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Spin: The Rumpelstiltskin Musical
SPIN - THE AUDIOBOOK MUSICAL: A witty musical re-imagining of Grimm’s fairy tale, Rumpelstiltskin, created by musical theatre veterans, narrated by Jim Dale, and featuring a cast of Broadway musical stars. The story takes place in a Nice Little Kingdom, and ignites when a foolish miller brags that his daughter, Jane, can spin straw into gold. Since she cannot perform such a miracle, Jane desperately enlists the powers of a magical being…Rumpelstiltskin… in exchange for a promise with dire consequences. A fun, fractured fairy tale for the entire family.
Cast: Jim Dale, Barrett Leddy, Lisa Livesay, Nicola Barber, Khristine Hvam, Nick Sullivan, John Brady, Johnny Heller Produced by Hvam Audio and Sammy Smile Music; Music Composed, Orchestrated, and Produced by Neil Fishman; Book and Lyrics by Harvey Edelman; Adapted for the Audiobook by David B. Coe and Harvey Edelman; Directed by Khristine Hvam; Musical Direction by Neil Fishman; Recorded, Engineered and Mixed by Charles De Montebello at CDM Studios; Percussion Programming by Sam Fishman.
Cast: Jim Dale, Barrett Leddy, Lisa Livesay, Nicola Barber, Khristine Hvam, Nick Sullivan, John Brady, Johnny Heller Produced by Hvam Audio and Sammy Smile Music; Music Composed, Orchestrated, and Produced by Neil Fishman; Book and Lyrics by Harvey Edelman; Adapted for the Audiobook by David B. Coe and Harvey Edelman; Directed by Khristine Hvam; Musical Direction by Neil Fishman; Recorded, Engineered and Mixed by Charles De Montebello at CDM Studios; Percussion Programming by Sam Fishman.
Audiobook
First published January 9, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
March 26, 2018
This audio book was delightful--and hilarious. I've never listened to anything quite like it before. In someways it's a little like an old radio show production, but it's also pure musical theater with fairytale narration. If you like fairytales, music, and having a reason to laugh, this is for you.
September 3, 2019
3.5 stars. This was a comical rendition of Rumpelstiltskin. The addition of all the music is what really added to the story.
January 26, 2018
Rumpelstiltskin is my name 🎶
January 27, 2018
This is a very fun, engaging, and well-produced audio performance for adults and kids alike. Jim Dale (the narrator of the Harry Potter series, and arguably one of the best around) is on-point, and the syrupy musical effects are distilled by the cunning humor that runs throughout both the narrative and the songs.
I originally intended for this to be a listen for my first grader. It took less than ten minutes to realize that her 13 year old sister, and possibly even my husband, would find it equally compelling, as there is no shortage of adult humor (not inappropriate, to be clear) sprinkled liberally throughout.
My only (minor) disappointment is that, as an Audible production, I was unable to get a copy of this from the library. Normally I don’t mind buying a good book on audio, and am an active Audible member. Even with my membership, this title cost about $13 (or one credit), for a story with a total running time of 90 minutes. This feels a bit steep, given the length of the program; however, it IS truly a production, with many different people providing voices, high-quality musical pieces, and a very creative and entertaining storyline. If I had it to do over, I’d still buy it, so I’d say it was worth the money at the end of the day.
I originally intended for this to be a listen for my first grader. It took less than ten minutes to realize that her 13 year old sister, and possibly even my husband, would find it equally compelling, as there is no shortage of adult humor (not inappropriate, to be clear) sprinkled liberally throughout.
My only (minor) disappointment is that, as an Audible production, I was unable to get a copy of this from the library. Normally I don’t mind buying a good book on audio, and am an active Audible member. Even with my membership, this title cost about $13 (or one credit), for a story with a total running time of 90 minutes. This feels a bit steep, given the length of the program; however, it IS truly a production, with many different people providing voices, high-quality musical pieces, and a very creative and entertaining storyline. If I had it to do over, I’d still buy it, so I’d say it was worth the money at the end of the day.
April 13, 2019
DNF @ 50%.
LOVE this concept. A musical written and produced for audiobook format? Yes, please! An updated take on the Rumpelstiltskin fairy tale? YES.
The production quality was good, and Jim Dale was wonderful, naturally. The other performers were solid other than Rumpelstiltskin, whose voice was a bit grating. But the writing...oh, the writing. It was bad. So bad. I'm afraid I can't forgive it. It's the original fairy tale with the characters given "funny" backstories and telling bad jokes. Not much of a "re-imagining". And I could 1000% tell it was written by a dude (I didn't check before listening) because the three female characters were all SO distressingly stereotypical.
I can't recommend this, and I so wanted to love it.
LOVE this concept. A musical written and produced for audiobook format? Yes, please! An updated take on the Rumpelstiltskin fairy tale? YES.
The production quality was good, and Jim Dale was wonderful, naturally. The other performers were solid other than Rumpelstiltskin, whose voice was a bit grating. But the writing...oh, the writing. It was bad. So bad. I'm afraid I can't forgive it. It's the original fairy tale with the characters given "funny" backstories and telling bad jokes. Not much of a "re-imagining". And I could 1000% tell it was written by a dude (I didn't check before listening) because the three female characters were all SO distressingly stereotypical.
I can't recommend this, and I so wanted to love it.
Want to read
March 30, 2021The audiobook is absolutely excellent, and I had a good time walking around listening to Spin. It doesn't put that much of a new spin on Rumpelstiltskin, but the songs are fun and the dialog and lyrics are snappy. It absolutely fulfilled what I wanted from it.
July 30, 2022
This fun musical has a more hopeful and positive ending than the traditional folk tale.
February 28, 2018
I flipping LOVED this audiobook musical!! Omg!! If you have children and you want them to experience a joyous, smart, and entertaining musical for all ages (if you’re tired of Disney or whatever you got going on on repeat), you need to make sure you let them listen to this 1hr28min audiobook musical.
Narrators were amazing and the tale was simply well done. Bravo!
I was given this audiobook for free by Khristine Hvam (Adele in the audiobook musical). This, in no way, swayed my honest review.
Narrators were amazing and the tale was simply well done. Bravo!
I was given this audiobook for free by Khristine Hvam (Adele in the audiobook musical). This, in no way, swayed my honest review.
December 31, 2018
3.75
Think local playhouse musical and you have this Audible book. There is no other way to explain it.
I enjoyed it, but I love musical theater.
And I LOVE Jim Dale, the narrator.
I completely totally adore Jim Dale.
The man could read me my own death sentence and I'd grin from ear to ear.
Think local playhouse musical and you have this Audible book. There is no other way to explain it.
I enjoyed it, but I love musical theater.
And I LOVE Jim Dale, the narrator.
I completely totally adore Jim Dale.
The man could read me my own death sentence and I'd grin from ear to ear.
September 30, 2022
A fun version of Rumpelstiltzkin with catchy melodies and an ending that's somewhat kinder than the original. I found myself laughing throughout and just really had fun with this. It definitely reminded me of old radio shows, although the production is more polished than a "live" show would be. I would recommend this to those who enjoy musicals, as well as fans of fairytale retellings. This would be a fun road-trip listen.
Read
February 24, 2021A cheesy, amateur musical that worked fine for filling the air in the car on the way to school, when it’s still too early for me to manage meaningful conversation with my children. 🥴
October 3, 2018
Fun to listen to, especially with Jim Dale as narrator. It was a nice contrast to Rump, which I just finished a good choice for a family trip-only about 1.5 hours and older kids would enjoy, too.
January 24, 2019
I am proud to share with you all that I was part of a production of Rumpelstiltskin in second grade. My role? The narrator. Some might call this role the glue of the production. Others might call it, the role you get when all the fun speaking parts are filled.
This was a lovely audiobook experience. Jim Dale was wonderful and he effectively helped create a cohesive narrative that linked together all the different types of musical numbers. The recurring musical epigraphs made me laugh out loud, and the clever wordplay kept me engaged throughout the story. I also enjoyed the step-sisters' Fraisier-like accents. :'D
In other iterations of Rumpelstiltskin I've read, our titular character's motivation to take Jane's firstborn seemed to be rooted in mean-spiritedness. In this production, however, the listener is provided with a reason for this desire- I am allll about character motivation and development, so this was a plus for me.
Overall, this was a fun listen!
This was a lovely audiobook experience. Jim Dale was wonderful and he effectively helped create a cohesive narrative that linked together all the different types of musical numbers. The recurring musical epigraphs made me laugh out loud, and the clever wordplay kept me engaged throughout the story. I also enjoyed the step-sisters' Fraisier-like accents. :'D
In other iterations of Rumpelstiltskin I've read, our titular character's motivation to take Jane's firstborn seemed to be rooted in mean-spiritedness. In this production, however, the listener is provided with a reason for this desire- I am allll about character motivation and development, so this was a plus for me.
Overall, this was a fun listen!
January 1, 2022
I forgot just how much I love Jim Dale as a narrator! I’m off to rewatch Pushing Daisies!
August 5, 2019
Jim Dale and Broadway show tunes! I was excited and the performances don’t disappoint. The story is another issue. The story however wasn’t great. The ending is changed to make it overly sweet with no bad guys. However the more problematic part of the king and his mean sisters imprisoning the Miller’s daughter isn’t addressed. She still marries the king and becomes best friends with the sisters. If the writer was going to change anything why not that?
August 2, 2018
This was awesome! It was like a Broadway play on audiobook. Full cast, musical numbers, sound effects, and the narration of Jim Dale all in one fantastic book. It is basically the traditional story of Rumplestiltskin with just a bit extra. The actors are fantastic, the songs are hilarious and the entire productions was just a treat to listen to. I highly recommend this short audiobook.
August 22, 2018
I love audiobooks, and it's so fun to have a musical audiobook available! Jim Dale gives an amazing performance, with an incredible supporting cast. I hope this is the start of a new genre of audiobooks - we could use more of these!
March 18, 2018
Ha ha. Fun, short production, with musical numbers, sound effects, and different voice actors, along with Jim Dale as the narrator. Audio download from the library, and there were some sound glitches, but otherwise a fun diversion for an afternoon.
January 2, 2019
A nice adaptation of a classic tale. Quite honestly, I listened to the audio version, and I would listen to anything narrated by Jim Dale. I'd listen to him read the periodic table! He is just that good!
August 8, 2019
This was such a fun listen! It was surprisingly short, but so completely engaging (which can be challenging for an audiobook). It made me want to sing along in the car, even though I'd never heard the songs before. I liked the strong moral of the story and would definitely play it for kids.
September 17, 2019
If you've never listened to an audiobook before, this one will spoil you. It is fantastic. For audiobook nerds it features Jim Dale (which is basically 'nuff said), as well as a full cast that siiiiiings parts of the story.
January 13, 2020
Audiobook? Musical soundtrack? Not sure what this was exactly, but nevertheless the talented cast created an enjoyable rendition of this classic tale. With legendary Jim Dale as the narrator this would have been a hard story not to like.
May 20, 2020
Well, I'm not sure that this translates well for kids. I found that the writing was pretty meh and the songs were pretty meh. I liked the voice acting a lot, though!
I would be interested to see how kids react to this.
I would be interested to see how kids react to this.
October 29, 2021
Our second audiobook musical found on hoopla. Great adaptation of the classic. The singers and songs are great. We listened to this in one shot on the way to Fairmont. A fun a fast read. Ending was different and better in my opinion than the usual ending.
May 17, 2018
I love anything read by Jim Dale. His voice makes me feel so happy and calm. And the musical part was cute too. I have always loved the rumple story and this was a funny take on it.
September 30, 2021
This was amazing and a delight to listen to during our lunch time meals. It is a whole musical for your ears. My kiddos loved it as did I!
November 13, 2021
This was a cute little version of Rumpelstiltskin. Nothing much changed in the overall tale, but the music was fun (some of it reminded me of the music from Shrek).
April 21, 2020
If you’re a fan of musicals and catchy showtunes, this audiobook is certainly one that you would enjoy. Featuring a cast of Broadway stars and narration by the one and only Jim Dale (who narrated the Harry Potter series among many other titles), this re-imagination offers an entertaining take on the classic fairy tale.
Rumpelstiltskin arrives in a Nice Little Kingdom which has seen better days. He overhears a miller boasting to his friends that he has a daughter, Jane, who could spin hay into gold and immediately shares that information with the impoverished King and his conniving stepsisters. Jane and the miller are swiftly imprisoned and ordered to perform this impossible task. Rumpelstiltskin steps up to the challenge to spin more and more hay into gold each time, but requests for increasingly demanding favours in return. While you may think that you know how it’s all going to end, up pops a slight twist and a pretty heartwarming one at that. So pick up this audiobook if you’re in the mood for a song and dance - you’ll be grinning from ear to ear in no time at all.
Rumpelstiltskin arrives in a Nice Little Kingdom which has seen better days. He overhears a miller boasting to his friends that he has a daughter, Jane, who could spin hay into gold and immediately shares that information with the impoverished King and his conniving stepsisters. Jane and the miller are swiftly imprisoned and ordered to perform this impossible task. Rumpelstiltskin steps up to the challenge to spin more and more hay into gold each time, but requests for increasingly demanding favours in return. While you may think that you know how it’s all going to end, up pops a slight twist and a pretty heartwarming one at that. So pick up this audiobook if you’re in the mood for a song and dance - you’ll be grinning from ear to ear in no time at all.
April 4, 2021
What do you get when you mix the best book narrator of all time (I'm looking at you, Jim Dale of Harry Potter audiobook fame) and a musical that mocks every fairy tale trope known to man? You get Spin: The Rumpelstiltskin Musical (Audiobook). While the music isn't going to be winning Tony awards any time soon, it does appear to be having a go at Sondheim which I can get behind. The chorus that introduces each chapter: hilarious. Jane the Miller's daughter: keep hold of her. Dale's subtle British inflections: impeccable. What a delightfully ridiculous way to spend a couple of hours.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews