5 comments about Moulin Rouge 2.

1. I first bought Moulin Rouge 2 soundtrack because I wanted the songs from the movie w/ the actual singers. But there's little of that on this soundtrack. It's a good compliment to the first soundtrack, but my collection still feels very short. Even with both CDs, I am still missing the *original* versions of the songs, sung by the actors, as they are sung IN the movie. The ones sung by the actors are remixed for the soundtracks, and most of them are not sung by the actors. There are a couple of instrumentals on this CD as well, which personally I don't care for. I bought the CD because I wanted to hear Ewan and Nicole sing, not a bunch of instruments!
   
   If you're a Moulin Rouge fan, this is a good addition to your collection, but you'd be better to just record all the songs with a tape recorder if you want the real versions!



2. I think this CD is excellent. I love everything about Moulin Rouge the movie and the music is no exception.



3. Moulin Rouge 2 is an essential addition to the original soundtrack, a shame that the two weren't packaged together. It's a definite buy for those who enjoy the film and for those who even moderately enjoyed the first cd.



4. I must say...I was very glad when they released Part Two of the Moulin Rouge soundtrack. Don't get me wrong...the first part was great and all, but it was nothing spectacular. I was specifically looking for certain songs from the movie, and I was completely disappointed when they were on there. The release of a second soundtrack was, in my opinion, an absolute necessecity.
   
   The highlights of the album are:
   
   -Your Song (Instrumental)
   -Sparkling Diamonds (original film version)
   -Come What May (original film version)
   -The Show Must Go On (original film version)
   
   In my opinion, "The Show Must Go On" is the best song on this album...it was just so perfect for the ending of the movie, and I fell in love with the song. I was so disappointed that it wasn't on the first soundtrack. This song is part of what makes the second soundtrack so amazing...the song is fierce!!
   
   If you love the movie and are a fan of the first soundtrack, then definitely, get this one. Many of the songs are versions taken straight from the movie - I recommend this with 4.5 stars...you will NOT be disappointed!



5. I love everything about this movie. The music is amazing and the instrumental songs on this CD are perfect. The first CD seemed to be more for a bunch of teenyboppers that wanted to hear the worst song on the whole CD (Lady Marmalade). If only they could combine the good songs from the first CD into this one.
   
   I gave this 5 stars even though it's about a 4.5 because they split the soundtrack over two seperate cds.

5 comments about The Polar Express.

1. This album has great Christmas music that the entire family can enjoy! Would not put an age limit on this....it is a must have for the holidays!!!



2. I bought this for my 3 year old son after he became a HUGE fan of the movie. He knows and wants to sing along with most of the songs (and I have to admit I like to sing along too). It's a must if you are a fan of the movie!



3. Absolutely wonderful soundtrack for this Christmas movie! Songs are original and beautiful. Josh Groban does a wonderful job too!



4. We enjoy most of this CD, but it could have been a lot better......but it's nice to have if you like the movie.



5. I love this movie. I am pleased with all my purchases. Thank you and keep up the good work.

5 comments about Fiddler on the Roof (1964 Original Broadway Cast).

1. I chose Fiddler for my students' spring musical, and always like to get the original cast recording to help give me an idea of the original idea for the pieces in the show. This recording definitely delivers, and the interview with Sheldon Harnick at the end is an extra treat. Awesome CD!



2. I was very young when I first saw this broadway play and love all of the songs in this cd.



3. I really love Topol in the role of Tevye, but he wasn't in the original broadway cast and Mr. Mostel created the role. Back then original cast albums were usually recorded on the Sunday after the opening. So this is really fresh stuff.
   
   This is simply THE classic recording of a classic musical. I like the intimacy of the pit orchestra over the inflated version on the soundtrack (as soundtracks almost always are).
   
   If I were a rich man, this is still the recording I would own.



4. What a great soundtrack and what a great play. Once you reacquaint yourself with it, you will be singing and humming the tunes for weeks and weeks....you just can't help it.



5. Fiddler On The Roof is one of the greatest of all musicals. A flawless book, remarkable score and wonderful performances.
   Zero Mostel was one of those larger than life personalities the likes of whom we don't have anymore. Mostel, Merman, Channing, Bert Lahr...they didn't so much create a role as embody it with their personalities, but they were so huge, the result would be thrilling. Tevye was tailor made for Mostel, loud, comic and ultimately endearing. The kind of role he was a master at adapting himself too.
   This recording captures all of that beautifully. The entire cast is wonderful. (Bea Arthur as Yente!!) Though some great actors replaced Mostel on Boadway, Herschel Bernardi, Harry Goz, most recently Alfred Molina, etc. and they created different and more realistic portrayals, it was Mostels signiture role and it's a gem.

5 comments about 1776 (1969 Original Broadway Cast).

1. I wanted to get the CD for the movie, but couldn't find one, so I bought this. I really wanted John Cullum, but the rest of the cast is either the same as the movie or better. Some of the music is done a little differently, but it is close enough. If I wasn't comparing the movie & the show I would have considered this a 5 star recording.



2. An enjoyable soundtrack to the musical 1776. This CD would make an excellent addition to your film soundtrack collection.



3. 1776 is of my all time favorites. I love flavor of the music of the 18th century in the development of the songs.
   
   This is a very powerful exposition of this seminal episode in the history of America.
   
   1776 gives life to the familiar historical figures and reminds us of their courage. They are all educated and at least upper middle class men who, by signing the Declaration of Independence, are putting their heads in a noose. If the war had gone otherwise, they would surely have been hanged as revolutionaries.



4. I have played this album over and over again since I was 10. This was my first Broadway musical (my dad took me for my 10th birthday), and I still thrill to the vocal performance of William Daniels. The songs remain witty and inspirational, particularly the stirring "Is Anybody There?" and the dynamic "The Egg," one of the great showtunes of the 1960s and absolutely thrilling -- the thought of three Founding Fathers singing about their dreams for the future of the United States is simply captivating. "He Plays the Violin" is another beautiful number, made poignant by the lyrics' forshadowing of Martha Jefferson's early death.



5. This is a new CD, overall quality and amazon procedure were excellent. The CD itself on a few songs fails to provide enough amplification to the background chorus or secondary singer, thus I must strain to actually hear both duet parts, with the latter almost inaudible. For example, Lee's of Old Virginia, Till Then, and Who will write our new declaration. It is not in my players, but within the CD. I actually ordered this because I wanted Violin by Betty Buckley and am satisfied with the reproduction overall, but it also has the audio problems with Adams and Franklins lines within the song

5 comments about The Color Purple (2005 Original Broadway Cast).

1. When I first heard about this musical, I had absolutely no desire to go see it. How can you possibly turn such a gut-wrenching film into a musical? Well, you can. This album will bring you to Sunday Church and back from the first song to the last. It is a wonderful mix of sad, happy, self-realization, and love songs incorporating hopes, desires and memoirs of most characters.
   
   Even if you have not seen the musical I recomend it. The inside notes give you just enough information to follow the story from song to song and even if you see the musical later, you will be able to focus on the staging and costuming (which are also fabulous) and maybe even sing along (just not too loud).



2. I am a huge fan of the Speilberg fim (I still think it's his best work..and not an alien or dinosaur in sight..), and found the book to be profoundly moving, so I had high hopes for the musical. However, now I just don't see the point. How can a musical in 2 and a half hours capture all the power and beauty of Alice Walker's book, or Spielberg's masterpiece of a film. It can't.
   Even though the performances are all first rate, LaChance is wonderful as Celie, it all seems strained and forced, as though the writers were desperate to incorporate all the elements of the book and film into the musical, and it doesn't always work. The finale doesn't come close to the sheer power and beauty of the ending of the film. And while the score has a couple pleasant melodies to recommend, on the whole it seems to be a hodge-podge of music, and the orchestrations don't help. They don't seem to fit the period. Start with the overture which sounds like the soundtrack for a bad 70's movie, it's too brassy and too synthesized.
   If you are a true theater fanatic, or a devotee of the book or movie, stay away, you'll be hugely disappointed.



3. This Compilation of songs from "The Color Purple" is nothing other than Absolutely Amazing! I have not been able to see this musical on Broadway,but I know that it is Amazing from this SPECTACULAR recording!



4. When the movie came out, i was totally engrossed.Naturally when it came to Broadway , i had to have the music.I enjoyed the music but something was missing.Probably if i had seen the Broadway show it would be complete.I can't say that i had to have this to add to my collection,but instead it is an interesting addition.Not one of the best.



5. I listened to this CD before I saw the play and it was "OK". After I saw the play I FELL IN LOVE with the music because it was so much more meaningful! Enjoy!

1 comments about Marguerite.

1. Marguerite is a beautiful new musical with a story from the creators of Miss Saigon - Alain Boublil, Claude-Michel Schönberg and Jonathan Kent, and music by the triple oscar winner, Michel Legrand. The story is a retelling of Dumas' "La Dame aux Camélias," set in Paris, during World War II. Marguerite, is a 40 year old ex-singer, who is living with a Nazi officer. She falls in love with a young pianist half her age, and they have an affair, which is doomed from the start. The cast is fantastic with Ruthie Henshall playing an absolutely brilliant Marguerite, the super talented Julian Ovenden as Armand, her young lover, and Alexander Hanson as Otto, the Nazi general.
   
   The score features gorgeous, haunting music with such unforgettable ballads as China Doll, The Face I See and How did I Get to Where I Am - all sung by the multi-talented Ruthie Henshall. There are passionate duets and great commentary by the chorus. Julian Ovenden as Armand isn't only a wonderful actor and singer - he is also a brilliant jazz piano player rousing the audience with his jazz trills in Jazz Time, and his sensitive accompaniment in China Doll.
   
   This amazing musical brought tears to many an audience member's eyes with the highly charged, emotional performances from all the cast members. This recording does a great job of capturing that feeling!

5 comments about Hair: Original Soundtrack Recording - Special Anniversary Edition.

1. I'm not a big fan of musicals, however this i'ts great! I love both, the cd and the DVD. If you like the music of the late 60's and early 70's it's a must in your collection.



2. I bought this as a gift, and they really liked it. If you liked the movie/ musical you will like this CD.



3. this special anniversary edition is better than I expected. I saw the movie dozens of times and it always gave me "crystal mistyc revelations" . This soundtrack teleport you to those places where the anti war movement is present,where the freedom of the souls and the bohemian life rouls your existence. Let "the tribe" play their game and enjoy all these 27 tracks full of life. "The air is everywhere..."



4. I saw this movie when it came out and I have always loved the soundtrack. Someone told me the Broadway soundtrack was better, so I listened to it recently. I ended up appreciating even more how good this is. The singing is better, the arrangements are better, and I am guessing the choreography in the film is better (though I never saw the play--I was too young).
   
   I would recount how great the various songs are but other reviewers have already done that.



5. I love this soundtrack. Of course I would though, especially since the movie is the first and ONLY movie I have ever owned. Born in the early 60's I really didn't "live" the life - but by the time I got to college I was a latent hippy. I hadn't watched the movie for several years when I stumbled upon a scene while browsing on one of those post-your-own video websites - and I immediately dug my movie out from storage. After the viewing, went right to Amazon.com and ordered the soundtrack. I had to have it. Since then I have played it in my car, at work in my cubicle (with headphones on), and even on the laptop while I sit here today. The soundtrack captures the movie in it's entirety. Man, I really miss Nell Carter.

5 comments about Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris (1966 Original Off-Broadway Cast).

1. I have been looking for this CD for a long time. I have the album but it lacked one of the songs that the CD has. Now I can play this CD in my car and enjoy this special arrangement of Jacques Brel. Many thanks !



2. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   Saw this in the village in 1969 and it brought back a lot of great memories. I have the album and now I am in the process of switching all the "vinyl" over to CD's. It will take me a while as it gets pretty expensive trying to do it all at once. To any of you who experienced the magic being 19 in 1969 and awakening to everything around you, this music enveloped it all!
   
   
   
   



3. Sadly, although I loved the show when I saw it, this cd seems dated to me.



4. This Jacque Brel digitally remastered is truly an ecellent to outstanding rendition of the long running NYC production. I have been playing it constantly since I received the recording. I had the old vinyl record of the show and the records disappeared many years ago. However, I am sure that the sound clarity could not have been close to this recording.



5. The music and musicianship is as exciting as it ever was. Brel is gone, but at least we still have this recording of the best production of his wonderful revue. The extra song is a grand bonus.

3 comments about Frankenstein.

1. It's all here. I have waited too long to get this music. Since seeing the show I was intrigued and captivated by the music and I am so happy the music is finally available! Outstanding musical performances by the entire cast, and yes, this music can be enjoyed even if you did not see the show, but have the slightest inking of the story.
   Hunter Foster is amazing in this masterpiece of Musical Theater.



2. I saw this show last fall during the stagehands' strike on Broadway. I so wanted to like this show. It seemed like a poor Off-Broadway underdog playing at the same time the big Broadway show Mel Brook's Young Frankenstein premiered. I'd been attracted by the amazing credentials and voices of the performers involved. This show is in what I'd call the Les Miz-style. Mostly sung, with the story hurtling forward with hardly a chance for a breath. And everything is so very, very earnest. You're made to feel a little guilty for just wanting a good, suspenseful, eerie monster story. Maybe with a little tragic romance. Instead it takes itself so very serious with its important issues of God and man and creation and, well, I just couldn't care because ultimately I didn't really care about any of the characters moving around an extremely uninteresting set with it's PowerPoint projections that told us where we were in what year. And it often seemed that everything truly dramatic and suspenseful happened off stage or behind a scrim.
   
   Oh. And the music. The music didn't make me care too much about the characters either. Every "song" seemed more or less like the one preceding it. Except they didn't really seem so much like songs -- you could never really feel the shape of any tunes to grab onto, or that allowed any of the performers to shape into something enjoyable. I was so thankful when Hunter Foster finally got to sing "The Coming of the Dawn" almost at the very end. It was really the first time I felt he was able to just sing something that felt like a song and not just directionless declamatory drama. Amazingly, it seemed to be a real song. A nice power ballad that had a melody that stuck with me. It was the only thing that made a favorable impression on me. Well, I did buy a nice t-shirt in the lobby. I liked it. Still have it. It fits me well.
   
   Check Frankenstein out for yourself though. If you enjoyed Les Miserables and some of the other attempts a bringing these old or gothic tales to musical theater (Jane Eyre, Lestat, Jekyll & Hyde and Phantom of the Opera come to mind) then you might find something to like in this.



3. I had the pleasure of seeing this show Off-Broadway at 37Arts. I knew some of the score from the Workshop production (the cast recording of which is hard to come by these days) prior to seeing the show, but didn't know what to expect with this production. Little did I know that I would fall head-over-heels for the cast, the music, and the design of this show.
   
   Of course, this new recording (featuring the entire cast from 37Arts minus Eric Michael Gillett - who is replaced by the splendid Richard White) doesn't SHOW anyone the design or staging of the show...but it manages to capture 74 minutes of the 95 minute show perfectly!
   
   The cast includes Hunter Foster (URINETOWN, THE PRODUCERS), Steve Blanchard (BEAUTY AND THE BEAST), and Christiane Noll (JEKYLL & HYDE). I won't go into detail about these wonderful performers, but I will say that each gives a truly unique and powerful performance. Foster's "Birth to My Creation" and "The Coming of the Dawn" are more than worth the price of the CD (or download). Blanchard's savage "The Waking Nightmare" and haunting "These Hands" show a tortured Creature worthy of pity. Noll's beautiful voice and presence deserve a standing ovation, especially on "Dear Victor" and "The Workings of the Heart." Also a standout is Jim Stanek (LESTAT), particularly in "The Modern Prometheus."
   
   The orchestrations are not the "biggest," but that lends to the show's intimacy. The recording is perfectly engineered and produced.
   
   If anyone were to make the perfect cast recording of a fantastic musical, this would be it!

5 comments about South Pacific in Concert from Carnegie Hall.

1. I had great expectations for this CD... most of them were met, but I was vastly disappointed with one of the principal singers: Reba McIntyre. I know she is a great comedic actress and a true star in the world of country music. But from the very first song she sings - and nearly everyone thereafter - her country stylings just struck me as WRONG for this part. She tends to "scoop" up to her notes - over and over. Again, that may be OK for country music, but not Rogers & Hammerstein... even if the role is supposed to be a young gal from the "country" (i.e. not a big city). Again, she is great in her realm and has done fun and admirable things on TV and in movies, but I found her singing style in this role annoying.
   
   Most everyone else holds up well, though I agree with another reviewer's observation that Alec Baldwin sounded a bit like a New York gangster. The women's and men's choruses performed admirably. The orchestra was lush, rich and balanced. For me, however, the saving grace and main reason to buy this CD is Brian Stokes Mitchell. His rich baritone is breathtaking and awe-inspiring. It would have been better if he did not read his lines of dialoggue as is "French accent" was very strange indeed - but his singing is to be savored.



2. After seeing this concert performance on PBS recently, we quickly ordered the CD. Super! Great quality and wonderful voices and acting, even if one couldn't see them!



3. Let's get to the point here. With all due respects to the legendary Mary Martin, Ezio Pinza, and all the others who have essayed the lead roles in this great show, this is, quite simply, the finest recording of R&H's "South Pacific".
   
   Brian Stokes Mitchell is a proven commodity on the Broadway stage these days. He is a force of nature that seems to sweep away all before him. The part of Emile was originally written for Ezio Pinza, then nearing the end of a remarkable career on the operatic stage. Magnificent though he is said to have been in this role, it simply must be said that for those familiar with his great art, his voice, as heard on the original cast recording is long past its' prime. Mitchell simply sounds much younger and more vibrant. Does it work? I think so.
   
   A much greater potential problem is Reba McEntire. Someone took a great leap of faith in casting her in this role. New York audiences are notoriously unforgiving, and the cognoscenti awaited her with their claws sharpened. It is said she was very worried about doing this, but resolved to give it her best. Watching this on the DVD, it is more obvious than listening on the CD, but the audience is noticeably cool to McEntire at the beginning. It takes her about ten minutes to win them over. But win them over she does, and in the process turns in one of the most surprising performances in my memory. Could she do Nellie eight a week? I have no idea. But I can sure tell you she did the hell out if for at least one night. Her much deserved ovation at the end of the show was so thunderous she can be seen taking her bows with tears running down her face.
   
   Simply a great job by one and all.
   
   Now, on to the shortly-to-be-released cast album of the recent Broadway revival of South Pacific, amazingly, the shows' first fully staged Broadway revival since it premiered over a half century ago. I hear its' great. I hope so. It's going to have to be to top this.
   
   R&H live forever!



4. I have ALWAYS adored the score from SOUTH PACIFIC, but was hard put to find the perfect cast to sing it as it I imageded the authors intended. This cast is superb. Reba McIntyre, while not as young as Nellie was written, is just great with that air of small town out on her own in na strange new world. Alec Baldwin is a hoot as Lester Billis, that quintessential con artist with a heart of gold. Lillias White is a great Bloody Mary, too.
   My real raves are for Brian Stokes Mitchell in the role of Emile de Beque. I can't stop listening to his rendition of SOME ENCHANTED EVENING. And when you hear him sing THIS NEARLY WAS MINE you might be ready to pack your bags and look for anything this guy is playing, as I was. His voice is awesome! Where have they been hiding him? He needs to share that magnificent voice with the rest of the civilized world.



5. Really refreshing to have a new and complete recording of this wonderful show. The score includes many reprises, which become somewhat like leitmotifs for the characters. The orig film and b'way albums are very abbrieviated. And the cast is quite wonderful.