"The Witches of Eastwick" Soundtrack Lyrics

“The Witches of Eastwick (Original London Cast Recording)” – Album Guide to Tracks and Key Scenes

Review

What if small-town gossip sounded like a gospel rave and seduction arrived as a key change? The Witches of Eastwick (Rowe & Dempsey) answers with a score that struts, smirks, and occasionally levitates.

Built from John Updike’s novel, the musical follows Alexandra, Jane, and Sukie — three restless friends in Eastwick — whose wish for “all manner of man in one man” conjures Darryl Van Horne. The cast album (the canonical, widely available London set) captures that arc: town chorus and rumors (“Eastwick Knows,” “Dirty Laundry”), wish-fulfillment and consequence (“Make Him Mine,” “Another Night at Darryl’s”), and a hellfire curtain call (“The Glory of Me,” “The Wedding”). The writing toggles from brassy Broadway to darkly comic vaudeville; orchestrations purr, then bite. The effect? A cocktail of charm and peril — fizzy on top, wicked underneath.

Genres & themes, in phases: choral Broadway bustle — conformity and gossip; sly jazz/gospel inflections — temptation as self-help; torchy pop-ballad glow — private longing; rock-tinted showstoppers — sex and power. Thesis: the town is the metronome; desire syncopates it.

How It Was Made

Music by Dana P. Rowe, book & lyrics by John Dempsey, the show opened in London (2000) under producer Cameron Mackintosh and director Eric Schaeffer. It moved, tightened, and swapped numbers (notably replacing “Who’s the Man?” with the gospel-charged “The Glory of Me”). The original cast album arrived on First Night Records, conducted/music-directed by David White, and remains the reference recording. A major 2002 Australian production (Princess Theatre, Melbourne) introduced revisions — extended dance in “A Little Town,” lyric trims, and the cutting of “Loose Ends.”

Editorially, the album honors the show’s diegetic mischief — town bands, gossiping ensembles — while giving Darryl his pulpit numbers and the witches their gleaming confessionals. It’s built to play as a story, not a singles reel.

Tracks & Scenes

Key moments and how they land on stage and album (order roughly follows Act I → Act II; titles per London cast recording).

“Eastwick Knows” (Company)

Where it plays:

Prologue panorama of the town. Shop bells, stroller wheels, side-eye harmonies — a gossipy roll call that sets rules and enemies. Non-diegetic chorale that feels “source-adjacent” onstage.

Why it matters:

The town is a character. This cue gives it lungs and teeth.

“Make Him Mine” (Alexandra, Jane, Sukie)

Where it plays:

Girls’ night spell-by-accident. Three friends pour want into the sky; wind chimes and sly brass answer. Early Act I; non-diegetic trio staged like a coven’s dare.

Why it matters:

The wish that invites the devil — an incantation set to swing.

“A Little Town” (Company)

Where it plays:

Montage of Eastwick’s routines — bake sales, bylaws, and side-glances — before Darryl’s arrival upsets the grid. Act I; ensemble pulse with dance breaks.

Why it matters:

Establishes the cage so we can hear it rattle later.

“Waiting for the Music (to Begin)” (Jane, Darryl)

Where it plays:

Jane’s music studio. Cello meets devilish violin; flirtation becomes a literal crescendo until instruments “play themselves.” Mid-Act I; non-diegetic duet staged diegetically with instruments.

Why it matters:

Desire gets a sound — virtuosity weaponized.

“Words, Words, Words” (Sukie, Darryl)

Where it plays:

Darryl teases Sukie out of her stammer — a patter-song pep-talk — then invites a tennis game that will entangle all three witches. Mid-Act I; character song into plot gearshift.

Why it matters:

Language is power; Sukie claims hers (for a while).

“Something” (Michael & Jennifer)

Where it plays:

Puppy-love cutaway under falling leaves and curfews. Sweet duet anchors the teen subplot that later collides with Darryl’s schemes. Mid-Act I; non-diegetic duet.

Why it matters:

The show needs innocence to endanger; this is it.

“Dirty Laundry” (Felicia, Company)

Where it plays:

Laundromat/porch-rail gossip engine. As rumor froths, Felicia spots Jennifer kissing Michael and detonates. Late Act I; diegetic-feeling chorus with comedy business.

Why it matters:

Small-town surveillance as showstopper — the social stakes sing.

“I Wish I May” (Alexandra, Jane, Sukie)

Where it plays:

Glam-on entrance for the trio; childhood insecurities confessed in matching killer dresses. Late Act I; non-diegetic trio with harmonic bite.

Why it matters:

Vulnerability reframed as glamour — the witches claim the mirror.

“Another Night at Darryl’s” → “Dance with the Devil” (Darryl & Company)

Where it plays:

Act II seduction seminar. Mexican Night leads to a town-wide masterclass on pleasure — stomping chorus, swirling skirts, devil preaching technique. Mid-Act II; sustained set-piece.

Why it matters:

Creed + choreography. The moral temperature spikes.

“Evil” (Felicia, Clyde)

Where it plays:

In Felicia’s kitchen, Darryl’s curse ricochets — cherry pits, feathers, and fury. The scene slams into a tragic accident that shakes Eastwick. Mid-Act II; dark comedy to horror in 16 bars.

Why it matters:

Actions have consequences — the witches’ line has been crossed.

“The Glory of Me” → “The Wedding” → “Look at Me” (Company; Witches)

Where it plays:

Darryl’s gospel vanity number ushers in a grotesque wedding; the witches crash it with a voodoo comeuppance and send him packing. Aftermath: self-reckoning and a softer horizon. Late Act II; finale suite.

Why it matters:

Villain crowned, villain smote, lessons learned — the album’s full arc lands here.

Trailer & non-album notes

Most promotional reels are montage teasers cut to existing numbers; no separate “trailer single.” UK-tour clips often feature “Dance with the Devil” and the title’s witchy hook as buttons.

Notes & Trivia

• “The Glory of Me” replaced “Who’s the Man?” during the London transfer to the Prince of Wales Theatre.
• Australia 2002 preview cuts removed “Loose Ends” and extended the dance break in “A Little Town.”
• Signature Theatre (U.S. premiere, 2007) added reshapes and new material (“Your Wildest Dreams”), many later echoed on the UK tour.
• The Brno City Theatre production (2007) produced the first commercial cast album after London.
• David White music-directed/conducted the original London recording for First Night Records.

Reception & Quotes

Critics clocked the show’s glossy fun and uneven tone — and generally agreed the score slaps. Fans keep the album in “Broadway cult favorite” rotation.

“Sorcery in triplicate… Mackintosh’s first new West End musical in years.” Variety

“Sassy, unsentimental — the satire must conquer the schmaltz.” The Guardian

“Witty and tuneful material… one of the most refreshing musical comedies.” LondonTheatre.co.uk

Interesting Facts

• Town as instrument: The ensemble’s gossip numbers are structural — they push plot as much as any solo.
• Orgasmic cello: Jane’s studio scene is staged to make music itself the flirtation gag.
• Two albums matter: London (2000) is the baseline; Brno (2007) is the notable alternate recording.
• Tour tweaks: UK tour (2008–09) folded in U.S. revisions and reinstated “Loose Ends” in places.
• Devil’s genres: Darryl’s numbers skew gospel/preacher-man — seduction by sermon.

Technical Info

• Title: The Witches of Eastwick (Original London Cast Recording)
• Year: 2000 album; major Australian production in 2002
• Type: Stage musical soundtrack (cast recording)
• Composers/lyricist: Music by Dana P. Rowe; book & lyrics by John Dempsey
• Direction/production (stage): Eric Schaeffer (director); Cameron Mackintosh (producer)
• Music direction: David White (Original London production & recording)
• Label/album status: First Night Records (CD, digital). Later cast albums: Czech (Brno City Theatre, 2007)
• Selected notable placements: “Make Him Mine” (wish/incantation); “Waiting for the Music” (Jane’s studio seduction); “Dirty Laundry” (town gossip blow-up); “Dance with the Devil” (Act II tutorial); “The Glory of Me” → “The Wedding” (finale suite)
• 2002 context: Melbourne run (Princess Theatre) with Paul McDermott, Marina Prior, Angela Toohey, Pippa Grandison; revisions included cutting “Loose Ends.”

Questions & Answers

Is there a 2002 cast album?

No official Australian cast recording was issued; the widely available reference is the 2000 Original London Cast album.

Which number replaced “Who’s the Man?” in London?

“The Glory of Me,” a preacher-style showstopper for Darryl Van Horne.

What changed in the 2002 Melbourne run?

Lyric tweaks, an extended “A Little Town” dance break, and the song “Loose Ends” was cut during previews.

Where do the big set-pieces hit?

“Dirty Laundry” (Act I gossip explosion) and “Dance with the Devil” (Act II seduction sermon) are the album’s billboards.

Is the story closer to the book or the film?

It keeps the novel’s bite but indulges the film’s spectacle — with the town chorus as judge and jury.

Key Contributors

Sources: Discography/album credits (First Night Records); production/song lists and revision history; Australian (2002) run; recording catalogs (CastAlbums/Ovrtur); UK tour promo (YouTube); critical notices from Variety, The Guardian, LondonTheatre.

November, 29th 2025