5 comments about High Society: Original Cast Recording (1998 Broadway Cast).

1. This soundtrack is just fun and it features Grace Kelly singing....she has a sweet voice.
   I love the movie; it's just so funny and touching so I had to have the soundtrack.
   Enjoy!
   Barb



2. What a dissapointment! The bass is set way too high on this recording and there is white noise on some of the tracks. I remember my parents original cassette tape being of a far superior quality. I am currently returning this CD and purchasing the "High Society" DIG CD, hopefully the quality will be what I originally expected. I now see that the previous reviews were no help at all.



3. A wonderful soundtrack with some of the greatest singers evah. The duet with Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra, Well Did You Evah, is the main reason I bought this CD. I think the chemistry between them in this song is magical. Then to have Satch thrown in on the same CD, as well as the voice of one of the most beautiful actresses to Grace the Silver Screen. What a swell party this is.



4. Been looking for this album for years! Reasonably priced import and the quality is super. If you loved this movie as much as I did, you really should add this CD to your collection. BIng, Frank, and the whole gang did one great job on this one!!



5. Note: This review is for the German release of this album on the Back Biter label (BB 61032).
   
   The soundtrack from the 1956 MGM film HIGH SOCIETY with its Cole Porter score has been a favorite for nearly fifty years. The picture stars Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly, and Frank Sinatra--its just a treat to watch.
   
   This German release of the soundtrack is probably the easiest version to come across in CD format. The entire contents of the original 1956 Capitol Records LP are featured here--all 10 cuts. The sound is in stereo. The sound quality, though, leaves a bit to be desired. There is quite a bit of distortion and tape hiss in many places and the fidelity varies. The cover has a little sticker claiming that the recording was remastered for this. My guess is that, if it were remastered at all, it was done from the original LP masters, and NOT from the original recording session masters. If you're able to get over that, though, this disc is a very worthwhile purchase if you're fortunate enough to come across it. The cover art from the 1956 LP has not been reproduced for this release. As I said, this release is rather difficult to find and when it does surface, it can get rather pricey. You might even be further ahead to locate a nice copy of the LP on Ebay.
   
   We would like to see a restored edition of the HIGH SOCIETY soundtrack from Capitol Records released in this country in the near future--maybe an expanded edition? Capitol/EMI should be closed down for allowing this recording to become so scarce in the US market. Rhino could do wonders for this--as they have with other MGM musicals--except that HIGH SOCIETY is one of the few MGM musicals to which they do not control soundtrack album rights. The BELLS ARE RINGING soundtrack album, which is also controlled by Capitol, has been on CD for years... why not this as well? Is anyone at Capitol Records reading this? I guess we'll just have to wait. In the meanwhile, enjoy this if you get a chance.

5 comments about Scott Joplin's Treemonisha [Original Cast Recording].

1. Scott Joplin (1867/68 -- 1917) was one of the earliest composers with the ambition of combining African-American and classical musical forms. He is best-known for his ragtime compositions for the piano, but he also worked in more ambitious genres. By 1910, Joplin had composed his second opera, "Treemonisha". (The score of an earlier opera, "Guest of Honor" has been lost.) He spent much of the rest of life in an unsuccessful attempt to have Treemonisha staged and performed. The opera lay dormant until the mid-1970s when with the revival of interest in ragtime, Treemonisha was staged and performed by the Houston Lyric Opera Company and received a posthumous Pulitzer Prize in 1976. Treemonisha was made into a movie and presented on television but, unfortunately, it has again largely faded from public sight. The work receives performances from time to time by music festivals and schools and by small opera companies.
   
   Joplin wrote the libretto as well as the music for Treemonisha. The story is set around 1884 in a rural African American community near Texarkana, Arkansas. (Just before my rehearing of Treemonisha, I passed through Texarkana on the train en route to Dallas.) The story shows Joplin's vision of how rural African Americans could advance after the Civil War by combatting superstition and by hard work, good leadership, and, most of all, a commitment to education. Importantly, Joplin's story teaches the virtue of forgiveness and of not holding grudges.
   
   The heroine of the opera is an 18 year old woman, Treemonisha, who had been found as an infant under a tree and raised as a daughter by Monisha and her husband Ned. Monisha and Ned sent Treemonisha to a white woman for education, as the community had no schools, and Treemonisha returns as the only member of the community who can read and write. As the opera opens, Treemonisha foils the efforts of a conjurer, Zodzetrick, to sell a "bag of luck" to Monisha. In response, the connjurers kidnap Treemonisha and are about to throw her into a wasp nest when she is rescued by a townsman, Remus, disguised as a scarecrow. The conjurers in turn are captured by field workers and taken to the town where at Treemonisha's urging, they are forgiven and released. Treemonisha is acknowledged as the leader of the community and she and Monisha lead the people in a ragtime dance "Marching Onward".
   
   This 2-CD set of "Treemonisha" on Deutsche Gramophon was first released in 1976 with the initial enthusiasm over the opera and reissued in 2005 at a budget price. Gunther Schuller, who orchestrated Joplin's piano score, conducts with Carmen Balthorp singing the role of Treemonisha and Betty Allen singing Monisha.
   
   With its music and storyline, the opera is a mixed success. The most successful numbers are those in which Joplin stays closest to a folk idiom, particularly the finale, "A Real Slow Drag" ("Marching Onward"), the conclusion to Act II, "Aunt Dinah has Blowed de Horn", the Ring Dance "We're Going Around" from Act I, and the number for a well-meaning but shallow itinerant preacher, Parson Alltalk, "Good Advice" from Act I. I thought the Prelude to Act III also worked well as a musical number, while the overture to the entire opera was less successful. Many of the remaining numbers, for Monisha and for male soloists Remus and Ned, seem to be based more closely on European opera. Joplin composed some lovely music in these sections, but they lack the spontaniety and verve of the dances and the more folkish sections of the score.
   
   Treemonisha remains a landmark in American Opera, and Joplin's intended crowning achievement of his career. The opera's vision of uplift and forgiveness remains inspiring, even with the crudeness of the plot. Joplin's life goal of raising African American music to the stature of American classic was realized in part by his opera. An understanding of Treemonisha is essential to understanding Joplin's artistic aims and his achievement. It is fortunate that this recording of Treemonisha is available in this set and on a budget-priced DG set to introduce the listener to Joplin's opera.
   
   Robin Friedman



2. This is a wonderful opera and a pretty good execution, but why pay 50% more for this edition? It was made from the same recording session as the 2005 reedition, ASIN B00099BPNI, and I cannot hear the slightest difference. As far as I can see, one is paying only for a fancier box.



3. I got this from the library and spent much of last night and this morning listening to this. I LOVE it! While the music beautifully combines the standards of grand opera with the folk music of Black America, the story, in a way, is timeless.
   
   Just about everybody in the opera is poor, so I would disagree that the play reflects classism as one reviewer has stated. Bascially, the "Conjurers" (salesmen of good luck charms) exploit the beliefs of their fellow poor Blacks, and they see the educated Treemonisha as a threat to their livelihood, and the story deals with this conflict. This could be adaptable to any people at any time in place (witness the political and religious charlatans of our own time and their attempts to incite the public against those who threaten to expose them).
   
   But overall, I like the fact that for 1911, this is quite progressive in that a teenage girl (Treemonisha) who grows up poor, Black, and adopted is the heroine with leadership potential. The music and lyrics are quite uplifitng and amusing in spots, and the story is pretty easy to follow (although one wonders about some padded segments as "Pastor Alltalk's sermon" and the dancing bears, whch has little to do with the story).
   
   I would love to see a filmed or stage perfromance of this. Move over Porgy and Bess-if you liked that, check out the originator.



4. I already have the Houston Treemonisha on vinyl but after sixteen years it is likely to deteriorate so I bought the CD too.
   
   Treemonisha is not grand opera in the traditional sense; it is not a ragtime opera; it isn't this, that or the other thing. It is itself, uniquely beautiful, profoundly moving and probably a work of genius. Surely we, as music lovers of the world, have matured beyond the compulsion to place every piece of music in a defining category. Some criticisms of Treemonisha I have read are little less absurd than admonishing the player of an Indian raga for not modulating according to sonata form. The disease is a product of too much learning and sadly afflicts talented professionals even more commonly than it does the man in the street.
   
   The forces behind Treemonisha are very eloquently explained in the liner notes, and need no further elaboration. The love and regard for the music by those producing and performing it is abundantly obvious. The technical quality of the recording is excellent and the notes provide even the most naive listener (and Treemonisha is superbly naive in the best sense of the word) with everything necessary in the way of background.
   
   A review cannot influence a prejudiced mind. This work, if any, is a prime candidate for Debussy's maxim - just listen, it is enough.



5. I love Scott Joplin's music, and have always been deeply moved by the story of his tragic life, especially his final descent into insanity. I was excited by the thought of this recording, and badly wanted to like it. So why don't I?
   
   1. The libretto is really dreadful. This is by the composer, so he has no one else to blame. What's wrong with it? Not only is it stilted and false (as Joplin's music NEVER is) not only is the storyline puerile, but there is a strong streak of patronising condecension from the comparitively successful, educated, middle class Joplin towards "ignorant" and "superstitious" working class blacks. I find this particularly inexcusable in Joplin's case, even considered in the light of the times.
   
   2. Generally the whole work shows poor to non-existent stagecraft. For instance, the plot is largely driven by long extended semi-recitative narrative numbers. These drag unbearably when listened to on a recording, although they may work better in a theatre I can see an audience getting lost there, too. Of course if Joplin had received a more sympathetic hearing from the highly prejudiced musical establishment of his day, and had a chance for a proper rehearsal process, he would probably have fixed a lot of this - to be fair he had little or no theatrical experience - but then we have to assess the work as we have it, rather than what might have been.
   
   3. Finally, while the music certainly has its moments - even at its best there is little of the joyous spirit of the great rags. Joplin seems to have been over-intent on producing "serious" music, to the extent of suppressing the best of his own genius.
   
   I am STILL glad I bought this recording - if only because it is such an important historical document. I just wish I really enjoyed listening to it. Perhaps it will grow on me - certainly I will have to give it a chance.
   
   .....
   
   Revisiting this review - I have had the chance to listen to this a few times since my original review, and while I basically stand by most of what I said then it HAS grown on me a little. One or two of the songs in particular.
   
   I now tend to agree (at least in part) with some other reviewers that this work is totally unique, and that (at least by implication) it should not be judged by the standards of anything else. I may have taken it just a little too earnestly on my first attampt to come to grips with it.

5 comments about Mark Lowry on Broadway.

1. Very enjoyable! A very talented man.



2. You can't help but love this CD. It has wholesome comedy and musical talent at it's best. Mark's belief in Jesus Christ comes shining through at the end as he talks about Mary and then sings "Mary did You Know?", a beautiful Christmas/year-'round song.



3. I'm not sure what I enjoy more... hearing Mark sing, or hearing his jokes and stories. He is a very talented man. I have enjoyed this album immensely.. particularly "Living For Deep Fried Okra". I almost wrecked my car when I heard that one!



4. I only discovered Mark Lowry and the Gaither Vocal Band about three months ago. Mark Lowry on Broadway makes you laugh and makes you feel good about being a Christian. The routine on the atheist really expressed the way I feel. "It takes a lot of faith to be an atheist." This is expressing your faith in the best way imagineable - looking at yourself and others with humor and understanding.



5. This album is the first ever that I've bought (or listened to) by Mark Lowry although I've heard his funnier side before - namely, his funny songs. I'm very pleased! The CD is MOSTLY hillarious but features special guests like his Mom and the Gaither Vocal Band plus some other super talent to keep it just a *little* bit serious here and there -- altogether providing an AWESOME, perfect album... funny, but not TOO funny so you're not SICK. A little bit of serious songs to get your 'ticker' workin' -- to keep you at bay so you can think about Jesus as the Gospel message is dominant in ALL of Mark's commedy except the "Living For Deep Fried Okra" song is rather questionable... I think that is just plain funny!

   ONE THING IS FOR SURE - YOU CAN HAVE COMEDY WITHOUT THE CRUD! :0)

5 comments about Classic Disney, Vol. 1.

1. The CD arrived in good time and was of excellent quality for a used product.



2. This CD is a wonderful collection of some 25(!) of the most beloved Disney hits. Indeed, the songs on this CD are all songs from the great Disney movies that you remember from your childhood. There's "Someday My Prince Will Come" from Snow White, "Colonel Hathi's March" from the Jungle Book, and "Chim Chim Cher-ee" from Mary Poppins. What's also wonderful is that the hits are from the great Disney movies right up to the present, with such songs as "Beauty and the Beast" from the movie of the same title.
   
   My whole family loves these songs, and often sings along with them. As a wonderful bonus, we were not aware of "Minnie's Yoo Hoo!" which sounds like a 1920s, snappy little tune, and my children often play it twice and even three times in a row.
   
   Buy this CD you won't regret it!



3. I purchased this to keep my kids occupied on vacation, and it performed beautifully! I can recommend it fully.



4. I have all 5 CD's and it is an awesome collection! All of my favorite songs are on the 5 CD's and every Disney fan like I am should have this collection!



5. There isn't one single song from the 1977 classic "The Rescuers" included in this collection, I don't see why Disney chose not to include any of those songs which are all gorgeous, when they did include unmemorable and weak songs instead, I've seen these CD's with songs that aren't half as good as "Tomorrow is Another Day," "The Journey," "Someone's Waiting for You" or "Rescue Aid Society."
   
   Very disappointing, The Rescuers is a fine Disney classic and it should be included with all of the others.

5 comments about Putting It Together (1993 New York Cast).

1. I absolutely LOVE this album! I love julie andrews on this CD; (and every other CD) she isnt the goodey-two-shoes of mary or maria. It just tickles me pink when she sings Could I Leave You, she sounds so powerful and confident(but when does she not sound confident). I also love it when she starts to swear during A Little Preist, it is refreshing in a weird kind of way. You really have to wonder how long it took her to perfect Getting Married Today,i mean that tempo is impossible to keep up with!! I've tried! In every song her voice sounds just fabulous!
   I am leaving out the rest of the cast, how awful of me. i love Rachel York in this, she sounds great, especially in the Sooner Or Later sequence. She commands your attention in every song she sings. Her voice is really great, she is a great actress and she performer. She can be serious in The Millers Son or Every Day a Little Death, and yet crack you up in The Gun Song or Lovely
   As for Stephen Collins, his voice isnt like Sinatra or anything, but it is good in its own right. I really love Hello Little Girl, it is so funny. Country House cracks me up every time i listen to it.
   Michael seems to be a great performer and i love is voice; but this is the only experience i have with his work, this also applies to Chris. i love him in I Could Drive A Person Crazy. Michael sounds great in Bang with Rachael.
   The men are hilarious in Everybody Ought To Have A Maid; drooling over Rachael.
   I also love all of the songs in the game sequence. The songs all have an air of truth about them, no matter your age or stage in life. From the upbeat Live Alone And Like It(another favorite), to the heart-tugging ballad Sorry-Grateful.There is a song for everyone in this Revue. I suggest you but it as soon as possible.



2. Lovely Sondheim revue, stitched together with a frothy (and illogical) plot, it doesn't matter, it gives a group of varied and capable performers (Christopher Durang excepted, slightly out of place, stick to writing Chris) an oppurtunity to deliver some great Sondheim. Julie Andrews return to the NY stage is delightful, no longer prim Mary Poppins, she even tosses out the "F" word.
   That aside, it's a sophisticated melange of SS music.
   
   Skip the revival that went to Broadway, despite an admirable cast, it doesn't come together. Carol Burnett and company give it their all, but the magic is missing. DON'T by the dvd.



3. This whole entire CD can be summed up in two words: RACHEL YORK. Ms. York brings so much life to her songs. Some of my favorites of hers are definitely "Lovely", "I Always Get Man", her small part in "Hello, Little Girl", "Gun Song" (she is hilarious when she uses cuss words and shoots guns!), and "Miller's Son". In every song, her voice changes. In one song, she is sinng like a brassy boradway blonde. Then, suddenly her voice changes to a seductive deep sound. Wow!
   
   Julie Andrews is a whole other sotry. She is terrible. I mean, her voice just sounds wrong in every single song she sings. Why couldn't they just give her one song like "Send in the Clowns". Instead they give her songs that are totally wrong for her like "Getting Married Today". That whole song is ruined by her accent and the terrible orchestrations. Her accent makes it almost impossible to understand what she is saying. Julie, I love you: BUT GO BACK TO CAMELOT!
   
   Stephen Collins doesn't have the best voice. But he just fits the part. One of my favorite songs is "Hello, Little Girl". I think that song just gos with his voice. But "Sorry- Grateful" is definitely my least favorite song on this CD. Stephen Collins goes flat!
   
   Christian Durang was not bad, but not wonderful. Bronson Pinchot, from the revival, was much better. All the reprises of "Merrliy We Roll Along" just annoy me. That is why I don't really like Chris. But I love the song "Little Priest". Rachel and Chris crack me up, but Julie's curse word is appauling. No one wants to hear Maria or Guinevere saying the "f" word.
   
   Michael Rupert is great! "Marry Me A Little" is just wonderful. His voice is haunting. But he doesn't sound that great with Rachel. Their voices just don't mesh real well. Their voices just clash. "Pretty Women" is one of my favorite songs on this CD because of Michael's wonderful talent.
   
   Now, I'll just review the CD itself, instead of the perfromers. Okay, just cut the song "Every Day A Little Death". The song makes Stephen's character look terrible. The song talks about his hookers. Julie just doesn't seem like she likes the song, and I don't like it either. It is a poorly written Sondheim song. Also cut "Now" and "Bang" out of the show. They are both perverted. Also, Rachel sounds odd just yelling BANG.
   
   The orchestrations on this CD are terrible. The orchestrations in "Getting Married Today" are absolutely appauling. Also, the little special effects in that songs sound so random. The background music doesn't seem to go with what Julie is singing. It just all sound off.
   
   The song "Putting It Together" is very good until Julie comes along. It don't like the whole light thing anyways, but she makes it so annoying. Also the end of "Back In Business" makes me sick. Julie just sounds flat and stupid.
   
   I don't like how Rchel is tranformed from a maid to a normal party guest. They could have just cut "Everybody Ought To Have a Maid" and solved the problem. "Have I Got a Girl For You" also just sound off.
   
   Songs I would have cut from the show: Merrily We Roll Along, Everybody Ought To Have A Maid, Everday A Little Death, Have I Got A Girl For You, Now, Bang, Could I Leave You?,Back In Business (because of Julie), Night Walzes (Perpetual Anticipation, Sun Won't Set), Live Alone and Like It, Sorry-Grateful, Sweet Polly Plunkett, I Could Drive A Person Crazy, Getting Married Today, Like It Was
   
   That leaves about five or so songs.
   
   Don't buy this CD- Buy a recording of Rachel York songs or Michael Rupert songs.



4. I'll keep it brief...it took awhile for me to appreciate this CD but now I can't seem to get enough of it. I've been listening to it everyday. I think it's fantastic! I thought each actors' feelings and emotions came through clearly, with humor and angst. I would loved to have seen this on Broadway! Buy it and really listen to it. Enjoy



5. Until the 2000 revival album comes out (cross your fingers...) just go out and buy the original cast albums. This was a big disappointment for me. As other reviewers have pointed out, Rachel York steals the show while the rest of the ensemble is mediocre or worse. Julie Andrews has got a great voice, but she should stick to Richard Rodgers songs. The orchestrations are horrific (the instrumental openings to 'Rich and Happy' and 'Merrily We Roll Along' are awful--and what's more, they occur more than once!). Also, I detest any revue that changes the lyrics of the original songs, and this revue does that a lot. Further, this review neglects arguably the two best songs in Merrily--Not a Day Goes By, and Good Thing Going. Until the superior 2000 cast recording comes out, steer clear of this revue. Even Rachel York can't save this album.

5 comments about Oklahoma! (1998 London Cast).

1. For fans of OKLAHOMA and/or this London revival especially, this recording is a must. The cast is excellent and in top-notch vocal form. For X-Men fans, it may come as a bit of a surprise that the actor famous for playing Wolverine, the ripped Hugh Jackman, was actually a song and dance man before he came to Hollywood. He shows off his musical theatre chops here, and is in great voice. His Curly is cocky, careless, flirty, and surprisingly sensitive to his own emotions, while Josefina Gabrielle's Laurey is earthy, tom-boyish and surprisingly strong whereas the character usually comes across as two-dimensional; not so here. Gabrielle often gets flack for not being Shirley Jones a la the film version, but I enjoy Gabrielle's voice more in this role. Her rendition of "Many a New Day" and "Out of My Dreams" are amazing, esp. her delivery of the last couple of measures in "Out of My Dreams" - clear and silvery as a bell. She falters only slightly on "People Will Say We're In Love" with moving from her chest voice to her head voice, but almost every actress has that slight break when sliding up quickly like that, except for the great Marin Mazzie. Although you can't see it on the recording, but can in the filmed version of this production, Gabrielle is the first Laurey to do her own dancing in The Dream Ballet, making her the most well-rounded and only triple-threat actress to play the role. As Ado Annie, Vicki Simon gives the best vocal rendering of "I Can't Say No" and gives us an Oklahoma accent that isn't over-the-top; her comic timing is also great. Shuler Hensley, this production's Jud, is the best actor to step into the role. He isn't so much the villain of the piece as a broken man driven to madness out of loneliness, and his rendition of the oft-cut "Lonely Room" is one of the recording's highlights. I also cannot offer enough praise to the ensemble of this show - they blend perfectly to give us one big, booming, beautiful voice, as all the best ensembles do. All in all, a great and highly recommended recording of Trevor Nunn's ground-breaking opening-up of this R&H classic.



2. Not on a par with the RSC earlier masterpiece revival of Carousel. With the exception of Hugh Jackman,who can't seem to take one wrong step on a stage, this version doesn't compare to the 1979 revival. This cast isn't in the same league as the American cast of Christine Andreas, Martin Vidnovic and particularly Christine Ebersole as Ado Annie.



3. I loved this!! I'm sure that some people will not like the fact that this Curly has a darker side to him and that Jud is not all evil. To have the three leads also doing the ballet/dream sequence just made this movie that much better. I can definately recommend this to anyone who is a fan of the original Oklahoma. This will not take anything away from the original but can only add to your enjoyment.



4. I have been involved with theatre in different capacities over the last 30 years. Trevor Nunn's production is by far the best I've seen or heard. The cast outstanding. Mr. Jackman and Mr. Hensley have a great presence. Their duet of "Pore Jud is Daid" is both funny and touching.



5. This recording of the groundbreaking first R&H musical should arguably considered as one of the finest of its many recordings. It's true that the film soundtrack gives a definitive performance of the score, but this energetic, peppy version gives the musical its maximum oomph. The cast gives a stellar rendition of the score, and act out their parts charismatically and convincingly, even though the accents are not always authentic Southern accents. Hugh Jackman heads the cast with a rich, sumptuous portrayal of Curly, shining vocally from the first phrase of Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'. He is well-partnered by the pert, ambivalent yet tender Laurey of Josefina Gabrielle. Gabrielle also shines vocally on Many a New Day and exudes a wonderful chemistry during People Will Say We're in Love. The supporting cast is equally characterful, with Maureen Lipman a caustic Aunt Eller, contrasting against the dark hues of Shuler Hensley's Jud. Hensley's vivid portrayal of Jud adds an extra dimension to the character during the rarely-heard Lonely Room. Vicki Simon and Jimmy Johnstone make a perfectly delicious and comic pairing of Ado Annie and Will, and their moments individually and together are always a delight to hear, especially I Cain't Say No and All er Nothin'. The orchestra under John Owen Edwards is top-notch and plays this score superbly, especially the new dance arrangements that sound newly-minted, yet respectful of the originals. The presentation is splended, with a lavish booklet packed with photos, and a crisp, clean modern recording. All told, this version of Oklahoma! should certainly be highly recommended, and should elicit a spontaneous "YEOW!" from anyone who is willing to be charmed by it. I'm sure that more people will come to appreciate it and give this version its long-overdue O.K.

5 comments about My Fair Lady (20th Anniversary Broadway Cast).

1. I saw this production of "My Fair Lady" and loved every moment. My seat was in the middle of the first row, and at intermission, members of the orchestra asked me if I was enjoying the show. A very treasured memory of a wonderful and fresh production.



2. I am a HUGE fan of classic Broadway musicals. In my opinion, MY FAIR LADY and WEST SIDE STORY tie for the
   #1 spot as Best Musical Of All Time. I've seen several productions of Lerner amd Loewe's loverly masterpiece,; both professional and
   community theatre, and I enjoy collecting various recordings of Broadway musicals. Both the original cast recordings of MY FAIR LADY and WEST SIDE STORY were recorded at Columbia's historic 30th Street Studios-- as
   was this 1976 20th Anniversary recording of MY FAIR LADY.
   The Anniversary production achieved a respectable
   run of 384 performances. Goddard Lieberson, who produced the classic original 1956 Broadway Cast Album, again serves as producer here.
   
   This 20th Anniversary recording used to be available at my local public library. I grew up listening to the 1956 Broadway Cast Album,
   but I remember also being delighted with "20th Anniversary."
   
   I used to own this version on audio cassette tape.
   I was delighted to discover that Amazon.com offered "20th Anniverrsary" remastered on CD, and I purchased it immediately.
   
   First, I must praise Didier C. Deutsch for the outstanding reissue and and digital remastering job he has done here and on countless other titles for Sony Broadway Masterworks. The sound quality here is sparkling and crisp.
   
   Lightening did not exactly strike twice in terms of casting. Those hoping for another Higgins and Eliza to equal the magical theatrical partnership of Rex Harrison and Julie Andrews will be somewhat disappointed. Ian Richardson is bloody annoying and flat-out weird as Higgins. Christine Andreas, however, is thrilling as Eliza.
   I know Higgins is supposed to be passionate about the proper pronouncation of the English language to the
   exclusion of all else-- but Richardson has a habit of over-emphasizing/over-pronouncing almost every single word and musical phrase. The overall effect is--
   there's simply no other way to describe it-- bizarre and weird! Higgins is a snobby male chauvanist-- but I never thought of him as a crackpot until I heard Richardson again. As Alan Jay Lerner so wittily wrote in his lyrics:
   "An Englishman's way of speaking absolutely classifies him. The moment he talks, he makes some other Englishman despise him!"
   Richardson's performance proves this point perfectly.
   But even Richardson going wildly over the top never brings this recording down. There are other compensations and splendid performances galore.
   
   Robert Coote makes a welcome return to his original role as Col, Pickering. He sounds like he hasn't aged a
   day. Good old Coote is as vital and vibrant as ever.
   I have never been fond of Freddy's song "On The Street Where You Live"; feeling it is just a filler while the actors portraying Higgins and Eliza get dressed for the Embassy Ball. But Jerry Lanning (the adult "Patrick"
   opposite Angela Lansbury in the original Broadway cast of "MAME") sings it beautifully. George Rose is especially robust as Eliza's drunk, garbage-man dad Alfred P. Doolittle. I love how Rose bursts into tears on his final phrase of, "I'm gettin' married in the mornin'. Ding- Dong! The bells (sob! sob!) are-- (complete crying collapse) gonna chime!" It's the perfection illustration of the old joke: Q: "What's the difference between
   a wedding and a funeral?" A: "Perception."
   
   While Julie Andrews will always be the definitive Eliza Doolittle (her performance won rapturous reviews and
   deservedly became a theatrical legend), Christine Andreas is, in my opinion, the only other Eliza worthy enough to follow her--
   and the only other Eliza worth listening to on a recording.
   
   Her performances of "Wouldn't It Be Loverly?", "I Could Have Danced All Night", and particularly, "Show Me," are outstanding.
   
   Christine Andreas's musical phrasing and dramatic emphasis show a thorough and complete understanding of Eliza. After an emotional argument with Higgins at the start of Act Two,
   Eliza runs into the street to find love-struck Freddy waiting for her like a puppy dog. Caught between the chauvanist snob professor who refuses to show her the slightest human respect
   and the dim-wit suitor who will not stop fawning over her, Eliza explodes with rage.
   
   Christine Andreas is perfect as she explodes at Freddy, "I get words all day through--
   first from HIM, now from YOU! Is that all you blighters can do?"
   
   In short, whereas Ian Richardson goes miserably wrong as Henry Higgins, Christine Andreas is absolutely right as Eliza Doolittle.
   This 20th Anniversary recording still earns its place where it belongs-- on the shelf next to the classic 1956 Broadway Cast Recording.



3. The only reason I purchased this recording was because of Christine Andreas who may be one of the most talented singers from the theatre and her Eliza is totally believable due to the fact that she had four very big shoes to fill such as with Ms.Andrews and Ms.Hepburn. However I was a little disappointed in Ian Richardson's portrayal as Henry Higgins I did not think he had the personality as Sir Rex Harrison displayed in his numbers. Also Jerry Lanning as Freddy also disappointing his version of "On the Street Where you Live" was weak and just does not live up to John Michael King or Jeremy Brett's versions. In all honesty that is my favorite song in this entire score.Part of the reason I like different recordings is because of the different takes on songs and characters but this is just my little old opinion. George Rose is charming as Mr.Doliitle at times you would think Stanley Holloway was on this recording. All in all if you are a musical theatre lover such as myself and want to hear everything go ahead and splurge. If you are a bit more selective than perhaps you should look through the amazon catalog a little more until you find the perfect something.



4. I saw this production on B'way twice, and it really was lover-ly. The leading players were perfectly cast, and Christine Andreas sang beautifully. I've been waiting for this CD ever since...and despaired that it would ever be released. Thank you, Sony and Amazon, for making a wish come true!



5. Okay. Rex Harrison and Julie Andrews will always be the definitive Henry Higgins and Eliza Doolitle. But if there's one recording that might make you reconsider, it's this recording of the 20th Anniversary Broadway Revival. "Bravo" to Sony/BMG for this excellent, first-time-on-CD release.
   
   Even though George Rose received a well-deserved Tony for his turn as Alfred P. Doolittle (his performance is truly remarkable), it is Ian Richardson and Christine Andreas who make this recording as special as it is. First of all, as wonderful as Julie Andrews was in the role of Eliza, her real-life personna was just a little too refined, too lady-like for me to truly believe her as a gutter snipe. Not so with Ms. Andreas. Her cockney may not be as good, but there is a degree of course-ness to her flower girl that makes her transformation really special. I wish I had been in the audience to experience the moment. Teetering betweeen two worlds, it's not jarring when Andreas/Eliza reverts to her former speech patterns during "Show Me" and "Without You." Very believable characterization.
   
   Richardson's take on his character is a revelation. Yes, he's an upper-class snob, and yes, he sees himself superior to Eliza and everyone she represents, but he's also terribly conceited and honestly believes that he doesn't need anyone in his life. When he says, "Why can't a woman be like me," he truly believes it. Therefore, "I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face" is a true cathartic moment for him, and I guarantee you'll get a lump in your throat - to match the on in Richardson's - when he delivers the final lines of the show: "Eliza? Where the devil are my slippers?" It's one of those magic moments every theater-goer prays for.
   
   Added bonuses are Jerry Lanning's excellently sung Freddie, and an extremely well-played and beautifully-recorded "Embassy Waltz."
   
   Masterworks/Broadway engineers have done a superlative job of remastering, achieving the same three-dimensional multi-layered effect as on THE KING AND I. Not only does it enable one to pick out individual instruments and follow each vocal or instrumental line, but it also helps us to appreciate better the outstanding Robert Russell Bennett & Phil Lang orchestrations and the choral arrangements by Gino Smart. Theodore Saidenberg's tempi are sometimes more brisk than Franz Allers', but everything works overall.
   
   VERY highly recommended.
   
   PS. If you want to hear another interesting version of MY FAIR LADY, I recommend the Original Israeli Cast recording. After all, they had " . . . to learn it backwards, which is absolutely frightening."

5 comments about The Tomato Collection: the Big Album.

1. The Tomato Collection CD is great fun! I am an elementary school media specialist, and every student in every grade loved the music. It is unique as a kids' CD in that it is "real" music: rock, pop, blues, and much more. My students were frequently overheard walking down the halls, singing songs from The Tomato Collection. This is a CD that belongs in every elementary-school classroom. Buy the book, The Tomato Collection, too for a complete set!



2. The Tomato Collection CD which compliments the Tomato Collection book absolutely rocks! I am a third grade teacher and I have shared the book with my students and they could not get enough of it last year. Over the summer I purchased this CD and I can hardly wait to use it in my classroom. Funny thing is...I listen to it frequently because I enjoy it so much. The quality of entertainment and talent is amazing. The variety of musical "genre" is wonderful as it keeps the listener engaged and not feeling overwhelmed by the same type of "sound". I promise...you want this.

   -Sam Wilkinson Third Grade Teacher Middleville, Michigan




3. This album has never been done before. No how, no way. And it will never be done again. Uh-uh, of that I am sure.

   There is no way to describe it other than wonderous, fresh, and original. Get this album. I have it. You should too.

   I don't even know Kevin. I only know what he did is good and Kevin I hope you keep doing it for a long time.

   Get two copies, because you will want to turn your friends onto it - whether you or they are kids or adults. My kids love this album, and so do I.

   Yay!




4. Hi there...I am also a musician from this CD. Kevin gathered many, many artists together to make this CD happen. Without trying to sound biased, this is one of the most original, fun, and creative concepts in the world. Young or older, this is an amazing project...do yourself, or a loved one a favor and check out this album. It is in my opinion, extremely underpriced. The love and energy that went into squeezing OVER 50 TRACKS OF MUSIC on one itty-bitty CD is a rarity. I want to describe this disc for you, but I know I will be unable to give it the justice it deserves. Everyone involved added a little diversity that helped make Kevin's album a real success. Its truely hard to imply in mere words how necessary owning this CD is...you have no idea what you are missing, buy this CD today and you won't regret it. :)



5. I am actually one of the people on the CD, and therefore I can tell you how truly amazing this compelation is. Kevin Kammeraad continued his writing genious to put together such a wonderful CD. If you liked the book (and even if you've never read it), you will love the CD. The music really makes the book come alive. Excellent work.... More details coming in Febtober.

5 comments about Sammy Davis, Jr. - Greatest Hits, Vol. 1.

1. Any compilation of the music of Sammy Davis, Jr., one of the premier showmen of the 20th Century, is a compilation worth having. And there can be now doubt that the 19 songs included here were among his personal favourites. Indeed, he says so himself in the one page of liner notes: "These are my best. There's not one on this disc that I would say, "Gee, I wish we hadn't put that in." I'm very proud of these."
   
   And proud he should be because you would be hard-pressed to find better renditions anywhere. However, at the risk of sounding like a broken record, when something is advertised as someone's "Greatest Hits" most expect to see the songs that earned hit status on one of the national charts. And, from 1954 to 1976, Sammy chalked up some 26 such hits while recording for Decca, Reprise, MGM, and 20th Century.
   
   In this volume, none among tracks 1,2,6, 8 to 10, 12, and 14 to 17 were hits for Sammy. So, in retrospect, perhaps a better title for the album would have been Sammy Davis, Jr. Personal Favorites.
   
   As for the 8 legitimate hits that are here, there is no doubt that these were the best of those 26 in terms of commercial popularity (record sales, juke box and air play), starting off with his first, Hey There, from the Broadway musical Pajama Game. In late summer 1954, accompanied by Sy Oliver's orchestra, it rose to # 16 Pop on Decca 29199, finishing well back of the # 1 by Rosemary Clooney. That December he returned to the charts with The Red Grapes, again accompanied by Oliver, reaching # 28 on Decca 29310, but that's missing here and remains one of the hardest to find of Sammy's hits.
   
   Then, in the summer of 1955, he went head to head with The McGuire Sisters on Something's Gotta Give from the film Daddy Long Legs, settling for a # 9 Billboard Pop Top 100 on Decca 29484 to The McGuire Sisters' # 5. The thing is, the flip of Sammy's record, Love Me Or Leave Me, also reached # 12 - but that's missing here. Both were backed by the Oliver orchestra. Later that summer, this time with the Morty Stevens orchestra, he took That Old Black Magic to # 13 on Decca 29541. From there to the end of 1956 he would add four more Decca hits (I'll Know - # 87, Five - # 71, Earthbound - # 46, and New York's My Home - # 59), but none are included and remain very difficult to find.
   
   He would not return to the charts until late summer 1962, now with pal Frank Sinatra's Reprise label, when What Kind Of Fool Am I? from the Broadway musical Stop The World I Want To Get Off made it to # 6 on the new Adult Contemporary (AC) charts and # 17 on what now had become the Billboard Pop Hot 100 on Reprise 20,048, backed by the Marty Paich orchestra. That December he had a two-sided hit with Me And My Shadow (# 18 AC/# 64 Hot 100 in a pairing with Frank) and Sam's Song (# 84 Hot 100 in a duet with Dean Martin), both backed by the Billy May band. Neither is here.
   
   In fact, they skip over another five Reprise hits, including the # 37 Hot 100 Don't Blame The Children in 1967, while including the uncharted B-side She Believes In Me, before presenting I've Gotta Be Me from the Broadway musical Golden Rainbow. With the Richard Wess orchestra backing, it peaked at # 1 AC (and stayed there for 7 weeks) and # 11 Hot 100 in early 1969 on Reprise 0779.
   
   After being off the charts for a couple of years, and now with MGM, he returned with The Candy Man in early 1972, from the film Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory. With Don Costa's orchestra backing, and billed to Sammy Davis, Jr. with The Mike Curb Congregation, it rose to # 1 Hot 100 and # 1 AC on MGM 14320. The same billing appeared on The People Tree, which topped out at # 16 AC and # 92 Hot 100 that November on MGM 14426.
   
   That would be his last Hot 100 entry, although he would go on to post another six AC hits to 1976, few if any of which seem to be available on CD.
   
   The sound quality in this 1988 Garland release, a mix of AAD and ADD, is excellent and, despite what it suggests above, there was never a follow-up volume. It's high time someone like Ace, Jasmine or Acrobat of the U.K. gives us a proper anthology of his hits.



2. This is a truly great collection. If you're the least bit interested in Sammy Davis Jr., then this is the collection to buy. It's true that there quite a few great songs that don't appear here but this is the place to start. It's no mistake that this is such a fantastic album since all of the songs were hand picked by the man himself.



3. Back in 1988, the CD revolution was just heating up, and Sammy was asked by Decca to assemble a selection of songs for a greatest hits collection. Ever the musical genius and visionary, Sammy chose these songs from among his biggest hits with an eye toward testing the new technological medium and really showing what it could do. The fact that Sammy chose these songs himself makes this a very important CD for me. The variety of these songs highlights Sammy's amazing versatility and even more amazing voice, leaving little doubt as to why he has been called the greatest entertainer in the world.

   These songs cover 19 years of Sammy's Decca career, from Hey There in 1954 to All the Good Things in Life in 1973. This CD features staples such as The Candy Man, That Old Black Magic, and I've Gotta Be Me, slow jazzy numbers like New York City Blues (with Count Basie) and I'm Always Chasing Rainbows (with Laurindo Almeida), invigorating showstoppers like Lonely is the Name and At the Crossroads, and a live recording (with Buddy Rich at the Sands) of the energetic Come Back To Me/The Birth of the Blues which really captures the magic Sammy exerted over a crowd. All the Good Things in Life inspires a really nostalgic feeling, especially in the context of Sammy's untimely death not long after this CD was released. This greatest hits album really captures the free spirit that was the one and only Sammy Davis, Jr.

   This is a terrific introduction to the music of a legendary superstar. Not only did Sammy possess a one-of-a-kind voice, he was a born crowd pleaser who loved what he did and spread joy lavishly among his many fans. Boasting over one hour of music handpicked by Sammy himself, this CD is one to be treasured and, above all, listened to-often.




4. This album brings back memories of a golden age, Sammy was like Frank Sinatra, in that you can hear how he "feels" what he is singing;as though He is reminiscing events in his own life. I would highly reccomend this album to anyone who wants to set the stage for your memories-and "Raise your glass to the good things in life"



5. You will dig this..Sammy is hip babe!

5 comments about Jesus Christ Superstar (Original London Concept Recording).

1. This is the best of the JCS albums - the original with its funk still in tact.



2. This is the ORIGINAL "Jesus Christ Superstar"..The one that upset legions of people because "There is no resurrection !"......"Judas is more compassionate than Christ"...."Mary Magdelene is portrayed as a prostitute"...."Jesus questions God in Gethsemane (blasphemy)"... Ian Gillan (a rock and roll singer as Christ?)...."members of Joe Cocker's Grease Band (known for alcohol and drug extravaganzas) as back-up musicians "... Yeah , I remember all the negativity that surrounded this recording in 1970 , but it still remains the BEST "Jesus Christ Superstar" ever...PERIOD ! Having listened to "Gethsemane" over 500 times , I still get shivers when Gillan emotes "Why must I die ?" regardless of your religious inclinations , THIS MUST BE HEARD !



3. Read on and you'll see a bunch of reviews that trumpet Ian Gillan's Jesus over Ted Neeley's (film version). I like them both. However, I think that Carl Anderson (film version) is the ultimate Judas. Saw him and Ted Neeley live in a touring revival production in the early nineties. Neeley was OK from a nostalgic point of view - not as good as in the film, but Anderson just stole the show. He was every bit as charismatic and nimble as in the film, and his singing was just as powerful and heart-wrenching. Might as well buy both versions. They're both great in their own ways :-)



4. Written and first performed in the time of Andy Warhol and Coca Cola's "I'd like to teach the world to sing" advertisement, Sir Andrew Lloyd Weber's perhaps greatest work was more than just a musical story of the life of Jesus, although we can easily forget that now. It was, much like a Warhol, a way of speaking to that very vanilla heart of whitebread America. It was taking our most sacred myth and rendering it in the language of the people, and bringing it out of the refuge of the church and placing it on display right along with Coke, Pepsi, Rolling Stones, Marilyn Monroe, and all the great icons of the Western World, and subjecting it to the same overexposure and banality.
   
   Sir Weber smashed that boundary between sacred and profane with this work portraying Jesus and the 12 disciples as a bunch of squabbling hippies, which were not in short supply in those days; the days when John Lennon made the famous remark that the Beatles were now "bigger than Jesus." Read the libretto of this work, and then read Tom Wolf's "Electric Kool-Aid Acid Tests" if you disagree.
   
   But perhaps the story of Jesus deserved and needed to be placed in the same marketplace of ideas that Coca Cola and Led Zeppelin lived in. Whether this was right or wrong, whether the story of Jesus deserved to be subjected to the same appreciation as a Dr. Pepper ad is not something I will debate -- much. I just know that's what happened. Jesus went Platinum, just like Kiss, just like the Beatles, and Jesus Christ complaining to the Lord that "You're far too keen on where and how but not so hot on why" has been forever burned onto my consciousness. I grew up with JCS, and I've known every word and note by heart and have ever since I was 12 or so.
   
   So JCS, like The Lord of The Rings, The Beatles or "Stairway to Heaven," is yet another culture phenomenon I can't stand any more due to overexposure. Also because as I've grown older the general shallowness of it has become offensive. But such is the fate of all Warhol-style "pop" icons. To properly appreciate Jesus, however you approach him, within your own heart or through study, you have to reach deeper than this cliche-ridden rock opera.
   
   And cliche-ridden as it is, it remains an absolutely brilliant work of composition in both the music and lyrics, and also a telling portrait of late 20th C America; Americans who only went to church on Christmas Eve or Easter Morning were grooving to JCS in the millions. The real religion for many of us was the Rock and Roll, and JCS was missionary work for a profane age; a way of reaching out to us. And Sir Weber was very much a product of his era, and indeed a brilliant composer.
   
   I cannot stand JCS now, any more than I can tolerate "Cats." But I can acknowledge the cultural icon that it is, just as I can appreciate a print of Marilyn Monroe at the dentist's office. That is what Sir Weber hath wrought ultimately. But the fact that you have to look deeper for the real living spirit, that has always been and will always be true.



5. I loved the recent review about Jesus Christ Superstar. From the reading of Judas' fate to the chill down the spine. I heard this music for the first time when I was only 13 (back in Bulgaria) and it stayed with me ever since. I still get the chill down my spine when I hear Pilate's Dream. Like most Europeans, I am an atheist of course, however, I adore the biblical stories and their philosophical depth. I find Webber's genius to be just incredible. Nothing in his later works compares to JCS. I would recommend to everyone to SEE the fantastic Australian production of JCS on DVD, which Webber thought is the closest to his vision. I liked the slightly slower pace of music there. The choreography is most amazing, no less amazing than Ian Gillan's famous performance of I Only Want To Say. The look of everyone on this DVD is just incredible. Perhaps only Jesus is somewhat weaker, especially in comparison to Judas and everyone else. It is fascinating to see how Webber's music affects people the same way across different cultures. (vgarkov@mbc.edu)