CD Reviews

BBH critic Chris Curcio also follows theater in the Valley of the Sun.
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	"MERMAID" MERELY PLEASANT, BUT "XANADU" TRULY AWFUL

By Chris Curcio

Phoenix, AZ (March 3, 2008) - Having recently returned from Broadway, it's well known that this is the season of plays not musicals. Three of this update's reviews are of new Broadway musicals and one is an off-Broadway success. There are also many releases of old Broadway shows that have never been on CD before or have been unavailable for a long time. A new British label, Stage Door Records, promises reissues of old Broadway tuners in their original cast recordings or in solid studio versions. Many of these are first time CD releases. There were also some re-releases of old movie versions of Broadway musicals, the new "Sweeney Todd" soundtrack as well a London version of a popular Broadway musical, "Parade," and a new musical bound for Broadway, "Happy Days," as well as Betty Buckley's new solo album. Now to this update's show music recordings reviews. "THE LITTLE MERMAID" Original Broadway Cast Walt Disney Records (D000103302) "The Little Mermaid," Disney's newest Broadway show, doesn't sound bad on the recording. The songs are melodic and pleasant but none of the score is very interesting and none of it pushes the envelope to a new musical theater sound. The entire score is predictable and is standard musical theater fare that stopped being featured on Broadway years ago. The original songs from the film are obviously the best and the strongest. The myriad of new tunes, added to fill out the stage version so it can pass as a full Broadway show, are listless and ordinary. They tend to be pale copies of the better original songs from the film. When they run concurrent with the superior original songs, they sound even more bland and uninteresting. There aren't any strong performances on this cast album except Sherie Rene Scott's gutsy Ursula. The leads, Sierra Boggess as Ariel and Sean Palmer as her intended, Prince Eric, are, like the whole show, mediocre. Their big voices boom through the tedious songs but they bring nothing special to their vocals. The score is lengthy at over 75 minutes and it all sounds similar and much like the composers' earlier success, "Beauty and the Beast." The pictures of the production included in the generous accompanying booklet make the whole show look cheap. It's easy to see why this latest Disney creation is struggling to find an audience on Broadway. Even the children it is intended for are probably bored. If you are a serious musical theater collector, "The Little Mermaid" doesn't belong in your collection. Grade: C- "YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN" Original Broadway Cast Decca Broadway (B0010374-02) Yes, Mel Brooks newest Broadway creation "Young Frankenstein" is a real let down as it fiddles with mediocrity and never soars like Brooks' stage version of "The Producers" did. A lot seems to be attributable to mediocre casting but Brooks' own tunes this time around sound blah and mediocre. Susan Stroman's uninteresting and routine staging also leaves much to a remembrance of the far superior film and never finds anything unique or funnier than Brooks did years ago when this show was a successful comedy film. The casting is pretty ordinary starting at Roger Bart's bland take on the show's lead, Frederick Frankenstein. Megan Mullally's comic turn as his girlfriend Elizabeth is funny but the stars of the cast album are Shuler Hensley's Monster, Sutton Foster's understated Inga and Andrea Martin's slyly hysterical Frau Blucher. There's not a distinguished song hit here and disappointing seems best to describe this overrated tuner. Grade: D "SWEENEY TODD" Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Nonesuch (368572-2) Johnny Depp is indeed a sensation as Sweeney Todd in the very dark movie version of Stephen Sondheim's darkest of dark musicals. You wouldn't recognize the show from the soundtrack which sounds even bleaker and more somber than did the stage version. Helena Bonham Carter's foreboding take on Mrs. Lovett is sure different than Angela Lansbury's Music Hall vaudevillian approach but the darkness works and, like Depp, she sounds amazingly good in Sondheim's anything but easy score. She's a real delight dreaming "By the Sea" and she makes "The Worst Pies in London" a hoot even though her vocals are dour throughout. The dark tone of the film translates effectively into the soundtrack , which makes Sondheim's wonderful score anything but fun. It's a whole new sound to the familiar stage show but the uniqueness of the interpretation works beautifully. Having seen the film, I can say that I never thought a different approach would work as effectively as the brilliant original Broadway concept, but this is a genius approach to the piece. Grade: A "FORBIDDEN BROADWAY - RUDE AWAKENING" Original Off-Broadway Cast DRG Records (12632) "Forbidden Broadway - Rude Awakening" is hysterically funny as it points a sharp, dagger finger at all the recent and current Broadway tuners. It finds something irreverent and amusing about them. The off-Broadway hit has played 25 years and each new edition really slaps the new shows with Gerard Alessandrini's sharp wit. That this talented humorist can use the actual show tunes and find the humor and insults that cut through to each new show's worth is amazing. This latest version returns the show to the funny vehicle it always was but hasn't been in several recent editions. The latest version slams "Mary Poppins," "Curtains," "Company," "Grey Gardens," "Jersey Boys," "The Little Mermaid," "Spamalot," "Les Miserables," "A Chorus Line," "Wicked" and "Spring Awakening," along with assaults on specific well known personalities who appear on Broadway. There's not a misstep anywhere in this new edition and be prepared to die laughing at the pointed jabs and hysterical humor. Grade: A "PARADE" Original London Cast First Night Records (CASTCD 99) "Parade" is a touching and very emotional musical about the unfairness of the Leo Frank murder trial in Georgia in the early 1900s. The show brought me to tears when I saw it at Lincoln Center in the wonderfully rich original Broadway production. The show hasn't been done much because it is so demanding and the cast has to be flawless. Finally, the show premiered in London at the Donmar Warehouse in a rethought version that sharpens the original. The London recording is powerful and exemplary and the CD draws you into the piece. Bertie Carvel is a fine Leo and Lara Pulver matches him as Lucille. Perhaps the pair isn't as vocally pristine as the original Broadway cast but they bring the piece to vibrant life. The Jason Robert Brown score still haunts in its depth and beauty and the Alfred Uhry book comes across even in the cast recording. The London recording includes a PAL-formatted DVD and while this format won't play on American DVD players, I'm told that it will play on American computers. I haven't had time yet to try this but I'm sure the DVD will reveal even more about the fine London version. Grade: A "XANADU" Original Broadway Cast PS Classics (PS-858) The less said about the original Broadway cast recording of "Xanadu" the better. The pop movie hit and its music have been adapted and the orchestrations updated for the Broadway version. The sound is like ancient history musically. The cast album was enough of a downer to keep me away from the Broadway version on a recent New York trip. The movie was the thing at the right point in history. Now, the new show looks back on mediocrity. Grade: F "NEW FACES OF '56"/"MRS. PATTERSON" Original Broadway Casts Stage Door Records (STAGE 9003)(No Number) Stage Door Records is a new English label dedicated to release of pristine CD versions of past Broadway scores and personality recordings from leading musical theater artists. The first three releases include a joint CD of "New Faces of '56" and "Mrs. Patterson." The "New Faces" revue is a format long ago abandoned on Broadway but these Leonard Sillman shows introduced lots of new musical theater artists in revues with decent enough musical contributions. The 1956 version featured T. C. Jones, the era's leading female impersonator, playing his/her famous Tallulah Bankhead. Jones narrates the revue that features such future Broadway stars as Jane Connell, John Reardon, Maggie Smith, Virginia Martin and Inga Swenson. The score is catchy and clever and it's nice to have this show and the stars it introduced available. "Mrs. Patterson" was an Eartha Kitt vehicle and she's dynamite in the play with music. The show hit Broadway at the height of Kitt's career and she sounds delicious throughout in the selections included on this CD. A successful entry for a new label devoted to show music. Grade: B "ON YOUR TOES"/"PAL JOEY" Studio Casts Stage Door Records (STAGE 9002) Two great studio cast recordings of the Rodgers and Hart hits "On Your Toes" and "Pal Joey" mark the content of the second Stage Door release. Both shows have typically beautiful scores and the singing by Portia Nelson and Jack Cassidy heading the "On Your Toes" cast is fine as is the somewhat less interesting vocals of Martha Tilton and June Hutton on the "Pal Joey" tracks. There are far better "Pal Joeys" available. Both studio recordings are representative of the importance of show music during the 1950s and it's a solid CD to own. Grade: B "WISH YOU WERE HERE" Original Broadway Cast Stage Door Records (STAGE 9001) The most interesting of the three initial Stage Door Records releases is the 1952 "Wish You Were Here." The Harold Rome songs are wonderful and the cast is sharp and sounds great in this show set in a giant, on-stage swimming pool. This release has some interesting bonus tracks including the composer singing one of his tunes from the show as well as some pop treatments of show song hits. The feeble booklet doesn't tell a lot about the show and this is regrettable but it is a wonderful show and is one rarely heard today. It would be nice if these Stage Door releases had more pictures of the original productions and more text about the show, its creation, and where it places in the world of American musical theater. It's nice to have it available again, though. Grade: A "THE KING AND I" Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Delta Leisure Group Pic (CD6695) "OKLAHOMA" Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Delta Leisure Group Pic (CD6696) "THE WIZARD OF OZ" Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Delta Leisure Group Pic (CD6694) Another new English label has re-released three movie version soundtracks from classic shows that started or have played on Broadway. Of the trio, the best is, of course, "The King and I," one of Rodgers and Hammerstein's greatest works. The rich movie version is perhaps the finest film version of a Broadway musical ever created and the casting of the original King in Yul Brynner is exemplary. Deborah Kerr made a definitive Anna and even though Marni Nixon sang for Kerr, the vocals were exquisitely matched to Kerr's impeccable performance. These three releases that also include Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Oklahoma" and "The Wizard of Oz" include many bonus tracks. In the case of "The King and I" bonus tracks come from the original Broadway cast recording and several pop versions of show hits. Comparing the mediocre singing of Gertrude Lawrence in the original "The King and I" with Nixon's sharp vocals, is an obvious plus. Several Judy Garland hits add as some of the bonus tracks on "The Wizard of Oz" release. Grades: A -"The King and I", B -"Oklahoma", A -"The Wizard of Oz" "ALL AMERICAN" Live Backers Audition Harbinger Records (HCD-2401) The live backer's auditions for the ill-fated Broadway musical "All American" are interesting for true show lovers. There is little else on this CD for the more casual listener of show music as the musical's cast album was turned into a CD and is still available. The release does contain some numbers that were cut from the show before it opened and a song added after the opening night. Grade: C "HAPPY DAYS" Paper Mill Playhouse Cast PS Classics (PS-860) The peppy stage musical version of the popular television hit "Happy Days" sounds refreshing and spunky in the Paper Mill Playhouse production. Rumors of a Broadway production are regularly heard throughout the industry and judging by the upbeat cast album, the show would probably find a welcoming audience. The songs include the popular television theme song and Paul Williams tunes that sound like and well represent the times the show portrays. Grade: C BETTY BUCKLEY "QUINTESSENCE" Masterworks Broadway/Playbill Records (88697-22058-2) Betty Buckley's new solo album is a mellow, jazzy affair that includes several Broadway tunes that have been re-orchestrated into the upbeat but very relaxed jazz style Buckley uses for this release. This new CD is perhaps the most enjoyable from Buckley in many years. The non-Broadway tunes carry the same mellow mood and feel as the Broadway standards and the entire CD is a joy to listen to as it serves as excellent background music. Buckley may be doing what Barbara Cook has done so successfully and she might be bridging her Broadway career into a successful cabaret act. Grade: B+ -- Phoenix, AZ (December 23, 2007) - The original cast recording to the new Mel Brooks musical "Young Frankenstein" gets released on the Decca Broadway label on Wednesday. I am anxious to hear the score that the New York critics lambasted as being ordinary and routine. The cast also received mixed notices, especially the lead, Roger Bart. The dearth of new Broadway shows is netting a limited number of releases and more and more new cast albums are releases of previously unavailable shows in the CD format. Now to this update of new show music recordings: "LOVEMUSIK" Original Broadway Cast Ghostlight Records (8-4425) "LoveMusik" was one of the most creative new Broadway musicals last season and now we can hear the show that closed relatively quickly. It sounds a lot like "Cabaret" and contains songs penned by Kurt Weill. The story surrounding the music was suggested by the letters between Weill and Lotte Lenya, the great interpreter of Weill's work. The book was penned by Alfred Uhry. It's a dark show but the score is fascinating and contains many of Weill's standards that all musical comedy lovers know and appreciate. The excellent Broadway cast features the wonderful Donna Murphy and the equally talented Michael Cerveris, who made such a memorable splash in the "Sweeney Todd" revival. Because "LoveMusik" is creative and unusual, I think it is one of the most exciting new Broadway shows in several seasons. Grade: A "NEW GIRL IN TOWN" Original Broadway Cast Flare Records (SPEC1032) You can't go wrong with any Gwen Verdon musical and "New Girl in Town" has been re-released by Flare Records. The Bob Merrill score isn't memorable but has a few catchy tunes and when such musical theater veterans as Verdon, Thelma Ritter, George Wallace, and Cameron Prud'Homme sing with great flair and tremendous style. The musical's plot is based on Eugene O'Neill's heavy "Anna Christie" and it is a bit foreboding and dark but Verdon makes the central role her own and imprints it with her usual unique style. Bob Fosse created the dances and musical numbers so the show was probably great to watch. It's nice to have this Verdon stunner available again in a pristine recording with the great story of the show and wonderful pictures of the original production. Grade: B "BUSKER ALLEY" York Theatre Company Cast Jay Records (CDJAY 1400) "Busker Alley" was the ill-fated musical that starred Tommy Tune and took a lengthy route to a Broadway opening that never happened. Tune broke his ankle and the New York opening was scrapped and the show was largely forgotten until a one-night benefit for the York Theatre Company gave the show a New York airing with a stellar cast. The benefit performance was captured by Jay Records and it now has been released and we can hear it for the first time. The story is a tribute to the street entertainers who entertained London theatergoers in the streets before audiences headed to theaters for the night's show. The Sherman brothers, Richard and Robert, have written a breezy, lightweight but thoroughly charming score that is a joy to hear. The cast, under Tony Walton's direction, includes the fabulous Jim Dale in the lead role and the impeccable Glenn Close as the narrator of sorts, Dame Libby, and has such musical theater stalwarts as George S. Irving and Anne Rogers who has been reviving her career of late. This recording makes me hope that a revival of this show is soon scheduled so that it can reach Broadway and we can all have a chance to see this refreshing and entertaining show. Grade: A "GREASE" New Broadway 2007 Cast Masterworks Broadway (88697-16398-2) The new Broadway cast of "Grease" makes me wonder how successful the competition for the leads really was. The show has received weak reviews and the cast album is disappointing because it is so ordinary and introduces nothing new into this overly familiar and way too mediocre musical. Even the pictures, generously included in the well-illustrated booklet, make the production look exceedingly mediocre. The CD is disappointing because none of the cast sounds particularly memorable and, in some cases, sounds really blah. If you have another "Grease" recording, that's fine and there's no need to get this new version. It's really ordinary. Grade: D "PORGY AND BESS" Studio Cast Decca (475 8663) George Gershwin's "Porgy and Bess" is a masterpiece and the Studio Cast recording that features such outstanding singers as Willard White, Leona Mitchell, and Barbara Hendricks among others, bring this complete version to glorious fruition. The Cleveland Orchestra and Chorus, under Lorin Maazel's expert conducting, give the score a vibrant life that makes this one of the best "Porgy and Bess" recordings available. It's nice that this fine 1976 version has been re-released by Decca along with an informative and well-researched booklet about the piece. Grade: A "BETTY BUCKLEY 1967" Playbill Records/Masterworks Broadway (88697 17320 2) When Betty Buckley was 17, she recorded her first album that had never been released. It's now available and it presents a Buckley with a lovely, very high placed voice that lacks the distinctive huskiness that we are now more familiar with in Buckley's recent recordings and live appearances. There's a good cross section of show tunes in the scant 11 tracks but most of the arrangements are distinctly jazzy and many of the show tunes don't sound like the songs from the shows they represent. This new album is interesting because it gives us a glimpse of a great musical theater performer at the beginning of her career but, as an album, you will play over and over, it won't be this one. Grade: B JULIE ANDREWS "ONCE UPON A TIME" Sepia Records (1103) The new Julie Andrews compilation CD, "Once Upon A Time," is a nice look back at Andrews's career and gives you a good feeling of what Andrews's voice sounded like at the beginning of her memorable career. Some of the tracks are early recordings when Andrews was a child performer. Others re-create her early hits from "The Boy Friend" and "My Fair Lady" but others are nursery rhymes tunes sung with Martyn Green. Quite frankly, I would rather hear the hits from her early shows on the cast albums rather than in these versions but the compilation is a nice history of her early career. Grade: C "BROADWAY'S GREATEST GIFTS: CAROLS FOR A CURE, VOLUME 9" Rock-It Science Records (No Number) The annual "Carols for a Cure" is a lovely fund-raiser for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, the organization that makes generous contributions to performers afflicted with AIDS. This year, like in years past, the two-disc CD features current Broadway casts in interesting renditions of popular and unusual Christmas songs. The first disc has some standard tunes but has more interesting and unique Christmas carols. The second disc is full of traditional carols but most have very interesting arrangements. The most interesting here are the "Wicked" cast's take on various ways of singing "Jingle Bells" and a funny rendition of "The 12 Days of Christ-Miz" done by the current "Les Miserables" cast. This year's "Carols for a Cure" certainly puts you in a joyous holiday mood as you contribute to AIDS and appreciate the talents of current Broadway musical casts. Grade: A -- Phoenix, AZ (October 28, 2007) - Let's get right to new show music recordings: "WEST SIDE STORY" Studio Cast Decca Broadway (1733909) Decca Broadway has made release of this new "West Side Story" recording quite important and since it is this trend-setting show's 50th anniversary, the recording is welcome. The crisp and melodious Leonard Bernstein score sounds great in the hands of a cast of unknowns including Hayley Westenra, Vittorio Grigolo, and Connie Fisher. The renditions are faithful to the Broadway original and there's nothing new explored here. The voices are strong and the memorable score is sung with great emotion and sweeping range and depth. The big songs are here as are some of the show's famous dance breaks. There are more complete recordings of this famous score with its heavy emphasis on dance. If you have other recordings of this show, this is a strong one but certainly not a unique interpretation. If you're a "West Side Story" novice, I'd pick one of the earlier and more complete versions over this new one. Grade: B- "A PLACE FOR US - A TRIBUTE TO 50 YEARS OF 'WEST SIDE STORY'" Various Artists Masterworks Broadway (88697-12161-2) Another CD takes advantage of "West Side Story's" 50th anniversary. This recording is a compilation featuring a variety of artists who have sung songs from the score, including Julie Andrews, Brain Stokes Mitchell, Barbra Streisand, Johnny Mathis, Hugh Panaro, Andy Williams and Kristin Chenoweth. The list of artists is impressive and the selections all have a bit of uniqueness to their interpretations including altered pacing, different music emphasis, and special orchestrations. The collection of artists makes this recording interesting but these aren't always the best of the song arrangements if you like the songs to sound as they did on Broadway. Grade: C "FANNY" Original Broadway Cast Flare Records (ROYCD 258) The original "Fanny" had a remarkable cast and the original Broadway cast recording is again available thanks to Flare Records, which has remastered this great sounding show. This 1954 show featured the great Ezio Pinza, Walter Slezak, William Tabbert and a very young Florence Henderson. The plot was a popular one during this time. It takes place between the two World Wars in Marseilles and is set among the city's ordinary working folk along the waterfront. Although Rodgers and Hammerstein had originally been approached about crafting the score, Rodgers took a strong dislike to producer David Merrick and when the flamboyant Broadway impresario wouldn't sell the work, Harold Rome was commissioned to write the rich score and Joshua Logan staged the show that had many of his "South Pacific" alumni in this show. The score is filled with complex and beautiful songs all sung gloriously by the excellent cast. Like so many musicals of this era, "Fanny" is rarely staged today and it would be interesting to see this show and realize what may be wrong with it for contemporary audiences. Grade: B "ME AND JULIET" Original Broadway Cast Flare Records (ROYCD 257) Rodgers and Hammerstein's least successful musical, "Me and Juliet," is again available on CD from the British company Flare. The show was an early look at the backstage machinations of a big Broadway musical. The score has an excellent collection of the lush melodies this team contributed to all their shows. And the original Broadway cast has excellent performances from Isabel Bigley and Bill Hayes but the whole cast is winning. It's a shame this show has never been a big success because it sounds like an interesting look at the backstage side of show business and I'd love to see it. At least the winning score is now available again. Grade: B "BY JUPITER" Revival 1967 Cast DRG Theater/Sony/BMG (19105) Rodgers and Hart's breezy "By Jupiter" in the excellent 1967 Broadway revival is now again available and the score is delightful, very peppy, and quite melodious. An impeccable cast has great fun with the wonderful score. Bob Dishy, a name from the past, stars and sounds great as does the entire cast. The tunes that stand out include "Jupiter Forbid," "Wait Till You See Her," and "Ev'rything I've Got" but the entire score is a delightful listen. The cast is sharp and the songs are all well sung. Grade: B+ GWEN VERDON "THE GIRL I LEFT HOME FOR" DRG /Sony/BMG (91502) Great musical comedy star Gwen Verdon didn't do a lot of solo albums. Now comes one of the rare ones that hasn't been available for years. From 1956, "The Girl I Left Home For" came early in Verdon's career and doesn't have several of the big songs she introduced in the many Broadway musicals where she starred and created roles that have become associated with her. The 12-track album includes musical songs and other popular favorites of the day. Verdon does nothing special with any of them and does most rather conventionally. She still has her unique voice and her treatment of all the songs is memorable. The best tracks include "Lady in the Dark's" "Jenny" and "Babes in Arms'" "The Lady Is A Tramp" where she sings them with her famous sexiness. It's great to have this early Verdon recording again and it's good to hear Verdon early on in her remarkable Broadway career. Grade: B "THE MIKADO" Bell Telephone Hour Cast DRG Theater/Sony/BMG (19106) The Bell Telephone Hour did a major showcase production of Gilbert and Sullivan's "The Mikado" in 1960 and that treasured recording is again available on the newly remastered CD released by DRG Theater. As might be expected, Groucho Marx stars as Ko-Ko, and he sounds just like he always did but the rest of the recording is an excellent reading of the popular show with such Broadway veterans as Robert Rounseville as a wonderful Nanki-Poo, Stanley Holloway as a raucous Pooh-Ban, Barbara Meister as a delicious Yum-Yum, and the great opera star Helen Traubel as a staunchly regal Katisha. Buster Davis' brisk tempos keep the music zipping along. Grade: A- -- "THE PIRATE QUEEN" Original Broadway Cast Masterworks Broadway (88697-11810-2) After the first two big hits, "Les Miserables" and "Miss Saigon," the team of Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schonberg, has hit a creative drought. Their more recent shows haven't been big successes and their latest creation, "The Pirate Queen," met with disastrous reviews on Broadway and a short run. Listening to the cast album makes one see why the show was such a disappointment. The tunes try to capture the Irish music clogging dance style made so famous by "Riverdance," but the score sounds like bits and pieces from the team's earlier successes. It easy to listen to the new show and name the song it parallels from their earlier shows. The new show celebrates the real-life story of legendary Irish Chieftain Grace O'Malley, an interesting character who led the life of a pirate in 16th century Ireland. The cast is glorious and sing the routine and ordinary songs as if they had something revolutionary to convey. It's easy to see why "Pirate Queen" was a quick Broadway flop. It's not the new show that will save the team and set London and New York on their ear. Grade: D "STREISAND LIVE IN CONCERT 2006" Live Concert Recording Columbia (88697019222) Barbra Streisand's brilliant 2006 concert tour made use of many musical theater classics as she returned to her roots with many fine and touching renditions of Broadway songs, including several "Funny Girl" hits. Not only did Streisand look dazzling, but she sounded amazingly youthful when I saw her during the Phoenix tour stop and the recording captures the wonderful renditions glowingly. The double CD recording captures the entire concert and includes many of Streisand's movie song hits as well as her Broadway hits. It's a great CD and a wonderful reminder of the grand concert Streisand gave during her 2006 tour. Grade: A "HAIRSPRAY" Original Movie Cast New Line Records (NLR39089) The "Hairspray" movie changes the Broadway hit a bit as it stresses the script's political commentary more than the just-for-fun Broadway version did. There are some new songs and some that have been re-orchestrated so they sound new. It takes star John Travolta a long time to get going in his portrayal of Edna, the blowsy housewife raising teenage daughter Tracy, while accepting the love of her long time husband. Once Edna comes out to become Tracy's manager, Travolta and the movie soar. Until this point, about a third of the way into the movie, the film is successful because of newcomer Nikki Blonsky who sings gloriously as Tracy. She soars in every song she sings and she is great playing the role. There's lots of dancing in the film and the big numbers are captured well on the soundtrack recording. Like the movie, the recording is a joy, a pleasant, diverting entertainment. Grade: B+ "LEGALLY BLONDE" Original Broadway Cast Ghostlight Records (8-4423) "Legally Blonde" has done well on Broadway although it hasn't become a huge hit and is not in the sell-out class of a true triumph. The cast album tells why. The score is cute, some of the songs are witty and clever, but this is not a show you will remember a few years down the road after the newness wears off. The show is about a UCLA college girl who pursues her ex-boyfriend to Harvard Law School. The new musical is based on a novel that was turned into a successful movie. The music and lyrics of Laurence O'Keefe and Nell Benjamin are serviceable and pleasant enough but aren't stellar and don't prophesize a big musical theater career in this team's future. The cast recording is unusually long and captures much of the show's music but it also drags through much mediocrity. The cast is stellar and has great fun with the roles. "Legally Blonde" is a pleasant show but it isn't a great new musical. Grade: C -- Phoenix, AZ (July 21, 2007) - The biggest news for show music collectors is the announcement recently that New York's Footlight Records will be closing for good. This New York store was the only one dedicated to show music CDs and even the old vinyl long-playing records. They also featured movie soundtracks, DVDs of show-related movies and show music personality recordings. They had all the latest show music CDs immediately and they even imported all the London cast recordings along with show recordings from other countries. Footlights had earlier closed its longtime New York store and moved its operations base to the owner's house in Brooklyn where they became an Internet-only operation. According to the announcement posted at www.footlight.com, costs became too much. They tried to maintain the New York store in the face of dramatic rent increase and incurred debt and, along with all the competition from lower priced Internet sites, they decided to throw in the towel. I discovered Footlight back in my youth when I began collecting show music recordings. It was great to make a weekly call and hear all the latest show music recordings and to just have them sent to me. I can never thank salesman Arnold Wittenstein who, for years, has been my primary source of show music recordings, for his weekly stash with my name on them. Even those cast recordings that Footlight got just a few copies, he and owner Ron Saja would allow them to be sold to me. They often got one-of-a-kind cast recordings or CDs sold only at the Broadway theaters and they would save one for me. I will miss my weekly calls and my weekly shipment package that kept my collection one of the finest in the country. Yes, there are new Internet sites that list the latest show music recordings but getting them from the sources they recommend will not be as easy as that weekly call to Footlight. I will miss the many friends I have made over the years of various Footlight salespeople and especially my long personal friendship with Arnold and owner Ron. Let's hope some other distributor or show music collector decides to brave the odds and open a CD and DVD store dedicated to the music we grew up on and love. Goodbye, Footlight Records. I will always remember fondly my dealings with your store. Now to this updates new show music recordings. "CURTAINS" Original Broadway Cast Broadway Angel (0946 3 92212 2 6) What a refreshing surprise "Curtains" is. The Fred Ebb/John Kander musical is about a new Broadway musical premiering in 1959 in Boston. It's an affectionate love appeal to old Broadway and yet it is tellingly caustic about producing big Broadway musicals. It slaps the genre and points out many of the weird eccentricities of musical theater productions. The show being premiered in "Curtains" is "Robbin' Hood" and the cast is perfect from stars David Hyde Pierce and Debra Monk to all the lush supporting performances of such Broadway stalwarts as Karen Ziemba, Jason Danieley, Jill Paige and Edward Hibbert. The Kander score is rich with wonderful, old-fashioned melodies and Ebb's pointed lyrics are pithy assaults on the art form we all love. The "Curtains" CD is a treasure and one any show music lovers will thoroughly enjoy. Grade: A "THE BROADWAY MUSICALS OF 1945" Town Hall Cast 2005 Bayview Recording Company (RNBW039) Scott Siegel's brilliant tribute series to various years in Broadway history continues with his fine "The Broadway Musicals of 1945." The year was full of great shows including "Billion Dollar Baby," "Up in Central Park," Lerner and Loewe's first creation, "The Day Before Spring" and, of course, the year's most famous creation, Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Carousel." But the year also brought such delicious goodies as "Polonaise," "Are You With It," "The Firebrand of Florence," "The Girl From Nantucket," "Markinka" and "Carib Song." The selections are tuneful and delightful. The cast is flawless when such fine performers as Karen Mason, Marc Kudisch, Christiane Noll, Eddie Korbich, Kerry Butler and Scott Ailing are included. It's a great collection of musical theater songs and enough of Siegel's telling commentary is included that you get a wonderful musical theater look at 1945. Grade: A "FACE THE MUSIC" Encores! Cast 2007 DRG (DRG-CD-94781) Irving Berlin wrote several wonderful and well-known musicals that boasted his fine song compositions but he also penned several lesser shows and "Face the Music" is a fine example. The 2007 Encores cast give new life to this 1932 show. Oh, the story isn't great but the tunes are and the wonderful cast does them full justice. Judy Kaye heads a cast of masterful performers who breathe life into this show that "tells what sweet hell it is to put up a musical." The show's plot actually is similar to the more recent "The Producers" as it deals with a Ziegfeld-like producer, Hal Reisman, brilliantly essayed by Walter Bobbie, who sets out to lose a lot of money on a show. "Face the Music" sounds like a 1930s show, but the tuneful songs and the fine performances, make this CD another treasure in several recent show music releases. Grade: A "LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS" Original London Cast First Night Records (CASTCD97) "Little Shop of Horrors" is a bright and breezy little spoof that has an outlandish plot about a man-eating plant and a skid row florist who ends up with the plant. It has an upbeat, peppy soft-rock score and lots of familiar tunes that have become part of musical theater history. The original London cast recording, available on CD from London's First Night Records, is a respectable version that does nothing unique or special with the score. Su Pollard is a fine lead and the renditions are all good, if not great or outstanding. If you have the American versions, this is not one to fight to add to your collection and, quite frankly, I'd advise show music lovers who don't have this show to purchase one of the better American versions. Grade: C "WONDERFUL TOWN" Original Cast Prism Leisure (PLATCD 1242) "Wonderful Town" is a great Leonard Bernstein show with his masterful score and the original Broadway cast version is a fine one. This new release in The Broadway Musicals Series has the strong original cast recording in total with six bonus tracks from the original Broadway cast recording of "On the Town," another Bernstein masterpiece. It's nice to have these two original cast recordings combined with decent notes on "Wonderful Town" but nothing about "On the Town." I really think having the original releases of both shows is better unless money is a problem, then this combined release is not a bad alternative. Grade: B -- Phoenix, AZ (June 23, 2007) - With cast recordings to the Broadway bomb "The Pirate Queen" and the surprise hit "Legally Blonde" due out soon, let's look at some recent releases, beginning with "110 in the Shade," starring Audra McDonald: "110 IN THE SHADE" 2007 Broadway Revival Cast PS Classics (PS-754) As one of the few around who saw the original "110 in the Shade" back in 1963, it was with great hesitation that I approached the new Broadway cast recording of this lushly romantic musical by Harvey Schmidt and Tom Jones, with a book by N. Richard Nash based on his play, "The Rainmaker." After all, how could the original cast ever be bettered? Inga Swenson was a stunning Lizzie, Robert Horton was a dashing Starbuck, and Stephen Douglas was a forcefully stable File. But the stunning, newly orchestrated, and brilliantly cast revival is a true triumph. I only wish I had plans to get to New York and see it before it closes its already extended limited run on July 29. As the Broadway reviews suggest, Audra McDonald is a glowing Lizzie, the fragile woman who has never experienced the love she yearns for until conman Starbuck, arrives to sell her parched town on his ability to bring rain. That she ends up getting attracted by Starbuck and the more predictable local sheriff, File, who can't get over his failed marriage to see Lizzie's inner beauty, makes for a tearful tale about the strength of true love. The plush score has been beautifully re-orchestrated by Jonathan Tunick. He makes these very '60s sounding songs appear fresh and alive. McDonald sings each of Lizzie's songs with an amazing passion and intensity. She weaves a rich story with each song that adds touching dimension and depth to Lizzie's lovely tunes. She's brilliant. So is John Cullum as her father, H. C. Curry. Steve Kazee is an oilier and slimier Starbuck and his voice is higher than Horton's. It works beautifully. Christopher Innvar is a pensive and reflective File. This is a stunningly telling and brilliant "110 in the Shade" and, for the first time, I recommend this new PS Classics version over the original cast recording. Grade: A "HIGH FIDELITY" Original Broadway Cast Ghostlight Records (8-4421) "High Fidelity" was a Broadway bomb and one can see why when listening to the cast album. The derivative rock score isn't very good or very interesting. The show was based on the best-selling novel by Nick Hornby and represents the first Broadway score by composer Tom Kitt with lyrics by Amanda Green and book by David Lindsay-Abaire. It tells the story of Rob, an owner of a record store and the person who knows everything about pop music. His love of music doesn't translate into affection for any woman. After being dumped by his current girl, Laura, the show goes into dream override relating their top five romantic comebacks. The score is hard to listen to although the cast gives their all to these nothing roles. It's easy to see why this dud closed and just why the producers felt there was a need to release a cast album remains confusing. Grade: D "NO ONE IS ALONE" BARBARA COOK DRG Records (91501) Barbara Cook can do no wrong. Her latest album, based on her November 2006 Carnegie Hall appearance, is a gem. She sticks completely to musical theater and she uses her impeccable musical storytelling to bring new interest and new meaning to a collection of familiar show tunes. Some of the shows she's starred in during her long and successful Broadway career but most of the songs are new for Cook's repertory. The best tracks are hard if not impossible to single out as everything she selects and does with great aplomb works beautifully with her mature and rich voice. Cook is wondrous and her latest album stuns as another in a long string of great albums. Grade: A "MARTIN SHORT: FAME BECOMES ME" Original Broadway Cast Ghostlight Records (8-4420) Martin Short is a funny man and his latest Broadway show, "Fame Becomes Me," makes one wish his latest Broadway show had played longer and was planning a tour. The material is very humorous and takes several fabulous slams at the Broadway musical and the pompous nature of too many Broadway performers. If you know Broadway musicals and Broadway plays, this show will be richer and funnier to you. In many of the 28 tracks, Short appears and is very funny. If one song must be singled out, though, it would be "A Big Black Lady Stops the Show." It's stunningly performed by cast member Capathia Jenkins, who relishes every delicious slam and word in this very funny tune that hits at enough truth that it makes it even funnier. There are lots of cute backstage stories and gossip and many direct assaults at specific shows both contemporary and historic. "Fame Becomes Me" is a funny toast to Broadway and its humor is packed with truths. Grade: A "GREY GARDENS" Original Broadway Cast PS Classics (PS-642) The success of "Grey Gardens" on Broadway after its successful off-Broadway triumph led PS Classics to record new tracks and fix its off-Broadway cast recording to reflect all that is new, changed, or updated in the show's brilliant Broadway transfer. Most wonderfully, the new recording (which will completely replace the formerly available off-Broadway cast recording) features Mary Louise Wilson's brilliant second act performance as the strangely vacant 1973 Edith Bouvier Beale, the recluse of the Kennedy clan who lived in a dilapidated Long Island mansion with her erratic daughter "Little" Edie Beale, played brilliantly by Christine Ebersole. Ebersole plays the mother in the first act's 1941 view of this same family. New songs added for the Broadway production have been included on this new CD and the Broadway performances are all captured here. The new CD comes with a well illustrated and thoughtfully written show commentary. Ebersole and Wilson both give superb performances full of rich nuance and depth. The entire cast is quite exemplary and having this new and faithful Broadway version captures one of the great Broadway musicals of recent years. Grade: A "BROADWAY SCENE STEALERS - THE MEN" Masterworks Broadway/Playbill Records (88697-07236-2) This compilation album, "Broadway Scene Stealers - The Men," draws on the vast collection of Masterworks Broadway archives and takes some of the best songs for men over the years and puts them on a single CD. This album is a wonderful recollection of great Broadway shows and revivals of great shows. The collection includes "Giants in the Sky ("Into the Woods"), "All I Need Is The Girl" ("Gypsy"), "Dream Drummin'/Soft Music" (Over Here), "The Viper's Drag" ("Ain't Misbehavin'"), "Franklin Shepard, Inc." ("Merrily We Roll Along"), "The Lees of Old Virginia" ("1776"), "Bigger Isn't Better" ("Barnum"), "Miracle of Miracles" ("Fiddler on the Roof"), "I've Got Your Number" ("Little Me"), "Joey, Joey, Joey" ("The Most Happy Fella"), "Captain Hook's Waltz" ("Peter Pan"), and "Mr. Cellophane" ("Chicago"). It's an easy and breezy collection and features many classic tunes from Broadway history. Grade: B "BROADWAY SCENE STEALERS - THE WOMEN" Masterworks Broadway/Playbill Records Like its counterpart, "Broadway Scene Stealers - The Women" features classic songs by Broadway greats. This collection includes many similar shows to "The Men" album. Here, the songs include, "Ooh! My Feet," ("The Most Happy Fella"), "Cash For Your Trash" ("Ain't Misbehavin'"), "Deep in the Night" ("Inner City"), "He Plays the Violin" ("1776"), "The Miller's Son" (A Little Night Music"), "Gooch's Song" ("Mame"), "Miss Marmelstein" (I Can't Get It For You Wholesale") featuring Barbara Streisand, "Little Girls" ("Annie"), "Everybody's Girl" ("Steel Pier"), "Mr. Monotony" ("Jerome Robbins' Broadway"), "When You're Good to Mama" ("Chicago"), and "You Can Always Count on Me" ("City of Angels"). It's a nice collection although true show music lovers already have all the individual cast recordings. Grade: A -- Phoenix, AZ (April 5, 2007) - A couple of new Broadway cast CDs are on the immediate horizon. On May 8, 2007, DRG Records will release the first CD version of the Broadway cast recording of "Illya, Darling." On June 5, 2007, EMI/Angel Broadway will release the original cast recording of "Curtains," which just opened on Broadway. A couple of movie musicals will be available on DVD for the first time when "Dreamgirls" is released May 1 followed by "A Little Night Music" with Elizabeth Taylor on May 8. And Lucille Ball's dreadful movie version of "Mame" will be available in May on DVD for the first time. Now to reviews of new show music releases. "INTO THE WOODS" Original Broadway Cast Masterworks Broadway (82876-68636-2) The long promised re-releases of four Stephen Sondheim cast albums are finally here from Masterworks Broadway. The first is "Into the Woods," the wonderful fairy tale fantasy featuring an outstanding cast headlined by the great Bernadette Peters. The show is impeccable but the three bonus tracks include three top show songs sung by other popular musical theater artists. The new booklet is jammed with fresh and valuable information on the show. Grade: A "MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG" Original Broadway Cast Masterworks Broadway (82876-68637-2) "Merrily We Roll Along" is one of Sondheim's most interesting works as it traces the lives of several characters in backward age order. The score is rich and the storytelling is fabulous. Bonus tracks here include Bernadette Peters doing a brilliant "Not A Day Goes By" along with Sondheim himself doing "It's A Hit." Great show music in an interesting story. Grade: A "SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE" Original Broadway Cast Masterworks Broadway (82876-68638-2) Perhaps my favorite Sondheim show is "Sunday in the Park with George" - especially because of the brilliant first act closer when the wonderful by Georges Seurat painting "A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte" is re-created on stage with the cast and appropriate set pieces. The show's second act, a more modern look at art, is not as dramatically effective but the scoring is quite brilliant as is the same cast that makes the first act so wonderful reappear, especially Mandy Patinkin who does a strong George in the first act, and Bernadette Peters who is a fine Dot, his mistress, in the first act and makes a fine Marie, the grandmother, in the second act. Bonus tracks include a great "Putting It Together" from the Julie Andrews musical of the same name, and a solo "Sunday" from Peters' 1992 Carnegie Hall appearance. Another superb Sondheim show. Grade: A "SWEENEY TODD" Original Broadway Cast Masterworks Broadway (82876-68639-2) Probably Sondheim's most recognized hit, "Sweeney Todd," was a masterwork in the brilliant original Broadway cast recording that featured the perfect title character in Len Cariou and the best Mrs. Lovett ever with the brilliant performance of Angela Lansbury, who curls up around the part and turns in an amazing portrayal. Bonus tracks here include a wonderful "Symphonic Sondheim: Sweeney Todd" featuring Jerry Hadley, Eugene Perry, and Herbert Perry. This new version is, of course, the full version complete on two CDs. Amazing. Grade: A "THE BROADWAY MUSICALS OF 1929" Broadway Cast Bayview Recording Company (RNBW038) Another release of "The Broadway Musicals" series this time the year is 1929 when 52 shows opened including such great shows as "Bitter Sweet," "Fifty Million Frenchmen" and "Spring Is Here." The selections on the new Bayview CD is loaded with hits and they are all impeccably sung by a cast featuring Leslie Anderson, Nancy Anderson, Christine Andreas, Bryan Batt, Ron Bohmer, Mary Bond Davis, Jeffry Denman, Noah Racey and Emily Skinner. Scott Siegel does his usual wonderful job narrating and providing many succinct facts about the shows before the wonderful versions presented by these excellent artists. Another enjoyable hit. Grade: A "COMPANY" Broadway Revival Cast Nonesuch/PS Classics (106876-2) The new "Company" cast sounds great on the CD, but not as good in person. After seeing this new cast in the theater, I wasn't too excited about the CD. In person, the show sounded mediocre; as if director John Doyle got so possessed with having the cast play the superb Stephen Sondheim music that his casting wasn't anything special. But on the CD, the show sounds great. The Sondheim score sounds fresh and alive, something that didn't happen when I saw the show on Broadway. Raul Esparza is a great Bobby and his version of "Being Alive" is definitive. This cast version provides insight into this bachelor Bobby and the only person in the show who isn't happily married. "The Ladies Who Lunch" is also well sung by Barbara Walsh in a haunting version of this insightful look at the frustrations of marriage. The rest of the large cast sounds wonderful in both solo numbers and in ensemble efforts. The show looks askew at marriage and is a harsh slap at married life. George Furth's marriage view is slanted and negative but here Sondheim's rich score gets a wonderful treatment. Oh, the new cast recording can never replace the original cast version that is so fresh and so alive. Grade: A "LITTLE MARY SUNSHINE" Original Off-Broadway Cast DRG Theater (19099) It's nice to again have the wonderful off-Broadway cast recording of "Little Mary Sunshine" available. This pristine Rick Besoyan musical spoof affectionately tackles the rapturous old musicals of Victor Herbert, Rudolf Friml and Sigmund Romberg. "Little Mary Sunshine" takes a fun swipe at "Rose Marie" complete with a nice slap at the Mounties although this show is set in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. The breezy score spoofs "Rose Marie" right down to the "Colorado Love Call" and the wonderfully reflective "Do You Ever Dream of Vienna?." The off-Broadway cast is a rich one with John McMartin and the wonderful Little Mary Sunshine of Eileen Brennan but the entire cast is bright and sharp. The score is a delightful listen and it's nice to have this show available again. Grade: A "MUSICALS THE ESSENTIAL ALBUM" Union Square Music (ESNDCD220) The two CD collection "Musicals The Essential Album" is a compilation of the best current Musical Theater artists in a collection of the finest show music available today along with a smattering of old classic singers in winning show music selections like Judy Garland's definitive "Over the Rainbow" and Cleo Laine's rich version of "A Little Night Music's" "Send in the Clowns." The two CD collection is a wonderful collection of show tunes. There are great musicals from Broadway history along with the best of the current crop of fine renditions of definitive current shows. Grade: B "RAW AT TOWN HALL" EMILY SKINNER/ALICE RIPLEY Kritzerland (KR 20011-0) Emily Skinner and Alice Ripley pair in a wonderful collection of tunes in "Raw at Town Hall." The two CD set has a wonderful collection of current and past Broadway musical hits along with a fine sampling of the pair's recent Broadway success, "Side Show," when these two fine singers joined forces in a definitive Broadway musical triumph. There are rich solos and wonderful duets. All are well sung and are in brilliantly alive versions supported with wonderful instrumentals from a definitive band. This "Raw at Town Hall" CD is a rich and wonderful collection that features these two fine singers in a definitive collection that make the pair sound fabulous. Grade: A -- Phoenix, AZ (February 25, 2007) - Very little show music news this update. 2007 will be a slim year for strong new editions of show music classics. It will be interesting to see if the record labels that have a host of shows that haven't been officially adapted to CDs will show up. DRG Records has several new conversions scheduled but lists through the year show no other major conversions suggesting that Sony that now owns most of the old record labels isn't planning any great releases. There are always a few interesting things coming out and a couple of these are reviewed below. Foreign cast albums of popular Broadway shows will remain big news and a few labels like Ghostlight Records are still finding unusual things to bring us. Now to reviews of new show music releases. "HAPPY END" American Conservatory Theatre Cast Ghostlight Records (7915584418-2) The first English language recording of Kurt Weill/Bertolt Brecht's "Happy End" occurred when San Francisco's American Conservatory Theatre mounted a critically acclaimed production that was recorded in all its pristine glory by Ghostlight Records. The score sounds like other shows this talented German team completed. But the differences are fascinating and the cast is wonderful both in portraying the complex characters and in singing Weill's rich score. Three classic Weill tunes mark this show including "Surabaya Johnny," "The Bilbao Song," and "The Sailor's Tango," all brilliantly realized on the recording. Like most Ghostlight releases, this one has a very complete booklet filled with production pictures that portray the rich production ACT mounted. The show is particularly interesting in light of the Broadway production of "LoveMusik," a new musical based on the romance of Weill and his love who starred in many of his shows, Lotte Lenya." This recording is a choice and prime addition to any show music lover's collection and is a must buy of 2007, a year that doesn't promise much of interest in show music recordings. Grade: A "PRODUCEREK" ("THE PRODUCERS") Original Hungarian Cast Metro (RET047) "The Producers" is a huge hit on Broadway and was successful on the road in this country. Foreign language production continues to pop up and all have been well cast and sound identical to the Broadway version - just in a foreign tongue. The Hungarian version of this show is wonderful and very complete with the recording exceeding the normal maximum running time for CDs. The songs sound bright and funny and the cast seems strong. Max and Leo play off each other well just as Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick did on Broadway. The big production number still has the glitzy and rambunctious sound we have come to expect from this comic musical masterpiece. The Hungarian cast of "The Producers" is a strong and vibrant one and if you like the show and collect foreign cast show music this is a good one to get. Grade: A -- Phoenix, AZ (January 23, 2007) - I'm currently in New York on my annual Broadway pilgrimage, seeing nine new shows in six days, including "The Apple Tree," "Tarzan," "Spring Awakening," "Mary Poppins," "Company" and "Grey Gardens." There has been little new released in the way of show music during the early weeks of the new year but a new series, "Legends of Broadway," came out with four tribute albums just as 2006 ended. I review those below along with a revival of a Rudolf Friml show by The Ohio Light Opera: "THE FIREFLY" The Ohio Light Opera Cast Albany Records (891/92) Rudolf Friml wrote delightfully silly but melodically lovely operettas during the early part of the last century. His shows didn't push musical theater and he pleased loyal audiences with his tuneful scores. Such is the case with one of his lesser-known shows, "The Firefly." In a brilliant new recording - said to be the first complete recording of the show - his beautiful songs flow easily when executed by the richly talented Ohio Light Opera cast. This show was Friml's first Broadway success and the piece has a fractured love tale that doesn't play well today. But the songs are what make this show interesting and they are given brilliant renditions in this recording. "The Firefly" is a step back in time when love interests dominated most musical theater plots and everything always worked out so favorably for everyone. Getting through all the silliness with such beautiful music is a chore I will endure anytime. Grade: A "LEGENDS OF BROADWAY - BARBARA COOK" Masterworks Broadway (82876-88398-2) Now that Sony Music owns so many old labels, its stock of Broadway treasures is rich, so the label has decided to use all the old show recordings they have in a new series, "Legends of Broadway." The first four releases pay tribute to four of Broadway's finest female stars. Of the new collection, my favorite is Barbara Cook's album. The collection of songs come from her Broadway triumphs - "Candide," "The Music Man," "The Gay Life" and "She Loves Me," with extra tracks from her concert versions of songs from other Broadway hits and others from her recordings of classic Broadway musicals that she's played in during various revivals. These include "The King and I," "Follies," and "Show Boat." Cook's young voice here is a marvel but there's nothing wrong with the richer, fuller sound her more mature voice produces today, so some of the later concert version recordings are the finest. The album traces her career and the sound of her stunning voice at key points throughout her long and fruitful career are a rich and rewarding tribute. There's nothing in the new album I don't enjoy and hearing her voice go through its natural evolution is a treat. What a great new series Sony has developed. The accompanying booklet on Cook's career is filled with interesting pictures and a current interview that gives this great artist a chance to comment on her career. Grade: A "LEGENDS OF BROADWAY - ANGELA LANSBURY" Masterworks Broadway (82876-88397-2) No less brilliant than Cook is Angela Lansbury. The selections here show the diversity of Lansbury's Broadway musical career. There are selections from three Sondheim classics she first played on Broadway, "Anyone Can Whistle," "Gypsy" and "Sweeney Todd." There's also the requisite selections from "Mame," her first huge stage success, and "Dear World," another Jerry Herman show she first introduced to audiences. The accompanying booklet is loaded with facts and pictures. What this series does is put highlights from these artists career on one disk. We all have these recordings but linking them together allows us to hear a person's career, her biggest shows, and the changes in these performers' voices that make them so right from the roles they play as their careers mature and prosper. Another triumph for this series is the Angela Lansbury "Legends of Broadway" tribute. Grade: A "LEGENDS OF BROADWAY - BERNADETTE PETERS" Masterworks Broadway (82876-88399-2) Bernadette Peters is a big Broadway star and she's taken some new directions in recent years. Her career sounds great in this tribute album. There are some of her recent hits including "Annie Get Your Gun" and "Gypsy," along with earlier achievements like "Dames at Sea," "Sunday in the Park With George," "Song and Dance," "Into the Woods" and "Mack and Mabel." It's a diverse and interesting collection of shows that Peters has been in and this album is a good representation of her rich career. Grade: A "LEGENDS OF BROADWAY - CHITA RIVERA" Masterworks Broadway (82876-88402-2) The final winner in this new series is devoted to Chita Rivera and the album goes all the way back to the excitement of "West Side Story" and "Bye, Bye Birdie," along with one of her less successful but still fascinating early shows, "Bajour." Her more recent hits including the original "Chicago" and "Kiss of the Spider Woman." The selections here show the range and changes in her voice. An enjoyable delight, the "Legends of Broadway - Chita Rivera" album is a wonderful listen as it shows the length and breadth of Rivera's long and richly rewarding Broadway reign. Grade: A -- Phoenix, AZ (December 26, 2006) - Lots of news about cast-related recordings. First off, Sony will release four CDs today in the first entries of the Legends of Broadway series. This year's winners are Angela Lansbury, Barbara Cook, Bernadette Peters, and Chita Rivera. They will be the first four artists in this continuing new series. Speaking of Cook, she was named Vocalist of the Year by Musical America. She received her award December 20. The new Broadway "Company" recorded their version of the Stephen Sondheim score for a joint production between Nonesuch and PS Classics. Apparently, the just closed "High Fidelity" may record a cast album on Sh-K-Boom. To all my loyal readers, a wish for a great holiday season and to a wonderful 2007 full of exciting new and long out-of-print cast albums. Now to reviews of new show music releases: "DREAMGIRLS" Original Soundtrack Cast Sony Music (82876-88953 2) The movie version of "Dreamgirls" is supposed to be a big hit. It didn't open in Phoenix until Christmas so I haven't seen it yet, but the soundtrack is one of the most exciting sounding movie versions of a big Broadway hit in years. Created by the same team that adapted "Chicago," the "Dreamgirls" soundtrack has all the familiar music by in exciting new orchestrations and sung by a great cast. Especially impressive is "American Idol" veteran, Jennifer Hudson, who sings the great showstopper, "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going," with the most plaintive soul-searching depth that the song vibrated every time I put on the album. But the entire cast is impressive and the vocals are superb. The scenes in the accompanying booklet make the film look lavish and I can hardly wait to see it if for no other reason than to see Hudson's performance as Effie White, the singer whose singing career almost gets sidetracked by her personal struggles. This film musical appears to be a huge winner and the album is a dynamic treasure. Grade: A "SPRING AWAKENING" Original Broadway Cast Decca Broadway (B0008020-02) I wasn't impressed by what I had read about "Spring Awakening" but when I heard the cast album, I'm looking forward to seeing the show during my annual Broadway trip next month. The show, a real rock show, traces the struggles of young adolescents, a perplexing and difficult subject to deal with on stage. The score takes some time to understand and enjoy, but repeated hearings help bring the score's brilliant songs by Duncan Sheik and the perceptive lyrics of Steven Sater vividly to life. Like so many modern shows, this one is blatantly truthful and has some raucous and explicit language. It's nice to hear a completely original show that isn't an adaptation of an old movie or play and that presents life in a challenging and enlightening new way. Grade: A "THE SOUND OF MUSIC" 2006 London Palladium Cast Really Useful Records (1718876) The new London production of "The Sound of Music" is famous because it is produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber and features Connie Fisher as Maria, a role she won in a hugely publicized British popularity contest. The result is a typical and none-too-revolutionary treatment of the saccharin musical about a novice nun's shift away from the Church to a traditional marriage with a built-in brood of kids. Fisher isn't anything special and her voice often runs out of steam at big musical moments suggesting she doesn't have the pipes for a sustained musical theater career. The supporting cast, except for a wonderful group of children, is nothing special either. Like so many recent stage versions of the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic, the version combines the stage and movie version and includes some of the songs Rodgers wrote for the screen adaptation. There's nothing special here and if I was headed to London, this "The Sound of Music" revival wouldn't be high on my list of shows to see. So the cast album isn't a must purchase even for show lovers. Grade: C "THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW" Original Vancouver Cast No Label or Number The Vancouver "The Rocky Horror Show" is a bland and lifeless version of the popular cult musical. The cast breathes no special life into the campy of fun material and the reason for this recording seems to relate to the vanity of some cast members who must have wanted their nothing interpretation saved but for what reason. There are wonderfully exciting recorded versions of this show, but the Vancouver cast is not one of them. Grade: F "JACQUES BREL IS ALIVE AND WELL AND LIVING IN PARIS" 2006 Off-Broadway Cast Ghostlight Records (7915584416-2) "Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris" is one of those shows that rarely sounds the same from version to version. The treatment of the Brel songs is unique and so each interpretation makes the music sound different and unique. The new off-Broadway version is such a case. The cast is strong and includes Robert Cuccioli, Natascia Diaz, Rodney Hicks, and Gay Marshall. They all sound great and make these plaintive and haunting songs their own. The show is wonderful look at life and the new version does a rich job of making the songs telling statements about various aspects of everyday living. Nothing beats the original cast version, though, and I can't say the new cast does a better performance than the definitive first group. Grade: B -- Phoenix, AZ (December 3, 2006) - The copies of the three new DVD releases of 20th Century Fox film versions of Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals arrived but I've only had a chance to watch a few of the "extras" on "The King and I." These bonuses are fantastic as is the commentary about the film that can be listened to while the excellent movie plays. I'm still awaiting a chance to enjoy similar features on the newly released "Carousel" and "South Pacific." Of course, "The King and I" movie version is one of the finest transfers of a Broadway musical to the screen. It faithfully recreates the show minus a few songs and preserves the brilliant Jerome Robbins "The Small House of Uncle Thomas" ballet. But the film's most outstanding feature is the extraordinary performance of Deborah Kerr (with Marni Nixon's singing voice) as Anna and Yul Brynner's unbelievably sharp King. Kerr displays the character's fortitude, determination, and her sharp nut clever one-upmanship of the King. Nixon's vocals are coordinated perfectly and it's hard to believe that Kerr isn't actually singing. Brynner's brilliant portrayal of the King made his career. He played this role on the stage throughout his lengthy career and he won an Academy Award for his movie portrayal. I also got the first time DVD release of Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Flower Drum Song." It proves a solid if undistinguished film adaptation of this lesser R&H show. There's an abundance of interesting "extras" on this one. These new versions of these great Broadway musical film adaptations are a treasure but each one is so rich with a pristine version of the film plus the many "extras" you must devote lengthy viewing periods to each. Most of them also include interviews with cast members and scenes from the original Broadway productions, extras that musical theater lovers will treasure. These are an excellent holiday gift giving idea. Now to reviews of new show music releases. "THE FANTASTICKS" New 2006 Off-Broadway Cast Ghostlight Records (8-4415) A new and more complete "The Fantasticks" is always welcome and Ghostlight Records has preserved the current off-Broadway cast. The singing is strong and is consistent with the original production. Burke Moses is a commanding and lushly sung interpretation, Santino Fontana has a welcome mature sound as Matt, Sara Jean Ford's pretty soprano is perfect for Luisa and the comic supporting players all add strong vocal renditions. The performance is very complete. At the end, there's a bonus track, "O Have You Ever Been To China?," performed by composer Harvey Schmidt back in 1959. The accompanying booklet has interesting background articles on the show and a full inclusion of all the song lyrics along with nice pictorials of the new production. I wouldn't say this new version is better than the famous original cast recording that is still available but it has more music and is well performed. Grade: B "BROADWAY UNPLUGGED 2" Original Off-Broadway Cast Bayview Recording Company (RNBW037) Scott Siegel's impressive series of concerts devoted to various years of musical theater history are a wonderful record of the best songs from the years selected and are always performed by leading contemporary musical theater stars. In addition to the standard series that all have CDs that preserve the performances, Siegel also does a "Broadway Unplugged" series and the second installment of this series has just been released. It is one of the best and most interesting of Siegel's shows. The cast includes Bobby Belfry, Ron Bohmer, Brandon Cutrell, Bill Daugherty, Mary Bond Davis, Sutton Foster, Peter Gonyo, Cheyenne Jackson, Eddie Korbich, Jenifer Kruskamp, Marc Kudisch, Norm Lewis, Deven May, William Michals, Euan Morton, Christiane Noll, Emily Skinner, Anne Steele, Barbara Walsh, Steven Ray Watkins, and Lennie Waits. All have been on Broadway recently and all have wonderful vocal pipes that do full justice to the 18 tracks, all performed without microphones, and from a wide range of classic musical as well as current hits. It's hard to pick favorites but Skinner's rich "Raunchy" from "110 in the Shade," Jackson's stunningly lovely "Joey, Joey, Joey" from "The Most Happy Fella," Liz Callaway's fun "Be A Lion" from "The Wiz," and a playful "Anything You Can Do" from "Annie Get Your Gun" with Kudisch and Foster, are highlights. Siegel's commentary is tight and short but adds some interesting insights on the shows included. Grade: A "FAVOURITE THINGS" CONNIE FISHER Really Useful Group/Polydor (FASC007) The reviews on the current London revival of "The Sound of Music" have been strong and most comment positively on star Connie Fisher's strong vocals as Maria. In conjunction with the new show, comes Fisher's premiere solo album, "Favourite Things," and she displays a strong if not particularly distinctive voice. She does two big "The Sound of Music" songs, "My Favourite Things" and Something Good" and the back of the accompanying booklet boasts the coming recording of the revival. The other 10 selections here are mostly from musicals and all are competent, solid, but nothing particularly unique or special. I'd wait for the revival cast recording to hear Fisher's singing. Fisher's solo CD is nothing out of the ordinary. Grade: C "ESSENTIAL MUSICALS" ELAINE PAIGE Universal Music (1709789) Elaine Paige is a reigning London musical theater star and she's developed an American following with her Broadway "Sunset Boulevard" performance. Her newest solo album, "Essential Musicals," includes selections that are all from shows but not necessarily from musicals in which she's starred. All the arrangements are enhanced from the original versions from the shows these songs are taken and Paige sounds dynamic and sultry throughout. She also does several songs assigned to male roles and she does them with poise and distinction. Her "Edelweis" from "The Sound of Music" is lovely, her "Bring Him Home" from "Les Miserables" is full bodied and strong, but her ending number, "Broadway Baby" from "Follies" is a fitting and rich finale. Paige is a strong and wonderful musical theater star and she doesn't forget her musical theater roots. "Essential Musicals" is a nice recording for musical theater lovers. Grade: B -- Phoenix, AZ (November 12, 2006) - A new DVD was just released called "The Making of Miss Saigon." It's a documentary of the Broadway show and includes much footage from the original London and Broadway cast productions. I haven't had a chance yet to view my copy but it is something that should interest musical theater lovers. I'm awaiting my copies of the three anniversary editions by 20th Century Fox of Rodgers and Hammerstein movie versions of their Broadway hits. This time we get "Carousel," "The King and I" and "South Pacific." There's also a boxed set that includes the previously released anniversary versions of "Oklahoma," "State Fair" and "The Sound of Music." Many of the new CDs reviewed below are re-releases of old shows that have been available before. A couple of completely new shows are also included. Also this week comes this year's "Broadway's Greatest Gifts: Carols for a Cure Vol. 8" that has current Broadway show casts singing holiday songs. Interestingly, with weekly shipments from publicists and Footlight Records, I get 15 to 20 new show music CDs each week. I can only review a few of every two weeks, so I try to pick the most interesting of the new items. Now to reviews of new show music releases: "BROADWAY'S GREATEST GIFTS: CAROLS FOR A CURE - Vol. 8" Rock-It Science Records (No Number) The popular Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS series of holiday releases that feature current Broadway musical casts in popular and unusual songs that celebrate the season has released the eighth volume and it's the best of these releases in several years. The two-disk set features a variety of holiday music types and styles all featuring unique and clever arrangements and sung by the excellent casts of current shows, including "Jersey Boys," "The Drowsy Chaperone," "Wicked," "Mary Poppins" and "The Color Purple." This year's album is far more festive and has several welcome non-traditional songs from other holiday celebrations beside Christmas. I listened to this year's recording in late October before Halloween and it immediately started my annual process of getting in the holiday spirit. This year's "Broadway's Greatest Gifts: Carols for a Cure Vol. 8" is a treasure. Grade: A "MAMMA MIA! 5TH ANNIVERSARY YEAR ON BROADWAY" Original London Cast Decca Broadway (80007645-00) "Mamma Mia!" has been on Broadway for five years. In an effort to cash in on the show's tremendous success and ongoing popularity, Decca Broadway has re-released the cast recording with some new tracks and a Special Edition DVD that tries to explain the musical's phenomenal success with a myriad of scenes from the original and subsequent productions. The interesting thing is that the cast recording is from the original London cast as the original Broadway cast never recorded the score. It's too bad that we don't have a true Broadway cast recording. The DVD is a welcome delight because it captures so many of the stage show's successful moments for posterity. Grade: A "NUNSENSE A-MEN!" National Cast Nunsense (No Number) "Nunsense" has become quite a phenomenon spawning a myriad of variations all using the wacky nuns of New Jersey's The Little Sisters of Hoboken and their variety show to raise funds when they discover that their cook, Sister Julia, Child of God, has accidentally poisoned some of their sisters and they don't have enough for the burials. The latest incarnation, "Nunsense A-Men!," features an all-male cast parading as the nuns using the show's original version. There is some unintentionally funny stuff when men play these roles, and the original material is still fresh and funny. I'm sure the latest variation will make it around the country in productions during the next few years as theaters use the new version to raise money. Grade: B "LIVE FROM THE CAFE CARLYLE" EARTHA KITT DRG Records (91499) At almost 80 years old, Eartha Kitt still possesses her characteristic sultry voice and mellow way with a song in her latest CD, Eartha Kitt "Live from the Cafe Carlyle." She knows how to use what's left of her voice as she incarnates several wonderful songs with brilliant arrangements and her still rich voice. There's no standout song in the 17 tracks because they are all so rewarding and the new album is a treasure. Like Barbara Cook, Kitt hasn't let the years detract from either her voice or her unique song styling. Grade: A "CALL ME MADAM" Original Broadway Cast, Studio Recording, and Radio Broadcast 1950 Naxos Musicals (8.120794) Irving Berlin's "Call Me Madam" was a huge hit for Ethel Merman. The show is rarely seen today because of the difficulty of finding a star to play the central role of Mrs. Sally Adams, a fictional composite of Ambassador Perle Mesta. The show is full of witty political commentary and Merman's huge personality carries the show. Naxos Musicals has combined the long available Broadway studio cast that featured Merman along with the cast album that featured Dinah Shore because of Merman's contractual terms that prevented her from recording the cast album on a competing label. The comprehensive CD also includes excerpts from the film that starred Merman and a 1950 radio broadcast that also featured Merman. It's a wonderful collection of the various "Call Me Madam" versions and a real tribute this fine Berlin show and Merman's stellar performance in the lead role. Grade: A "SINGIN' IN THE RAIN" Studio Cast JAY Records (CDJAY 1262) "Singin' in the Rain" was one of Hollywood's most successful musicals both artistically and economically. The movie's success made it the ideal transfer to the stage. The show wasn't the big success on stage that it was as a movie, but the score is winsome and the cast featured on the JAY Records release is infectious and sings the songs with welcome luster. There were few changes in the conversion from film to stage so the pleasant and predictable story is intact as are the excellent songs. The four leads - Michael Gruber, Nancy Ringham, Randy Rogel, and Christina Saffran - couldn't be better and the National Symphony Orchestra under the lusty conducting of Craig Barna brings the vibrant score to brilliant life. Grade: B "CABARET" Studio Cast JAY Records (CDJAY2 1311) JAY Records has put together some fine casts for its many studio recordings of the best musicals. Such is the case with its complete "Cabaret" that features Jonathan Pryce as the M.C., Judi Dench in the small Fraulein Schneider role, lyric writer Fred Ebb as her love interest Herr Schultz, Greg Edelman as Clifford and Maria Friedman as Sally. The score is presented excellently by this distinguished and accomplished cast. The completeness of the recording allows us to have on CD some music never before available. The characterizations of the performers couldn't be better or more perceptive. The recording also includes three tracks from the successful 1987 Broadway revival that was not officially recorded and four tracks from the film featuring songs not heard in the stage versions. This "Cabaret" is a gem. Grade: A -- Phoenix, AZ (October 29, 2006) - Two new releases, the new Broadway cast recording of "A Chorus Line" and "Irving Berlin's White Christmas," are worthy of adding to your CD collection: "A CHORUS LINE" 2006 Revival Broadway Cast Masterworks Broadway (82876-89785-2) There have been many opinions of the new "A Chorus Line" revival production currently on Broadway. Now comes the cast recording of this version and the chance for those of us not in New York to hear the new cast. The revival is touted as being a re-creation of the original production in its look, sound, and staging and, based on the CD, that's exactly the case. There's nothing new here in terms of interpreting the show and many of the current performers duplicate the sound of the original cast member. But that's not bad and there's lots of energy and gusto from this cast. All the songs are impeccably handled and the production is no doubt a treat for those who missed the original production. Each performer makes their part distinctive, unique, and telling. Some of the songs contain more introductory material and a few get extended treatments of songs that got abbreviated on the original cast recording. Since the original cast recording is still readily available, it's hard to recommend this new version over those original performers who were the actual characters they played but the extra material and the dynamic performance make this a version that should be beside the original cast recording in any true show music lovers library. Grade: A "IRVING BERLIN'S WHITE CHRISTMAS" Original San Francisco Cast Ghostlight Records (7915581225-2) After a summer 2000 tryout at the St. Louis Municipal Opera, a stage version of the always popular "Irving Berlin's White Christmas" seemed inevitable. It seemed the perfect holiday show to compete with the overdone "The Nutcracker" and the twisted Dickens look at the holiday in "A Christmas Carol." In 2004, the reworked stage version of "White Christmas" debuted in San Francisco to great success where it remains a regular holiday offering. Other productions were tried last year and this year promises the show in even more cities. The first recording of the stage version is now out and it features the original San Francisco leads including Anastasia Barzee as Betty, Brian d'Arcy James as Bob, Jeffry Denman as Phil, and Karen Morrow as Martha. The stage version features the familiar Irving Berlin collection of wonderful tunes and the show on this recording, brings back rich family memories of watching the movie as part of holiday traditions. The color pictures of the production reveal it to be an eye-filler and the cast sounds impeccable crooning the warm and tuneful score. I can hardly wait to add this show to the holiday show collection when it finally debuts here in Phoenix. Hopefully that will be soon. Grade: A "BROADWAY LOVE" ANDREW HELLER Heller Records (AH3305) As a show music critic, I receive lots of CDs featuring performers singing collections of Broadway tunes. Some of these reveal singers who have the ability to vary their voices and interpretations so that each song has the feel intended in the show it came from. Sometimes performers with pleasant voices try Broadway music unsuccessfully and sometimes I get anthologies from performers who have no particular knack for Broadway music. The later is the case with Andrew Heller in his "Broadway Love." Heller's voice isn't a beautiful instrument and he struggles with many of the high notes in the various songs he's picked from several popular shows. And all the song renditions sound the same in terms of the mediocre orchestrations and in Heller's treatment of them. Heller's biography of shows he's actually performed isn't including suggesting that perhaps this album is his attempt to sell himself to musical theater producers. This CD is one to skip and Heller needs to spend lots of time working on interpretation and basic vocal technique before he can ever hope to successfully star in a stage musical. Grade: D -- Phoenix (October 15, 2006) - The new Broadway cast recording to "A Chorus Line's" is now out and I'll have a review in my next report. Later this month, JAY Records will release the first recording of the off-Broadway musical hit "Summer of '42." On November 7, Rhino will release the original cast recording of the off-Broadway hit, "Shout! The Mod Musical." Two musical theater stars are readying new show music oriented CDs. Elaine Paige's "Essential Musicals" will include 13 tracks including some unusual selections of male song hits. The CD will be available in Great Britain on October 23 and will no doubt show up in the United States shortly thereafter. Andrea Burns, who starred in the national tour of "Parade," just recorded her first solo CD for PS Classics. No list of tracks as yet but the CD should be available in early 2007. Now to reviews of new show music releases. "I LOVE YOU BECAUSE" Original Off-Broadway Casts PS Classics (PS-643) What a refreshing listen the new Off-Broadway musical "I Love You Because" is. The richly melodic songs have pithy, pointed, and articulate lyrics and the songs reveal the show's premise and plot clearly. The cast is bright and talented adding meaning and gusto to the wonderful songs by Joshua Salzman with lyrics by Ryan Cunningham. The six-person cast includes Farah Alvin, David A. Austin, Colin Hanlon, Jordan Leeds, Courtney Balan and Stephanie D'Abruzzo, who is becoming quite a respectable Broadway star, and they all bring warmth and mellow intensity to the roles they sing and to their wonderful interpretation of the tellingly pointed songs. The show's subtitle, "A Modern Day Musical Love Story," tells what this charmer is about as it explores the complexities and commitments of modern love affairs. Look for this talented team to be a major new voice in the contemporary musical theater scene. Grade: A "CHICAGO - THE MUSICAL 10TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION" Revival and Foreign Casts Masterworks Broadway (82876-89784-2) For the 10th anniversary of the successful Broadway revival of "Chicago," Masterworks Broadway has released an attractive two CD/DVD collection as a tribute to the Tony Award winning and Broadway's longest running revival. The package includes a nice collection of pictures and commentary about the revival plus the revival cast recording of the musical that took Broadway by storm. Featuring Ann Reinking's definitive Roxie Hart and Bebe Neuwirth's haughty Velma Kelly, the recording is a gem. The other CD is a collection of "Chicago" songs, including demo recordings by Fred Ebb and John Kander, the genius writers behind this now classic musical and a selection of songs by other stars of the revival as well as selections by a couple of foreign casts plus two numbers by the show's original cast, Gwen Verdon, Chita Rivera, and Jerry Orbach. Songs by stars who have been paraded in and out of the continually playing Broadway revival cast, such as Lynda Carter, Brooke Shields and Melanie Griffith, are undistinguished and uninteresting and none match the revival's original cast. The DVD is short and features rather bland interviews with the revival's stars and some international performance footage from productions playing in Holland, Italy, Brazil, Germany, Mexico, and Russia. While a nice collection in a very attractive package, I was dismayed that no footage from the original production was included. Grade: B "ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER DIVAS" Really Useful Records/Decca Broadway (B0005990-02) Although I reviewed "Andrew Lloyd Webber Divas" recording when it was released in Europe, the American edition is now out and includes several different tracks. It's a nice collection of the composer's biggest hit songs sung by an array of the artists who have played roles in his shows. All these songs have been available previously including several from cast albums of Lloyd Webber's shows. It's a nice recording to play as background music for show music lovers. Grade: C "THE GERSHWINS' PORGY & BESS" Studio Cast Decca (B0007431-02) Another recording of "Porgy & Bess." With so many wonderful recordings already available, this seems like an unnecessary addition. There's nothing special here, just straightforward renditions by contemporary artists with the Nashville Symphony Orchestra and Chorus conducted by John Mauceri. It's a fine version of the show but how many "Porgy & Bess" recordings do you need. This new one is certainly not distinctive enough to add. Grade: B -- Phoenix, AZ (September 24, 2006) - The cast recording of the Broadway revival of "A Chorus Line" comes out on CD October 10. Now to reviews of new show music releases already available: "GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES"/"HIGH BUTTON SHOES" Original Broadway Casts Naxos Musicals (8.120793) Naxos continues to release old shows often combining two musicals on a single CD. Unfortunately, these releases are not well-produced versions and they are rarely re-mastered so they sound old. They are often not in stereo. But they are making old shows that may be out-of-print again available. These chestnut shows are often only of interest to real show music lovers but they remind us of lovely old shows and the fine performances that made these shows the big hits that they became. Such is the case with the latest release, a combination of "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" and "High Button Shows." These shows, both from the late 1940s, include catchy songs by Jule Styne. Both shows are filled with familiar tunes that show music lovers adore and many of the performances on both shows are classics. Carol Channing gave Lorelei a much gutsier and earthy feel than Marilyn Monroe did in the film version of "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes." Her raucous "Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend" is something wonderful. "High Button Shoes" features warm performances by Nanette Fabray and a lusty Phil Silvers. The show's most famous song hit, "Papa, Won't You Dance With Me?," is wonderful. Unfortunately, the sound on this CD is not great and doesn't enhance the original recordings. Grade: B "SIMPLY SONDHEIM - A 75TH BIRTHDAY SALUTE" San Francisco Cast Kritzerland (KR 20010-8) San Francisco staged a big celebration concert to celebrate Stephen Sondheim's 75th birthday, "Simply Sondheim - A 75th Birthday Salute," and the complete recording on two CDs reveals a rich tribute to the master Broadway composer that features a wide range of his finest songs. The cast includes Lisa Vroman, the longtime Christine in the San Francisco "The Phantom of the Opera" production, and Guy Haines. The singing is top drawer, the arrangements are winsome and are true to the sound Sondheim wanted in the shows the songs come from. The songs are arranged into themed medleys that group interesting collections of the composer's hits. There are songs from his big hits but also a nice collection of lesser-known tunes from his less successful creations and some of his early songs that have never been heard on Broadway. For Sondheim lovers, the tribute is a wonderful trip through the master's rich collection of songs. Grade: B "SHOPPING! THE MUSICAL" San Francisco Cast AWAT Productions (No Number) A San Francisco musical revue, "Shopping! The Musical," is a parody of shopping and I thought it would be a clever and pointed jab at those of us who love to spend hours in malls. Even the list of songs - "Nordstrom," "Hardware Heaven," "Costco," "What Am I Doing Here?" among the 22 selections - seemed promising. But the show is ordinary and the humor in each of the songs is strained and awkward and often not particularly funny. The melodies that accompany the parodies are really ordinary and far from memorable. The performances of the four performers and pianist are nothing special either. I listened a couple of times hoping I had missed something but got very little enjoyment out of "Shopping! The Musical." Grade: D -- Phoenix, AZ (September 10, 2006) This week is catch up time. All those wonderful old shows that were released on CD have all arrived and I will review those along with a few new shows that have arrived recently as well: "THREE WISHES FOR JAMIE" Original Broadway Cast DRG Records (19086) "Three Wishes for Jamie" had a troubled initial debut in Los Angeles and then closed for a year to be re-tooled by Abe Burrows but his efforts didn't make the show a success. It had a delightful score by Ralph Blane and a superlative cast headed by John Raitt in his prime and Anne Jeffreys. But the far-fetched story about an Irish dreamer who is granted three wishes by a fairy queen and, even against all logical odds, clings to his belief that the wishes will come to pass. The score sails along and is beautifully sung. This show is a '50s treasure musically but it never became a success and will probably never be heard from again. Grade: B "CABIN IN THE SKY" Original 1964 Revival Cast DRG Records (19088) "Cabin in the Sky" is an early African-American musical and it boasts a melodic score by Vernon Duke and a stellar cast who sing the songs glowingly. The show has the richly popular song, "Taking a Chance on Love" and tells the story of relationships in impoverished locales. The revival cast has a stirring and biting push that gives the score its due. Grade: A "KISMET" Studio Cast DRG Records (19094) The studio cast version of "Kismet" starred Gordon MacRae and opera star Dorothy Kirsten. The pair is featured in almost all the fabulous songs that were adapted from Alexander Borodin musical themes. The singing is proficient and perfect but uninspiring and just singing these richly varied and lushly melodic songs seems like a waste. The question I have is why bother wasting time and money on this ordinary recording of this great score when other much richer versions including the original Broadway cast recording exist? Grade: C "SALVATION" Original Broadway Cast DRG Records (19087) Salvation" is an early rock musical of questionable importance or value. It was about music and it slapped organized religion. The score is loud and obnoxious and has no particular value. The cast does the singing chores with little appeal or sparkle and the entire effort is an interesting look at early rock musicals but it has little other worth today. I wonder how DRG Records can justify remastering and re-issuing these old shows of dubious value. The costs must be outweighed by the few copies that will be sold to us musical theater nuts and few others. Grade: D "THE BROADWAY MUSICALS OF 1963" Town Hall Broadway By The Year Cast Bayview (RNBW036) The year 1963 had only one "hit" musical, "Oliver," but the new Broadway By The Year that is devoted to that year is filled with great songs from shows with superlative scores. Who can't love an album that features songs from such shows as "110 in the Shade," "She Loves Me," "The Girl Who Came To Supper," "Tovarich" and the hit show as well. The performances are all exquisite and there's no way to pick memorable songs or the best when such wonderful contemporary musical theater artists as Nancy Anderson, Stephen Bogardus, Liz Callaway, George Dvorsky, Euan Morton, and Julia Murney lend their fine voices to the wonderful collection of songs. Scott Siegel's comments are filled with interesting insights to the year and the shows. Another in this series wonderful tributes to bygone years of musical theater history. Grade: A "[title of show]" Original Off-Broadway Cast Ghostlight Records (7915584414-2) "[title of show]" is a show that parodies musical theater but without the wonderful insightful pithiness of "Forbidden Broadway" classics. The music is not lifted from shows being spoofed as is the case with "Forbidden Broadway" and the songs are ordinary although some of the lyrics are catchy and pointed. The show was quite popular off-Broadway and moves to Broadway this season to resume its run. It will be interesting to see if this small, pleasant little spoof can make it on Broadway. Grade: C "EVITA" 2006 London Cast Really Useful Records (9855975) There are few really unique or original interpretations of "Evita." Revivals are always some variation of the original production with the performers recreating the original cast performances. Such is the case with the ordinary and uninteresting new London cast recording of the show. None of the cast stands out and the music sounds like it always has except here and there where a slightly new orchestration takes a slightly different sound. The recording is on just one CD and although it is long and almost complete there's nothing to recommend adding this new version to your library if you already have the original and still definitive version. Grade: C "THE KING AND I" Music Theater of Lincoln Center Cast Masterworks Broadway (82876-88400-2) For several years, Richard Rodgers produced large and elaborate revivals of Broadway hits at Lincoln Center. Many of his own shows found their way into his offerings and many of the productions starred has-been stars past their prime or young and emerging musical theater artists. Such is the case with "The King and I." Opera star Rise Stevens essays Anna and her voice has neither the power nor the luster it had when she sang operatic repertory at the Met. She brings nothing special to Anna. Darren McGavin was an excellent King when I saw him in San Francisco long before this New York revival was mounted. He gave the King an interesting characterization that wasn't an exact copy of Yul Brynner's original. This release includes "The Small House of Uncle Thomas" ballet music and "Western People Funny," a song often excised from recordings. The supporting cast is competent but far from brilliant and the cheapness of producers makes this one of the few "The King and I" recordings without the kids that add so much interest to the show. Interpretations are superficial and this is far from the best "The King and I" recording. Grade: C "MY FAIR LADY" Original 20th Anniversary Cast Masterworks Broadway (82876-88392-2) It seems like the classic musical, "My Fair Lady," is always done with a pretty traditional and standard interpretation. Such was the case with the 20th anniversary version that starred Ian Richardson, Christine Andreas, George Rose and Robert Coote. Richardson, in particular, gives none of the depth of interpretation that Rex Harrison did in the original nor that others have instilled in other revivals. Richardson also rushes some of the tempos and has less than perfect diction, an interesting criticism considering Henry Higgins careful teaching of English. Andreas has a welcome young sound and she sings with purity and excellent diction especially as the transformed Cockney guttersnipe. Rose and Coote played their respective roles repeatedly and do nothing special to make neither Col. Pickering nor Doolittle stand out. You can't go wrong with the original cast version still readily available so I don't recommend this long out-of-print version. Grade: C "SOUTH PACIFIC" Music Theater of Lincoln Center Cast Masterworks Broadway (82876-88393-2) This Music Theater of Lincoln Center "South Pacific" revival is pretty standard fare with Florence Henderson sounding too young and inexperienced to give Nurse Nellie much depth or punch. Giorgio Tozzi's Emile is solidly sung although not as well as he did in the movie soundtrack when he sang voiceovers for the movie star that played the role. Of the supporting cast, Irene Byatt gives her Bloody Mary some depth and brilliance but Justin McDonough's Lt. Cable is nothing special. This is far from the best recorded "South Pacific" and it lacks any of the new interpretations that have given this show such a vibrant rebirth in recent years. Grade: C "CANDIDE" 1974 Broadway Cast Revival Masterworks Broadway (82876-88391-2) Of the four Masterworks Broadway releases, this 1974 Broadway revival cast of "Candide" is best. It shows some new interpretations of the Leonard Bernstein score and even the recording suggests the distinctive new Harold Prince staging ideas. The music is complex and lovely and the cast is filled with able singers who do it justice. The release is on two CDs that preserve most of the massive score. This recording is has been long out-of-print and it is a welcome addition to the many fine recordings available for "Candide." Indeed, this score is brilliant and only seems to improve with time and exposure. Grade: A -- Phoenix, AZ (August 19, 2006) - The first three releases of old shows on CD for the first time has occurred from DRG Records with the studio cast "Kismet," plus the original Broadway cast recordings of "Salvation" and "Three Wishes for Jamie." Several Sony releases follow at the end of the month. I haven't received my copies of the new DRG releases but hope to review them in my next update. Now to reviews of new show music releases: