enjoyment of listening to this excellent musical audio drama.

* PIcture Credit: Wikipedia

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