5 comments about Mulan II.

1. What a masterpiece by McNeely! The new "Mulan" theme nearly matches Goldsmith's theme in quality and even transcends it in sheer tragic beauty. Granted, if you hate the "animated" score sound, you will hate a few moments in this one... However you will also be swept away by some truly sweeping moments of beauty that bring back the glory days of Goldsmith, Barry or even Williams.
   
   Overall, this is a highly recommended score!
   Kudos Mr. McNeely!



2. The music in this sequal is nothing compared to the first movie, but the tunes are catchy, and for a child that just enjoyed the movie, I could see how this would be a CD they'd want to hear over and over. It could get a bit annoying to their parents however. I would suggest seeing the movie before purchasing this soundtrack, for the songs are out of order from the movie, and it's always better to have a visual of what's going on before listening to the music alone.
   I wasn't impressed, but I did enjoy it.



3. As a Chinese, I think this movie was terrible, because it made the tale of Mulan very confuse and strange. I don't want to see this movie again. But I bought this soundtrack, because the music was very good. Being fond of Lea Salonga's voice was one of the reasons.
   The first song in this movie was "Lesson Number One", and it was my favourite. I love the choirs of children, it was perfect! It made me recognize the children's choirs in the church. Lea Salonga's voice was so sweet, and it's my favourite style! "A girl worth fighting for" came up in this soundtrak but it was remixed, and most of the lyrics were changed. Although it was very different from the original one, I love it. Because it gave me a good feeling, and I felt that it was more humorous than the original one. Another song named "Like other girls" is one of my favourites. Mei's voice was a little strange but very cute. The three princesses seemed to be crazy, but I could feel their emotion that they were eager of freedom and very unsetisfied with the arranged marrige. I felt very happy that they found their love and happiness by the end.
   This was a movie which was so terrible but with perfect songs I have ever seen!



4. i saw the mulan II and loved the music in it, so i went out and bought the cd. here are my comments on each song-
   
   1. lesson number one- 5/5. cute song
   2. main title (score)- 5/5. i thought this was so pretty!
   3. like other girls- 5/5. i absolutely love this song! it has a great beat, and just makes you want to sing along.
   4. girl worth fighting for (redux)- 5/5. i love this song too, its funny
   5. here beside me- 5/5. the first time i listened to it, i thought it was "ok", but now i think its great!
   6. (i wanna be) like other girls (atomic kitten)- 5/5. i thought it was a great version of the original.
   
   the next five songs, which are scores, are also very good!
   
   overall, this cd was well worth my money, and the movie was even better!



5. The 'other girls' song is cute, but this reminds me of the follows up to pocahontas and cinderella and the little mermaid. Aladin's did well enough to make more, but...I think it really does have to do with the music. Mulan had that strong "reflection" by christina aguilera when she was first coming out, that established her as THE best voice, and that song, in spanish or english works well on it's own also. These sequals keep failing to have a strong song. The strengths here lie with the new score, new themes. It's easier to create a better classical piece for Disney it seems. And they have so many talented singers at their disposal...

2 comments about Page by Page.

1. Ken Page's one-person show is amazing. I have seen him in many of the productions that he talks about; the back stories make all of my memories even more fun. Even if you have never heard of him or seen him perform (is that possible?)the disc will entertain and enlighten. Enjoy.



2. Whether you are a Broadway fan or not this is a terrific treat. One wonderful moment after another as his incredible voice sets your toes tapping and heart thumping. For those who have had the opportunity to see him on stage (and I have in several productions) this is a great opportunity to dance down memory lane and for those that have not, you are in for a wonderful treat. They can call it Black Broadway history, but I just call it superb.

5 comments about New Girl in Town (1957 Original Broadway Cast).

1. It seems quite strange that a drama like Anna Christie would be the choice of writers of Broadway musicals! And the results also came out strange.
   Although "New Girl in Town" ran for 431 performances and came out in the black financially, it really is not musical comedy material. Reviews were mixed at best, with no raves. Were it not for the standout, Tony winning performances of Gwen Verdon and Thelma Ritter, the show almost surely would have flopped.
   A couple of numbers deserved to become popular singles. Most deserved to fade quickly from memory. "Ven Ve Valse" is a blatant knockoff of R & H's "Shall We Dance."
   Still, this original cast recording merits a place on the shelves of Broadway enthusiasts, simply as a part of musical history, and of Gwen Verdon fans.



2. New Girl in Town has been one of my favorite musicals, ever since I saw it on a pre-Broadway run in Boston over fifty years ago. I have never understood why it does not seem to get revived. The CD is disappointing, in that one of the songs ---- Did You Close Your Eyes When We Kissed ---- is cut short in the middle of it. I do not know whether it is just a defective CD, or whether there was simply no room on the CD. If the latter, I don't see why they chose this particular song to cut short.



3. Eileen Barton's 1950 recording of "If I Knew You Were Comin' I'd've Baked a Cake" was songwriter Bob Merrill's very first pop hit, and he went on to create such pop classics as Rosemary Clooney's "Mambo Italiano," Guy Mitchell's "(There's a Pawnshop on a Corner in) Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania" and Patti Page's mega-hit "How Much Is That Doggie in the Window?" However, Merrill's major claim to fame (infamy?) was writing ". . . one of the most recognizable, most parodied, and (for non-Streisand fans) most irritating lyrics of all time: People/People who need people/Are the luckiest people in the world." (Marc Steyn, in an article posted on slate.com, dated April 9, 1998) Furthermore, writes Steyn, "Merrill is the man who single-handedly produced the worst songs of the decade and so debauched the currency of mainstream Tin Pan Alley that it had no moral authority to resist rock 'n' roll."
   
   Well, excuuuse me, Mr. Steyn. I, among millions of others growing up in the 50s, really dug Bob Merrill's novelty songs, and I also thoroughly enjoyed the songs he wrote for his first Broadway score, NEW GIRL IN TOWN. How can anyone resist such rousing, toe-tapping, full-throated ensemble numbers like "Roll Yer Socks Up," "At the Check Apron Ball," "The Sunshine Girl (Has Raindrops in Her Eyes)," "There Ain't No Flies on Me," and "Chess and Checkers"? Novelty songs? Yes, and so are Marthy (Thelma Ritter) and the girls' reminiscences about their youthful "Flings" and Anna's (Gwen Verdon) recounting of her introduction to the wayward life by her Minnesota uncles and cousins "On the Farm." Merrill's score also includes a couple of lovely ballads: Mat's (George Wallace) "Look at `Er," Anna's "If That Was Love" and "It's Good To Be Alive," later reprised by Mat. Anna's father, Chris, (Cameron Prud'homme) sings the poignant "Anna Lilla" and with Anna leads the revelers in "Ven I Valse." In his liner notes, Victor Lewis complains that some of the songs ". . . are of a one-size-fits-all brand, and could have come from any up-beat musical." Who cares? They're terrific!
   
   All the performances are terrific as well, earning for both Verdon and Ritter the 1958 Tony for Best Actress in a Musical (a tie) and a Best Featured Actor nomination for Prud'homme. The marvelous Robert Russell Bennett/Philip J. Lang orchestrations are a far cry from today's pathetic pared-down synthesizer/drum machine-dominated pit bands. Hal Hastings directs the whole thing with a seasoned hand.
   
   So why doesn't this recording get a five-star rating? Well, it might have if Flare, in addition to Lewis' comments, had included the original CD booklet. Missing is a synopis of the musical and a cast listing; atleast the cover art has been faithfully reproduced. James Irvin's remastering has cleaned up much of the original RCA CD's muddiness, but at the same time has introduced a brightness that makes the tape hiss more apparent. On the positive side, now and again there is evidence of the three-dimensionality often associated with RCA's Webster Hall recordings. `Tis a pity Sony/BMG didn't reissue NEW GIRL and remaster it with the same attention to detail as they did with the Lincoln Center KING AND I and the 2oth anniversary revival of MY FAIR LADY. What a smashing recording this might have been.
   
   Highly recommended - anyway.



4. 'New Girl in Town' has long been out of print and now the girl has returned and welcome home. I had never heard the score before but it turns out it is a solid and surprisingly tuneful score, but the most surprising thing was Gwen Verdon the star of the show has only 5 numbers out of 18. This was Bob Merrills first Broadway show before his enchanting score for "Carnival" and he really shines on chorus numbers and who can resist a number with the lyrics "The Sunshine Girl has raindrops in her eyes" but he has also written a lovely duet called "Did You Close Your Eyes". Sometimes Mr Merrill can be clever but obvious when Thelma Ritter in a comic duet with her common law boyfriend sings "Larry the bartender says you aint fit to live with pigs but i said you are" and of course the boyfriend accepts it as a compliment.
   
   RCA Victor first released the Broadway cast album of "New Girl..." but this reissue comes from some co in England called Flare-so it's now treated as an import with an import price and will probably go out of release a short time from now but if you are a completist this CD belongs on your shelf.



5. The 1957 musical "New Girl in Town", which featured Gwen Verdon and Thelma Ritter, is a very mixed bag. Based on Eugene O'Neill's brilliant play "Anna Christie", it tells the story of a young prostitute (Ms. Verdon) who returns to her native Sweden from the United States, where she has lived since age 5.
   
   The score is by Bob Merrill, who was named the "Worst Songwriter Ever" by Spin Magazine shortly after his suicide in 1998. Although there are a multitude of clunkers, all of Ms. Verdon's numbers are killers. The best tune is "On The Farm", in which she goes through the sexual abuses she took at the hands of her cousins and uncles, and which led her to her life as a prostitute. Stephen Sondheim listed it as one of the 100 songs her wishes he had written.
   
   Ms. Verdon, as usual, is perfection. This CD is now out-of-print, and copies that are found can be very expensive. Given that this isn't the greatest score, and it will probably never be revived again, I would say that it is for die-hard Gwen Verdon fans only.

5 comments about The Life (1997 Original Broadway Cast).

1. It's about hookers. Honestly, it is, really! But it's a fantastic take on things, and "My Body" stands out by far as one of the best songs on the album. If you can find the video from The Rosie O'Donnell Show of the girls singing this song, watch it. It's what got me hooked on it. Sam Harris never fails to impress either.



2. A lovely CD. I saw the show on Broadway and wish some of the arrangements on the CD were as rich as they developed on stage, especially "Why Don't They Leave Us Alone" was much more powerful and fully worked out on stage. Still, this is worthwhile musical cast recording to own.
   
   Ar Este Pi



3. There was only one reason to see The Life, that was for the great Lillias White, who desevedly won a Tony. Other than White, the rest is a dismall bomb. Mr. Coleman was clearly at the end of his long and distinguished career. Hard to beleive this drek is from the composer of Sweet Charity, Barnum, Little Me, City of Angels and Seesaw (to name a few).Also hard to believe this score was even nominated for a Tony, along side Titanic and Steel Pier (which in my opinion has an amazing score and deserved a far longer run than it had). It was a bad year for musicals. Stay away from this waste.



4. Great CD - loved the musical - don't know why it didn't stay on Broadway longer.



5. 1997's Tony Award for Best Musical goes to ... "Titanic"?
   
   Cy Coleman & Ira Gasman's terrific score for "The Life" is much stronger than that season's other productions: "Steel Pier" and the aforementioned "Titanic". Maybe the Book needed work. Fortunately, the show will be remembered for its outstanding performances by Tony-Winners Lillias White & Chuck Cooper along with Tony-Nominees Pamela Isaacs & Sam Harris.
   
   Best tracks include:
   
   The Oldest Profession
   My Body
   He's No Good
   I'm Leaving You
   "Someday" Is For Suckers
   My Friend
   
   Though not as strong as some of Mr. Coleman's other scores ("Sweet Charity", "City Of Angels", & "The Will Rogers Follies" come to mind), you'll be hooked after a couple of listens! Let's hope this show gets revived ... and soon!

5 comments about Sweet Charity (1969 Film Soundtrack).

1. This Movie made a real impression on me as a youth. However all I could ever remember were the songs and dance numbers. As i got older, I found out that there was a very good reason for this. The Movie was just OK,
   but the song and dance numbers were amazing. This score for the film has not been available on CD for quite some time, but the new mastering and packaging are really terrific. Highlight are "Hey Big Spender" and "The
   Rhythm of Life". Very very late 60'ies. Worth every cent.



2. You say to yourself, why did this musical fail so badly at the box office?
   And if you're bit of a movie buff like I am, you remember that in the 1960's, just about every musical after THE SOUND OF MUSIC bombed. DR. DOOLITTLE, STAR, HELLO DOLLY and thats just from Fox. DARLING LILI, PAINT YOUR WAGON from Paramount. FINIANS RAINBOW from Warners, GOODBYE MR.CHIPS from MGM. And then came Universal's turn...
   
   It was to be the studio's grandest picture of 1969. Topping off a period that saw talent agency MCA's take over Universal. The building of the "black tower", the creation of the "Universal Studios tour", the construction of the Sheraton Universal hotel and the beginning development and expansion of Universal City itself. Studio boss Lew Wasserman, Hollywood's reigning supreme power monarch, had personally fought for SWEET CHARITY to be made. But when the premiere party screening was held for all his friends, the elite, the political establishment and even MCA's founder Jules Stein, this tale of of a common taxi dancer Shirley MacLaine falling in love. And the psychodelic Sammy Davis Jr's musical number offended the likes of Nancy Reagan and many others in the audience. Well, it was taken as somewhat obscene, despite all the political assasinations of the decade and the really obscene death and destruction of the Vietnam war. Bad timing I guess, specially for veteran choreographer and first time director Bob Fosse.
   
   SWEET CHARITY had what all good musicals must have -good music. It was well cast too. I thought Fosse did a great job, unfortunately the public passed on it as did all those who were so deeply "offended" at the big screening. How dare all those girls sing "Hey big spender" to boot. Today, SWEET CHARITY would be considered oh so tame and innocent. Maybe PRETTY WOMAN should be remade as a musical, with today's political crowd it would be a real hit!



3. Listening to this Soundtrack brought back so many sweet memories of a fun time in my life - college. Hearing "Rhythm of Life" done by Sammy Davis Jr. was most memorable. This is such a fun soundtrack to play. I look forward to many years of enjoyment and recommend it to anyone who was in college in the late 60's.



4. I have been converting my old LP's into CD's then putting them on my Ipod. I am picky about what I put on my Ipod, selecting only certain tracks from each CD. This CD, however, I put all tracks onto my Ipod except the overture. While I find Shirley MacLaine's voice a bit weak, the songs overcome any such problems with their energy. And one of the main reasons I wanted the movie rather than broadway CD was because of Sammy Davis Jr. His contributions to this album are worth every penny.



5. I saw the movie version for the first time a couple of years ago and continue with fond memories. I saw the 2005 Broadway Revival in June. Trust me, stick with the movie cast recording. Paula Kelly, Chita Rivera, and even Shirley MacLaine have a magic and zeal that is lost in the current revival. My main disappointment is that the movie soundtrack's version of The Rich Man's Frug is too short and doesn't have the best parts of the full number from the movie. That aside, who could ever top Sammy Davis' performance in Rythm of Life. Chita and Paula are beyond comparison in Something Better Than This.
   
   This cast recording makes me wish I was old enough to have seen them during the original Broadway run.
   
   Consider buying the DVD to the movie to accompany this DVD. That way, you'll also get to see Ben Vereen at his best. I will warn you that the movie was a bit indulgent with extended scenes whose length is not justified by their contribution to the overall film. It's about 20-30 minutes too long. But the musical and dance numbers are really great. Who doesn't love Fosse?

1 comments about Tony Bennet With the Count Basie Big Band.

1. My friend bought a different Bennett/Basie CD because he thought the more expensive one would be better. Well I got the last laugh. This one is actually better quality and has all the songs I love. how could you go wrong with Bennett and Basie?

5 comments about Show Boat (1988 Studio Cast Highlights).

1. Why in the world would I want another recording of Show Boat? I already own a very old Columbia version, called "Here Comes the Show Boat," with Helen Morgan, Paul Robeson, and James Melton, which purports to be an "original cast recording," as well as the movie soundtrack, and the 1962 studio cast.
   The answer is Jerry Hadley. Since his untimely death, I have been looking into more of his recordings, especially those outside the traditional opera repertoire.
   And I was not disappointed! Not only did I get a great performance from Hadley. I got the added beauty of Frederica von Stade's Magnolia and Teresa Stratas' Julie. Add to that the original orchestrations resurrected by John McGlinn, and you have the closest recording available to the intentions of Jerome Kern.
   Some listeners will want the full treatment of the three-disc version, with more dialogue and some songs that were "tried out" in some of the early productions. For me, this "highlights" disc presents the most important music and enough of the dialogue to keep the story moving as you listen.
   Pick whichever version suits you better. But pick this recording if you are a Show Boat fan, or simply a fan of the Broadway musical.



2. Let me start off by saying that my first experiences with Show Boat came through the splendid 1951 MGM movie version. Having never seen Show Boat performed live on stage, this CD pretty much brings the live experience home (and note I said 'this' CD; the full 3-disc set would be just short of actually being front row center). The immortal Kern/Hammerstein score is one of my favorites (right up there with My Fair Lady, The Sound of Music, Annie Get Your Gun, and Brigadoon) and is definately one of the greatest ever written for the musical theater.

   Since Show Boat does not have an official original cast album, I suppose that this one suffices quite well. All original orchestrations are used here and the music is as it was on opening night in 1927. This is the most complete version available (whether you go with the full set or just this disc). The 1946 revival cast album is the oldest 'complete' album and is nice when paired with this disc to give one a sense of how Show Boat sounded in the early days.

   I really didn't care much for this CD at first, but after listening to it a couple more times, I like it better and better each time. McGlinn certainly did right by this one! I'm not too familiar with most of the cast (save for Frederica Von Stade and Paige O'Hara), but they're all great. You'd think that this is a recording of a live performance, not just a studio album. Fantastic singing is had thoughout. McGlinn also did a great job with Brigadoon 3 years later, and did he not have a similar effort with Annie Get Your Gun as well?

   I still think that the MGM movie version and its soundtrack album are the best but this rendition is definately not bad! Highly recommended. But if you can, pick up a copy of the movie soundtrack or of the 1946 revival album for comparison.




3. First, "Showboat" is my all time favorite Musical, from the '40's and '50's when my mother took us to the movies every Sunday. I have video tapes of the 1951 MGM version with Howard Keel and Kathyrn Grayson, as well as the earlier movie version. A few years ago, I saw a TV special on the making of the three Disc complete remake of Showboat, true to the original score. I tried to get a cy of it but no local store could help me. Then through the magic of computers and AMAZON.com, I obtained the three disc set plus this single CD, which I treasure. This one is the best, without doubt. Now I have the complete version of songs and music I only vaguely remembered from the TV special. I wish someone would make a movie just like this version so I could have it on DVD. The whole cast and orchestra are awesome, especially Frederica von Stade. I have since bought other CDs of her work. Buy the three disc set if you can afford it, it has a thick booklet with the actual score and dialogue. But if you cannot, buy this CD. This is the ultimate, the prototype Broadway musical.



4. I can't thank enough all the people responsable for this terrific revival cast album.Here is a perfect example of how you should do a classic show and maintain the original intentions of the writer and the composer.If they were alive,JEROME KERN and OSCAR HAMMERSTEIN would have been proud of the way their masterpiece have survived them.It is impossible to imagine a better version of the show;this is the definitive one.It's funny when you think of it,most people know the songs by heart,yet it seems that we rediscover the show with this version.Suddently ,we are in 1927 and mister ZIEGFELD is scared like hell that he will loose a lot of money with this;but that's strangely the situation in which the modern AMERICAN musical was born.



5. I really like this recording! The voices are really great. I especially liked "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man." I would recommend this CD to everyone who likes the show and musical theatre.

5 comments about Brigadoon (1957 Studio Cast).

1. I played the role of Meg Brockie in college so am very familiar with this show. This is much much much better than the movie version cd.



2. There's little to add to the already fine comments made about this recording. It's been one of my favorites for years, and I shamelessly tried to model my singing after Frank Porretta's when I played Charlie Dalrymple back in 1958 at Kearney State College. Loads of appreciation to DRG for this CD release and a masterful remastering job. Shirley Jones is a perfect Fiona and Jack Cassidy is in excellent voice as Tommy. However, it is in the two supporting roles that this recording rises above all others: Frank Porretta's "Come to Me, Bend to Me" and "I'll Go Home to Bonnie Jean" have never been bettered, and Susan Johnson is far and away the best Meg Brockie ever recorded. In fact, her versions of "The Love of My Life" and "My Mother's Wedding Day" alone are enough reason to purchase this recording.
   
   This said, I also want to recommend highly the 1992 Broadway Angel studio recording. It has the advantage of excellent stereo sound and a very fine Tommy Albright in Brent Barrett. Clocking in at 79 minutes & 10 seconds, it contains considerably more dialogue than the DRG recording, and all the incidental & dance music, including a truly moving "Funeral Dance" for bagpipes and drums. The Angel album is so good that it belongs in every musical theater fan's collection, along with DRG's reissue of Columbia's Goddard Lieberson-produced, Lehman Engel-conducted studio recording.
   
   Highly recommended
   
   PS. Miss Johnson also appeared in 1958's OH, CAPTAIN! - available as a DRG CD - as well as DONNYBROOK (1961) & WHOOP-UP (1958), both missing from the DECCA Broadway catalogue. A shanda! Frank Porretta can be heard on the DRG release of THE GREAT WALTZ (1965), and hopefully DECCA Broadway will see fit to issue a CD version of THE SONG OF NORWAY soundtrack (1970) starring Mr. Porretta and Florence Henderson.
   
   Keep sending those e-mails!



3. At 17 having just seen OKLAHOMA!, I was in love with Shirley Jones. I purchased this recording because of her and became familiar with the Brigadoon score for the first time. It will always be my favorite. I hadn't listened to it for years, but with the new CD release, just listened again. I had forgotten, or not realized what amazing performances were there. Jones and Cassidy have never been in better voice, both artistically and dramatically, and the rest of the cast just excellent. Go for it!



4. Columbia's 1957 studio cast album of BRIGADOON remains to this day one of the best (if not THE best) recordings of the dreamy Lerner-Loewe score.
   
   This was originally one in a series of Broadway studio cast albums, produced by Goddard Lieberson, many of which have been released on CD (including GIRL CRAZY (Mary Martin, Louise Carlyle); OH KAY! (Barbara Ruick, Jack Cassidy); and BABES IN ARMS (Mary Martin, Jack Cassidy).
   
   Shirley Jones is a revelation as Fiona with Jack Cassidy as Tommy. The performances are enlivened no end by their real-life chemistry as husband and wife, and they used that kinship to great effect in their recordings together. Jones' rendition of "Waitin' for My Dearie" includes the right combination of melancholy and hope. Jack Cassidy has a ball with "There But for You Go I".
   
   Susan Johnson replaced Pamela Britton on Broadway during the run of the original production, and she beautifully recreates the role of soubrette Meg Brockie. A spirited reading of "The Love of My Life" is a highlight of the entire recording.
   
   There are many delightful BRIGADOON's around (I own a copy of the Armstrong television cast recording on LP, which features the once-in-a-lifetime casting of Sally Ann Howes and Robert Goulet in the roles of Fiona and Tommy), nevertheless, the Shirley Jones/Jack Cassidy BRIGADOON will always be my favourite rendition of the score.



5. For many years this recording of BRIGADOON (1957) was the definitive version out there, but in 1991 Angel/emi released what has now become the complete version to have. After 1956 columbia records started recording everything in STEREO ( this doesn't mean that everything was released after that however at that time). It's amazing to me that this wonderful recording was not done in stereo but in MONO. A few years later this recording would be electronically re-channled for stereo but still sounded mono. This new DRG remaster is wonderful in terms of it's sound and I'm so thrilled it's finally available at long last. Thank you DRG and Dan O'leary for your dedication and hard work in bringing these recordings back into print again. Michael Sherman

5 comments about Leading Man.

1. While looking for albums to purchase my eyes caught a glimpse of Thomas Hampson's Leading Man. Myself being a singer was immediately intrigued with the concept of a wonderfully trained, and very high I might add, baritone perform broadway pieces that deserve a little bit more technique than they often get. I've purchased many c.d's of this kind with artists such as Bryn Terfel performing broadway classics and have gotten a lot of satisfaction from it. However, I was severely dissapointed with "Leading Man". I'll state my three reasons...
   
   1. The orchestration is absolutely terrible. When I initially spotted this c.d I was very excited with the idea of hearing standard old broadway classics the way I've heard them hundreds of times before, however this time with a guaranteed good performance. I was soon disturbed to hear probably THE WORST arrangements I've ever heard of these pieces. EX: The original orchestration for Beauty and the Beast's "If I can't love her" is absolutely wonderful. It makes me believe that broadway is actually doing something worth while. However, whenever i hear monotone drumbeats start pumping through my speakers....well, I just get pissed off. What was wrong with the initial orchestration? Why did they feel the need to be "creative" and ruin something that was perfect the way it was. Its because people feel the need to frustrate me....that's why.
   
   2. The overall performance. I must say that I respect the work of Thomas Hampson immensely, his technique is absolutely brilliant and it has allowed him to sing things all across his range...from the more Baritone in nature, to singing in the high bflat range. That being said, I do not prefer the techniques used in this c.d. Like Bryn Terfel, Hampson utilizes his ability to float high notes with a pure, ALMOST phalsetto like sound. However, this is not what I disagree with, but rather the fact that he feels the need to practically scoop up to EVERY high note. This is usually used as a way of getting really high notes with securing the support underneath it. However, after hearing Hampson sings Rossini's Largo al factotum you realize that he is quite capable of picking out these top notes very cleanly with little to no difficulty or strain. I would of preferred to have heard more of this for some of the songs (Phantom of the opera, If I can't love her, If ever I would leave you)
   
   3. For a man who love's music, I found it very difficult to enjoy this album. I might be a musician, but I can dumb down the ol' critics ear and simply listen to music for the hell of it. However, too many things got in the way of the music. There was too much self promoting in this album that did not allow for the REAL music to be shown. Instead of hearing "If i can't love her" featuring Thomas Hampson, i heard Thomas Hampson singing "If i can't love her"...(Theres a difference, the later is a much more selfish way to approach music)
   
   Overall, I believe that if your a hardcore Hampson fan, by all means purchase this album. If you are hoping to hear old favorites you might want to take a second thought about it...



2. Once upon a time Broadway was dominated by singers with real voices who did not need microphones to be heard. It's a trend all but gone and that is why this album is such an amazing breath of fresh air. Thomas Hampson is mostly known as a Lieder singer and an opera singer, his voice being that of a lyric baritone. His instrument is colorful and warm, velvety yet with the right amount of squillo to keep it from sounding too mushy. But it isn't his timbre, which sounds interesting rather than blandly beautiful, that bewitches and allures the ear, it's his Lieder like attention to the music and the lyrics. Being a first rate musician he doesn't add sobs and sighs but develops the drama through the music and the written word. Take the done to death "Music of the Night" as an example, Mr. Hampson positively delivers it from the Broadway crooners and Popera children, by singing it powerfully and without the utterly annoying falsetto that most who sing this song apply in order to sound more like the originator of the piece, Michael Crawford.
   
   Musically these songs aren't much of a challenge for him, the real challenge was to sing these songs without trying to sound like the aforementioned Broadway interpreters as not to challenge his listeners' habits. A recital that has stood the test of time and it saddens me to see Mr. Hampson attempting heavy Verdi and Wagner roles that are best left to dramatic baritones instead of singing his best lyric repertoire and maybe recording another Broadway album. However, this CD is an absolute must if you love any or all of the following things: Good singing, supreme musicianship and Broadway.



3. There are not many opera personalities who can sing Broadway music without sounding totally out of their genre. Thomas Hampson is one who can. Of course, on this recording, he selected music that is well suited to his type of voice. I was a bit put off by some "swooping" pitches on the first selection, "All the Things You Are." But, then he moved into the excellent "Bring Him Home" and "Music of the Night." His duet with John Raitt on "Hey There" brought back fond memories of seeing "Pajama Game" in person. One problem--After listening to all eleven tracks, I found myself wishing for an "Anthem" from "Chess."



4. Excellent album. Excellent singing. Beautiful diction, tone, expressiveness. Yes, he is an opera singer. Yes, you will hear the influence of his opera training. But it isn't pretentious, as other reviewers have stated. In many songs you get the feeling he is singing as a 6'3", 250lb dockworker, not someone in tails (or a man who spends a lot of time decorating). His manly voice sounds like someone who would actually be attracted to the lovely ingenues (and not acting like it, if you know what I mean, not that there's anything wrong with that...) Unfortunately, in some songs you also get the feeling he is singing to a soprano that is about 15 feet tall while in the Roman colliseum.



5. Thomas Hampson totally rocks these songs with his rich baritone voice soaring through such notes as high G, Aflat and A! His Music of the Night, in my opinion, is even better than Michael Crawford's. I recommend this to Musical Theatre actors who want to learn how to sing really well. For anyone else it really just depends on whether or not they are willing to pay 17 dollars for 11 songs (all amazing).

2 comments about Bobby Short Celebrates Rodgers & Hart.

1. "Bobby Short Celebrates Rodgers and Hart" was initially recorded and released by Atlantic Records in 1975. In addition to Short and his stride piano, personnel on it were his usual, Beverly Peer on bass, and Richard Sheridan on drums. Music for all selections was by Richard Rodgers; lyrics were by Lorenz Hart.
   
   Upon the record's release, Short said, "This celebration could go on somewhat indefinitely as it must certainly be true that each of our lives has been infinitely brightened, sweetened and enriched by the songs of Rodgers and Hart...I should hastily explain that we have simply sought to include some of the songs for which the two gentlemen are best known along with a few that may have escaped public notice." In the event, he gives us some great songs, "Where or When,""With a Song in My Heart," "I Didn't Know What Time It Was," "My Romance,""There's A Small Hotel,""Bewitched," and "I Wish I Were in Love Again," to cite a few. Rodgers and Hart, luckily, produced quite an extensive songbook during their collaboration. For Rodgers, as many people will be aware, produced far more sophisticated work with Hart, who unfortunately had a rather short and unhappy life, than he later would with Oscar Hammerstein. Short's stylish approach suits this repertory to perfection.
   
   Short was a leading cabaret star of the later 20th century; he was a glamorous New York icon and a great favorite of the international jet set. His work exemplified a kind of effortless elegance; his enunciation, learned at the knee of Mabel Mercer, was transparent; his baritone, transcendent; yet he had élan, exuberance and enthusiasm; and, of course, he chose the best, to begin with.



2. Bobby Short has a well-deserved reputation as the consummate cabaret performer of his generation, as countless visitors to the Café Carlyle in uptown Manhattan can attest. Woody Allen did a nice job of showcasing Short in "Hannah and Her Sisters," and he managed to show up for Lucy Camden's engagement part on "7th Heaven," so there is ample evidence the man is an American icon. While he is best known for singing the songs of Cole Porter, Short is a master of many of the great American songwriters of this generation. For this 1975 album, "Bobby Short Celebrates Rodgers & Hart."
   
   Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart had a series of Broadway successes in the years before World War II, with "On Your Toes" (1936), "Babes in Arms" and "I'd Rather Be Right" (1937), "I Married an Angel" and "The Boys from Syracuse" (1938), "Too Many Girls" (1939), "Pal Joey" (1940) and "By Jupiter" (1942). Their last collaboration was the reworking of an earlier show, "A Connecticut Yankee" in 1943, but which time Rodgers had written "Oklahoma!" with Oscar Hammerstein II and Hart was on his deathbed. But while they worked together Rodgers and Hart wrote twenty-eight shows, did eight movies, and ended up writing over 500 songs, giving Short a lot of choices from which to select the twenty-six tracks on this album (and without doing "My Funny Valentine," which is an interesting choice all by itself).
   
   Even those who are not completely up on their Rodgers & Hart (notice hand held up) are going to recognize several classic songs, from "With a Song in My Heart" and "I Still Believe in You" to "Isn't it Romantic?" and "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered." But you soon find that it does not matter whether you have heard these songs before, because Short is making them his own by how he phrases each and line of every lyric. Hart's lyrics are not quite on the same level as those of Cole Porter, but they are close and listening to what Short does with each one as he sings them is the whole point here. Short plays the piano as well, but the emphasis remains on the voice from the first track, "On Your Toes," to the last, "I Wish I Were in Love Again." The comparisons to Frank Sinatra are apt, because we are talking absolute masters of vocal phrasing. That is why making this album makes me more of a fan of Rodgers & Hart, because I could not possibly have more respect for Bobby Short.