Maybe there's something about the title "Open Road" that promises perfect expression through song. In Glory Days, "Open Road" is tale of freedom and self-discovery, an apt analogy to a spontaneous road trip. Similarly, when I first heard Paul Fujimoto's "Open Road" from the show Not Exactly Romeo (with a book written by Eric Holmes), I felt a similar sense of freedom, one not un-reminiscent of Pasek and Paul's "Monticello" in its description of being able to pack up, move out, and set on a journey to make your dreams come true.
While I'm still learning about Paul Fujimoto's work and Not Exactly Romeo, I have to say that I've been incredibly charmed by what clips I have heard of the musical. There's a subtle musical theatre musicality behind the tunes -- they're easy to digest while maintaining a constant conversation, whether with the audience or between the characters. The lyrics are organic, and the plot of the show sets up possibilities for a deliciously meta predicament: the story revolves around a couple who musicalize a family member's daily life (unbeknownst to him) as a means of generating income once they find out they are going to have their first child.
Besides Not Exactly Romeo, Fujimoto has clips from a Shakespearean-inspired song cycle, Legacy, as well as some other songs. One of my favorite features on his personal website is that every month he offers some kind of freebie, whether it's free sheet music or the mp3 for a new song (December's Christmas song is a real treat).
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